RibCages

Michelangelo Mersi da Caravaggio

Deposition

Oil on Canvas

cm. 300x203

1602-04

The structure of the ribcage is evident in Caravaggio's oil painting. It's easy to view the form under the skin as Christ's withered and frail build clings to the ribcage underneath. Here I really got an idea of the openings at the stomach and neck. I need to incorporate this shape however, my drawings are always sticking to a purely oval shape. 

Rosso Fiorentino

Moses defending the Daughters of Jethro

Oil on Canvas

cm 160x117

 1523-24

This was a bit more difficult of a position to trace, as the head is covering most of the back portion of the ribcage. This was not a helpful drawing for me because I don't think I traced the opening right, but i'll need to look at a few more foreshortened drawings to really grasp this shape. The cartilage is seen protruding from the figure laying on the ground, and the sternum follows the center of the chest, but almost disappears behind the head. 

Agnolo Bronzino

Moses striking Water from the Rock and the Collection of Manna (right panel)

Fresco on wall

cm. 320-160

1540-45

This muscular figure presents a good foundation for the rigidity of the ribcage. The lumbar spinal curve is very flexible in comparison to the thorasic, and you can see how the ribcage can become tilted and skewed while it rests on the flexible spinal column, and the subtle elegance this flexibility can create in the human form.

Sources:

The Library of Great Masters (Caravaggio, Bronzino, Pontormo Rosso Fiorentino)

SCALA, Instituto Fotigrafico 1984, 1994, 1996.

The first thirty-minute drawing looked successful to me for the first couple of days, until I started learning more about the proportions of the human figure. This was all done with outlines, so it has a bit more detail than my others. Since these drawings are based so strictly on realistic proportions, something I would suggest doing would be to flip one of your works upside-down and sideways. It's easy to get carried away and focus on details in the drawing and not think about proportions. Doing this will give you another perspective on the forms and lines. Try it out.
Now utilizing the frame-style of laying out the drawings, I found it easier to get the proportions correct. The form is stylized, but I think it's more of a lack of concentration than a stylistic choice. I really like how it turned out, but I wonder if I'm going to be teaching myself realistic proportions the wrong way, not that it's bad to stylize, but I figure I should learn how to do it right and then try a hand at exaggerating aspects of the human form.   

My last thirty-minute drawing was not as successful to me. It seems much easier to grasp proportions on a smaller scale. I find myself doing a lot of reworking on the frame. I should definitely spend most of my time doing that before I fill in the skin and muscle (which I know basically nothing of right now) I'm going to try to work hard on drawing the frame during these 30 minute sessions. I think it's important to learn the proportions and apply them to all scales, long before filling in the gaps.

Self Portrait. Tech Pen on Paper. The assignment was to use words to compose a mug similar to your own. It's nearly impossible for me to write a statement that summarizes my work as I slip in and out of motiviation easily, and back and forth between aspiration to g-g-g-GO, reckless anxiety and whatever else. Completing this project on a scribble binge that ended at dawn,  the likely reason behind the extra-terrestrialness (wow it's a real word) of it. I shall give it no title, because I'm not particularly fond of self-portraits, but thats just a feeling of the moment. "scribbles and doodles realistically render the things in my noodle." It should say "our noodles" as to include anyone else who could use some mindful stretching, but I don't have enough white out to revise the entire thing. 

Drawing II, color pastel on Black Paper. Micro/Macro "Don' t Forget to Bring your Destructive Order to The Galaxy." Semester II of Freshman year was a strange time for me to say the least. This pastel is one of two but I think this one stands on it's own fine enough, although it's then taken slightly out of context. I was thinking about father-son relationships among insect colonies. Termite as Darth Vader. Dynamic lighting and complementary colors bring a small and seemingly insignificant organism to our awesome size. The other drawing is of a young larvae with a segment of arm cut off, the title derived from lines in the "I am your father" scene in Star Wars. Needless to say, I recieved an entire classroom of befuddle gaze explaining this piece- that moment soldifies this drawing as one of my favorites.

 Needless to say I seldom squash bugs anymore.

It's an abstraction of a fruit. Visually, I believe it's strong, but... it's an abstraction of a fruit. Horned melon to be exact. I just wanted to show some of my graffiti inspired work, though I find it difficult to relate to the philosophies and motives of most writers I know and have met. I'm being a cynic right now. I need some sleeeeeeeeeeep. Good night. 

Drawing from Life

I've anticipated this course for a good while and even set up my schedule to incorporate yoga and works of the Italian Renaissance to get a experiential, physical and historical perspective on the human form. I'm inspired by the great masters of the past, but also by different styles of modern animation, character graffiti, and graphic novels.Hayao Miyazaki's new hand drawn/watercolored film made its way to the Toronto Film Festival, and should be making a pass soon to the states. The Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis should be showing it when it does. Anyways, it's the reason the new Batman film flopped in Japan. I was reading that article we were linked to on an

imation, and if anyone 

in this class is hesitant to watch anime, start out with something by this guy

(My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke

). He's the flippin' master.

It will inspire you in some way or another

... or just blow your mind.