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    Freehand Drawing 11.1-7.4.2022 TUE and THU evenings 

    Location: Metallimiehenkuja Studios in the third floor at Ateljee A – 301a 

    Time: TUESDAYS 17.15 – 20:00 (2 h 45 min), THURSDAYS 17.15 – 20:00 (2 h 45 min) 

    Note! In the beginning of the course the Thursday evenings will be independent study, with assignments. From 24th February on, there will be contact teaching on Thursday evenings as well.

    In case we need distant learning connections Anu will use this link: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68099558403


     SCHEDULE:


    Week 1    TIME, SPACE

    11 Jan           100 lines (ANU)

    ·         Draw 100 different kinds of lines on one or more A2 size paper. Keep each line separate, (mostly) not crossing or overlapping. Experiment with different tools and materials and shapes and touches and strengths and the speed of the line and your body movements – whatever makes the line different! Also try unusual tools to make a mark, or use tools that are not working properly.

    ·         Number the lines and give each a name as you draw.

    1. A Hundred Lines - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE


    13 Jan            No teaching, follow the assignment: LINES TO SURFACES

                           Look through your one hundred lines, search for interesting ones. Pick some lines and for one hour, draw small surfaces by repeating one line at a time (size e.g. 5x5cm). Draw as many as you can in an hour. Try to keep the line that you repeat quite similar to the original. Experiment with changing the direction, the proximity and/or overlapping, and the rhythm of the lines in each case to create different textures and simple patterns.  
    Take a 15 minutes pause.
    Look at the surfaces you made. For one hour and 15 minutes, make 2 -5 abstract(ish) compositions (e.g. 10 x15cm each) using and continuing with similar surfaces, so that you use two or three different surfaces/textures in each composition. Pick surfaces/textures that create interesting contrasts together. They need not be made with different colours like in the examples. TGive each composition a name inspired by the particular contrast, such as "melting snow" or "the beauty and the  beast", etc .     

                            

    2. Drawing Excercise: Lines to surfaces - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE

                                        

     Week 2    SPACE, ARCHITECTURE


    18 Jan            Tall space (ANU)

    Go to a place / search for photos of interiors, especially tall spaces, such as temples, halls, malls, libraries etc . Make several drawings of space where you observe and draw from perception:

    1)    a space where there are objects very close,

    2)    a space with one person / several people (they can be close or far, big or small)

    3)    a space with interesting light and shadow

    4)   a space with interesting texture somewhere

    So, in every drawing, you are drawing the space, but paying attention to slightly different things.

    What is it that makes space (a drawing of space) look high/tall? Observe.

    Some suggestions: 
    Light and shadow
    “Tall” strokes
    Strong shapes
    Perspective / exaggeration, distortion
    Small detail or texture that enhance the height
    Small objects or people as a measure

     3. Oodi Library / tall space drawings - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE

     

    20 Jan            No teaching, follow assignment "The Temple of...":  

    Continue Tall space: Look at the different drawings you made on Tuesday. Make ONE drawing based on your previous drawings. Combine perception /realism AND your imagination. The drawing can have unrealistic / fictional elements. It can be more abstract or more detailed than the drawing(s) you made from perception.          

    Name/theme: The Temple of  Thoughts / Sins / Stuff / Clowns / etc OR A name of your choice

    A4 or paper, any tools you like 

     4. Tall space / The Temple of... drawing - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE

      

    Week 3    SPACE, PERSPECTIVE, LAYERS

     

    25 Jan            Space from unusual perspectives (ANU)

    Warm-up

    Several short drawing assignments. Try to draw in perspective so that the drawing looks somewhat similar to that of your surroundings, the sizes of the objects in relations to each other, match. If you make a mistake, do not use the eraser but continue drawing on top of the previous drawing. Think how you are actually seeing more than the camera would see: you have two eyes and a stereo view and this is also why you might have to adjust your drawing to match that experience.

    ·         15 minutes: Stand on the floor or the seat or the table and draw what you see below. 

    ·         15 minutes: Sit on the floor, choose a spot where you would not perhaps normally sit. Draw the space from that perspective.

    ·         15 minutes: Lie on your back, towards the ceiling / whatever is hanging from there / towards the underside of a table / seat and draw.

    ·         15 minutes:  Sit by the table, fix your view. Draw what you see so that the paper and some part(s) of yourself such as your hand(s) can be seen in the picture.  In other words, draw yourself (the parts that you see of yourself) as part of your view. (Can you see parts of your face, like the nose, or some hair, or the cheeks, can they be drawn?)

    15 minutes pause

    For an hour, choose unusual angles and draw each for about 15 minutes (makes 4 drawings) 

    ·         For 15  minutes: start planning an A3/A2 drawing where you bring together about 2-3 different perspectives to make an imaginary space with layers, reflections, or a surreal “dream” space. It does not have to be realistic. Also the space does not have to be understandable. A wall can morph into a paper, or a table into a ceiling.  A dark empty space can turn into a black object. Perspective lines can morph into an object, etc.

     5. Unusual perspectives - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE



     27 Jan            No teaching, follow assignment:

                            Warm up: normal, mirror & upside down image, small size, pencil

    Main: Continue Unusual perspectives combined -drawing: A3/A2 drawing where you bring together about 2-3 different perspectives to make an imaginary space with layers, reflections, or a surreal “dream” space. It does not have to be realistic. Also the space does not have to be understandable. A wall can morph into a paper, or a table into a ceiling.  A dark empty space can turn into a black object. Perspective lines can morph into an object, etc.

    6. Combined unusual perspectives - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE

      

    Week 4    REPETITION, RHYTM, PATTERNS 1

     

    1 Feb  (TUE)            Repetition and patterns (ANU)

    Short demo: How to use indian ink with pen and nibs (we shall use those later in the course)

    Search for patterns, rhythm and repetition in your surroundings and on the internet.

    Draw patterns, as many as you can, and combine them to make a small drawing: Do not try to cover or fill the whole paper but leave empty space and make a small composition with patterns only. Cut patterens with scissors, paste and glue (OR draw a composition of patterns without cutting and pasting). Suggestions for a topic: Imaginary amusement park / Imaginary rainforest / imaginary creature that is a combination of different living things 

    7. Patterns and small drawing - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE


    3 Feb  (THU)            No teaching, follow assignment:

                                       For one hour: Draw a flower or a plant, studying the textures, and how the plant grows and takes up space, and how it's parts repeat and alter. Use charcoal (you can mix it with other media if you like). You can highlight or exaggerate the rhythms and repetition a bit. If there is space, you can enlarge and draw parts/details of the plant next to /around your actual drawing.  

                                      For one and a half hours: Design a single continuous, relatively complex pattern inspired by the plant. It is a hand drawn pattern, so it can vary slightly, and it does not have to follow a very strict pattern repeat (as in textile design). Use the tools of your choice. The pattern does not have to look like the plant, it is just inspired by the textures, forms and shapes of the plant.

    8. Patterns and plant or flower - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE



     

     Week 5    REPETITION, RHYTM, PATTERNS 2


    8 Feb              An imaginary landscape with patterns (ANU)

    Take photos of landscape and carry sketchbook to draw from nature, landscape, random and more defined details, forms and shapes in nature and the built environment. Also use patterns you made earlier. 

    Make a drawing where you combine the following elements, inspired by your photographs:

    • Rhythm (create with the lines/strokes of your tool and/or in the composition of the elements – for example, you might want to create a rhythm of three elements always close to each other, or elements gradually becoming denser and denser or more organised)
    • Repetition: Objects (trees, houses, other shapes) that you repeat with little variation and objects that you vary more
    • Hidden repetition: The form / the shape of the main object/character/focus point is repeated somewhere in the landscape – do try to disguise the repetition so that it is not very obvious. 
    • Use simple patterns to create different textures for different parts/elements of the artwork                                        

     

    10 Feb           No teaching, follow assignment:               

                                       Warm up for 20 minutes: Listen to music and draw on big paper with charcoal and ink, use brushes and nibs for ink

                                       Continue: imaginary landscape with patterns


    9. An imaginary landscape with patterns - RETURN ASSIGNMENT HERE

     

     

    Week 6    INK, HAIR 1

     

    15 Feb Make a still life (asetelma) (ANU)

    Paint with ink (pen&nibs and/or brush) on A3 or A2 paper.

    Bring about 3 to 6 objects that, when put together in a still life, seem to:

    ·          tell a story or an idea

    ·         revive a memory

    ·         communicate with each other in an interesting, poetic, or absurd way.

    Also

    ·         Create contrast between the objects such as dark/light, big/small, general/particular, public /intimate, the big and the small picture, useful/useless, meaningful /meaningless

    ·         Look and feel the materials, the textures, smell, touch, listen to them to bring them alive in the drawing. Think about the space; where and how the items are placed.

    ·         Use ink by washing, contours, dry /wet brush, thick and thin line, hatching…

    ·         The still life may include hairy objects, edible items, household stuff, pictures, trash, items with memories… just think about the meanings or symbolics they carry to you and to others. Some of them may be obvious, some hidden.

    10. Assignment: Still life with Ink 


               

    17 Feb           No teaching, follow assignment

    Warm up for 20 minutes

    Make a new Still life (see Tuesdays assignment but now with charcoal (you can mix it with other tools or use charcoal alone)

    11. Assignment: Still life with charcoal



    Week 7    INK, HAIR 2

     

    22 Feb           

    Warm up: Draw lines for 20 minutes with

    Work on your missing assignments. Start planning / sketching your final work (for the exhibition in Kipsari Lobby)  



    24 Feb           Teacher present (ANU)

    for 2hours 30min: draw people, traffic, architecture in the city (sitting in cafeterias, looking inside and outside) 

    12. Assignment: Drawing in cafeteria


    Week 8            WARM UP EXCERCISES

     

    1 Mar             Warm up exercises & questions for final work (ANU)

    Use ink (or some other pen/tool if you dont like to use ink)

    ·         1) Draw for 5 minutes: draw long, slow lines that create shapes, draw nested shapes (shapes inside shapes)

    ·         2) Draw for 5 min:  draw lines next to each other so that each line is a bit different from the previous one,  and there is a metamorphosis of the line

    ·         3) 5min: Draw lines or dots or other shapes in a grid. Make small changes in the grid, alter the grid (alter the shapes or the repetition or the line somehow)

    4) 10min: Take pairs, draw each others hair

    Write for 15min, no pauses:

    ·         Quickly read through the questions below and WRITE about your drawing for 5 minutes - without a pause, anything that comes to mind

    Questions for final work, for thought and inspiration

    ·         What tools and materials are you going to use?

    ·         What is possible in the world of the drawing? What is not?

    ·         What has changed or is changing in the drawing?

    ·         Is there a system in the making of the drawing? Are there rules or restrictions?

    ·         Is there a message? Do the characters in the drawing have a message? Are there contradictory messages? Is there something the drawing or the characters in it want to make better? Does the drawing point out a fault?

    Does the drawing make someone or something visible?

    ·         What is outside your drawing, 

    For Thursday,  search in nature for thick enough reed / hay / branches and cut (with a sharp knife) the ends of some of them diagonally to make reeds for ink

    Bring dry hay to use as brush 

     13. Assignment: warm-ups RETURN HERE


    3 Mar              Teacher: Anu 

    For Thursday,  search in nature for thick enough reed / hay / branches and cut (with a sharp knife) the ends of some of them diagonally to make reeds for ink                  

     SHORT CROQUIS WITH ink, reed/nibs pen              

     Continue with the main assignment

    14. Assignment: croquis and one pic related to main project RETURN HERE



    Week 9 MOVEMENT, TRAFFIC

     

    8 MAR           Lets model for each other in movement (ANU)

    Warm up exercise:

    Let’s split the group in half and half. One group moves, one group draws, then change. When moving, use the time to stretch and warm up. Don't stress about how you move, all movement is good.

    Draw moving people, do not mind anatomical errors. Let the line show the movement.

    15min: Observe several stages of the movement in one drawing (one on the other). Make one drawing for a while, continuing drawing on top of it

    15min. Try to "stop" the movement in your memory, drawing stills of different the stages of the movement, next to each other or changing paper  

    15 min: Take one of the croquis drawings and combine with a geometric line or otherwise precise line/shape to create a contrast between "free" and "restricted" line. You can either draw right on top of the croquis OR make a collage. To illustrate the point, below firs some moving croquis, then an old illustration I made for Helsingin Sanomat (an article about the Olympics)

    15. Assignment: 1 & 2) Moving croquis and 3) a combination of croquis and geometric line                        


    East London Drawing Meetup - Home | Facebook




    10 MAR THU

    16. Assignment: continue main project, return what you made today         

      

     

    Week 10  FINAL WORK + THEME: Weather

     

    15 Mar            WARMING UP + FINAL WORK (ANU)

                       

    Take 3 papers (A4 or A3) and ink /pen/pencil

    ·         5 min: Make short, rhythmic lines that start to form some kind continuous pattern. You don’t have to know what kind of pattern when you start. Experiment!

    ·         5 min: Draw one continuous line for 5 minutes, and draw it as smooth, as graceful and relaxed as possible. Vary the speed and pressure slightly and enjoy!

    ·         5 min: Draw sharp forms with fast movement and round forms with slow movement, AND sharp forms with slow movement and round forms with fast movement, changing quickly between them

    17 Mar            A teacher present (EMMI) 

    Continue with the final work

    New teacher!

    - Present your favorite sketches and drawings from the course

    - Present your plan for the final work

     We discuss about the works, think about the materials and timetable.

    Together we create a plan how to make everything ready by the exhibition.

     

     

    Week 11  FINAL WORK + THEME: Dark/Light

     

    22 Mar            WARMING UP + FINAL WORK (EMMI)

     FINAL WORK

    Let’s decide:

    How many works are you going to have in the exhibition?

    Are you working with all of them at the same time? Or one by one?

    Are you presenting just one drawing in the exhibition?

    If you are working with several pieces, this could be a good time to get first one ready.

     

    24 Mar            A teacher present (EMMI)

    Continue with the final work

    Looking through the final works in progress.

    If you are stuck with your final work, this is a good moment to get help.

    (Getting stuck is often part of the creative process.)

    Discussion about the works.

    Prepare to give feedback to others.

    You will get comments and feedback from other students.

     

     

    Week 12  FINAL WORK + THEME: Emotions

    29 Mar            WARMING UP + FINAL WORK (ANU)

    Warm up drawing with both hands at the same time:
    Draw round shapes & arcs with both hands, so that they are symmetrical
    Draw round shapes but take turns, left, right, left right
    Draw sharp shapes taking turns, left, right, left right
    Draw strong lines that become weak
    Draw a thought that gets stuck, it repeats, you cannot solve it, you cannot get rid of it
    Let it slowly calm down
    Let it become looser and looser
    Let it become creative 


    31 Mar            A teacher present (EMMI)

    Continue with the final work

    Composition and arranging the works to the exhibition.

    Bring along all the work you are planning to have in the exhibition.
    Are images working together? What is the best order to show them?

    Whose works could be next to yours? Why?

    (Visiting the exhibition space?)

    Write the details of your work for the exhibition catalogue:
    Your name
    Name of the artwork
    Technique
    Size
    Year

    Write 2-10 sentences that clarify your ideas, work or process.

     

     

    Week 13  EXHIBITION


    5 Apr               EXHIBITION / installing (ANU)

    7 Apr               EXHIBITION / evaluation (EMMI & ANU)