Homework

This month's homework is to take a 7 letter word, use it as a design element and draw the letters free hand. The letters are to be outlined in pencil at a height of 2 inches. After the drawing has been made a 3" x 3" square of the design is to be traced and transfered to good paper, outlined with a Pigma pen and painted in with gouache.

I decided to spend the entire day working on the first part of the assignment. I found the assignment so hard to do, and frustrating. It shouldn't be this hard to draw Roman caps. Heck, these are the first letters we learn to print in monoline.

My biggest problem was I couldn't see anything in my head other than the word. I couldn't imagine a design. I'm such a linear thinker, (comes from so many years as a computer programmer), and I'm so used to engineering things when I draw: straight edge, French curves, compass, shape templates. I've also decided I'm a visual learner even though the silly blog quiz said I was an auditory learner.

So with visual engineering and the friendly scanner, I scanned in the backward example we were given, mirrored the image and printed the letters on acetate. I cut out my word. I laid the letters on a sheet of paper, moved, shifted, and arranged them. I still could read my word. I then employed the James' magic hat technique of selection though I used a tissue box as it was close at hand. Tossed the letters in and then picked them out and tossed them on the paper. I had a visual tool I could use.

The first drawing sux. So I traced and transfered. That's my graphic. It will help with the visual as well as muscle memory. I've printed it out and will go back to the drawing board.

Can you see my word?