HelveticaBelow are some guidelines I've used with students to promote the use of sketchbooks. Hope it helps. Judie SKETCHBOOK IDEAS DRAWING VOCABULARY Draw a simple still life using contour lines. Include both geometric shapes and freeform/organic shapes in your composition. Use the sighting technique to determine correct proportions of each object. Apply Chiaroscuro using the following techniques to shade in a range of values that represent shadows and highlights, thus rendering two-dimensional shapes to create an illusion of three-dimensional forms: smudge, scumble, stipple, hatch, crosshatch Draw the same composition as above using blind contour drawing technique. Draw the same composition as above using the scribble drawing technique. Draw the same composition as above using calligraphic lines. Draw the same composition as above using cross contour lines that pass over the interior surface of a form, defining its three-dimensional form through modulation (passing from one tonality to another by means of harmonic progression). Draw a still life that illustrates positive shapes and negative shapes. Fill in each shape with a contrasting texture created by various line repetitions. (Samples of various textures are attached, also try creating some of your own textures). ELEMENTS OF ART PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN ELEMENTS OF ART: The basic visual symbols--line, shape (2-D)/form(3-D), texture, color/value--that artists use to create works of visual art. PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: Ways of organizing and arranging the elements of art so that an aesthetically successful composition can result. The basic principles of design are balance, movement, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, pattern/repetition and unity. LINE: Label the top of the page "LINE" and referring to the elements of art handout, draw 14 one inch circles on the left margin of a page in your sketchbook and label them as shown on the handout, i.e. vertical, horizontal, diagonal, etc. Using a ball point pen illustrate each of the types of lines in the circles. Next to each circle, cut out a one inch square from magazines which illustrates each type of line. Contrasting Textures (Still Life)(Kelly Angel) 2-D SHAPE/3-D FORM: A distinct spatial form depicted in two dimensions (height and width) or three-dimensions (height, width and depth) and created by lines or a change in color, shading or materials. Geometric Shapes: Precise shapes or forms that are manmade and can be defined using mathematical formulas. Basic geometric manmade shapes (2-D) are the circle, square, rectangle and triangle. Basic geometric forms (3-D) are the sphere, cube, cylinder, cone or pyramid. Organic or Freeform Shapes: Irregular, uneven, organic shapes or forms found in nature. Their outlines are curved or angular, or both. Freeform shapes and forms are often natural forms found in our environment. COLOR/VALUE: The hue, value and intensity of an object. LOOK IN MAGAZINES AND FIND EXAMPLES OF THE FOLLOWING COLOR SCHEMES, CUT OUT 4 INCH SQUARES NEATLY AND GLUE THEM NEATLY IN YOUR SKETCHBOOK. LABEL EACH COLOR SCHEME AS FOLLOWS: MONOCHROMATIC, ANALOGOUS COOL, ANALOGOUS WARM, COMPLEMENTARY, SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY, AND TRIADIC. Color--Printout from Microscopic Website Check out website on color--psychology of colors Color Wheel Color Schemes TEXTURE: HOW THE SURFACE OF AN OBJECT APPEARS TO FEEL. REAL TEXTURES ARE THOSE WHICH CAN ACTUALLY BE FELT. IMPLIED TEXTURES ARE THOSE WHICH ARE DRAWN OR PAINTED. USING THIN TRACING PAPER AND A CRAYON, FIND 12 DIFFERENT TEXTURES IN THE ROOM AND COMPLETE A CRAYON RUBBING OR FRATTAGE BY PLACING THE PAPER OVER A TEXTURED SURFACE AND USING THE SIDE OF THE CRAYON RUB OVER THE SURFACE WHICH WILL PICK UP THE TEXTURED DESIGN UNDERNEATH THE PAPER. GLUE THIS FRATTAGE IN YOUR SKETCHBOOK AND LABEL "TEXTURE-- FRATTAGE". PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: Ways of organizing and arranging the elements of art so that an aesthetically successful composition can result. The basic principles of design are balance, movement, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, pattern/repetition and unity. gradation, harmony, proportion, variety ---