Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

The course includes demonstrations, slides, lectures, video/films, and potential field trips. Homework assignments will include writing assignments, sketchbook projects and expanded solutions to problems introduced in class.  Homework assignments will explore the concepts and processes introduced in class through drawing and writing activities.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Implement creative ways to solve visualization problems in drawing the human form using a variety of perceptual and conceptual strategies.
• Apply an introductory-level of understanding of the proportions of the human figure and the relation of the figure to the compositional space through the processes, materials, and techniques associated with drawing.
• Participate with others in a critical dialogue about figure drawings from the past, the present, and from other cultures.
• Develop personal expression and self-critical skills in figure drawing while observing the standards and definitions already established by both contemporary and historical works of art from different cultures.

• Create original drawings in a variety of compositional and perceptual strategies.
• Generate ideas/concepts with an awareness of the intended content of the work produced.
• Utilize an effective vocabulary specific to figure drawing when participating in class critiques and discussions.
• Begin to assess and self-critique personal work to strategize creative solutions.
• Generate personal drawings with an awareness of historical and contemporary artists working in the figure drawing tradition.

• Execute observational drawings from life models and additional figurative-based work incorporating a range of technical methods and historical approaches.
• Complete homework projects which emphasize personalized solutions to concepts introduced in class.
• Complete writing assignments which address and articulate artistic concepts such as drawing methodology, individual expression, awareness of cultural context and recognition of historical and contemporary artists from the discipline.
• Participate in critiques through application of vocabulary and aesthetic processes in review of individual’s own and other's work.

• Themes

  ·      Historical role of figure drawing

  ·      Modes of figurative representation

  ·      Perceptual awareness

  Concepts

• Figure and ground
• Light source and volume
• Formal and expressive treatment of the figure
• Compositional devices and strategies

• Issues

  ·      Figurative proportion

  ·      Relationship of form to space

  ·      Awareness of audience

  Skills

  ·      Knowledge of drawing terminology with respect to the human form

  ·      Vocabulary of drawing tools and methodologies

  ·      Ability to measure and represent forms in space

  ·      Relate personal work to historical and contemporary examples of figure drawing

  ·      Decipher form through visual analysis

  .      Critical skills and analysis