"All art should become science, and all science art"

Friedrich Schlegel

CONSTRAINTS IN ART PRACTICE

Any assignment for any client is constrained to one degree or another, which is not necessarily cause for frustration. Unlimited freedom would be paralyzing and frightening, therefore constraints should be embraced and cultivated both in their primary function of escape from the horror of blank page and in the playful turn they can give to the artist’s work.

The basic constraints cover the format, reproduction and time. A spot illustration is an effective spotlight on a single image, while a larger format offers more room, hence more possibilities.

The more vague the assignment, the more difficult it may be to start or to come up with an original idea. In these circumstances self-imposed constraints can come in handy: you can try picking a tool that you never use, drawing without a sketch, limiting the piece to one or two colors, building an invisible grid or borrowing an experimental technique from another medium.

ASSIGNMENT 5: A PERSON IN A ROOM

This is a collaborative assignment in two parts.

Part One: sketch (with a light pencil) a character standing in the center of the page, allowing enough room for the environment. Try to give the character a bit of history through their pose, attire and expression.

Part Two: pick on of your classmates' characters and draw the room in which they are standing. Try to be consistent both with the character, and the visual style in which they are drawn.

For the final, complete the entire picture, going over your classmate's sketch in the medium of your choice. You are welcome to change the style or adapt to their style, or you may try to do both.

Format: 8,5x11" vertical