Tomorrow’s movie

Here is some information on the movie we will see tomorrow.

MILLIE AND THE LORDS

Director: Jennica Carmona

Writer: Jennica Carmona

This is the story of Milagros Baez, a Puerto Rican woman in Spanish Harlem who longs for a different life.  While she spends her days and nights working at a local grocery market, she secretly fantasizes about going to college and becoming a writer.  But in her world, this is not a realistic goal. With no one on her side, she is resigned to living in the projects of El Barrio for the rest of her life. With no one to believe in her, Millie doesn’t even believe in herself.
When Millie meets Mateo, a former Young Lord, her life is transformed. As he slowly shares with Millie all of his knowledge and experiences with the Puerto Rican revolutionary group, The Young Lords, she discovers an inner  strength and passion that she never knew was there. Mateo’s encouragement and belief in Millie give her a  new found sense of possibility, and little by little, her  life begins to change. Inspired by the model of the Young Lords Party, Millie  is able to overcome her fears and become the woman that she was meant to be.

Incorporating original presentations from the founding members of the Young Lords Party with a deeply emotional story written by Jennica Carmona, Millie and the Lords is an inspiring motion picture about one woman’s journey from isolation and helplessness to strength and empowerment.  Millie and the Lords incorporates documentary material and inventive cinematography that honors the legacy of the Young Lords Party.

Website: www.millieandthelords.com

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGBVxNFk960

 

IMDB Link: www.imdb.com/title/tt3478978/

Charcoal and Chiaroscuro

Today’s essential question: How can I use chiaroscuro to create a realistic skeleton drawing?

Chiaroscuro describes the prominent contrast of highlights and shadow in an artwork. It comes from the from Italian words, chiaro, meaning “light,” and scuro, meaning “dark”.

Artists use chiaroscuro by managing shadows to create the illusion of three-dimensional forms. It works because form is only detectable in the presence of light. If light emanates from a single source, it illuminates objects according to a specific set of rules. Chiaroscuro describes how the painter depicts the 3-D illumination of objects thus creating the illusion of solid forms.

Rembrandt, The Night Watch, 1642

Gerrit van Honthorst, The Matchmaker

Today we will

• continue working on our white charcoal skeleton drawings, using chiaroscuro to create dramatic lighting and realistic form.

New Project: Skeleton Drawing with White Charcoal on Black Paper

Today we will begin a reverse drawing project that focuses on highlights instead of shadows. We will arrange bones into an interesting composition, then photograph the bones, paying attention to negative space and the rule of thirds. We will then work from this reference photo, using white charcoal to draw bones on black paper.

Project Requirements:

• contains 3-4 bones
• composition contains a balance of positive and negative space and uses the rule of thirds to create a clear focal point
• drawing uses strong highlights and shadows to create the illusion of form
• displays mastery of reverse shading with white charcoal on black paper

Here is an example of a finished project:

Today’s essential question: How can I use the rule of thirds to make a visually interesting composition?

Rule of Thirds

To apply the rule of thirds to your photograph, break an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. Place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines to create a more balanced and visually interesting photo. Studies have shown that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points rather than the center of the shot. When we use the rule of thirds, we make the way people naturally view images work for us rather than against us.

  

Today we will:

• Arrange 3-4 bones into an interesting composition, and photograph this composition from multiple viewpoints
• Convert your photographs to grayscale mode in Photoshop. (Image -> Mode -> Grayscale)
• Crop your image so it is 18 x 24 inches or 24 x 18 inches
• Post the photo you would like me to print to your blog. Describe how you have utilized both the rule of thirds and balanced positive and negative space to create an interesting composition.
• Create a still life with a handful of marshmallows, and draw the still life with white charcoal on black paper

Example of a good reference photo:

Example of how much detail I am looking for in your marshmallow still life: