https://doi.org/10.37955/cs.v6i1.229
Received: October 04, 2021 / Approved: December 23, 2021 Pages: 143-154
eISSN: 2600-5743
Application to the practice of
hyperrealistic drawing in higher
education institutions
Aplicación a la práctica para realizar un dibujo
hiperrealista en instituciones de educación superior
Fiorella Susana Martínez Benalcázar
Master, Instituto Superior Tecnológico Espíritu Santo con condición de universitario,
Guayaquil, Ecuador fiorelita1996@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0273-123X
Manuel Arevalo Avecillas
Master, Instituto Superior Tecnológico Espíritu Santo con condición de universitario,
Guayaquil, marevalo@tes.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3556-7416
ABSTRACT
This article is presented from the need to know about the hyperrealist
movement made in colored pencils in the city of Guayaquil, beyond the
classic as oil, graphite and sculpture. In addition, using colored pencils
as a physical material of easy access and low cost for the intermediate
adult public, interested in art, disseminates the practical use of this
technique, through the proposed physical guide, showing the work
process from its beginning to the final realization.
RESUMEN
Este artículo se presenta desde la necesidad de conocer sobre el
movimiento hiperrealista realizado en lápices de colores en la ciudad
de Guayaquil, más allá de lo clásico como el óleo, grafito y escultura.
Además, utilizar los lápices de colores como material físico de fácil
acceso y bajo costo para el público adulto intermedio, interesado en el
arte, difunde el uso práctico de esta técnica, a través de la guía fisca
propuesta, mostrando el proceso de trabajo desde su inicio hasta la
realización final.
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Keywords / Palabras clave
hyperralism, pencils, techniques
hiperralismo, lapices, técnicas
Introduction
From the beginnings of hyperrealism as a movement in the late 1960s
to the present day, new techniques and new artists have evolved. Using
photography as a reference in this art leads to a visual leap in which
the detail is shown imperceptibly to the human eye and presents us
with a new reality that expresses the artist's own version.
Ecuadorian art of the 19th and 20th centuries has opted for
permanence with respect to previous periods, from Independence to
the present. Society gradually began to manifest the presence of new
themes and the emergence of new trends, which today, after more than
60 years, hyperrealism has become an influential movement that
remains active in the world.
In Ecuador hyperrealism is mainly present on oil painting showing
artistic languages of the present and contemporary art with some
criticism to consumerism, being very few artists like Fernando Davalos
born in Quito in 1967 who decide to venture into the world of
hyperrealist painting, addressing issues such as the canons of beauty,
body aesthetics products, fashion accessories, perfumery, etc..
In the last decades of the twentieth century, Guayaquil experienced a
cultural and artistic stagnation that lasted until the late nineties, when
it began a profound change of urban transformations that would
provide a much more favorable environment for the development of
the arts and especially for the Visual Arts. (Lorenzo, 2016)
In Ecuador, in the city of Guayaquil, there is no accessible physical
drawing guide that shows the procedure step by step and explains the
different techniques of hyperrealist art and that in turn is accessible to
the adult society of Guayaquil, those adults who, due to their
intermediate adulthood, learn better through physical means.
For this reason, the present thesis project aims to create a guide that
contributes to the teaching of the hyperrealist movement developed in
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colored pencils through a strategy that shows the drawing in stages for
a better learning of the adult user interested in art, which would
promote and facilitate access in a physical way to information about
this subject.
The elements that have led the author to choose this topic, were
born as a need to diagram a practical guide to make a hyperrealistic
drawing using the technique of colored pencils aimed at people
interested in the city of Guayaquil, evidenced in the pages of the
internet and in the repositories of universities that there is little access
to books, brochures or practical guides with step by step information
on the basics to get started in this art.
The guide was designed based on the answers of an interview with
the painter Baruc Alberto Mero Sarmiento and the Graphic Designer
Danny Vera who practice this art. It is also developed in a creative way,
providing, according to their experience, tips on how to make a
hyperrealistic drawing easier and the basic knowledge needed using
the colored pencil technique.
All these elements lead to the fulfillment of the general objective,
which is to create a guide that contributes to the teaching of the
hyperrealist movement developed in colored pencils, and especially to
the objective of the proposal, which is to design and diagram the
practical guide to make a hyperrealist drawing.
This thesis project will become a valuable contribution of cultural and
artistic relevance that will be easy to access and learn for adult citizens
of Guayaquil and other cities of Ecuador interested in the hyperrealist
artistic movement developed in colored pencils.
Hyperrealist art is an artistic movement that derives from the
postmodern philosophy of hyperreality, originated in the late 1960s in
the USA and deals with the inability of the human brain to distinguish
between photograph-like reality and fiction. Initially, the criticism was
not favorable, but it found its center in the V documenta exhibition in
Kassel, Germany, in 1972.
For hyperrealists "photography is a second-hand reality (...),
something already falsified. Conversely, the exercise of perception is
put into play, as well as what the work presents us with, a synthetic
reality that is the product of an operative and conceptual work.
(DUROZOI, 2007)
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The post-pop era has given rise to various strands of aesthetic neo-
figurations. What is referred to as "New realism, hyperrealism, radical
realists, photorealists, ultra-realists, precisionists, superrealists. It was
the surprise reserved for the 1969 - 1970 season".
In 2012, Simón Marchán Fiz in his epilogue on the "Postmodern"
sensibility Del arte objetual al arte de concepto (1960-1974) has
presented another argument about superrealism or hyperrealism:
However, in any case, it is not a matter of taking advantage of
mechanical reproduction in artistic production itself, as in mec-art,
but simply of taking photography as a pictorial model. Flack points out
in this regard: "I use photography because it is a great help for drawing
[ ...] Photography freezes a certain moment of what is happening in the
changing world of reality and allows me to study it without
discomfort."
In spite of the differences, some common syntactic notes can be noted:
accuracy and sobriety of the representation, recourse to pictorial
procedures with a deceptive fidelity for the eye - extreme cases, M.
Morley or Ch. Close-, cultivation of detail -especially R.Estes.
The intensity of the representation makes the reproduced reality of the
photograph give rise to an objectual reality of the painting, and the
painting asserts itself as a visual fact as presence, as was already the
case in the works of minimalism. The monumental dimensions and the
factual presence of the objects represented evoke the Pop influence
and, through it, that of the "minimalist" monumentalism of the first
years of the decade.
It also employs the banal themes of pop, it is noticed in the first
subtendency of photographic painting: consumer world and urban
views as Estes, Richter, Staempfli, human groups and social acts as
Kanovitz, Vaza, domestic subjects -Morley-, automobiles and
motorcycles -Blackwell, Parrish-. They accept banality as something
natural, not as something historical, but as a natural part of culture
and environment, especially American. (Fiz, 2012)
According to the (SENPLADES, 2014 - 2017) in Ecuador it was
possible to identify that one of the central problems that exists is the
absence and limited resources to promote the creation of artistic
content, in addition to the lack of incentives in the creative processes
in children, youth and adults, i.e. there is little appreciation of the arts
at the national level.
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One of the artists who has been characterized by his paintings from
hyperrealism as a pictorial genre is Santiago Guillermo, a 36-year-old
self-taught plastic artist from Cuenca with a physical disability. He
seeks to copy from the observed reality, or from a representation of it,
with such precision and overflowing handling of technique to the point
of confusing his creations with photographs. He began to paint at the
age of 5 years old with his feet scribbling, until he discovered that he
could handle the brush better with his mouth. (Barreiro, opcions,
2019)
Hyperrealism, he explains, consists of reaching the perfection of the
painted elements. "To the point that the work is confused with a
photograph," he states. "My technique requires many hours of work.
It takes me eight hours a day. I finish a work, depending on the format
and complexity, in three months," says the artist. Watercolor was his
first tool in painting, then he specialized in acrylic on oil. In addition
to gastronomy he says he likes to paint things he finds in Ecuador's
nature such as landscapes, still lifes and fruits. "I am in love with
realistic figures because they allow me to work perfection," he says. He
has done about 200 paintings in the hyperrealism technique. It takes
him eight hours a day for three months to do a work. (C.A. THE
UNIVERSE, 2017).
Another artist is Gonzalo Tayo Silva, also known as Gotasi, an
ambateño painter born on February 14, 1970, who is dedicated to
figurative art and also makes realism and hyperrealism. Since he was
a child he was gifted in drawing. Without having any knowledge of oil
painting, he was able to achieve a hyperrealist painting thanks to his
mother who gave him a stretcher, oil paints and brushes.
He stands out in the world of the arts for his paintings in which he
highlights the richness of the characters of the indigenous peoples. The
connection between the colorful clothing, nature with the human
being and the Andean world.
The Ambateño artist's work also highlights the happiness of the
inhabitants of the páramo and the countryside who, despite having
little, have everything. "I try to reflect the tenderness, the affection of
the people and their way of life in the countryside. The customs, the
looks, the expression, the desire to continue. Their clothing and the
soul of the person through figurativism." (Moreta, 2018).
Materials and Methods
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The type of research selected for the project is descriptive, because it
has described, defined and classified aspects related to graphic design,
the art of hyperrealism with its major exponents and the step-by-step
diagramming of a guide to the hyperrealist art movement.
According to (Roberto Hernández Sampieri, p. 534). "Mixed methods
represent a set of systematic, empirical and critical research processes
and involve the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative
data, as well as their integration and joint discussion, in order to make
inferences from all the information collected and achieve a better
understanding of the phenomenon under study."
The research project has a mixed approach, i.e. qualitative and
quantitative. Interview technique has been selected in the qualitative
method, the same that will provide more information about the
current situation of hyperrealism in Ecuador, in addition to what are
the best techniques to make a hyperrealist drawing. The collection of
data analyzed through interviews and virtual surveys conducted with
people interested in art and painters. The results will be put into
practice in the realization of the guide.
These are the means or resources used to collect information. For this
research project, it will be developed through the collection, analysis
and interpretation of the results of the interview and survey
techniques. The experience of the painters and teachers is presented,
which provides information about the research problem.
According to official figures from the (INEC, 2020) the canton of
Guayaquil has 2,723,665 inhabitants. The object of study will be the
Rocafuerte parish, which has 6,100 inhabitants as of the census.
(INEC, 2012).
According to the online platform of (Raosoft, 2021) with an acceptable
margin of error of 8%, a confidence level of 92%; a population size of
6,100 inhabitants, being the number corresponding to the Rocafuerte
parish and a response distribution of 50%. Analyzing according to the
above parameters and the population sample, a sample size of 118
people was extracted, who will respond to the survey.
Results
According to the analysis and interpretation of the results of the
interviews of the professionals in this art, the following is determined:
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In traditional art courses, the hyperrealist movement is taught as
something cultural and in general. That is to say, the development and
diffusion of this movement depends on society. The time and money
factors make that many of the painters do not dedicate themselves to
this because it is not profitable, as a consequence, it harms the growth
and interest of this movement.
The techniques and knowledge necessary to make a hyperrealistic
drawing are gradient, basic anatomy, micro-stains, smoothing,
observing the tones and details of the reference image.
The implementation of a practical guide of the hyperrealistic
movement in colored pencils would contribute to learning in adults,
since they are people who are not very attached to technology and in
turn, in family life they can help by instilling in children an interest in
this subject.
Taking into account that the most important thing, according to these
professionals, is interest, time, daily practice and patience, it is not
easy, but not impossible to develop skills in this artistic movement.
According to those surveyed, more than half of the percentage has
obtained some basic knowledge of drawing. This is a plus for the
development of this movement, since it is important to have some
experience. 63% of those surveyed stated that they do not know about
hyperrealist art because it is a subject that is not commercial due to
economic aspects and the time that is invested. Analyzing the total of
the respondents presents that the percentage of frequency with which
they draw sporadically is 52%, followed by 30% who do it once a
month, that is, taking as art from the simplest techniques. Overall, 76%
of the respondents consider that all three aspects are relevant at the
time of acquiring an art guide, but the most important one is the
economic issue. Eighty-six percent of respondents agree that
economic limitations can be an impediment to learning. In Ecuador,
good quality art materials or certain courses for this hyperrealist
movement are not accessible.
The present question presented that 97% of the respondents agree that
the creation of a step-by-step artistic guide of the hyperrealistic
movement in colored pencils contributes to the learning of it in adults
interested in art, versus 3% who indicate that they do not agree that it
serves as motivation to practice or perform this hyperrealistic
movement with the colored pencil technique and that it can be instilled
in others, however, 6% do not agree.
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Conclusions
Being hyperrealism a contemporary artistic movement, it is worth
mentioning that in the city of Guayaquil it needs a greater diffusion.
Some artists who are dedicated to this movement, have an extra job
that sustains them and others on the other hand, have a trajectory of
previous recognition that allows them to realize and live from their
works, which shows that there is a path traced, but must continue to
promote art in our country and especially in the families of Guayaquil.
The definition of the basic concepts and techniques for the
development of a hyperrealistic drawing is described in such a way that
the intermediate adult interested in this art will find the necessary
information as a basis to get started in it. It also details the operation
of the most relevant brands of colored pencils, being the Faber Castell
brand of school type, the one chosen for the proposal due to its low
cost and easy access.
The diagramming of the guide for a hyperrealist drawing has been a
sum of knowledge, of personal experiences, of contributions of art and
design professionals; which, being diagrammed step by step, intends
to be a means of artistic communication, a material of diffusion and
learning that favors the Guayaquil community in intermediate adult
age, interested in this artistic movement and in the promotion of this
current of art.
Considering that 86% of the respondents indicate that the economic
aspect is a limitation for the learning of hyperrealistic movement in
colored pencils, the creation of a physical guide with a value of $48.98
proposed in the present project, is a benefit for such learning if we
compare that a course on this current in the market has a value of
$210.
The purpose of the layout of the practical guide for a hyperrealistic
drawing designed step by step is intended to be a means of artistic
communication to encourage adults interested in this art and to
promote its flow.
In response to the approach and formulation of the problem
throughout the conclusions, and considering that 97% of the
respondents answered that the diagramming of a practical guide to
make a hyperrealistic drawing in colored pencils is necessary as a
contribution to the learning of middle-aged adults interested in this
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art, the importance and the artistic contribution that the proposal of
this thesis project delivers to the Guayaquil society is evidenced.
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