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

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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