Assignment 1

Gesture, Contour & Observational Studies

Due: October 1st

Submit all Week 2 and Week 3 studies together as a single package.

Send your submission via email to mitchellh2@cnc.bc.ca. Please CC any other instructors for this course.

What to include

Your submission must include the drawings from the sessions and homework below.

Week 2 — In-Class Gesture Drawing Session

Figurines — gesture studies capturing weight, balance, and line of action
Live model charcoal contour drawings

Week 2 — Homework: Live Observational Drawing in the Field

A person waiting on or for a bus — 30, 60, and 90 second gesture drawings
A perching bird or sleeping cat — 30, 60, and 90 second gesture drawings

Week 3 — In-Class Drawing Session: Value, Texture & Space

Studies exploring value to describe the turning of forms
Texture and mark-making to communicate surface qualities
Space — using contrast, detail, and edges to build depth

Week 3 — Homework: Form, Texture & Space

Time: 30–45 minutes · Materials: Pencil + paper · Subject: 3 household objects

Choose three objects with different surface qualities and arrange them so they occupy foreground, middle ground, and background. Make one observational drawing that describes form, surface, and depth.

Choose three objects

Something smooth — mug, water bottle, spoon
Something rough — rock, shoe, cardboard
Something soft/textured — fabric, sweater, stuffed animal

Your drawing must use

Value to describe the turning of the forms
Texture/mark-making to communicate what the surfaces are made of
Contrast and detail to communicate spatial depth
Edges to help distinguish foreground from background

The challenge

You are not allowed to outline everything — make some edges appear through changes in value rather than line
Don't texture everything equally — the closest object should have more visible surface information, while distant objects can become simpler

Gallery — Student examples for inspiration

Notice how value, texture, and contrast are used to describe form and push objects into the distance. Do not copy these — arrange and draw your own objects.

Charcoal still life of a whole coconut, a halved coconut showing its inner flesh, and wooden sticks with a strong cast shadow — Charcoal study — soft blended shadows and directional texture describe the rough coconut husk against the smooth inner flesh.

Graphite still life of a bowl of grapes with pears and apples on a table against a dark background — Graphite study — a dark background and higher contrast in front pull the foreground fruit forward while the bowl of grapes settles back.

Pen-and-ink still life of a bottle and an apple resting on a draped cloth — Pen-and-ink study — layered crosshatching builds value and volume, turning line into the round form of the bottle and the folds of the cloth.

Loose ink and wash still life of a teapot, a bowl of fruit, and pears on a cloth — Ink-and-wash study — bold, loose marks and a strong dark background create dramatic contrast and a lively sense of light across the objects.

Pen-and-ink sketch of an artist's desk with jars, brushes in a jar, a bottle, and scissors — Pen-and-ink sketch — quick, energetic linework captures a cluttered desk of everyday objects, using overlap and hatching to suggest depth and grouping.

Graphite still life of two metal tins and a ceramic vessel with strong shadows — Graphite study — soft blended tones and firm cast shadows describe the weight and simple geometry of the tins and vessel on a plain surface.

Pencil drawing of a potted leafy plant on a stack of books atop a folding bistro chair with a draped cloth — Pencil study — a more ambitious arrangement layers plant, books, cushion, and chair, using value and detail to lead the eye through a fuller still-life scene.