Piece of the Week...

So for the piece of the week, this is more of a pre piece of the week. I don't know what a lot of other artist's sketch books look like, but this is what one of my sketchbooks looks like.

 There's a lot of writing in my sketchbook, also there's generally a lot going on, I'll just use the space where I find it.  The writing at the top of the picture is from months and months ago The colored picture is from yesterday...

 I started doing this about a year ago where I do a little thumbnail of a piece to keep track of a series (this is the Genesis series), that way I can easily know how many pieces I have, if they've been finished, started, etc. if there's a title I write that down and maybe a note or two about what was behind the piece.

 I sometimes use colored pencil to either better capture the idea or experiment with possible colors.

Also like I said above, I go all over in my sketchbook and there's not really an up or down, I start from the front, the back, and use any page direction that's convenient.
Somehow I would guess that many people's sketchbooks look like, and not all of my sketchbooks look quite like this but there are a lot of similarities.

Sacred Geometry: A Primer

Today, the Biauron, as you might guess from its name, it's related to the auron or golden section, it's one of my favorites of the orthogons.
We begin as usual, with a square.

Then use the compass (set to over half of the line) to find the half way point of the square.

On the lower half of the square draw a diagonal from top left of the half to bottom right.

Set your compass with the point on the left half of the square and arc up to meet the diagonal line.

From the bottom corner on the right set the compass from the diagonal line arc to the left line of the square.

Set your compass on the point where the arc and the square meet, point on the point and set the lead to the bottom of the square and make a semicircle.

Draw the top of the biauron  where the semicircle ends.

Sacred Geometry: A Primer

Sacred Geometry tip: making complex designs can get confusing. Example:

Hard to tell what it is I'm going for with that and to get lost in all the lines.

In this one I was working on the same pattern/design but with the colored pencil I was able to separate elements of the design.

Sacred Geometry: A Primer

This week, how to draw a dodecagon/do-decagon (a twelve sided polygon). Start with an axis.

Draw a circle around the center point.

Make the vesica piscis on either side of the circle.

From there make circles on the pints of the vesica picises (sp?).

When this has been completed it should look like this:

Then go around and connect the points in the inner circle to create a hexagon (this is the sort of thing that I've used a lot in the Hex series).

When that's done, make lines through opposing sides, I don't really know how to explain it well but I hope the pictures will help show better what I mean.

It should look like this when finished, note the six sided star.

The center rectangles are and orthogon shape I believe, the double square if I'm not mistaken.

Then connect the lines on the outer circles.

There you have a dodecagon.

Tools of the Trade

Charcoal pencils are this weeks tool. They work essentially like conte crayon but in pencil form.

Like drawing pencils, charcoal pencils also have different  grades of hardness or softness. Also they have white charcoal pencils.

Charcoal pencils are probably better for smaller areas or more detailed work and you could use charcoal sticks or conte crayon for the rest.

PS

watercolor

9x9in

2011

 On view at the Eccles Community Art Center July 2nd through September 1st.

Sacred Geometry: A Primer

The double square is today's orthogon, as might be inferred by the name, is a rectangle made of two squares. There are multiple ways to construct it, this way starts off with the square, building to the diagon, and then to the sixton.

As with the other orthogons, take the arc up from the diagonal of the sixton. Repeat on the opposite side and cap off the double square.

The lines from other orthagons are ofcourse not required to be in the double square, they are however, useful in composition of a piece. More on that to come.

Sacred Geometry:...Diagon

I don't think I've mentioned orthogons before. So orthagons are 12 rectangles that are found through out nature and which are aesthetically pleasing. I think that the term orthagons was created by Wulfgang Von Wersin who wrote a book about the orthagons. Jay Hambridge called them (or something like them) dynamic rectangles.
Anyway the square is the first orthagon and all the rest are based on the square.
I think that the diagon is the second orthagon that I learned to draw.
The diagon starts with the square.

If you know that you'll be making more than just your original square it can be good to extend the lines up from your square.

Spread your compass to the diagonal of the square.

Draw an arc from from the top point of the square until you reach the opposite line.

The proportion between the square and the top of the arc is what makes the diagon, the ratio is 1:1.414.

 Then repeat on the opposite side.

Draw a line to mark the top of the diagon. Remember that it's best to draw the construction lines very faintly.

Sacred Geometry: A Primer

 This week, how to make a square. I have this labeled in my notes as the best way to make a square of a specific size and I think that's true. To make this square you start out with a horizontal line (though if I think about it you could probably do it just as well with a vertical line.)

On the line space two points in the size you want your square to by, I put my points two inches apart.

I labeled my points A and B, which is not that easy to see in this picture, I'll have to start doing these in pen or something darker. If you're doing it to use in or with something else however it's good to make your lines very light so they aren't too obvious in the final project. Once points A and B have been established, you'll need a point C below and in between points A and B.

With your compass point on C and your drawing point on A make a circle. (Mine stayed inside of point B but I've found it better to try and place C so that the circle goes outside of point B.)

After drawing the circle draw a line on the point C and point D where the circle and horizontal line intersect.

The point where the diagonal line and the circle intersect is point E, draw a vertical line on points A and E.

  Open your compass so that the point and drawing point are the same. Pivot down from point A and mark the length on the new vertical line.

From point B and the point just marked swing the compass out and make an intersection.

Then connect the points to form your square.

I'd love some feed back at how these could be better or more helpful to you.

Tools of the Trade

Pencils are more effective to use when they're sharp, thus a pencil sharpener is an important tool and not all of them are created equally.


I use two pencil sharpeners, this Kum sharpener was recommended to me and I have found it to be a good sharpener, plus it has an extra blade for when the first wears out.


I also use this two holed sharpener which I believe came with a kit of art supplies that I got at some point. It's an alright sharpener and one of the holes is larger which is good for charcoal pencils etc.


I use drawing pencils and colored pencils and in theory I like to sharpen them with separate sharpeners so that I don't end up with colored pencil remains on a colored pencil piece or vice versa.