Art 101 Introduction to drawing

I learn how to draw:

So no normal middle class child enjoys the fact that they enroll in a community college, even if it is just for a semester and have already been admitted somewhere else... its just not fun. But I tried to make the most of it and enrolled in two art classes, because 1.) at a community college it was cheap and my "benefactors" thought if I were to waste money I might as well do it the cheapest way possible and 2.) my registration date was late so there were few core classes open at the time. But departure from the 3-D side of art and I learn to draw, and still have yet to learn of color and if you've noticed I kind of dwell in the monochromatic and mono-material. I hope to one day understand and excel with color, but till then this is what i have learned.

Mister:
So I was told that even though there weren't any openings in the intro to drawing class they advised me to just walk in and ask the teacher if I could still join and I think he liked me from the beginning and who doesn't enjoy when a teacher likes your work? It's rare for me to be around people who are artistic and have constructive criticism. Mr. "Jake" Muirhead and he part time teaches and is an actual practicing artist and I actually like his work and hopefully he won't be offended if I post his website at the end of this post... But he was extremely encouraging and I feel unappreciated because what he said was very clear conscious and when he went around to each easels he would really give you practical and encouraging information, and yet I felt that I was the only one who wanted to try. He got a lot of crap from "sassy" students angry that their pictures looked like scribbles and refused to put them up for critiques or actually draw and just sat and socialized, which I am for and like talking while working sometimes except the acceptable cut off is when you actually produce a non retarded product or you do not sound like an brothel of elephants on microphones. But yes Mr. Muirhead was very inspirational to me to pursue drawing even if I didn't know how yet.

Walk in Skeleton (pun intended)

(Contour Graphite on 18"x24" drawing paper)

This is my first drawing and we were still on Contour (killed me till we could start shading)

Study of White on Black of Random Still Life
(White Conte Cray on Black Paper 18"x24")
Getting in to shading (the class made it an excruciatingly long process) not that proud of it but its meh.

Study of Colored Paper as Intermediate Shade
(White and Black Conte Crayon on Brown Paper 18"x24")
I was really sad that this is the only paper bag drawing I had, there was one I was extremely proud of on just white paper with black conte, but of course going to a ghetto school it got stolen.... straight off the gallery wall. C'mon people who does that? show some class mah-coco. I honestly think this is shit... so sorry that's life rite?

Le Boot
(Still life Graphite Contour on 18"x24" Drawing paper)
Out of order but this was still in contour mode. I rate this meh.

PINE CONE
(Still life Graphite Contour 18"x24" on drawing paper)
Teacher's crtique was it was too small but he understood when I explained, that it would take more than two ours to expand a pine cone the size of a turd chuck full of crazy details (everything organic seems to do that) and expand it to 18"x24". We still haven't gotten into shading yet and asked if I could and he said no, so I literally had to play with only line weight and everysinglesecondarycontour. Still proud of it.

Brown Paper as Intermediate Shade
(White and Black Conte Crayon on Brown 18"x24" drawing paper)
Finally into more shading (and blog continuity reachieved) and happy that I was able blend things and depart from single contour lines. Professor said it made everything look as though they were terracotta and I agree and am proud of this d
rawing, even the Styrofoam even though i couldn't get to finish that part of it.

Take Home Assignment: Contour Drawing of 3 pairs of shoes
(Graphite Contour Pain in the ass, on 18"x24" drawing paper)
Learning once again that I put more concentration into art than academics, spending hours on this stupid drawing and WISHED TO GOD that I could shade in anything but yet no. The inside of the dress shoe was literally that smooth and was screaming at me to darken it but couldn't... w/e im sorta proud of it, first hw project of the class.

Master Drawing: Recreation of Renaissance Master Work
(Black and White Conte Crayon on Gray 18"x24" Drawing paper)
This is the drawing that I am most proud of all semester. Being a masochist I chose to copy da Vinci's study of drapery and worked my arse off on this. The rest of the year was chill after this because I don't think I did anything this intense the rest of the year.
it is still nothing compared to the original (below) but I think its a pretty good attempt my first year drawing right?

Study of using a grid to recreate a photograph
(Black and White Conte Crayon on 18"x24" from a 11.5"x8" photograph)
Jump off lesson before Master Drawings and learning how to shade more dramatically.

Self Portrait:
(Willow Charcoal on 18"x24" Drawing Paper")
This is when I had terribly long hair (almost a whole semester long saves the monies instead of haircuts sigh ive turned so ghettooo) and I had glasses on because I am practically blind but couldn't seem to draw them so I had to draw and make up stuff as if I didn't have them on. Sweating over a stupidly dim lit room in a house that smelt like shit and is shit... I need to move soon... I was supposed to have more dramatic shading but I explained that I had lost my compacted charcoal and thus... only willow's gray silvery tones.

Quick Sketch of Plaster Bust
(Black Conte Crayon on 18"x24" Drawing paper)
Just a random quick sketch from earlier in the year I found

Graphite Portrait of Mimi
(Graphite on 18"x24")
Accidentally made her look darker (darker as in grim you racist) and chose to do more of a tilted portrait because doing the straight face on was boring and everyone else was doing it, even though that was the assignment....

Charcoal Portait on 18"x24"
Yea I was in a really bad place when I went into class. Learning I had to take out around $11,000 of loans for only one semester is not fun. Secondly not receiving any grants because you're middle class and parents can't pay tuition sucks as well cuz then who is going to help you? So started this drawing three times because I'm almost homicidal with stress and finally got pissed that it was so shoddy and just drew a stick figure body attached to the face. Shading was awkward and shadows make her look like a domestic violence victim.

American Flag Study of Drapery
(Willow and Compacted Charcoal on 18"x24" Drawing paper)
Last drawing of the semester so sad D: I really wanted to keep pursuing art but yea once I transferred to a "real" college in the spring I was to do major courses... no more hobbies. AMURICA HOME OF THU FREE. Already did drapery so this was a fun revisit and just sat back and listened to leona lewis do her thang (cue "happy") and enjoy what I learned. Bittersweet I really hope I can do more of this because this is the land of opportunity right?

Jake Muirhead's website:
http://jakemuirhead.com/news.html