PROJECT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

What?

Project Prompt / Challenge

The best way to get better at drawing feet and hands is to buckle down and draw a lot of feet and hands. 
For this week's long drawing, you will develop an idea. That idea will come from a list of things —actual or conceptual— that you cannot live with or without. A rule is imposed on the drawing, too. It must include the hands or feet or both. 

How?

Strategy

Lesson Module 1: Watch Lectures on the Feet and Hands

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For this week, you will watch 2 lectures produced by Professor Marc Leone of North Kentucky University. The foot and the hand structure get described by simplified shapes based on both observation AND anatomy.

1. The Foot-Basic Foot Structure

2. The Hand Basics-Volumetric form wedging

After watching the videos, complete the model series focusing on the feet and hands.

Lesson Module 2: Draw the Feet and Hands

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The best way to get better at drawing feet and hands is to buckle down and draw a lot of feet and hands. Complete each of these 10 poses spending about 8 minutes on each. Do it this way...

1. First 2 minutes, gesture and place the figure.

2. Next 3 minutes, work solely on the hands.

3. Last 3 minutes, work solely (ha!) on the feet.

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Female* (Ayame):

pose 1

pose 2

pose 3

pose 4

pose 5

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Male* (Cesar):

pose 6

pose 7

pose 8

pose 9

pose 10

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Lesson Module 3: Complete idea generation for "Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It"

Introduction to Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It

Concept

For this week's long drawing, you will develop an idea. That idea will come from a list of things —actual or conceptual— that you cannot live with or without. A rule is imposed on the drawing, too. It must include the hands or feet or both.

Idea Generation

The steps in this process come out of ART102 The Creativity Class. We developed that course because students struggled whenever they were asked to come up with original ideas, like this project! But there are ways to tap into creative ideas and this project will lead you through one way. DO NOT SKIP ANY STEPS. We are using a tried and true process here. TRUST THE PROCESS, PLEASE.

Important tip: You may think of an idea right away. That is fine. Document it. But you must fulfill the quota anyway. Keep going. As Linus Pauling, the dual Nobel Prize Laureate once said, "The best way to come up with a good idea is to have a lot of ideas."

Step 1. Writing. Listing. (do not worry about visuals yet)

Fill this in at least 20 times: I cannot live with __________________.

Fill this in at least 20 times: I cannot live without________________.

Meet the quota or else! *

Examples:

I cannot live without my friends.

I cannot live with anyone knowing my secret.

I cannot live with these dirty dishes.

I cannot live without my phone.

I cannot live without doing something great with my life.

I cannot live with my room mates much longer.

*Why meet the quota or else?

Research shows that our first ideas are the most obvious solutions. To get a novel idea requires more work. Continuing past those first 9 ideas, reveals more interesting solutions. After 9, it also gets harder. Your brain has to work. Fresh solutions require a new path, new neural connections.

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How can I come up with more ideas to meet the quota?

Take a break. Go to bed. Take a walk. Mind wandering is a tool for creative thinking. It is called incubation. When you return to the "problem seeking" task, you will have more ideas.

Step 2. Thumbnails. (Now we get to a list of visuals.)

1. Choose the most appealing statement from the 40.

2. Draw 40 possible ways the hands or feet (or both) can be used to illustrate the thing or idea or person you can't live with or without. The images can be rough, quick. Label them if necessary to remember the idea. Here is an example of idea generation sheets from another class.

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Step 3. Compose. (plan the composition)

1. Choose one of your 40 thumbnails for your long drawing: Can't Live With It, Can't Live Without It.

2. Draw 3 compositional arrangements. Change the arrangement in each, but not the subject matter. Think about the following:​​

• format (vertical orientation, horizontal, square?)

• focal point

• overlapping

• an interesting viewpoint onto the subject

• opening up to or completely filling the negative space

• adjusting the placement

• cropping the subject

• use of value or contrast to direct the viewer's eye

3. Post the three compositional ideas to your group and help each other choose a composition that is working well, the next step in this learning module.

Learning Module 4: Post and Comment on the Compositional Ideas in Your Small Group Critique WIKIsite

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Instructions

1. Go into your group.

2. Go into the WIKI site.

3. On the top right of the group WIKI, choose EDIT WIKI PAGE.

4. Post your name and your three compositional ideas.

5. Put a line above and below your area in the WIKI.

6. Wait for feedback from your peers and me.

7. Comment on one drawing by each of your peers. Do not comment on the most well drawn drawing. Look for the best composition. The following statements guide your feedback. Please copy and paste.

Comments from _______________ I think this composition is the best because ____________________________. (cite evidence) In this composition, ______________(a design principle such as repetition, contrast, unity, balance, emphasis, proportion) is working well because____________. A way to improve this composition would be _____________.

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Learning Module 5: Complete Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It

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Medium is your choice. Digital or physical. If working physical, please use a full 18in x 24in sheet.

You will be graded on the following:

Idea generation: written lists

Idea generation: thumbnails

Idea generation: 3 compositional sketches

Balanced and dynamic composition

Accurate proportions

Value areas present: light, highlight, shadow, core shadow, reflected light, cast shadow

value range from light to dark

Correct value transitions

Presentation quality

Media usage

Materials: