UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO

LIFE DRAWING I (ART 221)

CREDITS

(3:1:6)

PREREQUISTES

Fundamentals of Drawing, ART 120 and Intermediate Drawing, ART 220

FOR WHOM PLANNED

This course is for undergraduate BA and BFA studio art majors. All BFA studio art majors are required to take Life Drawing I.

INSTRUCTION INFORMATION

Professor: Michael Ananian

Office: Room 224, Gatewood Studio Arts Center

Office Hours: By appointment

Phone: 334-5909

COURSE INFORMATION

Room 238, Gatewood Studio Art Center

Monday and Wednesday, 8:00 AM- 10:50 AM

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course will use the figure as a vehicle to teach space, form, and composition in drawing. It will stress the figure as part of an entire, developed drawing and not merely as a subject separate from composition and design in drawing. However, the course content will also address and develop ideas intrinsic to figure drawing.

TEACHING METHODS FOR ACHIEVING LEARNING OUTCOMES

Most of the instruction is “hands-on” and empirical. The professor will provide constant, one-on-one conferences or “critiques” in relation to the actual experience of drawing the live model. Outside assignments that hone the students’ life drawing skills will be critiqued. Additionally, students will participate in these critiques and sharpen their speaking and visual analytical skills. Lectures, primarily demonstrations of concepts, will complement course instruction. Examples of drawings by past and contemporary masters will supplement course activity and set the standard for excellence.

EVALUATION AND GRADING

Because there is never only one correct solution to visual problems, the professor cannot assign a cut-and-dry numerical grade to concepts that are not quantifiable. Thus, in order to do well in this kind of course, the student must investigate and probe the broader truths behind visual concepts, and the professor must grade accordingly. Regurgitating the “correct answer,” so to speak, will land the student with a “B” grade, but not an “A.” An “A” reflects initiative and ingenuity as well as a successful understanding of the concepts. A “C” grade means that you fulfilled successfully the attendance, tardiness, homework policy, and honor code. It also indicates that the student demonstrated competence in understanding the concepts but only tentatively and inchoately, without vigor and control. A “D” and “F’ have virtually the same meaning: incompetence and negligence. While this may seem very harsh, a student usually receives this grade if she or he blatantly abuses the attendance, tardiness, and homework policy. Disruptive and threatening behavior negatively affect the student’s progress and could be a factor in a grade of “D” or “F.”

The concepts to be graded are outlined below in the TOPICAL OUTLINE/CALENDAR. The basic meanings of each letter grade are consistent with the Undergraduate Bulletin of UNCG. Criteria for the letter grade are: competence of execution and understanding of concepts, plus initiative. Ingenuity in execution and understanding of concepts as well as adherence to attendance, tardiness, and homework policy is necessary for a “B” or “A” grade.

Individual conferences and examination of student portfolios at the end of the semester are required, and will illuminate the reasons for each student’s final grade. The final grade takes into consideration attendance, tardiness, and completion of homework. Please note that the professor constantly evaluates and provides feedback to each student in the form of critiques and one-on-one instruction; this should give the student a clear indication of her or his progress. It is the responsibility of the student if he or she is not certain of his or her grade to ask the professor.

All grades are final and are only considered for discussion and changes if there is a clerical error.

SUGGESTED TEXTS AND REFERENCES

Hale, Robert Beverly; Master Class in Figure Drawing; Watson-Guptill Publications; New York, 1991.

Hale, Robert Beverly; Video Lectures on Artistic Anatomy and Figure Drawing; Jo- An Pictures and Watson-Guptill Publications; Available at: The Art Students League of New York, 215 West 57th St., NY, NY 10019; New York; 1983.

Kramer, Jack; Human Anatomy & Figure Drawing: The Integration of Structure and Form, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company; New York; 1972

Richer, Dr. Paul; edited by Robert Beverly Hale; Artistic Anatomy; Watson-Guptill Publications; New York; 1986.

TOPICAL OUTLINE AND CALENDAR

SYSTEMS OF MEASUREMENT—GENERAL (Weeks 1-6)

GESTURE (Scanning and covering the entire page quickly)

-Sketching

-Big Measurements

-Movement, Thrust, General Direction, and Basic Angles/ Relative Positions

CONSTRUCTION LINES AND CONSTRUCTION POINTS (See Landmarks)

-These points and lines are used: to measure the height, width, depth, length of an object, and, thereby, create the general shape or mass conception of that object and determining the relationship of one part or object of the body to another

-There are many positive results when construction points and lines are used conscientiously:

Accurate proportion, foreshortening, position/ angle (relative to another part of an object, and mark, or entire object), and movement/ thrust

LANDMARKS (Points of interest or distinctive spots)

-Hatchmarks/Landmarks: marks that indicate changes in direction of a contour.

NEGATIVE SPACE OR SHAPE

-An exercise in comparative seeing and accurately judging size relationships in space

ANGLES

-As they are determined from using negative space and constructions plumb lines and horizontal lines

PROPORTION

-Relative sizes of objects and negative spaces

SHAPE CONCEPTIONS AND MASS CONCEPTIONS

-Hatchmarks/Landmarks—ie, Construction Points: marks that indicate changes in direction of a contour.

-The most important changes in contour add up to a shape or mass conception

-Circle, triangle, trapezoid, rectangle or square

-Point to line to plane, or construction point to construction line to plane equals mass conception

-Sphere, cylinder, cone, truncated cone, keystone or wedge, rectangular solid or cube

-Thinking two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally at the same time

VALUE

-The meaning of line in relation to light and dark

-Light and dark in relation to planes and graded surfaces

SYSTEMS OF MEAUSUREMENT—HUMAN BODY (Weeks 7-15)

GESTURE (Scanning and covering the entire length of the human body)

-The ‘Toe to Head” experience: the pose is generated from the feet

-Finding the large rhythm that runs the entire length of the body and capturing the general movement, thrust, direction of the pose—involving angles in this procedure

-Large architectural/structural rhythms, arches and spirals

-Hanging the large, immobile bodily masses off of the above mentioned armature, that is, the skeleton

CONSTRUCTION LINES AND CONSTRUCTION POINTS (See Landmarks)

LANDMARKS (Points of interest or distinctive spots on the body’s surface)

-Skeletal landmarks

-The sum of these skeletal landmarks create the basic shapes of the body

PROPORTION

-Relative sizes and distances of the body parts from one another

-Five eye system, head system, and the “secret figure”

-Canons of proportion

MASS CONCEPTIONS OF THE BODY

-Misconception of the body, that it is round, graded, and soft

-Planes vs. graded surfaces

-Convex vs. concave forms

-Controlling or gross mass conceptions

-Skeletal anatomy

-Muscle groups

VALUE

-As patches of light and dark, no lines

-Cross-contour vs. cross-hatching (line creating value)

-Cross-contour for describing form as well as value

-Spirals and cross-contour

-Putting it all together, line and value

FINAL REVIEW (Week 16)

One-on-one conferences with the professor that include the review of a portfolio of student work

HOMEWORK

The professor will give regular take home assignments that hone the concepts taught in class. Group critiques, that involve the students and are lead by the professor, will follow.

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE

The Student Code of Conduct and The Academic Integrity Policy can be found in the UNCG Undergraduate Bulletin or at the following website: http://studentconduct.uncg.edu/policy/code/

ATTENDANCE POLICY & ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Attendance

In this course a student may have three absences. A fourth absence will incur an automatic lowering of a student’s final grade by a full letter grade. Five absences will incur the lowering of the final grade by two full letter grades. Six absences constitute an “F” for the course. The professor will tally and review absences with students at the midterm and end of the semester one-on-one conferences; otherwise, it is the student’s responsibility for keeping track of his or her absences. Therefore, students who want an account of their absences, tardiness, and late homework assignments may ask the professor for one anytime during the semester. Students are responsible for communicating problems attending class with the professor.

Tardiness

Students may be tardy three times. The professor considers this disruptive behavior and will not tolerate excessive tardiness. A fourth tardy will incur an automatic lowering of a student’s final letter grade by one full letter grade. A fifth will incur the lowering of the final letter grade by two full letter grades. Six tardies and the student will fail the course. . The professor will tally and review tardiness with students at the midterm and end of the semester one-on-one conferences; otherwise, it is the student’s responsibility for keeping track of their tardiness. Therefore, students who want an account of their absences, tardies, and late homework assignments may ask the professor for one anytime during the semester. Students are responsible for communicating tardiness problems class with the professor.

Late Homework

Students may have two late homework assignments. A third will constitute a lowering of the student’s final letter grade by a full letter grade. A fourth will incur a two-letter grade-lowering penalty on the student’s final letter grade. Five late homework assignments and the student will fail the course. All late homework assignments must be made up and are due in the portfolio at the midterm and end of the semester reviews; otherwise, the portfolio will be incomplete, and the student will receive an “F” for the portfolio and fail the midterm or fail the course.

FINAL EXAMS

The End-of-the-Semester Portfolio reviews and conferences are the final exam for this course. Students are required to attend; non-attendance will result in failing the course.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

It is worth reiterating that the attendance policy and other polices stated above must be observed in order to successfully complete this course. A portfolio of ten drawings from class and all the homework assignments is required at the time of the midterm and end of the semester conferences. The professor will discuss with the class the portfolio specifications and construction during the semester.

*This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the professor to accommodate instructional and/or student needs. It is the student's responsibility to keep abreast of such changes.