NMA Homework: Week 3 Value Practice

 Week Three focused on value, how light and dark something is, and laying down smooth swatches. The first exercise created three- and five-value scales of graphite and charcoal pencils without and with blending. You can see the difference blending makes to the same medium. In addition to graphite and charcoal, I opted to use a colored pencil for the non-black swatches. 

Week 3 exercise 1

The second exercise was creating a more accurate value scale that moved up in value proportionally. In this case, it's an eight-step scale, with an empty swatch and seven swatches up to the darkest value. I actually did it twice, the first one using the 2B pencil I used for the first exercise, but I didn't like how it turned out. The range wasn't appropriately varied, a bit too dark. So I did it again with the charcoal pencil, which is what I post below. I ran into the same problem. My reviewer pointed out that my set-up for the scale was off, so I could redo it after changing the set-up so it can have a better first, lighter first value.

Week 3 exercise 2

Exercise Three combines the first two by using the measured value scale to adjust the scales created in the first exercise. As you can see, while I was able to adjust them, the limited values meant the revised swatches are closer in value than they should be.

Week 3 exercise 3, non-blended swatches

Week 3 exercise 3, blended swatches

Lines, Ellipses, and Boxes: DrawABox Homework 1

Sometimes you have to go back to the basics. I'm working on improving the mechanical control, greatly helped by DrawABox, a website of drawing lessons created by artist and YouTube channel Uncomfortable. His approach is more about mechanics and muscle memory, at least when getting started. Then a student moves on to perspective before moving on to the more complex subjects of later lessons.

Whoo, boy! Those exercises take time, especially if you're conscious of what you're doing. I've taken around an hour to complete some of the ellipse and box exercises. But, I think it's worth it. You can see the results so far of my homework below.

Exercise: lines

 Exercise: planes

Exercise: ellipses (I hate ellipses, they always give me trouble. So these are perfect for me)

Exercise: perspective

character design homework 1

I'm being mentored in the CA.org forums in character design. Funshack's prompt for this exercise is a human musician, male or female, who loves nature, doesn't like to wear shoes, and can use his/her instrument like a weapon. Here's the start of my idea.