Preliminary drawing for Landscape Painting

In your sketchbook: (15 pts)

Make a minimum of 3 thumbnail sketches focusing on composition

1) original composition

2) cropped composition – rule of thirds

3) zoomed in composition

• Thumbnail sketches are used by the artist to visualize the final piece... to record the essence of a scene, artwork, etc. and to work out an interesting composition. Usually done quickly with a pencil

• A thumbnail is not a fully rendered pencil drawing. It is not a working drawing the same size as the final painting where the artist has worked out all of his/her questions about value, shape, edges, etc., ...

• In a thumbnail you must decide what is most important and eliminate the rest. This is the first step in the creation of a work of art...Simplification. Going from real world profusion to 2D design is a major transformation.

• Make notes on your thumbnails about colors, value, or an emotion you may want to capture: Start with the emotional content...tree emerges mysteriously from fog...majestic mountain scrapes the sky...magical alpine glow...light flows across from left to right. Note relationships, contrasts, weather, sounds, smells. Whatever might help bring back the experience.

• Why should you use thumbnails to plan? Do it because it will save time in the long run and you will end up with a better artwork. You will have already answered some questions you might encounter as you work on the final piece, AND you've experimented with other possible outcomes to find the best one.

(The above is being shared from http://www.buildart.com/secret_of_thumbnails.htm)

The idea is to mass areas of similar tone together then arrange these massed shapes to form an interesting composition. Work out what will be your focal point, place it in a suitable position (generally not midway either vertically or horizontally) then make sure the darkest dark and lightest light occur at this point. Use the other shapes to lead in to and balance the focal point.

Final Sketch

Make a final 5’x7” inch sketch that illustrates values/tones and your compositional choice. This should be a well developed sketch with a range of values. Use drawing pencils.

(15 pt.)

Rubric:

- 3) focus on drawing shapes and emphasizing

dominant and subordinate line and shape

-3) consider line weight, direction, energy

-3) focal point

- 3) light, middle and dark values and contrasts

-3) pays attention to texture