Y is for Yellow! “I” April 30, 2016

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Welcome to Lesson I!

For our drawing exercise we will work on

Ink Drawings from Imagination

Then we will make:

Improv Paintings______

Let’s get started! (But first...)

^

itinerary

idle

it

illness

immature

interesting

immense

iPhone

idle

idea

indignant

improviseimagine

improv

improve

icky

index

interest

interruptions

immediate

id

indecent

ice cream

I is for . . .

impress

important

ice

intention

internationalinsect

indirect

ideation

imbalance

inhabit

irritate

imaginary

impression

if igloo

impatient

impish

ink

immature

inside

illegible

intel

indigo

I

indie

ideas illegal

immortal

inchworm

Print out and add your own “I” words in the spaces in-between those listed here!

Ink . . .

Vijay Iyer

“For me, every choice is to take us

closer to the next choice. I never

had formal training and no one ever told

me not to do anything on the piano,

so I always thought of my progress

as a series of accidents.”

Jazz Musician

Great Minds

Ink Alike

Drawing Assignment

Ink Drawingsfrom ImaginationSupplies Needed

• sketchbook or drawing paper • ink (any color, any kind)• eyedropper• quill pen or nib pen• toilet paper

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For the “1” drawing assignment, you will create 10 drawings from imagination using ink and toilet paper(!).

Let’s get started!

1. Gather your supplies; tear several pieces of toilet pa-per into 8-inch strips.

2. Using an eyedropper, squeeze out your drawing. Vary your “squeeze pressure” so that some lines are thinner and some ore thicker.

3. Draw people, animals, landscapes, or things from your imagination! Save details for a later step.

4. Quckly, lay down the toilet paper on the wet ink and let it soak in; lift quickly.

5. Next, add details with your nib pen.

6. Done!

Improv Paintings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Note: This is an optional assignment to do if you have completed your series and are ready to move on!

Supplies Needed

• watercolor paper, size of your choice • ink(s), any color, any kind• eyedropper• quill pen or nib pen... and other things such as:• toilet paper• acrylic paints• paintbrushes• collage, glue stick• colored pencils, etc.

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Main Assignment

For this assignment we will use the rules of improv theater to inspire our steps.

Exercises like these are fun and challenging because the steps have us doing things we might not normally do — and, frankly, might “wreck” a piece at first — but then we get to problem solve in the subsequent steps.

On the following pages, there are two columns:

Left side: Some “rules” of Improv theater (these were found here: http://improvencyclopedia.org/references/David_Alger%60s_First_10_Rules_of_Improv.html

Right side: Our assignment.

Follow the steps, using any media you decide is appro-priate. The two ink “tips” are:

1. Mix acrylic paint and ink for a SMOOTH paint consis-tency, and

2. Purchase a little spray bottle and fill with ink! Spray!

David Alger’s First Eight Rules of Improv:

1. Say “Yes, and!” For a story to be built, the players have to agree to the basic situation and set-up.

2. Add new information.

3. Don’t block. The opposite of saying “yes-and” is block-ing or denial.

4. Avoid questions. Questions [are] a way of avoiding committing to a choice or a detail.

5. Focus on the here and now.

6. Establish the location. Good scenes take place some-where; they do not take place on an empty stage.

7. Be specific, provide details!

8. Change, Change, Change. Characters must experience some type of change for the scene to be interesting.

Eight Steps — Improv Paintings:

1. Agree to the following basic set-up for our improv paint-ings: Anywhere on your paper, draw three things: 1. creature, 2. tree or flower, 3. person

2. Add 3 elements of your choice to your painting.

3. Make a bold move (the first thing that comes to your mind — don’t block it!).

4. Don’t ask yourself, “Does this make sense?” or “Have I used the right color?” Instead, decide that it makes sense and that you’ve used the right color and keep going.

5. Add one more mark, then react to that mark.

6. “Ground” the elements of your painting so far (horizon line, background, etc.).

7. Add smaller details.

8. Transform something in your drawing into something else.