Courtney Esperanza’s art blog

  I mapped out what shades of grey I wanted in what areas using a number system.

  And here’s the beginning of the large picture. I like starting with the blackest tone. 

       First block composition and shadow sketch... The most time-consuming part of this assignment was definitely laying down layer after layer of pigment. There’s something soothing about watching it go from dark to light thought. The black background was very helpful in creating depth and contrast. I struggled with making my strokes appear seamless and tried my best to blend them together better. Hopefully the second still life will end up smoother than this one. Still life #2  This one had a lot more going on with shadows cast all over the place! I tried to apply a variety in tones and shading to give the illusion of 3-dimension. I look forward to applying the same shadowing techniques to more detailed still lifes this term!

  I had a lot of fun sketching this picture! I love how the contour lines allowed me to create a whimsical look. It reminded me of some Dr Seuss books I've seen. I had a hard time depicting accurate proportions but I enjoyed creating this and look forward to doing more contour drawings. I definitely prefer the sharpie over the pencil for this style of drawing since the tip stays nice and sharp and the lines remain clear and distinct.

  This contour object assignment was challenging. I couldn't decide between whether to do a strappy high heel or a simpler flat shoe. I ended up going with my favorite pair of Nike Airs. I didn't realize until I was going crazy over the venting details that this was not the easiest shoe to draw. I tried to use long continuous lines instead of shorter shading strokes. If I could make one improvement to this piece, it would be to the lighten the venting pattern so it doesn't overwhelm the picture and mess with the lighting and shading scheme of the picture overall. Let me know what you think!

  While apprehensive at first, I really enjoyed playing around with this technique. Part of my issues when creating art is that I overthink it way too much and over criticize myself to the point of debilitation. I found that with this style of sketching, I wasn't getting hung up on making the perfect lines and shapes and I truly focused on the curvature and aesthetic of my hand. Fun fact, apparently one of my hands has six fingers, lol, can you spot which one? I didn't even realize it until after I posted this...

  This assignment was challenging for me. I had a difficult time coming up with so many different patterns but I'm overall satisfied with how it turned out.