Humanities 1
For our first task we had to draw our breakfast or another meal in plan, section, and elevation.
I made a series of drawings of my morning omelette at a scale of 1:5.
I started by geometrically represent my breakfast in triangular shapes for the omelette and rectangular for the green onion to have a reference point for the final presentation of the meal.
In this drawing I showed how to prepare the mixture, with eggs, feta cheese and green onions, after which I drew the omelette in plan, section and elevation, paying attention to the shadows created by the creases of the fried egg.
For the second drawing, I chose to draw my usual side for the breakfast, a tomato.
Representing a tomato in terms of section plan was not an easy task, especially because of the luster created by its juice. In this drawing I showed through the presented sections, the depth of the leaves and the ridge through which the nutrients reach the fruit, as well as the soft parts of the fruit that are surrounded by the “walls” of the tomato.
This drawings represent the different variations of the balcony of the Latina Library.
I took this task gradually, starting with copying the facade of the library several times, following by changing the structure of the balcony in different forms.
At first I focused on circular shapes, to create a contrast between the linear and sharp facade and the wavy design of the balcony, forming shapes similar to glass domes or organic structures.
For straight shapes, I started from a rectangle from which I cut different sections to create different atmospheres connected to the outside.
As the building is designed with materials that do not allow light to pass through, glass is the only material I considered for a potential balcony. Being a library, the space is circulated by many people, so the use of glass encourages a more open and airy atmosphere, creating a more positive environment.
For the second part of the task, I chose Alberto Sartoris Untitled N. 79/100 Axonometric. As I went through all the drawings in the list, this work remained imprinted on my retina. I was looking at different sketches , but I couldn’t concentrate entirely, because I was looking for similarities and I was comparing the works listed with Alberto Sartoris’ axonometric.
What led me to this drawing was the simplicity, effectiveness and equilibrium of the lines, as well as the modern-Bauhaus design of the structure. Alberto Sartoris used to call his unbuit projects “Paper architectures” and this phrase sent me into the drawing itself, observing the design at eye level, imagining me walking around the pillars and observing the surroundings from the terraces. The influence of Le Corbusier can also be seen: the pilotis, roof terraces, free groundplan. horizontal windows and free facade.
One place I always wanted to visit and didn’t have the opportunity is Bauhaus Dessau, so I decided to take my walk around the Dessau campus on Google Maps.
My journey started from the inside of the ateliers builing looking forward to the other entrance, observing the support pillars of the structure that unites the 2 buildings, the workshop one and the lecture building.
According to Louis Sullivan’s famous axiom of “Form Follows Fuction” , the connection between simple geometric shapes and elegance cannot be missed, as the fuction is the term that unites them, the purpose of the building being the starting point. Moreover, this concept especially emphasizes the principles of composition as well as the understanding of basic design,
To better understand my journey, I drew a plan of the campus with the points from which I made my series of perspectives.
When I heard that the University exploration trip had reached the Bauhaus, my enthusiasm reached its peak, hoping that I would get to go too, but unfortunately the isolation revealed how important these trips are for students, losing the chance to analyze different iconic buildings, but I enjoyed this route anyway with the help of technology.
Bauhaus design is still modern to this day, after more than 100 years since its establishment, concepts that can be seen in almost all modernist buildings today and the feeling that the Bauhaus lives and will live through future constructions.
For this task I chose to callenge myself into doing a detailed portret of “Leda and the Swan” by Leonardo Da Vinci using various techniques of representation. The first technique is markers. I used nuances of grey and black, focusing more on the shadows, I encountered difficulties in using these tools, because mistakes can not be erased and the uniform transition from one color to another is not possible, as I worked in layers and overlaps.
For the next technique I found it interesting to use wood glue, which being white-transparent requires a black sheet. I have never worked with such a technique before, and patience was an important factor in completing this work, because the glue dries very hard, especially if applied in thick layers.
Using charcoal for the third drawing, it was very easy to represent both the shadows and the details of the hair compared to the techniques I used before.
I didn’t wanted to do a simple drawing with watercolors so I used the texture and color of red wine to create the fourth work, using black watercolor to darken the shadows. Surprisingly, I encountered difficulties because I chose a very thick sheet and the wine was absorbed immediately, not having time to paint normally as I expected.
The last technique that is represented on this page is coffee. By far this was one of my favorites. I thought of this technique looking at a blank paper with my morning coffee ahead of me, so I used milk coffee, espresso and the coffee leftovers from the coffee machine.
This Task was the most interesting one out of the 5, having the freedom to experiment with the strangest techniques.
I made the sixth drawing on a black sheet using white liners. The difficulties were not too many, besides the appearance of the shadows, as the starts and ends of the pen line can be visible, but I think it gives it an interesting look, creating dimension.
For the last drawing, I haven’t conceived the idea of drawing with makeup , although I’m a person who has used eyeshadow in the most creative ways on the eyes, but I haven’t thought about using this technique on paper. I was looking around my room and thinking of another way to represent the portrait, and the makeup palette caught my attention. I started by drawing the contour of the face and hair with a thin brush, sometimes adding water for more accurate lines. This technique was by far my favorite and I am sure I will continue to use it for future drawings. As for the chromatics, I chose the complementary pair of purple-yellow, to highlight the contrast of light and shadow on the brown sheet.
For the last task I chose James Stirling and Michael Wilford Florey Building axonometric.
What caught my eye was the simplicity of the drawing that emphasize the cleanliness of the structure, as well as the organisation and situation of the building in relation to the surroundings.
I started by copying the aconometry to better understand the function of the building, its positioning and its scale in relation to a person.
I continued my analysis by drawing a sketch of the building and its surroundings, using colors to highlight the real chromatic of the building.
The building is positioned facing the Angel & Greyhound Meadow park in Oxford. It is a building designed to accommodate students, and most rooms have a view of the park and adjacent lake, facing north.
The shape and plan of the building seem to have been designed to surround the common space in which students communicate, to encourage social interactions and outdoor time.
Nevertheless, the integrity of the historical fabric of the space is highlighted by the use of forms and the design of this building, as well as the other two that are part of the “Red Trilogy” (the Leicester Engineering Faculty building and the Cambridge History Faculty building being the first two), contributed to the aspect of post-war British architecture. Constructed in 1971, after 47 years the Florey Building was listed as a building of special architectural and historic interest at Grade II.
The building has 74 dormitories for students, above which there is a gallery for graduates, which has a double height compared to the dormitory rooms, and on the ground floor there is a dining room.
Although sunlight does not enter the rooms more than 1-2 hours, the building being positioned facing the north, the special atmosphere is given by the windows from floor to ceiling, giving the idea of an infinite space from inside.
Moreover, the building is supported by 11 “A” shaped reinforced concrete pillars that elevates the structure and serve structural and aesthetic purposes, forming a tunnel through which the building can be accessed.
