ARTF1120
OBSERVATIONAL
DRAWING
Northeastern University
Term: Spring 2024
Time / Location: Wednesday, 6:00 – 9:30 PM – Ryder 403
Part-Time Instructor: Steven Cabral
Email: s.cabral@northeastern.edu
Zoom Office Hours: Please email me to make an appointment via Zoom.
Course Description:
Observational drawing (ART1120) is an introductory studio course that allows students to exercise and develop the act of seeing. The course will develop and enrich practical skills and examine the foundations of drawing. This will involve various structured, perceptual exercises from still life, landscape, and live models to explore using various techniques and materials, encouraging critical awareness, and developing trust of the eye/hand coordination process.
Lectures, demonstrations, and critiques complement hands-on studio problems designed to stimulate student exploration and experimentation. Learning to draw involves learning to see; observational drawing stresses the development of this essential visual skill.
Course Goals
This course develops your ability to use drawing as a facilitator for the creative thought process. This process-based course will help you create a personal toolkit for using drawing to develop directions for your work. The course explores drawing as a visual method from direct observation in the studio. Students are encouraged to develop and evolve their drawing practice, emphasizing high-volume exploration in each assignment outside of class.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will:
• Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking skills by engaging in a dialogue about your work and others.
• Demonstrate a willingness to be open to experimenting with different mediums and a willingness to take risks.
• Demonstrate your personal sense of direction in the context of historical and
contemporary art discussions.
• Develop creative problem-solving skills used in communicating visually as an artist.
• Gain the ability and understanding of how to compose visually.
• Use a drawing process to investigate, select, compose, and arrange what you see.
• Experiment with decisions, tools, skills, and ideas to make work.
Class Format:
This is a weekly, Observational drawing (ART1120) 3.5-hour critique/studio course. We will regularly take a 15-minute break halfway through class. The course is conducted in a respectful, collaborative, constructive, and critical learning environment. For each week, the class will begin with a critique, lecture, or demonstration by the instructor. The remaining class time will be devoted to in-class studio work or project introduction. Ongoing instructional assistance from the teacher will be available during in-class studio time, and by appointment outside of course hours.
In-class studio time aims to allow students to work with hands-on studio problems to stimulate exploration and experimentation. This is also an opportunity for students to develop a visual vocabulary for seeing, explore new tools and materials, and find other ways to solve a visual problem or find forms to express creatively. As a class, we will use this time to have a dialogue to evaluate and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of your work and the work of others; and to find a solution to how the project can be improved in a further iteration. Students are strongly encouraged to take risks. Through risk-taking and experiments, students can find surprises in their work. Still, it’s also an opportunity to find success or failure and make discoveries, which could lead to other potential ideas and future projects.
Studio Etiquette
Students participating in studio classes held in RY403 and RY405 are responsible for maintaining the shared space. Materials or projects left in the classroom will be discarded. If you require a storage slot mark it with your name, semester and year. If you require a locker (available to all students taking classes in RY405/405), please contact ArtDesignInfo@northeastern.edu to arrange for one. Formal instruction will end 10 minutes prior to the conclusion of the class period on active studio days to allow time for students to clean up.
Clean-up tasks include;
• Returning easels and drawing boards to their standard storage location
• Returning any borrowed items or materials to their standard storage location
• Disposing of all unwanted items/materials in trash bin
• Sweeping up floor if charcoal or other dry materials have been dropped
• Removing tape from the floor if you used it to mark your spot
• Wiping up floor/walls/desktop if paint has spilled
• Cleaning and/or disposal of cups used for ink/paint/water/brush wash etc.
• Do not leave containers of paint/water in the sink.
• Globs of acrylic paint should be thrown in the trash bin, not put down the sink.
Sketchbook
Students are required to keep a sketchbook and bring it to each class. This sketchbook should be maintained both in and outside of the class. Students are expected to use their sketchbooks to focus on the documentation of the external world, such as travel, home /dorm life, everyday object, and nature/landscape. Practicing life drawing using your sketchbook will significantly improve your skill as a seer and a drawer. Students are required to show evidence of continuous work and progress throughout the semester.
Student Responsibilities:
• Be on time and prepared. (Don’t forget your sketchbook!)
• Plan on making mistakes and be open to them; they happen!
• Plan on adjusting and making the project better. It is always good to expand and learn. I have been making art for a very long time; therefore, I can tell the difference between work that has been considered, revised with great attention and those that have been quickly thrown together. No thoughts or effort will receive a poor or failing grade.
• If you do not understand an assignment or a concept, don’t be afraid to ask questions during class time or with me privately, or during my office hours (you need to make an appointment). Please do not wait until the end of the semester to tell me you don’t understand something. Treat this class as a way for you to grow as an artist. We, as a class, are refining and practicing what we’ve learned, tying things together in new and more profound ways. Growing as an artist requires conversing with other artists, and this class should serve as a platform for you to develop and hone your skills.
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION + LATE WORK POLICY
This course will use Canvas to submit work and provide feedback in addition to in-person discussions/critiques. Grades will be posted during the semester on Canvas. Final grades will be submitted to the registrar as per their requirements. Grades will not be changed based on student need, nor will extra credit opportunities be offered.
Late assignments will negatively impact your project grade at a rate of 10% per day including weekends.
If you are using an iPhone, please note that Apple switched its default camera format from JPG
to HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Format) with iOS 11 to save space…. CANVAS will not accept HEIC images. To change your settings, go to settings, find camera, tap formats, and switch the format from High Efficiency to Most Compatible. Now all your photos will be automatically saved as JPG instead of HEIC and you can upload photos in the CANVAS app. If you don’t want your phone to use the JPG format you will need to download images onto a computer, open in photo editing software (ie: Preview or Photoshop) and “save as” JPG. Simply changing the file
extension from HEIC to JPG will result in an unreadable file.
GRADE SCHEME
Use the terms Always, Frequently, Sometimes, Rarely, or Never as your guide to assess your grade in the course.
ALWAYS A / A- (90–100) Exceptional accomplishment, contribution, attitude
FREQUENTLY B+/ B / B- (80–89.9) Above average achievement, contribution, attitude
SOMETIMES C+/ C / C- (70–79.9) Average work, contribution, attitude
RARELY D+/ D/ D- (60–69.9) Below average performance
NEVER F (0–59.9) Failure to meet basic course requirements
COURSE MARK BREAKDOWN
Assignments 90%
Attendance + Participation 10%
The criterion for success is
• Conceptual development and research (depth of ideas and content)
• Resolution/completeness and finish of work
• Evidence of ambition and risk-taking (ability to expand horizons)
• Completed work ON TIME and submitted on time
• Attendance, professionalism, preparedness, attitude & worth ethic
• Participation, critique, dialogue, discourse
• Studio-based exercises and projects
• Share what you know or give suggestions
• Keep a sketchbook.
• Lectures and critiques will be an integral part of what we do. Take notes.
• Participate in group discussions, critique, dialogue, ask questions, or give thoughtful feedback.
ATTENDANCE + PARTICIPATION
My attendance policy allows you to miss two classes during the semester using Wellness Days or Excused; please have written documentation of illness (doctor’s note) or verifiable documentation of family emergencies. Any additional days away from class beyond the two Wellness or Excused Days will be counted as an unexcused absence, resulting in your course grade being lowered by one full letter grade. Two unexcused absences: you will not be eligible to receive credit for this class.
I want everyone in the class to be successful. Late arrivals and early exits to/from class are not acceptable. It is disrespectful to the instructor and your classmates as you will likely interrupt the class flow by doing so. Attendance and participation will be assessed based on the overall pattern of your engagement with the course materials and the community. Every voice is important. We will all work together to foster an environment where students feel safe asking questions, posing their opinions, and sharing their work for critique. All opinions are welcome, provided they are grounded in the evidence and presented respectfully. I reserve the right to manage, intercede, sideline, or stop a conversation if it leads us too far off track or disrespects others. If at any time you feel this environment is being threatened (by anybody, including the
instructor), please speak up and make your concerns heard. If you do not feel comfortable speaking about it in person, you may leave private feedback with the instructor.
No cell phone calls, text messaging, IM-ing etc. Repeated decisions to ignore this will have a negative impact on your participation score.
Student involvement: Learning in this class will be both individual and collective. Brainstorming and critically thinking
will improve when working inside the class and seeing other students wrestle with the assignments. Observational drawing is a brainstorming and investigative endeavor, and trial and error are equally valuable. It is essential for you to participate fully in class. This means listening to others in critiques and discussions, thoughtfully making contributions, and other tasks.
Process, experimentation, and iteration
This is the foundation for any successful problem-solving. It helps you define problems accurately, consider all the variables, and convert your thinking into visual terms. Use all available resources online: museums, galleries, movies, publications, and fellow students.
Document what you find: sketch, and keep notes. Keep a record of what you do! You will thank yourself later.
Course Plan/Schedule:
(Note: This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be communicated in a timely manner.)
Week 1: Class Introduction: Overview of course format, office hours, ideally setting up a workplace at home, and student expectations.
Week 2: Using your sketchbook.
Week 3: Composition, Proportion, and Value
• Finding basic/general shapes and proportions
Week 4: Composition, Proportion, and Value
• Finding Composition, simple Geometric Shape Drawings
Week 5: Composition, Proportion, and Value
• Finding Composition, simple organic Shape Drawings
Week 6: Composition, proportion, gesture, and value (Still Life)
• Line, Gesture, and Value
Week 7: Composition, proportion, gesture, and value (Still Life)
• Understanding Transparency and Reflective Surface.
Week 8: Composition, proportion, gesture, and value (Still Life)
• Understanding Transparency and Reflective Surface.
Week 9: No class – Spring Break
Week 10: Landscape
Week 11: Interior
Week 12: Model
Week 13: Model
Week 14: Self Portrait
Week 15: Final Project Critique
Note: This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be communicated in a timely manner.
University and college policies
Academic integrity
A commitment to the principles of academic integrity is essential to the mission of Northeastern University. The promotion of independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most from their educational experience and their pursuit of knowledge.
Academic dishonesty violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and undermines the achievements of the entire University. The following is a broad overview, but not an all-encompassing definition, of what constitutes a violation of academic integrity:
● Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. If you’re not sure…Just ask and I can help you determine whether or not it is cheating?
● Fabrication – falsification, misrepresentation, or invention of any information, data, or citation in an academic exercise
● Plagiarism – using as one’s own the words, ideas, data, code, or other original academic material of another without providing proper citation or attribution. Reusing your older materials as if they were “new” is plagiarism.
● Unauthorized collaboration – instances when students submit individual academic works that are substantially similar to one another. While several students may have the same source material, any analysis, interpretation, or reporting of data required by an assignment must be each individual’s independent work unless the instructor has explicitly granted permission for group work.
● Participation in academically dishonest activities – any action taken by a student with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage over other students
● Facilitating academic dishonesty – intentionally or knowingly helping or contributing to the violation of any provision of the University Academic Integrity Policy
Review the full policy and additional information online: http://www.northeastern.edu/osccr/academic-integrity-policy/ (Links to an external site.)
Expectations for outside-of-class study and work
Course credit hours (semester hours) are assigned to a course based on the established national educational standard that one credit hour is equal to approximately three hours of student learning time per week over a period of a semester.
http://catalog.northeastern.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies-procedures/course-creditguidelines/
(Links to an external site.)
Students with disabilities
Students who have disabilities may wish to consult the Disability Resource Center
(http://www.northeastern.edu/drc/getting-started-with-the-drc) (Links to an external site.) for aid with resources and accommodation. Those who wish to receive academic services and accommodations must present the accommodation letters from the DRC to their instructors at the beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be arranged in a timely manner.
Writing center
The Northeastern University Writing Center–part of the Writing Program and Department of English in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities–is open to students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Northeastern and exists to help writers at any level, and from any academic discipline, in their written communication.
http://northeastern.edu/writingcenter/ (Links to an external site.)
Tutoring – services are available to all students for Observational drawing (ART1120) class at HomeworkNest.com
The Peer Tutoring Program offers FREE peer tutoring services open to NU undergraduate
students actively enrolled in courses where they are seeking academic assistance.
https://undergraduate.northeastern.edu/peer-tutoring/ (Links to an external site.)
Language support for non-native English speakers
Global Student Success (GSS) supports the success of international students at Northeastern University. We offer services to students, faculty, and staff.
http://www.cps.neu.edu/student-resources/gss/ (Links to an external site.)
While the Global Student Success office is housed under CPS, its services are available to all students for Observational drawing (ART1120) class at HomeworkNest.com
