This is day 14 of our 30 day creative challenge! To learn more about this 30SAL challenge, click here.
We’ve got a playful challenge today, so put away your adult and get your little kid self ready!
Set something small and round like a glass marble or an egg on a piece of paper. Place your pencil next to the marble and begin to direct it around the page, making marks on the paper as you push it. Try not to lose contact with the marble or the piece of paper. Do not lift up your pencil. Make a continuous line as you push the marble across the surface of the paper, making varied little pathways across the expanse.
Variation: Try other small objects, different drawing tools, and different paper. See how the materials affect your experience, and your marks.
Explanation: With this exercise, the artist surrenders control of what the drawing will look like, and focuses their attention on moving the marble instead of making a picture. This kind of drawing can be called automatic drawing, in which the conscious mind is invited to take a back seat, allowing chance and the subconscious to play.
A question: Do you think your lines would be more or less interesting if you were to draw them purposefully?
Share your drawing on Instagram with these tags: #30sal, #rolypoly
We received a second postcard from Thailand! Nikki Barber, the League’s printmaking instructor is spending one month as a studio-based artist in residence at Rajamangala University in Chiang Mai. There, she is able to interact directly with students, faculty, and Thai artists, experiencing the technical differences between Seattle and Chiang Mai printmaking techniques. Nikki sent us another “postcard” via …
[image_with_animation image_url=”8694″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] This spring, my Friday nights are going to be in an Unconventional Portraits class. These Friday night classes have become my night to do whatever I think would be the most fun thing to do. This quarter I got most excited thinking about Unconventional Portraits. This is not a realist class …
You may have heard about Japonisme – the influence Japanese art had on Western art in the 19th century, after Japanese ports reopened in 1854, having been closed to the West for over 200 years. I posted about 8 Great Artists Inspired by Japanese Art a while back. Artists like Van Gogh, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec …
What is Casein? Casein (kay’seen) is a quick-drying, water based medium with a milk-based binding agent. Casein has the wash capabilities of watercolor, the smooth opacity of tempera and gouache, and the richer textures of oils and acrylics. Brushes dipped incasein keep their finesse, producing clear, crisp lines. Unlike oils, casein is a clean, water-soluble medium requiring …
Day 14: Roly Poly #30SAL
This is day 14 of our 30 day creative challenge! To learn more about this 30SAL challenge, click here.
We’ve got a playful challenge today, so put away your adult and get your little kid self ready!
Set something small and round like a glass marble or an egg on a piece of paper. Place your pencil next to the marble and begin to direct it around the page, making marks on the paper as you push it. Try not to lose contact with the marble or the piece of paper. Do not lift up your pencil. Make a continuous line as you push the marble across the surface of the paper, making varied little pathways across the expanse.
Variation: Try other small objects, different drawing tools, and different paper. See how the materials affect your experience, and your marks.
Explanation: With this exercise, the artist surrenders control of what the drawing will look like, and focuses their attention on moving the marble instead of making a picture. This kind of drawing can be called automatic drawing, in which the conscious mind is invited to take a back seat, allowing chance and the subconscious to play.
A question: Do you think your lines would be more or less interesting if you were to draw them purposefully?
Share your drawing on Instagram with these tags: #30sal, #rolypoly
Or post to today’s Padlet page.
Related Posts
Postcard from Thailand: Nikki teaching at Rajamangala University
We received a second postcard from Thailand! Nikki Barber, the League’s printmaking instructor is spending one month as a studio-based artist in residence at Rajamangala University in Chiang Mai. There, she is able to interact directly with students, faculty, and Thai artists, experiencing the technical differences between Seattle and Chiang Mai printmaking techniques. Nikki sent us another “postcard” via …
Unconventional Portraits
[image_with_animation image_url=”8694″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] This spring, my Friday nights are going to be in an Unconventional Portraits class. These Friday night classes have become my night to do whatever I think would be the most fun thing to do. This quarter I got most excited thinking about Unconventional Portraits. This is not a realist class …
Japonisme, Parisme
You may have heard about Japonisme – the influence Japanese art had on Western art in the 19th century, after Japanese ports reopened in 1854, having been closed to the West for over 200 years. I posted about 8 Great Artists Inspired by Japanese Art a while back. Artists like Van Gogh, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec …
How NOT to Make Casein
What is Casein? Casein (kay’seen) is a quick-drying, water based medium with a milk-based binding agent. Casein has the wash capabilities of watercolor, the smooth opacity of tempera and gouache, and the richer textures of oils and acrylics. Brushes dipped incasein keep their finesse, producing clear, crisp lines. Unlike oils, casein is a clean, water-soluble medium requiring …