Value STUFFFFF

I actually had a pretty simple job in creating my value scale, with no adjustments necessary. The other assignment was a little more complicated, I had to check back with my scale to make sure not all the values were to similar.

Exqusite Corpse & String Projects

Exquisite Corpse:

In drawing a continuous line that "morphs" from straight to curved to geometric shapes to organic shapes over the span of four pages was not the most engaging exercise. Although it causes us to judge each page as its own creation and not just the continuation of the single line, differed because its occupying a different space. A similar exercise was done in boredom during math class. The subject was a human figure, where one person would draw the head, then fold the page for the next person to draw the torso, they would in turn fold it for the next person to do the legs etc.

String Project:

This exercise taught us that there's much more freedom for the creative juices to flow if we don't have the mindset that we'll have to clean it up after. You can imagine how less complicated and less interesting the string composition would have been if we had not all been thinking we could cut the string after.

Line vs Shape: The Final Showdown

Which of the images are lines? Images a, b, and c.
Which of the images are shapes? Image d.
What makes a line? One motion from point to point.
What makes a shape? Unguided unbridled assembly of lines.

First Critique

In this renaissance piece, we see a young arian woman in red, blue and cream, with two adolescent males at her feet. The child to the left of the woman is completely nude, leaning into her lap as she gazes at him. The child to the right is fully clothed in a brown cloth, and carries what looks like a long, slender cross. The scene of the three figures is outdoors, backgrounded by countryside. To the left of the woman, we see a field, the beginnings of a village, followed by mountains. To her right we see a building with a large tower or steeple, which may be a church or some other place of worship.

Based on how the woman is dressed, and the tiny halo crowning the nude child's head, I think its safe to assume that this is the Madonna and the Baby Jesus. This makes it all the more likely that the building to the right is, in fact, a church. This is very similar to other dogmatic based paintings from the time period, and displays a classic theme with images of Mary from the time, the blue of her dress which portrays purity and virginity. The red suggests wealth and power, a contrast to the outdoor, less regal setting. This could also be because the outdoors is the environment created by god, whereas the regality of man's creations (buildings, houses, etc) portrays a different meaning. The tone is therefor very solemn, portraying the love between mother and child, with both hands touching what I assume to be the bible. The figure to the right seems to act as a submissive protector of the two, most likely a representation of a figure from the bible.

Raphael's work is similar to that of Leonardo DaVinci and therefor has a soft and beautiful Italian style. Although I don't believe in dogmatic religion, this piece still touches me in that the love between mother and child is so apparent. The values of color and light vs. dark are well portrayed, and the piece seems to have perfect proportions. The intent was clearly portrayed: to show the mother, child and protector.