Illustration Art 431: Project 1. Say Eye!

Project One: “Say Eye!”

Media: Graphite pencil (HB-6B) and quality white paper of medium texture (Strathmore or Canson)

Preliminary Project #1: Skill Development (60 points)

DUE: August 29^th (All due dates are at the beginning of class unless otherwise noted)

A. Using the “dry point” technique as demonstrated in class, make a value scale that contains FIVE one inch boxes. Be sure to follow these guidelines:

a. The pores of the paper should not be filled in by smudging or excessive pencil pressure (don’t fill in the black square by pressing hard)

b. Values should be consistent throughout (no blotches or blemishes)

c. The finished product should contain sharp edges but NOT OUTLINES.

d. The values should progress evenly from one square to the next.

B. Using the same technique, make a 3” circle (lightly tracing a soup can) into a sphere by shading. The sphere should float in a 5” square with shadows that have a gradient opposite of the circle.

a. Use the same guidelines as part A

b. The light should come from above the sphere; opposite of the background lighting.

C. Create a second circle in a square using a mixture of “dry point” and cloth blending techniques. (Same dimensions as previous circle and square exercise)

a. Use a clean paper towel and paper stumps to blend under layers

b. After blending with a paper towel and stumps be sure to reinforce values and textures with layers of dry point on top.

Below is an well executed example of the preliminary project completed by Alex Weires during the Fall 2011 semester.The top sphere is in dry point without smudging, which leaves the white pores of the paper visible. The lower sphere was smudged in earlier stages to fill in the pores with graphite (lighter or darker depending on the needs of the form) and later built up again with dry point to make the drawing feel more rounded.

Project #1: “Say Eye” (100 points)

DUE: September 12^th

Basic Description: Photograph, digitally edit, transfer, and render a realistic eye using the graphite pencil techniques discussed in class on quality white paper of medium texture

A. With the help of a classmate or friend, take an expressive picture of your eye (surprised, mad, fearful, mysterious etc.). Be sure the picture includes your eyebrow and is large enough to be printed in high resolution at five inches (expressiveness will be a factor in grading)

B. Print your eye in reverse (use Photoshop to flip it horizontally) making sure the eye is at least 4.5 inches in length from eye corner to eye corner.

C. Render the eye and a portion of its surrounding with values using both the “dry point” technique and related blending techniques as demonstrated in class.

a. Be sure smudging is controlled and kept to a minimum. It may be better used in key places for effect or as an under layer.

Again, Alex Weires drew an exceptional eye using a combination of the two aforementioned techniques.