Term 8, Brainstorm School Summer ’22 Part II, Week 4
For full context, see the description of my Art Home School Curriculum.
Retrospective
This week I started Interior Concept Design at Syn Studio, so I’m currently enrolled in 3 classes on top of my job. Luckily, PBC at Brainstorm ends next week, and then only 2 more weeks of FND 1. I am feeling the urge to do some figure drawing in charcoal during the break between Summer and Fall classes.
Log
Drawings and Critiques
Brainstorm School FND 1 week 7 homework.
This week we drew props. Seven pages were from life, 2 were from sketchfab.com (a site with 3d models that you can rotate around), and one was from imagination. It was difficult to hold a drill in one hand while I tried to draw it from an awkward angle. The sketchfab drawings were really fun though. I also invented a pocket printing press (the last 2 pages). I studied how the Gutenberg press worked, then designed a small version that could fit into a pocket. I have half a mind to make a 3D model and print it, even though it is absolutely impractical.
Notes during FND 1 week 8.
Brainstorm School PBC week 4 homework.
This week was a light load for PBC. There is only one more class but I think they will still assign homework this week. I’m not sure if it will receive feedback or not.
Penmanship practice.
I noticed that concept art always has cool penmanship to accompany the designs, so I finally decided to buckle down and learn a nice font. I discovered that the type of writing that Feng Zhu of FZD Design Cinema uses comes from architectural handwriting. I found this youtube video explaining the concepts and downloaded their free worksheet. As I drew the letters repeatedly I started to tweak them in small ways to make them more to my liking.
Syn Studio Interior Concept Design week 1 homework.
I’ll be spending the next 9 weeks in this class designing an interior portfolio piece (or 2). I chose a chandler’s workshop (candlemaker) in 1456 London. This week we just had to find reference and do some thumbnail sketching. I spent a lot of time researching how candles were made in the middle ages. I want to try to give the scene as much life and historical accuracy as possible. The camera angle is tough because I want to show the shop front and workshop on the ground floor, but also the living quarters on the top floor. I need to figure out the right camera angle, and cut away some walls but leave some to show the crest above the shop and the chimney.
This class is structured a little differently from the Brainstorm classes I’ve taken. Instead of having a set number of pages each week, we’re supposed to make as much progress as we can on our pieces, and the more we get done, the more feedback we’ll receive. It sounds like the instructor is all about critique and feedback rather than demoing or lecturing. The first week was underwhelming, but hopefully that was just because no one had any work to critique yet. Nonetheless, I’m optimistic about the class.
