Art Sketchbook Assignments: Semester I
Painting/Drawing & 2D
Due Dates: 8/31; 9/13; 9/27; 10/11; 10/31; 11/8; 11/29; 12/13; 1/9
Each week you will have a sketchbook assignment:
Week 1 &3: Drawing from this list
Week 2 &4: Art History: pick an artist of your choice and one from list
You will be keeping a sketchbook for the entire year. This sketchbook will be a series of drawings
and mixed media pieces that you will use for your portfolio. Each one should be considered a
complete art piece. This means that composition and principles of good design can and should be
utilized.
Advice: Follow your passion. Draw with your heart and all of your skill. You should take between 50- 90 minutes per drawing/assignment
because the purpose of a sketchbook is to make you look harder at things, use your imagination, and explore ideas and techniques that interest,
challenge, and stimulate you. This is your place to experiment and grow! Remember- you're only limited by your own imagination; fear and lack
of time.... make time for the drawing and for the writing!!
1. Tell me what you drew
2. How long it took
3. What you drew it with and
4. Why you are satisfied with it and if not, what can I help you do better.
1.
Make a drawing of any kind of animal. Use lots of detail. Use a background so it will have
space. Make the animal larger than the background. Try and show the texture of the animal.
Use any kind of paper. Pencils, pens, markers, watercolors.
2.
Make a page of ovals/ellipses of various sizes and shapes. Let them over lap each other.
Decorate, design, fancily, color, texturize in and around the ovals. Where do we see ellipses
and when do we need to be able to draw them?
3.
Many mechanical objects are as artistically designed as any painting or ceramic vase. Study
your favorite mode of transportation (preferably something of your own) and find what you
believe to be its most artistic viewpoint consider exterior or interior areas (if it has any)
and/or part of the engine --- the goal is to NOT draw the entire vehicle, but rather its most
artistic or visually exciting section (may be helpful to take a photo -- please submit with
sketchbook)
4.
Draw a hand, a river, a face and a tree in one realistic or surrealistic composition. Use any
media. You must gather together references of real trees such as a White Oak or a willow, a
real river, someone’s face and hand. Compose using the rule of thirds and the Golden Mean.
You will have to do a little research on the Golden Mean. Reflective writing and research is a
part of the grade. Be sure you submit those with your art.
5. CONCEPT: Study the movement of the human figure more creatively by using a collage
technique. CREATE A COMPLETE FIGURE (seated, standing, running, jumping, WHATEVER) by
combining figure parts taken from many pictures --- no two body parts can be from the same
person --- use all human parts-- decide whether you want the proportions to seem realistic or to
be distorted, -- have fun, but make sure the pieces parts fit together cleanly and neatly. PLACE
THE FIGURE IN SOME TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT -- illustrated/drawn or created with collage images (collage background cannot be just one single picture)
6. Focus on drapery and pattern: a shirt over a chair, a sheet around a banister, etc.
Help us feel the specific feel of the fabric: smooth, nubby, silky, flannel?
7. Draw a still life made up of glasses (see though)
8. Draw a metallic object and everything you see in it.
9. Draw a landscape from observation. Remember to show foreground, middle ground, and
background. A variation on this and one that counts for multiple assignments is to draw a series
of landscapes and use different focal areas, point of view, different media but the entire same
place.
10. Draw the interior of your room and what's in it- from wherever you're sitting: on floor, up on
bed, from ceiling looking down.
11. Draw a still life with patterned cloth in it. Cast a shadow and show how the shadow travels
along the fabric and changes value depending whether it is in or out of the shadow.
12. Design a tattoo for someone particular- a celebrity; teacher; etc.
13. If you were awakened by a crash in the middle of the night, what would it be?
14. Draw pieces from your favorite childhood game.
15. Illustrate a favorite story of yours told by a grandparent; uncle, or other relative.
16. Design a CD cover for a musical group (no gangster rap, peace signs; pot leaves, or
conventional, unoriginal or violent imagery will be accepted!!)
17. Draw your greatest fear; your biggest hope; or your dream for your future.
18. Draw an arrangement that includes food. (What is food? Whose arrangement is it?) .
19. Draw an insect of your choice and a close up (details)
20. Select a set of compounds words and illustrate: you can pick a word not on this list too.
If you like this, you can do more for multiple homework credit.
Flyswatter; sandpiper; sawhorse; Ping-Pong; clockwise; gooseberry; strawberry foxglove;
carmine; foreman; bandage; nobody; screen door; income; eyeball; Bookworm; crossword; nitwit;
footwear; card shark; backpack ;outgoing; blowfish jackknife
21. Design an illuminated capital. Interweave vines, wires, animals, and musical notes in and
around the letter. Make the letter easy to read but decorate it elaborately.
22. Cut out a picture from a magazine or newspaper and glue it to a piece of drawing paper but before you glue it down, cut a section out of the photo and draw in what was cut out, trying to match
as carefully as possible, so it blends in. Can be black and white or in color, or watercolor.
23. If you are cartoonist or anime artist, draw your character with a background.
If you like landscapes, photography, computer art, jewelry making, bring something in you did on
your own. Scrap booking? Ornaments? Woodworking? Just bring in something worthy of our
studies and efforts!!
Art History: Some artists for you to pick from: Remember you can’t do the same genre twice.
Example: you can do Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. You will reference them when you give
your info, you can see that they worked and styles are in the same genre.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Artist Name, years, style (pop art, renaissance, etc.), medium (materials)
List some pieces of work – pick one to create – give title, location, size, year, medium,
List other artists during the same time, which artists or friend/family member influenced them,
etc.
Give some facts about the artist 5-10
What did you find or not find interesting about this artist and why?
Some Artists:
Pablo Picasso
Andy Warhol
Mary Cassatt
Salvador Dali
Roy Lichtenstein
Grant Wood
Georgia O’Keefe Jasper Johns
Edvard Munch
Vincent Van Gogh Michelangelo
Leonardo Da Vinci
Frida Kahlo
Edward Hopper