POS - Still Life with Shadows Project (Lesson)

Still Life with Shadows Project

For your module project, you will apply your perspective and shadow learning to create a finished graphite drawing of a still life of objects lit by a single light source.

Supplies for Setting up the Still Life:

  • 3 similar objects like boxes, bowls, coffee mugs
  • Light (desk light that has a bright bulb that you can direct)
  • Light background - large piece of white paper or a sheet

POS-ProjectStillLifeSetup.jpeg

Directions for Setting Up and Lighting Your Still Life Objects: 

  • Your still life objects need to stacked at off-kilter angles. Boxes and bowls are simpler to draw and shade, but the coffee mugs provide the element of negative space that will give you more interesting shadows.
  • Set up your background and light source. You will need to play with directing the light to get good cast shadows with hierarchy.
  • If you select boxes, get a variety of boxes like 1 cereal box, 1 Asian to go box, or 1 jewelry gift box. If you select bowls, find a variety and stack these so that they are off-kilter. Coffee mugs can be placed inside each other.
  • Be selective and create an interest stack that has open boxes. Look at the shadow that is cast. If your stack doesn’t have interesting shadows. Restack them and assess your shadow.
  • Make sure you take a good photo of the still life setup. You will upload this as part of the overall project grade. 

Project Supplies:

  • 12x18 Drawing Paper
  • 5B graphite pencil
  • 6B graphite stick
  • Tortillon (blending stump)
  • Tissue
  • Vinyl eraser
  • Kneaded rubber eraser
  • “Eraser” guard
  • Ruler

View the following presentation to learn more about the supplies needed to complete this project. Be sure that your volume is turned on!

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