Code Caamp

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Code Ca(a)mp

 

Being relatively new to the faculty at the Woodstock School of Art (WSA) and having discovered that other instructors have "codes," I thought I'd better invent one ASAP. I am happy to report that I came up with an acronym in double quick time and one which describes accurately, and in the right order, the methodology I encourage my students to use and is easy to remember. The acronym is CAAMP - it is designed with figure drawing in mind, and the head in particular as that is what my course at the Woodstock School of Art is about - and works as follows:

C - Composition - plan your image on the page.

A - Angles - check the angles of the pose to position the head correctly.

A - Anchor - choose one; something to act as a frame of reference, might be an eye or an ear.
M - Measure - referring to your anchor to find:
P  - Proportion.

Ta da!

All of the above aid in practicing "O" for Observation - drawing from life is first and foremost an exercise in acute and deliberate observation.

The above acronym is, I admit, the second effort. The first had a double P as well as a double A for: "CAAMPP." The second P is for "Planes" (of the face - which I also bang on about a good deal), but I worried that this was overkill - one doubling up was enough perhaps. In truth, I was skeptical of the double "A" too but, in addition to deciding that the two were indispensable, I feel it works because of the sheepish aspect of my name - as a teenager I had to endure a lot of people (i.e: boys) bleating at me as I walked by - Baa Baaa, etc. So when you say CAAMP, you must bleat the "As" so as never to forget who invented this acronym. That's all for tonight folks - by folks I mean you, dear Phan, my Phanton fan reader... Next time, I will write a little about my Mixed Media work.  Now:                    

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