Drawing 1:  Still Life with Chiaroscuro                                                        M. Aston

Size and Medium: 18 x 24. Charcoal pencil and eraser on powdered charcoal ground.

Objectives: To create the illusion of spherical volume through chiaroscuro. /To create an interesting composition with a clear sense of spatial depth. /To build optical grey tones with linear markmaking in both positive and negative areas.  / To accurately render circles and ellipses from various angles.

Instructions: Arrange a still life on a table under a direct and consistent light source. The arrangement must contain at least 3 objects with spherical volumes. (A simple choice of subject could be 3 eggs, 3 apples, or 3 baseballs.) Cover your paper with a light to medium tone of powdered charcoal. Sketch out the composition lightly with vine or charcoal pencil, mapping out the whole surface of the paper before you begin working on single objects.  Make good use of both positive and negative shapes and spaces. Make sure the placement and proportions of objects are correct before you begin the shading or details. Pull out lighted areas from the ground with an eraser, and build volumes, shading, and negative background spaces with linear hatching or crosshatching.  If the drawing is complex, a few forms may remain as pure line, while others should be fully developed as convincing volumetric forms. Allow the drawing to lighten and fade out as forms approach the edge of the page.