Open Challenge
Taking some time away from the narrative to let the story settle in
New materials have arrived. You can pick those up in my office on Monday (October 27) between 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. If that is not convenient, you can stop by on Tuesday between 9:30 and 10:30 or 3:30 and 5:30. Students in LCS 220 can also pick them up at class time on Tuesday. I will bring them to our class. These materials are going to help us with the last few challenges, so please do not delay picking them up.
For today's challenge, you get to assign one to yourself. What have you discovered so far about how you like to sketch or what sketch is one that has not been assigned that you have been thinking about. Assign it to yourself, right now. Make it a concise challenge with few expectations, other than that you move some medium around on the page.
The important thing to remember (here) is that you will want to post on the blog comments about what your self-challenge ended up being. This will be very important to TWO upcoming challenges. So do not forget to do that.
Take a breather from the narrative, if you want, try something new, or go back to something old. Your choice. Make sure to post what you did on the blog comments.
I drew an elephant. I am happy to be able to start my own direction in my sketchbook because I think this is important into to my continue after the challenge is over.
ReplyDeleteI took this challenge to relax and let myself be free on what to draw, so I drew a pizza because I was hungry at the time and saw a pizza box.
ReplyDeleteI cut out an image in a magazine with three different gradients. Depending on what gradient was reflected in the image, I continued this color onto the page using the gouache paints. For this activity, I liked how we were able to choose what we wanted to do in our sketchbook.
ReplyDeleteLast spring, I had the chance to give a short speech at the HERStory even here on campus.In a long paragraph, I urged the students to do the following
ReplyDeleteContemplate your galaxy and your orbits. As a sociologist and by temperament, I see the multiple ways that we are connected to people across the planet and back through generations. I think of everything that makes us what and who we are. I think of the people in my personal orbit and how they have influenced me. The steady hand of my now deceased mother who, as proud as she was that I graduated from college, would pull me back into her orbit when she thought I was wandering too far from my working class roots. Or the influence of my oldest friend in the world, a Trappist monk, who reminds me of how distracted my life can be, how far I can range from being fully alive. I think of my friends who have rescued me from deep dark depressions and those whom I saved from other tragedies, an attempted suicide, an abusive husband. I think about the mothers in prison that I’ve met and the children in foster care I have encountered who have fashioned my view of justice and right and wrong more powerfully than have my education and religious training have. These people are all treasures in my life. Think carefully about whom you allow to serve as your guide, as your northern star. Put people in that galaxy who can make you a better, more authentic, more compassionate person who can be challenged to do better.
And think about the gravitational force you exert on others and how you make them better and more loving, more caring, more cared about—or just the reverse. Be always on the search for inspiration; for people and books and ideas that feed your curiosity and push you away from complacency and self-satisfaction.
So following up on that idea, I gave the challenge to put my own galaxy, planets and orbits to paper. I like this metaphor very much because it reminds us that we are not creatures of our making and that the forces that fashion are sometimes known and sometimes pretty mysterious.
I really liked this challenge as it was a change of pace and it allowed me to be creative. I drew a mandala with really bright colors.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this challenge because we could basically create whatever we wanted, it really got my creativity flowing when I sat down and thought about what I wanted to sketch for this challenge. For this challenge I painted with the gouache sigmas and just little things about my sorority
ReplyDeleteMy goal was to create a mandala without searching the internet and copy one that I liked. I chose to draw my mandala based on my Vera Bradley pencil case. I used the patterns (including elephants!) and colors to make my mandala.
ReplyDeleteI call my sketch, "What I would love to be able to do all day if homework didn't exist." Of course, I drew the beautiful view of the New England Patriots smashing the Chicago Bears from the comfort of my bed.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge, I decided to paint a watercolor of my backyard. I live on a cliff overlooking a river and my backyard is one of the favorite places in the world. However, the trick was, I couldn't look at a picture of home. Instead, I closed my eyes are had to paint it as best I could from memory. The result was pretty cool - some trees are misplaced but it still has the overall feeling of home.
ReplyDeleteI worked on my lettering in this challenge because that is what I love to do. I found a short poem by louise Gluck, and made the lettering very detailed on top of a watercolor background
ReplyDeleteOn this challenge today I decided to use my colored pencils and draw a baby cheetah in the wilderness. This came from my halloween costume idea! Overall, its always fun to free- draw anything.
ReplyDeleteMy self-challenge was to create a mandala and to color it in with vibrant colors since I usually slack off with the shading portion of mandalas. It was a bit time consuming, but I really enjoyed taking some time off and relaxing while completing it! I discovered some color choices that I usually wouldn't use.
ReplyDeleteLoved being able to create whatever I wanted. I drew a sea turtle using the water colors. I drew the sea turtle because I love the ocean sea turtles are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I chose to use sharpies and draw my apple computer. I haven't used markers for the sketchbook challenge yet so I thought it would be fun to use something new.
ReplyDeleteI decided to draw a mandala and was inspired by Halloween so that was my theme. I really liked how it came out. Very relaxing exercise for me.
ReplyDeleteI decided to just doodle all around the page. I really enjoyed this challenge because we were able to be creative!
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I decided to create a collage inspired by fall, which is my favorite season. I used watercolor for the background, stuck leaves from outside on the page, and finally painted leaves of my own.
ReplyDeleteI worked on my mandala in this one in the beautiful weather today. Had a great time working on this one and was very creative.
ReplyDeleteI decided to try and sketch a picture of darth vader because I watched star wars this weekend. I think it's pretty sweet.
ReplyDeleteAlright, this is actually my all time favorite challenge we have had so far!! I have been so stressed with work today since the weekend literally flew by so quickly! So i sketched what I felt: words, letters, numbers, and assignments flying through my head expressing the work load I have experienced today.
ReplyDeleteI liked the change of pace. This challenge was very relaxing for me.
ReplyDeleteI liked that we could choose our own challenge. I wanted to experiment with different mediums and see where it took me. I like what I came up with!
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was a good change of pace. I sketched about my favorite place, at the top of a mountain before my ride down and the the peacefulness.
ReplyDeleteI REALLY liked this challenge. It was so nice to finally take a break. I felt like this sketch was really relaxing because I got to stop thinking and just sketch. This felt very therapeutic. I like just drawing without thought.
ReplyDeleteThis being the last day of family weekend, i drew a picture of a chain link fence. Tried to tie in how close my family is through this and the bond we have. Really loved being able to just do what I wanted to do and let my current thoughts inspire my work.
ReplyDeleteI think it was nice to take a break, but strange to not have a prompt. I feel like there were a million different tracks I could have taken. I went down the route of doing a blind contour because as much as I hated my first one the more I do, the more I like them. I liked not knowing what it would look like and I think that this was great practice because I hope to continue sketching after we are finished with the challenge.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to do is zentangle with sharpie pens so that is what I did for this challenge. I made one in the shape of a peace sign.
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to draw some cat pictures; needless to say I went a little crazy. This challenge was a great breather, and really let me loosen up. I got to experiment with some quick doodling and creating silhouettes. I would love to return to this image and add in some watercolor and texture.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved having the freedom to do whatever we wanted for this challenge. I decided, since I always listen to music when I'm sketching, to take lyrics from different songs that inspire or mean a lot to me and put them all together. I then matched each phrase with a symbol or color to represent what it means to me. I loved doing this so much that I might just start doing it more often.
ReplyDeleteThis was by far my favorite challenge! I love drawing cartoon objects! My favorite animal is a giraffe, so I figured I would draw a cartoon giraffe. I put a lot of my personality into this drawing. I felt like I could be myself in this challenge!
ReplyDeleteBeing forced to challenge oneself is important in life and can be... challenging. I enjoyed consciously setting my own goals and parameters and immediately trying to achieve it.
ReplyDeleteWith Halloween coming up soon, I decided to draw a picture of one of my costumes for one of the nights, a fireman. This was a challenge for me but the drawing came out well!
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to decide what to do, but I decided to design my recent story's cover. I used watercolors and sharpie.
ReplyDeleteI drew a sketch that I felt moved my emotions. I enjoyed drawing something that would move my won and other people's psychology.
ReplyDeleteThis may sound slightly weird but ever since high school I have always enjoyed drawing hands. My teacher used this as a way for us to focus in on detail and value and I just find the concentration aspect so soothing. So, for my challenge I drew my hand!
ReplyDeleteI decided to draw where I spend the most time, so I drew my kitchen table at my townhouse.
ReplyDeleteI did line doodles like I usually do in class or while drawing on my own. I enjoyed how it came out and it was relaxing to have us choose our own challenge.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this challenge because I got to be creative and draw whatever I wanted. I find myself always drawings swirls so that is what I decided to work with.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge, I tried making my friend's portrait in the same manner as we did our self portrait. I didn't look at the page and just drew her features as I saw them. I really like this type of challenge because its quick, fun and at the same time it'n nothing usual. Though you're copying something, nevertheless, the outcome isn't ditto, its more creative.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was really enjoyable because I liked the amount of freedom it allowed. I drew a zentangle in the shape of an elephant. Zentangles were my favorite thing that we've done in class
ReplyDeleteI drew a flower, I am really inspired by Lily Pulitzer's patterns. She creates her artwork with bright and warm colors. She uses various amounts of shapes as well which makes her sketches and clothing line unique.
ReplyDeleteI went abstract on this one, I loved having the freedom to draw or paint whatever we wanted and I like how my picture ended up.
ReplyDeleteThis activity was a stress reliever in my opinion, we were able to draw and sketch something of our choice and I think that's the best way to sketch, having no boundaries. I sketched a mountain in a winter scene, it came out very well.
ReplyDeleteI decided to do a mandala based on a book I'm reading right now. Everything within it is symbolic of different important characters.
ReplyDeleteSketches where we are free do do and doodle whatever we want and being free from boarders is my favorite assignments! Loved this one
ReplyDeleteI sketched a traditional Ghanaian symbol called "Gye Nyame" which represents the supremacy of God. This challenge allowed me to be more relaxed as I sketched the symbol.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I picked to go back and work on my symbol. Every time I change the colors of my symbol it gives it a new meaning. The symbol that I am working with is the money sign. Usually we see it in black and white or green at times, but when you use orange and blue, it gives it a whole new perspective of meaning.
ReplyDeleteI drew a dot for fun.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited when reading this challenge because I liked how we were given our own opportunity to create what we wanted. I really like making mandalas, so I decided to make one in greyscale.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited when I read this challenge and I Wrote NBA Tip-Off because that's the only thing I was thinking of at that time because the 2014-2015 NBA season is only a couple days away from tipping off.
ReplyDeleteI loved this challenge. Being able to do what ever I wanted was the best part. It enabled me to be more creative and do what I like to do.
ReplyDeleteIn high school I drew a scene from the movie Alice in Wonderland, I tried to recreate the same scene for today's challenge but in a different way.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this challenge because I got a chance to decide what I wanted to challenge myself with. I thought it was freeing and really relaxing. I chose to explore the values of black and white more with my drawing
ReplyDeleteI liked the fact that we were able to put our skills to the test creating our own activity.
ReplyDeleteI was happy we got to stray away from the normal challenges for a bit, and I decided to try to draw something I never had worked with before. I ended up making a map of the town I live in.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge, I decided to draw a personal object I found in my room. Something valuable to me; my game console.
ReplyDeleteI chose to use a speaker as my object to draw because I love listening to music.
ReplyDeletefor this challenge i choose to pick any type of symbol detail to the point where it represents something or someone important in my life
ReplyDeleteI challenged myself to go to a part of campus that I have never been before and draw what I saw. After drawing what I saw I had to add an unrealistic element to the scene whether that meant color or a figure/object that did not belong. It was the perfect day to this activity. It was such a great day outside that I thoroughly enjoyed sketching outside and then taking the extra step to make the picture unusual.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I wanted to blend colors. We received pastels in class and I wanted to blend all these colors and see what I could make them look like.
ReplyDeletei like this challenge because it was fun and relaxing, i was able to draw whatever i felt like! i draw a heart with different colors on it using watercolors
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this challenge because I was able to be creative all on my own and sketch whatever I wanted.
ReplyDeleteI played around with a bunch of different water colors.
DeleteI was feeling pretty patriotic so I painted the Indian flag
ReplyDeleteI did not know what I was planning on drawing so I first tested out the medium by placing lines on the page. I connected this lines into a flower and then shaded around it. I enjoyed working with the pastels a lot.
ReplyDeleteFor this challenge I decided to write a story that I thought was inspiring and funny. I wrote it from the top of my head, and I just kept going.
ReplyDeleteI liked this challenge a lot because I was able to look back on what I've already created and chose to create something based off some of my favorite challenges. I chose to create a zentangle but this time using gouache paint.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this challenge because it allowed me to just let me hand flow over the page. With no guidelines or restrictions I felt much more relaxed and free.
ReplyDeleteFor this Challenge I recreated my Phone (aka one of the most important things i have) I enjoyed putting a playful spin and personal touches on this idea.
ReplyDeleteFor today's challenge, I decided to draw something lurking and watching in the bush. I drew this because more times than not, I feel watched. Not n a bad way, but more a less people looking out for in. I decided to depict this in a negative manner because sometimes it can become quite frustrating and have to wonder what people's real motives are.
ReplyDelete