Art 4773 | Digital Drawing

The Digital Drawing course teaches how to utilize computer software, drawing tablets, cameras, and traditional media to create digital imagery.

Below are descriptions of some of the assignments in the course with student work examples.

A Series Of 50-100 Drawings or “A Day in the Life”

Your objective is to document the day in the life of a character or an event.

If you decide to document the day in the life of a character, examples of who to document may include someone you know, a historical figure, someone from literature, or a movie character (see me for approval). You are responsible for documenting the following: What they wear, accessories carried, the food they like, places they frequent regularly, any aspect that would be interesting to express visually, draw the elements and events that define the character. Possibly document a famous incident involving the figure i.e. giving the Gettysburg Address, surviving Nokatami Plaza, fighting the Battle of Hogwarts, winning a championship.

If you draw an “event” consider the elements that make the event special, such as the people involved, the foods, the geographical landmarks, accessories associated with the event. If you were to document a football game, what would you associate with game day?

Consider watching a film and “retro storyboarding” sequences

A series set of black and white images. appears to read as a horror movie

Impressionist/Expressionist Landscape

Your objective is to visually develop a landscape at the 1:2.35 ratio. A wide establishing shot of an environment once inhabited by humans.

Choose a season to set the tone of the drawing (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn), a time of day to establish the kind of lighting for the shot (twilight, high noon, sunset, full moon, a diffused light time of day).

Figure out how weather elements would effect the environment.

Investigate how structures would be affected by such factors as wind, water, heat, being overtaken by plant life? Have animals inhabited the area? Are there trails? Is the landscape on planet Earth? If not then what factors will that have on the environment?

Consider ancient ruins like Aztec or Mayan Temples, New York City from I Am Legend, Chernobyl, Silent Hill, Hiroshima (post bomb), Wall-E, Cars Choose “painterly” textured brushes to produce this image, and blend in the photographic elements (if any) into the image while paying attention to textures. Once again make sure the marks inform the structure of the shape being drawn. Let the marks reflect the emotions you want the viewer to feel.

Also if you start using traditional mediums, you have to end using digital drawing techniques. Employ the use of “photobashing” which is the use of multiple images collaged to create a landscape or creature. Use photos and original content then utilize abstract brushes to draw the imagery together.

A landscape drawing of underwater Atlantis. Black and white landscape drawing of a long abandoned building. Landscape drawing of what appears to be dog eyes view of a large skyscraper underwater, surrounded by creatures and sea weed. Landscape drawing of a train passing through a city Landscape drawing of a city with hills and a building

Mythological Beast

Your objective is to visually develop a creature and it’s environment.

Responsibilities include:

A character sheet expressing an understanding of anatomy
Environment Concept (where the creature lives)
What does the creature eat? What eats the creature? Doe the creature use tools? Does the creature live alone? Is there a hierarchy and complex society? Is the creature cybernetic or part machine? Consider the phrase “man machine interface.”
This is a heavy science fiction/fantasy based project think about the kind of the kinds of compositions, and motifs associated with the genres.

Take two or more existing animals (or animal, plant, and man made object(s)) and combine them in a creative way. Consider literary and fictional references as a starting point to create the specimen.

Consider the best kind of mark making technique to use for this project. Maintain a limited palette. What would work with the textures of the creature – fur, scales, tree bark, satin, how literal are you going to take textures this project?

A colorful drawing of a mythological creature. Located underwater, is purple, and has yellow eyes.

Hero’s Journey or The Portrait From the Monomyth

Your objective is the creation of a self portrait or development of a character in the style of artist/illustrator David McKean utilizing the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey as inspiration. Project 4 is a mixed media project open to the utilization of digital drawing, photography, painting, any medium to make the piece work. Utilize interesting textures found or made up, you are open to any color palette or mark making techniques so long as Digital Drawing is the primary means of bringing the composition together.

A drawing of a boy surrounded by pieces of paper that have writing on them A drawing of a scary like human girl with Mississippi State logos surrounding her a colorful figure drawing which reads as a person walking towards two others down a long bridge A scary like drawing of polaroid images torn up, one with scissors going through the center. It reads "My fault listen shut up you never asked" A drawing of a woman over looking the sea while watching the lighthouse get struck by lightening.