First Work Day

Day 1 of Drawing 1 (life-drawing)

This class has about 17 students in it.  Everyone has taken part 1 of this class already and are now moving into learning and practicing how to draw the human figure. 
    I have the pleasure of shadowing professor Maryann Bonjorni this fall semester as I observe, assist and learn teaching techniques and philosophy.

    The class began with direction, for setting up the materials needed to begin  warm-up exercises. The students need: Compressed Charcoal, compressed graphite, vine charcoal,soft white conti-crayon, white chalk and multiple types of erasers.  Paper at this point is provided for the students.
    Once the students has their supplies out and paper ready, Professor Bonjorni begins to walk the room and discuss how the human figure is organic and we must use organic, soft drawing tools for fluidity.  Anything too hard or dense just won't work for this class.
    The mark making begins, with using the formal elements.  Some of the students could name a few of the elements....but they were instructed to use a range of tone, and varying line thickness to make a pattern.  These lines are to speak a language.
    At this point in the class, the music is flowing, yet the students still seem timid.  Some will not fill the page with their patterns.  So Bonjorni works to try and get the students to feel the rhythm of the music.  It worked for some.
    I could go on and on with details, but I think I should stop and sum up the day with this.  The sketching was fast paced, but mind you it was just for warm up and reminders of creating line, shape and volume.   At the end of the day I feel the class was happy to see all of their drawings placed on the wall together.  As this drawing session was a group effort, because they got to draw on the persons paper that was next to them. 
    Professor Bonjorni is witty, compassionate, demands authority by sheer nature, energetic, soft, knowledgeable, honest, responsive, trust-worthy and speaks to the students in metaphor at times.

    The title of their first project is: ON STAGE.  This assignment is quite open ended, requiring the students to use their imagination and do research to create a drawing.  This assignment is due next Thursday.

Besides being refreshed myself on the basic principles of drawing, I noticed that I wanted to help the students to loosen up, but realized I needed to leave them alone to have their own space to breath.   Today's drawing exercise was not about outcome but about letting go and experimenting with their drawing tools.