Inspirational Artist: Julian Gustlin https://www.jyliangustlin.com/portfolio_page/illustris/ Jylian Gustlin is a native Californian and grew up in the San Francisco bay area. She has been shaped by the technology explosion of Silicon Valley and her art reflects her in-depth knowledge of that technology.
Warm UP Before starting on your final piece, create 7-10 Gesture drawings from the Gesture Reference Guide found on Canvas. This will help you warm up before starting. Choose a variety of poses. These images will also be used for the final so you may want to choose some that you think you are interested in placing in your artwork.
Media Experimentation Using the scrap black paper available, experiment with colors, patterns, and textures prior to starting your art piece. You may use chalk pastel and/or oil pastel.
Materials List
Black Paper
Oil Pastels
Chalk Pastels
Figurative Photo References
Directions Based on our inspirational artist, create an interesting composition that includes at least 3 figures and a background. Please note that inspirational artwork is a jumping off point for your work. The artist's intent and materials are different from this project.
Composition Considerations (Placement of elements in the artwork) 1. Placement of the figures on the paper:
The higher on the paper, the further away the viewer perceives the figure to be
Odd number tend to be more interesting than even (3, 5, 7 figures rather than 4, 6, 8)
Figures may overlap or be spaced out
Faces close to the edge of the paper who are looking at the paper's edge may lead the viewer's eye off the edge
Empty vs Crowded spaces and spacing.
2. Posing Figures
Use interesting action poses that show attitude
Use multiple people or one person in multiple poses
Think of the progression created by different movements (a walking person, someone swinging a bat, etc)
3. Background Elements
Shapes
Patterns
Textures
4. Colors
Use a limited Palate
Use value contrast (darken or lighten colors)
Emphasize one area with value and color choices
Getting Started
Have your reference images picked and ready
Choose the color for the initial drawing and begin placing your images on the black paper
The figures should take around 3 to 5 minutes to draw. Remember we are capturing the mass and pose of the figure. These are not detailed drawings
Begin filling in blocks of colors and patterns
Layer colors and create textures
Continue working until you have thick layers and the piece fills complete.