Museum Drawing Grading Criteria

In addition to the regular criteria (carefully study of shapes, good proportion, proper angles, correct scrunches and stretches) I will be looking for the following things when I go to grade you final museum drawings:

1. Shapes, Not Lines

No LINES separating one shape from another.

What NOT to do:

Look at the profile of the head. It is a light value, and so is the background- and there is a line seperating the two shapes. For our purposes: BAD BAD BAD. Even if the wall behind the statue was that light in the museum, FOR OUR PURPOSES it should be changed to a dark shape. THERE ARE NO LINES IN THE 3 DIMENSIONAL WORLD! Shapes are sererated by other shapes of lighter or darker values. 

So there should be only different VALUE SHAPES separating one shape from another.

What TO do:

Yes, that's a drawing.


It's a drawing from a sculpture that presents a light value against a strong black background. Compare the effect of this drawing to the effect of the drawing above. Strong value contrast makes all the difference. Imagine if this sculpture was drawn just as beautifully, but on a light gray background. It would still be beautiful- but not as bold and striking of a picture.  

2. Bold Value Pattern

Having too many shapes in the foreground and background of similiar values will make the image unclear and fragmented. 

What NOT to do:

The background is a scratchy mix of haphazardly placed values that span the entire spectrum from white to black. The bust has just as many values. This arrangement of value shapes makes for a fragmented image. 

Based on your photos from class, you each will have a very dark background and a relatively light figure, or a middle dark background with a relitavely lighter figure. We want the figure to appear as a whole, and as something wholly different from the background. 

What TO do:

Yes, that's a drawing. 

3. Keeping the lights to the lights and the shadows to the shadows. In other words- shadows side should be dark, light side should be light. In other words- you pictures shouldn’t look  all broken up and fragmented as far as light and shadow shapes go. There should be a clear distinction between the light side and the shadow side. KEEP IT SIMPLE! In other words: “The lightest dark should not be lighter than the darkest light.” Even if the reflected light on a form looks really light, you might have to subdue it a bit, to keep it unified with the rest f the shadow side. Even though there is a gradation of values from light to dark on form shadows, there still is a definite place where shadow stops and light begins. Keep them distinct.

What NOT to do:

It's a cool drawing, but for our purposes- It's BAD. You see? Its all fragmented, broken up into little shapes that make for a confused image with no distinct boundary between light and shadow. Sure we can tell which side the light was shining, but it would have been a much stronger drawing if the forms were kept more simple, keeping only light values on the light side, and dark values on the dark side. SIMPLE!

What TO do:

See the difference? This drawing has a definite direction of light- coming from the upper right. and even though there is a gradation of value that steadily get darker from right to left, there is a definite point where light stops and shadow begins. Look at it. see what I mean?


And these should all be done in BLACK CHARCOAL- no red, no sanguine, only BLACK. 

And remember to FILL IN THE ENTIRE PICTURE WITH CHARCOAL. All the way up to the edges of the paper. 

Not like this: 

But like this:

Or like this: 

Or like this:

N O W   G O   G E T   ' E M !