Art Club  

Assignment:  With the inspiration of ‘slow’ and traditional painting comes a still life with eggs.  A white picture.  In lieu of eggs, simple plaster shapes (ball, square, etc) would be fine but eggs are readily available (no brown eggs please).

The reason for painting/drawing simple white shapes is to increase our ability to draw with accuracy and dimension.  This is easier understood with one color.

The rules:

• The eggs must be white.
• There must be at least 3 eggs.
• The drawing must be life size (yes, you can use a ruler)
• You should have only one major light source coming from the left.

Optional ideas to include:

• Use white fabric under and behind the eggs.
• Use one or more colored fabrics under the eggs to reflect the color.
• Add fruit.
• Add a bowl or other kitchenware.

If you are limited by time or have never done this type of exercise, I recommend limiting yourself to the first four rules and don’t take any options, except for placing a cloth or white board behind the still life to simplify the backdrop.  Also, you may draw with pencil or charcoal as well as paint the subject.  I really think this exercise is one worth doing many times as it will help increase our memory for form, ability to see value (light and dark) and drawing skills.

Here are some suggestions:

• Remember to take your time, especially with the drawing:  try to be accurate and use your thumb, pencil or ruler to measure with your arm extended and one eye closed.  Also, measure negative space between objects for accuracy.
• You might want to have the canvas at the same level as the still life and on the same plane.
• Think about the idea that every 3D objet has 3 sides;  light, medium, and dark and that within each side the plane moves from light to dark.  Yes, even eggs have 3 sides.

Still Life With Eggs by Ginger Dean