Boxman Demo by Jacob Collins

Jacob Collins has been pushing the use of the "boxman" to the students working in the figure room. The boxman is a fairly simple concept; it consists of several boxes tilted on their axes to represent the major masses and their orientation in space. It is an exceedingly useful construct for simplifying and aiding in the conceptualization of form and space. The boxman is also valuable in the pursuit of gesture and anatomical accuracy; in Jacob's words, "The spatial relation of the major masses is the essence of gesture.  Without a deep grasp of these relationships the draughtsman will never get the gesture.  Also, although the boxes aren't anatomically articulated in a realistic way, the grasp of space they call upon is the foundation of anatomical understanding." The following gif animation is from a demonstration Jacob did today. The accompanying figure drawing is student Ken Salaz's figure block-in.

Click the above image for an animated .gif of Jacob's demo

When creating a boxman, it is important to spend time ensuring that the boxes are oriented in space correctly; otherwise, the point of the exercise is lost. Jacob spent a little over 40 minutes creating his boxman, and he labored over ensuring that each box was tilted in exactly the correct angle. Jacob has even hired models for the explicit purpose of drawing boxmen. 

At times during the demonstration, the masses of the figure (like the model's left foot) appeared to be viewed straight on or at deceivingly simplified angles; however, Jacob moved around the model and saw the actual location of the mass, such as in the case of the foot's orientation. Similarly in the thoracic box (rib cage), Jacob first identified the orientation of the first rib to understand the orientation of the entire rib cage. Even though the thoracic box may look slightly odd when compared to the pose, the rib cage cannot be bent, and thus Jacob drew it according to to his understanding of the orientation of the first rib to the rest of the rib cage. 

The usefulness and importance of the boxman is quite great; Jacob still draws boxmen and he also encourages even his most advanced students to do so as well. As stated before, this tool can easily become a great aid in understanding the true orientation and spatial qualities of the figure. 

Edit: The first paragraph has been updated with corrected information.

Halloween at GCA

Halloween is a big deal here at GCA! On Friday we had a pot luck lunch, pumpkin carving, beer and wine, music, dancing, and magic tricks.

Connor came as the local w 44th St. legend "spank-me-man"

David was a very impressive Don Quixote

Justine had a thirst for blood

Shihwen the cat woman

Zoe was a magician's assistant

Liz a.k.a. Edward Scissorhands

Anthony had the best last-minute costume

Brendan sticks with his theme of Wes Anderson characters, showing up this time as Richie Tenenbaum

Allison was a very convincing kneaded rubber eraser, with a pencil shaving and a hair stuck to her.

Don Quixote catches a ride on a horse.

We had a great pot luck lunch, starring Abigail's mango, avocado, and lime salsa. I hope she brings more for our thanksgiving pot luck!

Cheh conquered the pumpkin carving contest in about ten minutes, whittling out this little guy:

A very scary bunch ... well, mostly Matt, who came as a cyclist who had been run over by a car

Last year Katie came as Madame X (by Sargent) and this time she showed up in a boat as the Lady of Shalott (by Waterhouse)

students tested their sculpture skills on some pumpkins

Star Wars: Visions

There is a new book out called Star Wars: Visions. The book includes work by several artists from the Water Street Atelier and Grand Central Academy community. The book includes work by over 100 well knows artists who were invited by George Lucas to create work inspired by the Star Wars series.

by Scott Waddell

A Good Find: Portrait of a Tusken Raider, by Tony Curanaj

Rancor, by Arantzazu Martinez

Tony Curanaj at Akus Gallery

Emit by Tony Curanaj, oil on canvas, 48" x 34"

The Akus Gallery in Willimantic, CT has a group show coming up that includes work by GCA instructor Tony Curanaj. The show, "Solemn and Sublime" runs from October 21 - December 2. There will be a panel discussion with the artists on November 3 at 3 PM followed by a reception and refreshments at 5:30.

Akus Gallery

Shafer Hall, Room 1, Lower Level
Eastern Connecticut State University

83 Windham Street
Willimantic, CT 06226

Gallery: 860-465-4659
Office: 860-465-4647

Hours:

Tuesday-Wednesday 11am - 5pm

Thursday 1pm - 7pm

Saturday-Sunday 2pm - 5pm

Thomas Kegler solo show

Thomas Kegler is a senior fellow at the Hudson River Fellowship and he has a solo show coming up in East Aurora NY. The opening is Friday 10/22 from 6-9 PM and the show runs until 11/20. Kegler will be there for the opening as well as the evening of 11/12 for East Aurora's Gallery Walk. The show includes over 40 works completed in the last year (he's a painting animal!) American Art Collector Magazine will have a feature article about him in their November issue, so keep your eyes out for that. Kegler was also featured in the last issue of American Painting Video Magazine doing a landscape painting demo at the HRF.

Hemlock Grove - Proverbs 3:13, 16 x 12, oil on linen

the show is at

Meibohm Fine Arts

478 Main Street

East Aurora, New York 14052

Notes on Jiwoong Cheh's Approach to Cast Sculpture

Foreword: I've found this method of approach to be equally successful in cast drawing, Bargue drawing, and even figure drawing.

Gen 3.21 by Jiwoong Cheh

Strategy:
Plan your method of attack before you start - It is important to understand your process and how you will begin and complete your cast sculpture copy before you even start. This prevents dawdling and aimlessly pushing around clay (or your pencil while cast drawing), hoping for results.
Plan a time limit - If you place time restraints upon yourself, you will be forced to optimize your workflow and keep your brain running at full speed. On a cast drawing, you might say, "I'm going to render this form in two hours." If you make it a manageable but tough goal, you will continue to push yourself, and you can always put in  another hour afterwards.
Plan an efficient workspace - In cast sculpture, this might entail making sure both your cast sculpture and cast sculpture copy face you will you work, reducing time spent moving back and forth to check each from the same perspective. In cast drawing, this could mean ensuring that there is sufficient light on your drawing, that you have well-sharpened pencils and the means to sharpen them, and a comfortable proximity to your cast.

Try to work as far as you can before searching out critiques. The cast sculpture is your teacher; if your sculpture does not match the original sculpture, then you must fix it. Try to find the errors yourself. For those of you with a teacher: that teacher will not always be behind you pointing out your errors.

Periodically clean and analyze your sculpture. We (humans) view the world in an analog manner, however, cast sculpture is very much a digital experience. For example; which is easier to measure, the volume of water spilled on the ground (analog), or the number of bricks spilled on the ground (digital)? It is impossible to accurately measure the volume of water by eye alone; on the other hand, the bricks can be counted by eye. As you work on your cast sculpture, the messiness and bumps in the clay can deceive us; a messy/bumpy sculpture is an analog sculpture. Once that sculpture is cleaned and smoothed out to a finish, it becomes possible to understand what is occurring in a digital sense. Now you can accurately compare the plane changes and forms and proceed accordingly. Cast drawing/figure drawing block-ins lines' should also be cleaned up periodically; thick or messy lines can trick you to believe that the line is placed correctly. Erase the thick lines down into the correct thin line (this can be disregarded in some cases; while working through the beginning of a block-in, those extra "pentimento" lines can be useful for identifying the correct line without continually drawing and erasing new lines.)

Tuesday Lecture: Vasari Paint on Color

WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday, October 19, 4:30-5:30pm in the GCA Cast Hall. Free & open to the public.

Reserve your spot: rsvp.gca@gmail.com

Working her way around the palette, Gail Spiegel will use actual samples of her handcrafted colors to visually demonstrate mixing. She will speak about the characteristics of some colors as well as the history of the pigments they contain. She will explain her method of “thinking in pigment” that is the key to good color mixing while focusing on the Greek 4-color palette of red, yellow, white and black that underlies classical color palettes.

A Prize to Study in Rome - Applications Due!

By Jeffrey Mims, 2009 Alma Schapiro Prize Winner

THE 2011 ALMA SCHAPIRO PRIZE

The ICA&CA and GCA invites students and professionals committed to the classical tradition to apply for the 2011 Alma Schapiro Prize! The online applications are due by November 1. The winner will spend 3-months at the American Academy in Rome in 2011. The prize includes room, board, a working studio, roundtrip airfare, as well as a modest stipend for expenses. The jury, selected by the ICA&CA, consists of seven individuals whose combined experience will allow fair and well-informed consideration. Previous winners include Michael Grimaldi (2007) and Jeffrey Mims (2009).

Painters or sculptors working in the classical tradition are invited to apply!

Applications are due November 1!

For details posted on the ICA&CA website, click here!

Email application questions to: alma.schapiro@gmail.com

No phone calls please.

Edward Minoff at John Pence Gallery

Edward Minoff has a solo show at the John Pence Gallery in San Francisco. Minoff will be at the opening reception on Oct. 15th from 6-8 PM. The show runs until Nov. 13th. There is also an article in this month's issue of American Art Collector Magazine about the show, which includes work done at the GCA and the Hudson River Fellowship. Edward Minoff teaches in the core program at GCA and is a founding member of the Hudson River Fellowship.

First Light, oil on canvas, 40"x60" by Edward Minoff

Finding Shapes - Part 1

Comparing and using internal shapes is a key factor in the drawing process at GCA. We are introduced to the idea of finding and using shapes via the Bargue drawing course. This drawing course included a series of cast sculpture block-ins created by Charles Bargue, a relatively unknown but incredibly talented 19th century French academic artist. By copying Bargue's drawings, we learn to understand proportion through shape and comparative measurement. This will allow us to move on towards more complex tasks with an understanding of the drawing process.

To aid us in objectively comparing shapes, we like to imagine each shape as either an animal, or an inanimate object. It requires a dose of imagination, but once a shape is identified as an object or animal, it becomes much easier to understand the shape's intricacies. It's easier to say (and understand visually), "the dolphin's head is too big," rather than, "these three lines need to be compressed to varying degrees."

For an example, here is a Bargue plate that I am currently copying.

Now here is the shape I have chosen for this example.

Stumped? How about a mean shark!

Not feeling it? How about we turn our heads 90 degrees clockwise and check out the bird...

And just for good measure, take a look at this snail (back to the original position).

Note: Do not actually draw extra lines on the Bargue to help the animal visually appear; instead, try to maintain that image inside your head. 

Also note: Choose only one animal/object per shape. It would be confusing to continually change the animal/object you see in the shape.