* Draw your window and the immediate area around the frame from either an
exterior or interior view. Show what you see inside or outside the window,
real or imagined.
* Using a mirror or a photograph, draw yourself screaming. Your face should
fill at least a third of the asymmetrical composition.
* A composition of larger than life candy or fast food: wrapped, unwrapped,
and just the wrapper. Make the element of color an important part of drawing.
* Select a fruit or vegetable. Draw it several times in the same still life
composition. Use multiple points of view, the fruit or vegetable intact,
partially open and opened to see the internal line structures and design.
Place a knife, vegetable peeler or some other utensil in the drawing, all in
an appropriate setting.
* Draw a surreal drawing including everyday objects with at least two angels,
monsters, dragons, elves, fairies or aliens. Have the life forms interacting
with the objects, doing something like peeking around them, sitting on them
or eating them.
* Compose and draw a still life using a set of keys, medicine bottles (at
least 3), a glass half full of liquid, spoon, fork and a crumpled napkin,
along with a small figurine.
* Use lined paper to fold at least 1 type of paper airplane. Do a drawing
showing the steps in folding or the flight of the paper plane in different
positions and sizes. You might even include crashed ones. Have some of the
planes or papers running off and on the page. Bring in your best flyer. We
will have a contest after the critique (weather permitting).
* Draw a single light colored or metallic object such as a paper bag, toilet
paper, wrinkled paper, piece of foil, golf ball, or statue. Shade it with
pencil in valued grays. Use darks for contrast, definition and shadows.
Remember you will have to exaggerate the values to get a good range from
lights to dark. Add a wallpaper type background.
* A doorway in your life that uses perspective
* Self portrait in curved reflection (Escher)
* One directional line drawing (vertical, horizontal or diagonal)
* Part of a bathroom
* Inside your refrigerator or kitchen cabinet
* Drawing of wrapped objects
* Chair with something/someone in its seat with environment
* Still life of three different pairs of shoes
* Piece of machinery or equipment in its micro-environment
* Still life of school items
* A series of views of the same subject in one composition
* Still life of personal things
* Exterior view of a building showing at least two walls converging at a
* Take a favorite phrases or word. Use five different drawing materials and
five different line strokes, make a composition.
* Insect/Machine - Draw each one independently, first. The do two combination
pictures, combine more bug than machine and then more machine than bug.
* Integration of human figure with still life or other background.
* Drawings of dreams or of private fantasy.
* Feathers in Pen and Ink
* facial feature, 2 features of family member
* Family member
* Find a cell in the biology book, then create a pattern using that cell
design. Color must be used along with construction paper, markers, pencil and
ball-point pen. Remember, a pattern is a repeated shape that covers a large
area, such as in a piece of fabric. Use all of page.
* Zoom in one area of a toothbrush environment, remember the toothbrush is
important; draw what you see. Fine tipped felt pen.
* Sports or hobbies
* An animal - texture
* Gestural line drawing in ink and brush of an animal with a variety of line
thickness to indicate movement or mass.
* Small, non-objective drawing using only VERTICAL lines. Vary thickness.
When finished, try turning it to make the lines horizontal and diagonal.
Mount. Changed this from non-objective to exterior contour line drawing of
* Cropped athletic figure
* Zodiac or Mythological figure.
* Packing to go
* A section of an object (or objects) enlarged to the point of abstraction.
* Place 1 object on each table. Add two items that are related.
* Draw a scene from the cowboy days. Color may be used.
* Draw a scene that shows an alligator in his environment. Pencil and fine
* Draw a character out of the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. Pen and ink.
* Research a suite of armor and draw a man dressed in such. Pencil.
* Do a detailed study of a thumb, along with the rest of your hand. Pencil.
* Draw a hand holding a world. The world is the only thing that will have
color on it. Pencil for the hand, colored pencils for the world.
* Draw a real person (full body) from a photograph or magazine. You select
the pose, then create a cartoon character (from your imagination, not one
already in existence) interacting with the person. Make the composition work.
Pencil and markers.
* Draw an old pair of tennis shoes, with shoe strings. Pen and ink.
All homework assignments should be done in a minimum format of 9” x 12”. Be
sure to fill the entire format. Plan you composition. Use backgrounds where
necessary to eliminate areas of uninteresting negative space. These drawings
should be finished ones, not simple contour lines or sketches. The subject
matter guidelines below are very general; Be INVENTIVE and CREATIVE when
approaching these assignments. I expect to see evidence of at least some use
of observation from life. For the most part I will leave media up to you,
Each deadline date listed below we will have a class critique to evaluate
your homework. REMEMBER, your work will be up beside that of your talented
classmates, so don't let yours be lacking! Because the critique is an
important part of the assignment, drawings turned in afterward will be
penalized by 30 points. If two or more days late, you will receive a zero
except for in the case of excused absences, where the work will be expected
upon your return.