Please make an entry for the Jounal/Reflection on the POS/NEG Still life assignment that we did in class. Discuss the purpose of this assignment, the main concepts that were related to you during the class exercise. It really works best if you write your reflection first in a word processor and then cut and paste it into the entry space.

This exercise follows the same concept from the previous assignment, the positive/negative bird. We were to fill the negative space and leave the positive outline as is. I was absent during the class, so I used a picture one of my classmates took of the still-life (thanks, Kris!).

The still life consisted of a stool, a vase, a lamp, a frame, and what appeared to be another, smaller vase (was not too sure as it was behind a couple of things). I started out by drawing the easier shapes to outline (the outer edge of the frame) and from there, everything started to fall in place. Once the outer edges were finished, the inside edges were MUCH easier to place. It was hard to add value to different lines because we were creating a two dimensional image from a three dimensional image.

When trying to fill the negative space, I was at a loss…imagination is not my forte. As I looked at the positive image, I started to figure that it was hard to figure out what it was an image of without knowing what had been drawn as everything seemed to morph together. So I figured, why not bring in something that would not know what it is either? So I put in two extraterrestrial beings that looked confused (emphasized by the giant question mark). Their flying saucers are parked above them with two “gravitational beams” shown by using implied lines. Each flying saucer has a creature trapped inside, and they are obscured a bit by using a lighter value on their outlines.

POS/NEG Bird

Please make an entry for the Journal/Reflection on the POS/NEG Bird assignment that we did in class. Discuss the purpose of this assignment, the main concepts, (types of line, shape, value, patters....) that were related to you during the class exercise. Discuss how you demonstraited the use of Pattern, Value(dark and light), and line quality. It really works best if you write your reflection first in a word processor and then cut and paste it into the journal entry space.

For this assignment we were to draw the image of a bird and (what seemed to be) a moon, but we were not to draw the bird OR the moon. It really was confusing at first, but we were told, rather, to draw the images we saw in the negative—for example, a shark’s fin on the bottom and a breast on the right side. This taught us how to look at images with a different perspective. 

We were then to fill in the negative with whatever we chose. I was stumped at first… but the image of a bird made me think of music, so I began to fill in the negative with various musical notes. Soon after, the idea just popped into my head—“I know why the caged bird sings.” So, in front of the musical notes, but behind the moon and bird, I started to draw bars, as if caging the notes behind the bars. I then placed birds into the negative, which I left unshaded at first, but decided to shade them, putting their captivity in contrast with the freedom of the positive bird. Through the metamorphosis of the drawing, the positive bird is able to take on additional meaning, aside from the positive/negative contrast we were to draw.

I would also like to note that I chose to emphasize the images placed in the negative, so I gave their lines (and the shading) much more value than those in the positive, so that it would emphasize the emotion of being trapped in the shadows of the cage, opposed to the freedom of the positive bird.

(The orientation is wrong, even though the image is saved AND uploaded in the horizontal orientation, for some reason, blogger uploads it as vertical and there is no option to rotate it. Not sure if any one else has this problem?)

Upside down Picasso

For this first Journal/Reflection I would like you to discuss the Media used, Subject Matter, as well as the description of the assignment and Learning Objectives (what you were supposed to learn). Discuss the key terms introduced i.e.picture plane, grid, view finder...others.
Remember to upload your image of your art work from the Blogspot.com account.

This drawing was drawn drawn upside down. A study was conducted on elementary children who, when shown this drawing upside down, were able to draw an image much closer to the original than those who were shown the image right side up. The study showed that we have our own predetermined methods of drawing--if we see a human, we draw a human as we know how to. However, when the drawing is presented upside down, we draw the lines as opposed to the person.

The subject is a doctor sitting in a chair, and our objective was to copy what the artist saw on a two-dimensional plane. We used a grid in our drawing, which allowed us to divide the image into 8 equal portions, allowing our minds to set landmarks on the image so that when we copy it unto our sketch pad, which we divided into eight by folding, we have an idea of where to put it (for example, in the middle of box number 3). 

Keith Haring Drawing

Please share your reasons for the choice of imagery, color, and composition in your drawing. In addition, explain your drawings content.

In these times of hardship and corruption in our society, it is hard to find the light at the end of the tunnel here in the CNMI. The reason I chose to use only black and white is to emphasize the dark times we are in, and the only way we can get out of these dark times--through our people. The latte stone represents the CNMI, the people are, obviously, the people, and the darkness the dark times. Notice that the darkness fades as it reaches the people--that shows that we are the ones who can bring us out of these dark times. The people lifting the latte stone shows cooperation as well as strength and strength (not to mention the heavy task ahead of us), while the lines above their head represent intelligence and though, necessary for us to advance our islands.