KNJ - Week 2: Beginning Drawing Exercises

By now, you have done all of the prep work for the workshop and are set to go, so let the Nature Journaling and learning adventure begin!!!

-Please read Pages 17-26
-Assignment uploaded here:  KNJ Week 2



ASSIGNMENT 1
Nature Journal entry:  Beginning Exercises


During the first week of our workshop, you were asked to collect items such as twigs, leaves, and acorns while nature walking in preparation for upcoming assignments.  Here is your opportunity to use one of those items!  On pages 27-28 and 173-175 of the KNJ book, there are exercises to help us heighten our drawing/sketching skills.   Pick one  of the items you gathered to practice the following brief exercises.  



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1.  Blind contour

*Additional video to encourage you to have fun with drawing blind contours!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0wG8Ms6kk

2.  Modified contour

 
3.  Quick gestures
-Fun Gesture Drawing Activity.  (Use this video as a guide in doing "nature" gesture sketches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npKfElje8AQ

 **Want to give yourself an extra challenge with this assignments?  Use a timer and do quick gestures in 4 different positions.  (Can use the colored box backgrounds as shown in the "Fun Gesture Drawing Activity")   Do your first sketch in 3 seconds.  Don't worry if you only did a few strokes.  Change the position of your object and do another sketch in 5 seconds.   Repeat the process, pretending that the object is alive and moving - 30 seconds.  Fourth position:   1 minute.

4. Diagrammatic drawing  (Spend no more than 5 minutes or less)

5.  Finished drawing

ASSIGNMENT 2  

Nature Wheel:  Observation of Changes

Last week, your assignment was to create a nature wheel and draw dividing lines for 8 sections.  Though, this workshop focuses more on field sketching, for your nature wheel, feel free to include mixed media art.  

 This wheel can be a combination of sketching, nature printing from small leaves in the area, small photo print-outs, gluing or taping nature specimens, etc.  Pick a special "observation spot" in your yard, somewhere in your neighborhood, or at a park.  In the center circle you can letter art a title, draw a quick sketch or adhere a photo print-out of you in your “zen” observing the area, write a poem, submit a quote, or map of the area  These are just a few ideas for your center circle.  Use your creative imagination.


Choose a day each week to record any changes in the area for 8 weeks. (ex. changes of leaves during the fall season from trees in your local park, recording if littering has occurred in the area and your thoughts on the importance of protecting the habitat and keeping the area clean, animal tracks, etc).....or changes in your own perspective of the location each week. (Your appreciation of trees in the neighborhood one week, a mushroom growing the next week, people walking since the weather is not as hot)  This week, you will sketch and write your thoughts in one section of the wheel.  Be sure to write the date between the space of the outer rim of the section you are drawing in.

ASSIGNMENT 3

Nature Journal entry:  Field Sketching

This assignment will be dependent upon your interest or direction in nature journaling.  Will this be an occasional therapeutic journal?  An active, ongoing artistic and/or scientific study of nature?  The list goes on in terms of our journaling direction and intent.  At any rate, schedule how many days per week that you would like to journal during the course of this workshop. (15-30min. or more per day) 
Doing a nature journal entry each day would help tremendously towards developing your drawing and journaling skills.  If your plate is full and you can't commit to journaling each day, at least try to journal 2 to 3 days a week.

On the days that you journal, upload your work to your gallery. Your work in “Assignment 1” and “Assignment 2” counts towards your daily journaling.

Remember that your journal doesn't always have to be about drawing.  You can also work with your writing skills.  Include quotes and poetry.  This is your journal, so do as your artistic and naturalist soul leads you.