sweat & the biology of bliss

click here for some reading on proprioception and mirror neurons. It is an excerpt from the book The Athlete's Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss by Christopher Bergland (left) and provides a good explanation of how our bodies and brains help us understand each other's movements, increasing our sense of muscular empathy (our ability to sense how and what others are feeling). This information is helpful for learning yoga itself as well as for understanding why Dr. Bland and I work at putting fitness yoga and life drawing together.

The more you become aware of how your body feels in all kinds of movements and situations, the more aware you become while observing others' movments. In turn, you get better and more refined with your movements, yoga poses, gestures--and ability to see the model; turn his/her poses into felt responses on the paper; draw with your whole body not just your fingers; and choreograph your hand and eye movements to occur nearly simultaneously.

How to make use of this information is simply to 1) pay attention to how your body feels, 2) when you are watching others in a yoga pose or looking at the model in a pose, imagine in your mind/body what that pose feels like.

When you imagine making a particular movement for yourself, you shift the pose/gesture from being an external, removed, "seen" image to an internal, connected, "felt" sensation. The latter is what gives you the ability to refine yoga poses, get better at life drawing, and become more sensitive and empathic to what is happening in and around you.

assignment for thursday, september 18

1) post images of your 30-minute drawings (the ones done at the end of class) from:

• tuesday, september 9
• thursday, september 11
• tuesday, september 16 (this one is slightly shorter than 30 minutes)

2) post at least one image of each of the above drawings. include detail shots as well, if you wish.

3) describe what you have learned about gesture drawing and the figure so far in class. use these three drawings as evidence to illustrate what you've learned. refer to the images in your written description. (200 words minimum)

drawing assignment

for tuesday, september 16:

100 gesture drawings of people in everyday activities

• divide your 24" x 36" newsprint or your 18" x 24" paper into four picture planes--just like we do in class--and capture the movement and overall structure of a figure
• you can also use your sketchbook--but keep each drawing at least 8 1/2" x 11" or so--not too small
• continue using the long axis lines like we did in class on tuesday
• resist the urge to use outlines--if you start adding these in, just stop!
• each drawing should be about 30 seconds
• up to 60 seconds is fine, too
• you don't have to time yourself exactly, just get an approximate feel for a quick gesture drawing and go with that
• draw and observe people in everyday activities--don't have them "pose" for you or sit still for 30 seconds. capture them alive and moving.
  

art 301 (oo1 & oo2) syllabus

life drawing one • syllabus

"the true artist is after the problem. the false artist wants it solved (by somebody else)."

--jeannette winterson
art objects

*save all your drawings from the semester.


pre•requisites
students must have completed drawing one (art 100) and drawing two (art 200) before participating in life drawing one (art 301)

course•objectives
through participation in life drawing one, you will:

• understand and use a structural approach to drawing

➢ perceive three-dimensional form and translate this form to the two-dimensional picture plane
➢ comprehend a subject’s planar make-up and correctly prioritize primary and secondary planes

➢ use a linear, as opposed to painterly, approach to drawing the figure, including value

• develop a working knowledge of artistic anatomy through lectures, drawings, and clay modeling

➢ draw a structural representation of the human figure utilizing long axis, cross contour, and muscle attachment lines

• practice gesture drawing and contour drawing separately, in order to, ultimately, achieve a synthesis of the two

• become aware of your own kinesthetic sense and its ability to teach yourself about the body and about drawing

• refine your line quality and mark-making skills

• be responsible to yourself and the other students in the class for having meaningful class discussions and becoming better artists through those discussions

• keep a class blog that will serve as space for posting images, text, responding to other students, and reflecting upon your learning in the course

evaluations & expectations:
• i expect you to complete:

➢ in-class drawings

➢ assigned clay building on your Maniken, both in-class and for homework. maniken assignments will be graded on the quality of clay building, accuracy of form and attachments, and completeness of work.

➢ homework drawings. homework will be graded on the quality of the drawing and the demonstrated understanding of the topics covered in that particular assignment.

➢ blog assignments: posting images, writing, and responding to your small group members’ blogs.

we will meet during the following final exam times:

art 3o1-oo2 (t/th 11:15 – 2:20): wed, dec 17, 2:00 - 3:50 pm

art 3o1-oo1 (t/th 2:30 – 5:35): thurs, dec 18, 2:00 - 3:50 pm



attendance:
it’s important that you are in class—for access to the model, to hear comments i make, and to experience drawing in a studio setting. the class happens because all of you are here working together.

let me know via e-mail if you can’t make it to class.

rely on your classmates to show you drawings and notes you may have missed.


grading policy
• your grade will be based primarily on your final e-portfolio in which you showcase your learning over the semester and best examples from the class. this e-portfolio will include gesture drawings, long-pose drawings, maniken work, and blog summaries.

• a mid-term e-portfolio will be graded to give you an idea of your standing in the class at that point, but may be overridden by the quality of your final portfolio. in other words, the two grades will not be “averaged” for your final grade.

• your grade will also be affected by such “subjective” qualities as these:

1. are you present?
2. in mind as well as body?
3. open to suggestions?
4. helpful in class discussions?
5. awake during lecture time?

it is part of my job—my responsibility—to give you a grade that lets you and other art “authorities” (other professors, employers, grad schools, gallery owners, etc.) know how your final portfolio and overall attitude during class measure up to given standards.

one useful way to think about grades is to consider them guides as to how other art professionals (besides me) would view your portfolio. how would a design firm see your work? a graduate school acceptance committee? other professors in the Art & design department? gallery owners?

if i imagine i am an employer of designers, an A would mean you could start right away, a B would mean you might get hired if you get some more experience and refine your portfolio, a C would mean you are not ready for the job.

likewise, if you are considering graduate school, an A would mean your work is of the quality that would get you accepted into a grad program, a B would indicate that you might get accepted if you worked on your portfolio some more, a C would mean you are not ready to apply for graduate studies (in drawing/life drawing, anyway).


texts
atlas of human musculature in clay (volumes 1 – 5), jon zahourek, ed. kenneth morgareidge, zahourek systems, inc., 1994.

in addition to the texts, you will check out a half-maniken for your use during the semester. the manikens are property of uw-stout instructional resources services. you are responsible for the maniken checked out to you.if any part of the maniken is missing, lost, damaged, etc., you will be responsible for replacing it.


videos
world famous lectures on artistic anatomy & figure drawing
robert beverly hale

lecture 1. rib cage 78 Minutes
lecture 2. pelvis 81 minutes
lecture 3. leg 74 minutes
lecture 4. foot 72 minutes
lecture 5. shoulder girdle I 77 minutes
lecture 6. shoulder girdle ll 68 minutes
lecture 7. arm 76 minutes
lecture 8. hand 80 minutes
lecture 9. head/skull 80 minutes
lecture 10. head and features 97 minutes

these are available for checkout in the library.

art education artifacts
the course objectives of this course meet:
• wisconsin standard 1: the teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches.
• uw-stout school of education domain 1a: demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy.
• wisconsin standard 9: the teacher is a reflective practitioner.

portfolio artifact: in-class drawing of whole portrait
• art education students will be required to reflect in writing on this artifact.
• art education students will be required to upload papers and digital images of their studio works into their e-portfolios.