Figure Drawing

I'm always needing or wanting to know the meanings to key words while figure drawing or drawing in general. So here's my little list of key words and meanings;

Figure - A figure is a positive or dominate shape in a drawing or painting. The shape is distinct from the background of the picture; comes forward in the composition. 

Negative Space - Negative space in a painting or drawing refers to the area encircling or located behind a positive space. 

Proportion - Proportion refers to the correction depiction of all the parts related to each other in shape/form within a realistic painting or drawing. Proportion lends a sense of balance and harmony to a piece of art work one may to decide to distort the proportions within an art work to create a certain effect on the viewer.

Mark (Drawing) - A mark in a drawing refers to an impression on the picture plane, it is often made to create the illusion of something such as an objects surface texture.

Proportions of the Head

To be able to do a 'perfect' portrait you need to learn some skills and tips. Starting with proportions within then head. The head can be divided horizontally into four equal quarters. 

The first quarter measures from the top of the head to the hairline. The second quarter measures from the hairline down to the eyes in the middle of the head. 

The third quarter contains the most features. At the top of this section the eyes are usually level with the ears, and at the bottom of the nose is roughly level with the ear lobes. The final quarter stretches from the base of the nose to the chin with the mouth positioned just above the half way mark.

These proportions will only if we share the same eye level as the subject. they will become distorted if we view the head from above or below. 

Although the proportions of a head will vary form person to person and change slightly with age, there are some principles you can follow to improve your drawings. You can use these to check the general size, shape and position of the features in your drawings. If you view a head from the front, its width is approximately two thirds of its height. If you view a head from the side, its width is approximately seven eighths of its height. 

Some of the information was on one of my help sheet, hope it could help you too.

Made Me Smile

Betty Broadbent also known as the "Tattoo’d lady" was born on November 1, 1909 in Philadelphia. Her fascination of tattoos started at age 14 and she later went on to get a body suit of over 565 tattoos. Broadbent exhibited her art with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. She also challenged traditional views of beauty for women during the 1930’s by participating in a beauty pageant at the World’s fair. Betty Broadbent passed away in Florida on March 28, 1983 and was the first person inducted into the Tattoo Hall of fame.

Reference Book

Found a pretty good site to find glossary terms within the art language. Creative Glossary has an array of art words with the meaning to them, they also have other categories to with the art world. Used some of the information from there to put in my reference book. Go check it out http://www.creativeglossary.com/index.php?cats=1

Research and Annotation

Okay so i'm good with research and using it in my sketchbook/reference book, but when it comes to annotation and showing where my final piece of work has come from, i'm rubbish. Its time to conker a personal task. So i have started my final piece and the inspiration came from, Marilyn Manson and the way he uses his water colours. Tim Burton and his characters;

Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Corpse Bride

So now that i have shown my two artist that i have used as idea for my final piece i'll now have to put them in my book right? Add annotation and my tutor can then see where my final piece came from. I've also added two more artists in my book, so i'm thinking i'm going to have to add some work of theirs in my book so i can see why i like them, but i also want to tie them into my final piece too some how as well. Setting myself a big task here but i'm ready to take it on. Annotation here i come. Hard work you best do me well.

Visual Stress

Just found out i may have visual stress, i have to have a yellow overlay on anything i read, and i currently have an overlay on my laptop screen now. This is all new to me, many situations in my younger years may now all be clear to having this. Finally i'm not a child that is under-achieving with a short attention span, it was misunderstood for the visual stress i have. 1 in 5 people have it, can be recognised at the age of 7, but usually  its misunderstood and pushed aside. Life is full of surprises hey! Thankfully this shouldn't effect my future to much, so all is good. Time to carry on with life as usual now, still getting used to this yellow overlay though.

Brooke Shaden

I've taken a big liking to Brooke Shaden. So i personally wanted to do some research on her. Brooke began creating self-portraits for ease and to have full control over the images, and has since grown into a self-portrait artist. Self portraiture for her is not autobiographical in nature. Instead, she attempts to place herself within worlds she wishes we could live in, where secrets float out in the open, where the impossible becomes possible. Brooke works to create new worlds within her photographic frame. By using painterly techniques as well as the square format, traditional photographic properties are replaced by otherworldly elements. Brooke's photography questions the definition of what it means to be alive. This is taken from her website 

http://brookeshaden.com/gallery/ 

I find her work pulls you in, i love the feel some of her picture give off. She creates a world that you could only dream of. Not much more to say really, i feel i still need to develop an understanding of her work. Go check her out though!

If your body is your temple, why not decorate the walls?

Art and music are a huge part of my life, and with that being different has helped me look at life in a different way. Society expects every one to look, live and behave in a certain way and if we don't then society points a finger. Art has changed over the many years that have past and will carry on changing in the many years to come. I try to respect every type of art or to at least have an opinion on any type of art because it makes your more open minded and prepared for what opinions people could have on your work or how you look. As for how i think music effects peoples lifes, i think in a way it develops people and makes them who they are. In life you should be able to accept every different type of person. Whether there coloured or not, tattooed and pierced, different nationality, live a different way of life, dress different to yourself and obviously you know all the rest. Society is the one that tells you what you should and shouldn't accept but why should we listen to society, when it is practically singling people out. Live how you want, be who you like and  maybe society will give up in the end and finally accept the there is not right way to life your own life, that there is not beautiful or ugly and that everyone is the same no matter what they have done wrong in their own life. Don't judge any one unless you want to be judged yourself. Enough said i've told you my opinion, you have your own opinion, society has an opinion too, but its time all our opinions matched for once.

The Saatchi 100

As part of my course i have to do, work skills and contemporary art, i think thats what its called? Anyway adding on from my last few posts, if you still don't think you have enough artists on your list or if your still looking for inspiration then i'd suggest watching The Saatchi 100. It has 100 artists on there that you can explore and do research on. I'm currently supposed to be writing 50 words on three artists from the film. Be open towards this film though, it could have some images that you may not like the look of, and thats okay because it means you have an opinion on the work, but just watch it with an open mind and you may understand what the artist was thinking at the time they created that piece of work. I didn't understand the Chapman Brothers but now i'm writing 50 words on them and doing extended research to understand why they do what they do. Jenny Saville has always caught my eye, her work is extraordinary and uses lots of perspective and tone. Cecily Brown pulls you in with how pleasurable and sexual her work is. I think this happens because of the way it merges together and gives off passion and you will have some sort of feeling for it. But enough said because they are my opinions on some of the artists that have interested me during the film. Go watch it and be inspired.

Robert Lyn Nelson

I recently visited some family members, and one of them recommended an artist to me, Robert Lyn Nelson, he work is amazing if i say so myself, I'll place his website at the end of the post. PLEASE check him out, he lives in Kapaua, Hawaii, and most of his work is to do with nature. There are some famous people who are collectors of his work, for example Cliff Williams from AC/DC, Vince Neil from Motley Crue and also Joey Cabell who is a world champion surfer. There are many more all of which are listed on his website. Please take the time to look at his site and see how you can add another artist to your list! 

http://www.robertlynnelson.com/

Finding New Artist/Photographers

As everyday that passes by there is always a moment during your day that you look at some form of art, it could be anything, even if your using your imagination and you make an object out a cloud. Boom, thats art, well kind of. Over the past few day with christmas passing and 2013 coming, i have now said goodbye to 2012 and some of my bad habits, of not opening up enough to many artist work. So new year and a new way of looking at things, here are a few artists/photographers i have taken a liking to; Brooke Shaden, Jess Chorley, Candy Jernigan and Lucas Samaras. I have used these few people in my college art book to show self identity and maybe autobiographical. I'll try to keep updating my blog as much as i can, as being a 17 year old, being a full time art student, working on my days off proves to be hard to use your free time wisely.