USC Gayle Garner Roski School of Fine Arts



USC Gayle Garner Roski School of Fine Arts

FA101B: Drawing the Figure

Fall 2010

M/W 9 am – 11:50am

Professor: Delia Brown

USC Email: deliabro@usc.edu

Phone #: 213.740.2787

Office Hours: by appointment

Office location: Watt Hall 118

Course Description

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of drawing the human figure from observation. The objective is for each student to attain a basic understanding of how to translate the many facets of anatomy into convincing two-dimensional renderings. Topics covered include: Geometry of the Human Figure, Proportion, Perspective, Gesture, Expression, Color,Tone and Texture. Students will strengthen their fluidity and range of mark-making, composition. Exploration of students’ unique sensibilities is encouraged, within the context of fulfilling assignments. Students will work in a variety of black and white media, as well as color.

Students will participate in discussions, and develop an enhanced grasp of the vocabulary of figurative drawing.

We will look at and discuss treatments of the figure in examples from past and contemporary artworks. We will take one to two field trips to local museums or galleries.

101B is a foundation course for further investigation of the figure in FA201B.

Attendance Policy *

You are allowed a total of three (3) absences throughout the semester without any effect on your grade. After three absences, each absence will lower your grade by a half point (i.e. an A will become an A- with 4 absences). Tardies in excess of 10 minutes will be counted as half absences (i.e. 2 tardies will be the equivalent of one absence). Please consider this so that you can save unavoidable tardies and absences for medical emergencies and other very important issues that might arise throughout the semester, as there will be no exceptions made.

Headphones and cell phones may not be used in class. If used, the offenses will be subject to the same effects on your marks as tardies.

Grade Breakdown

10% Critiques/Participation

50% In-class drawings

20% Homework

20% Final (includes written component)

Grades on individual assignments will be posted on Blackboard mid-way through semester. If you are unsatisfied with your grade on a specific assignment you may request permission to do a second version. If granted, the final grade for the assignment will be the median grade between the two. Realize, however, that models may not be available to you to do a second version of in-class assignments, and so it behooves you to put forward a strong effort in your first attempt.

Grading on projects will be determined by 1) the objective quality of the individual drawings 2) how well the student has demonstrated absorption of the relevant lessons, and 3) demonstrated effort.

Improvement over the course of the semester will be taken into consideration in final grading.

Expect to do an average of 3 hours per week homework (some weeks there will be no homework but other weeks may require more). Expect to put in at minimum of 10 hours outside of class time on final project.

Art Supplies

-charcoal (variety of vine and compressed)

-paper blending stump/smudging tool/cotton swabs

-workable fixative (must have at class each day)

-Conte crayons (black, white and sanguine)

-full set of chalk pastels, oil pastels, or Prismacolor pencils (minimum 24 colors)

-selection of graphite pencils (4H,2H,HB,2B,4B,6B)

-pink pearl and kneaded (grey) erasers

-pencil sharpener

-straight-edge ruler, 12” minimum

-compass

-black India ink (sepia ink optional)

-titanium white gouache

-sable brush (round, size 6 or 8)

-empty jar for water

-paper plates & tissue (e.g.Kleenex) for using ink

-artists’ tape

-11”x14” or larger, watercolor paper pad

-18”x24” newsprint pad

-18”x24” drawing or charcoal pad (depends on tooth you prefer)

-12”x16” assorted colors pastel pad

-portfolio for carrying drawings

-box for supplies

Art Supply Stores:

Dick Blick 7301 West Beverly Blvd, LA 323-933-9284

Graphaids 3030 La Cienega Blvd, Culver City 310-201-1212

Pearl 1250 S. La Cienega Blvd, 310-854-4900

Roark 424 Boyd St, Downtown LA, 213-621-3153

Utrecht 11677 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica 310-478-5775

Course Reading:

In addition to books on reserve at the Arts & Architecture Library which will be available throughout the semester, as well as essays assigned through the semester, students will purchase Anatomy For Students and Teachers by Walter T. Foster which will serve as our workbook. All readings are required, and students should be prepared to discuss them in class.

Week of Aug 23:

Monday: Introduction, Slide viewing, Discussion, and Purchase of class materials

Wednesday: male model, gesture & contour drawings

Week of Aug 30: The Head

Monday: anatomy lecture, draw from skull

Wednesday: female model – head study

Week of Sept 6: No Class

Homework #1 assigned (due Sept 20): 2 self-portraits studies in facial expression

5 hours per drawing (10 hrs total)

Week of Sept 13: The Torso

Monday: skeleton study

Wednesday: male & female model

Week of Sept 20: Standing Poses (attention to weight and posture)

Monday – homework #1 due

models both days – female one day, male the other

Week of Sept 27: Standing and Seated Poses

Monday: male

Wednesday: female

Week of Oct 4: The Figure in Space

Monday: male

Wednesday: female

Week of Oct 11: Field trip & mid-semester reviews

Monday: portfolio reviews (all work to be turned in for grading)

Homework #2 assigned (due Oct 25)

Oct 13: Field trip to Huntington Gardens – drawing from sculpture

Week of Oct 18: Muscles

Monday: male

Wednesday: female

Week of Oct 25: Hands and Feet

Monday: female / Homework #2 due

Wednesday: male

Week of Nov 1: Field Trip and model

Monday: female / HW #3 assigned (due Nov 15)

Wednesday: field trip to galleries/museum

Week of Nov 8: Extended Pose

Same female model M/W for extended seated pose

Week of Nov 15: Extended Pose

Monday: HW #3 due

Same male model M/W for extended seated pose

Week of Nov 22:

Monday: Male model

Wednesday: female model

Week of Nov 29: Discussion of final projects, end of semester individual reviews

Portfolios turned in (must contain all projects since Oct 11 review)

Monday Dec 13, 11-1: Final Project and Critique (portfolios returned)

Statement for Students with Disabilities

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Statement on Academic Integrity

USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: . Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: .

Roski admissions information

For information and an application to become a Fine Arts minor, please visit Please contact Antonio Bartolome at anbartol@usc.edu or 213-740-7567 with any questions about a minor in the Fine Arts. To become a Fine Arts major, please visit Please contact Penelope Jones at Penelope@usc.edu or 213-740-9153 with any questions about majoring in FA. Applications are due October 1st and March 1st every year.”

*Additional Attendance Information (Department-wide Policy)

• After missing the rough equivalent of 10% of regular class meetings (3 classes if the course meets twice per week and 2 classes if the course meets once per week) the student’s grade and ability to complete the course will be negatively impacted.

• For each subsequent absence (excused or otherwise), the student’s letter grade will be lowered by the following increment: 1 absence over 3 = the lowering of the final course grade by one full grade.

• Being absent on the day a project, quiz, paper, exam, or critique is due can lead to an “F” for that project, quiz, paper, exam, or critique.

• It is always the student’s responsibility to seek means (if possible) to make up work missed due to absences, not the instructor’s, although such recourse is not always an option due to the nature of the material covered.

• It should be understood that 100% attendance does not positively affect a final grade.

• Any falsification of attendance may be considered grounds for a violation of ethics before the University Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

• Tardies can accumulate and become equivalent to an absence.

• Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class.

o Any student not in class after the first 10 minutes is considered tardy.

o After a first warning, students who persist in the following disruptive activities: sleeping, texting, emailing or online browsing for purposes other than class research, will result in a tardy for that class session.

o Students will be considered absent if they leave without the instructor’s approval before the class has ended or if they take un-approved breaks that last longer than 45 min.

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