lunacy108: October 2013

Hello again,

Well here is the first of a batch of exercises as promised connected to the barasu001: coming to terms. These exercises seek to remove certain misconceptions about drawing that confronts all beginner artists.

I will post them one at a time, giving you enough time to do the exercise before proceeding to the next one. It’s important you do these exercises as is and not question them. The more you question them, the less likely it is to work (sound like a fake preacher right now). The first three are craft and the last one on technique.

There is a lot of feedback I would like to get back from all you guys, especially on the pre-instruction tests, so don’t be shy to post your results in our guest book by signing up with www.lunacy108.webs.com. Trust me I’ll read it and offer advice.

Following this will be the barasu about lines, which I think will be an eye opener for any beginner, so again…be patient and just follow along.

Thanks

Exercise name	001 A place for everything(craft)
Objectives	I’m not telling you. Do the test first.
Pre instruction Test	Step1: bring out all your supplies as specified in the barasu001: coming to terms. Step 2: place all the pencils and paper you have from all the others(I suggest you use wooden pencils and A4 printing paper for this test) Step 3: now, start tearing up and squeezing new sheets of paper. Step 4: next take two pencils, and break them whichever way you like. Step 5: when you feel you have had enough, go down to the bottom of the exercise sheet to read your placement. Step 6: keep the broken pencils, throwaway the thorn papers. End test
intensity	Once every day, until you need to buy new supplies.
constraint	Do, not more than 20 sheets in a day, and not more than 2 pencils in a day
Craft tools	1 A4 printing paper 2 Drawing pencils 2B(do not use clutch pencils, if you do the lead is the focus of the exercise) 3 a sharper
Set up	Just have a stack of your paper and lots of pencils.
Exercise steps	Step 1: squeeze a new sheet of paper, then another, and another, one after the other. do this ten times. Step 2: throw it away in a corner Step 3: make 10 drawing attempts…about anything you like Step 4: squeeze your attempts and throw them in a corner, but in a different corner from the first. Step 5: break the point of the pencil you used to do those drawing attempts in step 3. Step 6: study the pencil lead you just broke off is step 5 Step 7: pick up the squeezed plank sheets of paper and unravel them(open them out) Step8: sharpen the pencil, the point which you broke off earlier. Step9: make marks based on what marks the squeezing created. If you find objects there…even better Step 10: pick up the drawing attempts, open them up, bring out any old file, and place them in it. Step 11: determine your fail rate and salvage rate.(see milestones below)
Examples
Progress Track	Session1: as already prescribed Session 2: before any drawing work
Milestones	1 when you see recognizable objects in the blank squeezed paper 2 How many drawing attempts do you regret squeezing compared to all attempts? Subtract that from all drawings you did, This is your fail rate 3 How many do you not want to place in the folder compared to all attempts? this is your salvage rate
Suggest rule	Hint: step 6 Which was harder to destroy, your paper or pencil?
Utility Test	Send us feedback on what situation you used this exercise?
Post exercise comment/advice	This exercise hopes to achieve 5 things. 1 How well you have learnt to come to terms with the consequences of your decision to start learning to draw. If you have not, then by the second sheet of paper torn in the test you would have started cursing. 2 to show you that the paper is the most deposable thing of all the tools provided and you should never fear it, blank or otherwise. 3 show you that all drawing is about making an attempt and that all failure is recoverable and can be corrected, that is what the sharpener did and that is what you did when you filed your terrible attempts. I have a name for that folder , it is called “revival drawings” 4 to help your determine your fail rate and revival rate. These two can determine whether , like me you cry when it does not work out, or say “I have come to terms with my attempt, failure for now….success for later”. Be honest with yourself when determining these, because it is a measure of your progress. 5 to teach you the benefit of having excess supplies. The idea that you have so much paper, pencil etc, to throw away will allow your mind take chances and make the mistakes that are up ahead. 6 to point to your comfort zones, that is what it is you like or prefer drawing…because it is both a blessing and curse at different times.
Escalation	Choose an object you would like to draw, give someone else the job of scribbling on your paper, keeping the object a secret, and then you must find the object in their scribble.