JUHIE SUH: August 2011

Itten's exercise #3

9"x12" Charcoal
Exercise #1 Light-dark harmony

9"x12" Charcoal
Exercise #2 Balancing out area of various sizes and tone values.

9"x12" Charcoal
Exercise #3 The geometrical light-dark analysis of Valezquez's painting, Juan de Pareja.
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9"x12" Oil Pastel
Personal Exercise inspired by previous Itten exercises

These are some of the exercises from the book by Johannes Itten(1888-1967). Itten was one of the teachers who organized the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany in 1919. I came across his name and works at the Bauhaus exhibition at MOMA in the fall of 2009.
In this book, he stresses the importance of chiaroscuro(the contrast btwn light and dark) as "one of the most expressive means of composition."

Diary

09-10-2010

A new friend#1.

09-07-2009
Labor Day. Went to Bagel Boy with my brother. He had a roll.

08-31-2009
Went to MOMA. I was hungry and tired already when I got there.

08-29-2009

Thinking I need a plan. Hoping a call from Kimmy.

On a tired day.

"Aunt Em was as gray as her land."

- Wizard of Oz -

Finally, the wretched tree bore a single giant apple.

Abstract

04-20-2009

04-02-2009

04-21-2009

04-22-2009

05-03-2009

04-22-2010

07-21-2009 ~ 04-22-2010

04-22-2010

05-07-2010

04-23-2010

05-09-2010

05-11-2010

09-10-2010

All done in Guoache except the last one done in oil pastel. All are either 5x8 or 8x5. I first began these small paintings just to paint. I started out with simple lines that I made without thinking and filled each space in first with black and gray markers and then painted colors whose values corresponded the gray underneath.

Sketches on MTA

Sketches were done on subways. I tried to do this without thinking because I realized I was unconsciously choosing people in poses that were easier to draw. So I tried to counteract and just start drawing even when I knew it was a pose that I'd avoid if I was thinking.