Part one - Reflection on Assessment Criteria

Reflection on Assessment Criteria

I definitely need to get more organised - I'm very sorry for the many delays with this Project.

• Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills

I think I definitely need a lot more practice with charcoal, pastels and the dip pen. I think I am okay with pencil and pens, and techniques such as hatching and crosshatching. I struggled in the texture project, but managed to convey the texture quite well in the assignment, so I hope I'm getting better at that!

I think my observational skills are okay, I find the reflected light and shadow drawings interesting and not too confusing on the whole, but when the light merges too much I find it quite difficult to tell where it is coming from.

I think my compositions have been quite ok in the projects so far... I think the layout I choose is good generally but I am not very good at making the arrangement of objects fill the page enough. There was quite a lot of blank paper in the second drawing of my assignment so I should've drawn the objects a bit bigger to fill more space.

• Quality of Outcome content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas

I think the quality of my drawings has been quite varied. I think my drawings for the texture project were not very good, but I was very pleased with the finished product in the assignment and in the still life project.

I am not very good at planning, I'm not sure if this is due to time restrictions though - I think I need to do more preliminary sketches for most of the projects, but when I managed to find time for the exercises I always ended up rushing a bit too much.

• Demonstration of Creativity imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice

I have never been good at experimenting with materials and tools but I think that this first part of the course has really helped me with that. I still need a lot of practice with the things that are new to me but I am finding the exercises very useful and mostly using the tools and materials correctly although not very successfully sometimes.

• Context reflection, research, critical thinking (learning log)

I think I ramble too much in my log and notes, but I am finding the reflection helpful. I'm not always exactly sure what to research about an artist in the research points, but I find the research useful anyway, so hopefully I'm not doing it wrong! I think I have identified my main weaknesses and I am sure the feedback from this part will help me improve a lot.

Part one - Assignment One

Assignment One


Preliminary Sketches

First drawing

Second drawing

This is what I decided to draw for my man-made objects drawing:

The sneakers are the same material as black jeans, so have a slightly rough texture. The shoes are red patent and are quite reflective. I liked the combination of textures and colours in this arrangement.

This is the initial sketch. I was pleased with how this turned out so decided to continue with this as my final drawing.

And here is the final drawing:

The texture, tone and reflected light turned out much better than I expected, so I am very pleased with this drawing. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the shoes to look shiny enough, or get the fabric to look the right texture on the sneakers, so I am happy with the result.
The only thing I'm not sure about is if the black sneaker is slightly too small. It is actually a smaller size than the red shoe anyway (shoe is 1 size bigger), but I'm not sure if the sneaker being smaller makes the drawing looks a bit like two separate drawings on the same piece of paper, rather than two objects in the same composition.

Reflection on assignment

• Did you do enough preliminary work before starting work on your final pieces?

I think I could have done more rough preliminary sketches to test out different compositions, however I was and still am happy with the compositions I chose. I think I should've done more experimenting with ink before I decided on that as my medium for the first drawing.

• Do your large drawings give an accurate interpretation of the still life groups? If not, what went wrong?

Yes, however neither of them have a background, and I wonder if on one of them at least I should have done a background rather than only the cast shadows.

• Did you make a good selection of objects or did you try to include too much? Would you change the arrangements of objects if you were to start again?

I think my selection and arrangement of objects for the first drawing was good and I wouldn't change this arrangement at all. In the second drawing I keep thinking I should've had one more object in the arrangement, but I am happy with the position of the two objects in relation to each other, so I would've had those arranged the same even with a third object.

• Do your drawings fit well on the paper or could they be improved by working on a larger sheet of paper?

I feel that with both drawings I should've made the objects fill more of the page, I think using a larger sheet of paper would've made that problem worse!

• Did you have problems with drawing or find hatching too difficult?

I think both drawings went well without any real problems. The only problem was with the first drawing, as I accidentally smudged the ink a few times, and I used too much ink in a few places and then was stuck with certain areas too dark. I had to change the tone in other parts of the picture to suit the overly darkened bits. 

Part one - Enlarging an image

Project: Enlarging an image


Exercise - Enlarging an existing image

Exercise - Enlarging a simple flat image

Check and log

• How successful were you in copying the lines from the smaller squares to the larger squares?

 The first drawing was more successful than the second, but I think the exercise was successful overall!

• Are you satisfied with your larger replica of the image? What would you do differently another time?

I would measure the grid lines more precisely as I think they were slightly out in both pictures.

Part one - Using texture

Project: Using texture


Exercise - Experimenting with texture

Exercise - A drawing with textures

Drawing 1 - Rocks and seaweed

Reference

Preliminary sketches

Finished drawing

Drawing 2 - Rocks

Reference

Finished drawing

Check and log

• Have you discovered any new ways of using your drawing tools to depict surface and texture?

I used the techniques from the first project to experiment. I found using the pencil almost flat very useful for making texture. It was also interesting to see how the sharpness of the pencil helped with texture, as a worn tip was much more grainy than a sharpened tip.

• How successful were you at implying form with little or no tonal hatching?

I found that it was much harder to imply form without using any hatching at all, but a small amount of hatching was still able to show form quite effectively.

• What are your impressions of frottage as a drawing technique?

I thought the effects were very cool and would be interesting for backgrounds or larger pieces. I'm not sure if I would use it to make a small texture drawing because the effects are not very reliable on small areas.

Part one - Still life

Project: Still life


Exercise - Still life sketches of made objects

I accidentally cut off the notes when I took the photos, next to the pencil drawing it says:

"There was much more reflected light with these items than i was expecting. The cast shadows should have been drawn with either diagonal or horizontal lines. I don't like the effect of the vertical lines. The glass looks too messy."

The notes next to the pen drawing were accidentally cut off as well, they are:

"I think this turned out a lot better than the pencil drawing above, and I prefer the arrangement here. I really like the pen marks, they somehow show the curvature more effectively than in my pencil drawing. The glass looks more accurate and transparent with fewer lines."

I really like how the pen drawing turned out, it is one of my favourite pieces so far in the course.

The more I look at it the more I think the glass in the pencil drawing looks very messy, I will remember to use less lines next time.


Exercise - Composition of natural objects

I really enjoyed drawing the fruit, and I think this time the pencil suited the subject better than the ink. The pencil works well for natural objects and I wonder if the ink was a bit harsh for the subject here. I think fewer marks with the ink would have worked better for these objects.


Check and log

• Do you think it is easier to suggest three dimensions on man-made or natural objects? Try to explain your answer.

I think usually man-made objects are easier because they tend to be more regular. Fruit and vegetables on the other hand often have knobbly bits, dents and are less e.g. spherical (in the case of round fruit!) than say a tennis ball.

• How did you create a sense of solidity in your composition?

I tried to keep the objects together but not quite touching, so they were not crowded but not too far apart either. The contract in tone and cast shadows helped the composition work.

• Do you think changing the arrangement of your composition makes a difference to your approach and the way you create a sense of form?

I think the approach is the same. The contract between the objects and the lighting create the form. However it would be harder to create a nice composition if all the objects were of the same colour/tone and in the same lighting conditions. A bunch of grapes in full shade would be quite a difficult arrangement to draw because all the parts would be uniformly dark and would probably end up looking quite flat.

• How did you decide how to position yourself in relation to the objects?

I placed the objects on the window sill as the lighting was pleasant... I was then quite restricted as to where I could sit but chose the angle that I thought looked most complimentary to the fruit!


Exercise - Observing negative space and perspective

Part one - Reflected light

Project: Reflected light


Exercise - Study of light reflected from one object to another

Exercise - Shadows and reflected light and shade

Research point - Patrick Caulfield

Patrick Caulfield's work is in some ways quite simple, many of his pictures use only a few colours, and the shapes of the objects are simplified, as in his White Ware prints. His use of negative space is very interesting, as it makes the detail of the picture the background, rather than the subject. The subject still remains the focus in some ways, as it is much bolder due to the lack of details. However it is sometimes hard to see what the main subject is. In 'Reserved Table' you would expect the table to be the subject, however the focus is the lobster in the background, because the colours pop out.

I really like his later works, such as 'After Lunch'. In this, Patrick Caulfield's style contrasts simplified objects with one very realistic object.

For my drawing in the style of Patrick Caulfield I have used negative space in an otherwise quite realistic picture. I think now that I should have used a less realistic, more cartoon-like approach on the bricks of the fireplace, to make it more like Patrick Caulfield's work. I am not overly happy with the results this time, but hope to experiment with negative space more in the future.

Check and log

• What are the difficulties in separating cast shadow from reflected light and shade?

The difficulty depends a lot on how complex the shapes of the objects are. if the shapes are regular it is easier to see and predict where the shadows will fall and where the reflections will be. If there are a lot of grooves or different curves then it gets trickier. Cast shadows are easier to see and depict, as they have a more obvious direction and cause, but reflective surfaces can show reflections that you wouldn't expect.

• The reflected shadow and light follows the contours of the objects. How have you shown this in your drawing?

On the metal tin you can see that there is an almost straight white line on the side facing the jug/tankard type object. The white line moves with the grooves in the tin. The same happens on the jug, as the white line follows the curve of the object, and where there are shadows there are darker sections.

Part one - Tone and Form

Project: Tone and form


Exercise - Observing shadow and light formations on a surface

Exercise - Tonal studies

Experiment - Robinia

Research point - Odilon Redon

The work of Odilon Redon is new to me - I had never heard of him before this project.

When I first started researching, I was introduced with very colourful, beautiful pictures, with atmospheric lighting and angelic looking figures. These were apparently his later works.

I was a bit shocked when I saw his earlier works, as they are completely the opposite. Odilon Redon has been called 'Prince of Dreams', but his earlier works look like they are based on his nightmares. They are very dark, and rather than being bright and dramatic, are actually very disturbing. They are devoid of any colour and look as though they are by a completely different artist.

The contrast between the dark, grim faces in his earlier works and the bright, flowery, and beautiful colours in his later works is extreme. The earlier works look like the work of a very depressed person, who seems to have a strange obsession with spiders and menacing eyes that stare straight at you. In the later works most figures are looking to the side, and the whole piece is peaceful and vibrant.


Lane of Trees

(From here)

Bouquet of Wild Flowers

(From here)

Check and log

• How difficult did you find it to distinguish between light from the primary light source and secondary reflected light?

In these exercises I didn't find much reflected light, however in the exercises in the next section I found the different light sources quite confusing. I occasionally moved the objects slightly to check where the light was coming from. On some objects it was more obvious where the light was coming from, for example objects with very smooth, flat or rounded surfaces. Surfaces with nooks and grooves distorted the light a lot so it was not obvious what the source was.

• How has awareness of light and shade affected your depiction of form?

Light and shade have given the drawings a much more three dimensional look. The objects look much less flat and transparent, and have a lot more depth and texture.

Part one - Basic shapes and fundamental form

Project: Basic shapes and fundamental form


Exercise - Boxes and books

 Exercise - Jars and jugs

Exercise - Supermarket shop

Check and log

• Are the objects in your drawings the correct size and shape in relation to each other?

I think on the whole they are the correct size and shape, but the squash bottle is a bit too small in all of the Jars and jugs pictures. I also found the Quality Street tin quite a difficult shape to draw, so I think that is a bit wrong as well.

• Do the shapes between the objects look correct?

Yes, where I had problems I think was where the object met with open space, so there was not another object to help with the spacing.

• Do the objects in your drawings look solid?

In the coloured picture I think the objects look most solid, but the absence of tone in the other pictures makes them look transparent.

• Have you managed to create the feeling of depth in your drawings?

The size difference and distance between the objects creates depth, and in the supermarket shop photos the colour and light tone help to create a three dimensional look.

Part one - Making marks

Project: Making marks

This project required a lot of experimentation. I'm usually not very good at things like this - I like to just use a pencil or biro to draw in the 'normal' way. I had never used charcoal or pastels before so I hoped these exercises would help me get used to them! Still not too sure about them, so will need more practice.


Exercise - Holding pens and pencils

Holding the tool loosely made lighter and much less precise strokes.
Holding the tool near the tip gave much more control and accuracy, and marks could be light or heavy.
Holding the pencils/pastels/charcoal almost flat made interesting broader strokes that seemed to give a more textured effect, whereas with biro or fineliner a mark could not easily be made due to the small tip size.

 I really liked working with ink, this is my favourite tool so far, especially with a brush or brush pen.

 As well as making different marks I wanted to see what trying to create objects was like with different tools, so I did a few quick sketches.

Exercise - Doodling

 As I saw the effects the marks were making I noticed they would be good for certain things, e.g. the brush effect reminded me of a bush or tree, and the round patterns in charcoal reminded me of hyacinths/veronicas.

Exercise - Mark-making techniques

(Please excuse the pastels that smudged from the opposite page!)

I attempted to recreate the Head of Satyr using the techniques mentioned in the first few exercises. I think it helped me to see which techniques work well for different things, e.g. I didn't think hatching worked well for hair, but it was good for very shadowy areas such as the eye sockets, and stippling was good for the hair texture.

Exercise - Using charcoal

I have not used charcoal very much before and found it quite difficult to deal with at first, but after I got used to it and stopped worrying about the mess it was making I found it quite fun to work with.

I wanted to experiment more with charcoal so I attempted a portrait. I messed up the mouth a bit by making the line too dark and then wasn't sure how to fix it, but other than that I think it was a successful experiment!

Exercise - Line and other marks

I did strokes of varying lengths and pressure, and wrote notes below. Again I really liked using ink tools, as they seem quite versatile.


Research point - Van Gogh

Avenue of Poplars / Poplar Trees (1884)

(from here)

I really like how Van Gogh used hatching and cross-hatching in this piece. The cross hatching is extremely effective especially on the path, and the hatching on the tree trunks makes them look so realistic.

Trees in the Garden (1889)

(from here)

In this picture I can see a lot of hatching all over, and a bit of stippling in the top right corner. Stippling has been used to give the effect of leaves, the hatching again is used very effectively on the tree trunks, but also on nearly every surface. I also can see a few 'scribble' type marks, which are used for shady areas.

Check and log

• How did holding your pen or pencil in a different way affect your drawing?

Holding the pens and pencils in different ways has made it possible for me to use the tools much more effectively. I naturally hold a pencil at a particular angle, but by holding the pencil further down or higher up the I can make much broader strokes with an interesting texture (with the pencil almost flat) or much lighter and finer (when holding near the tip).

• Which drawing tools suited the different mark-making techniques you used?

I have always liked using cross-hatching with a biro or pencil, but I think this also works really well with fine-liners and the dip pen. I think hatching and cross-hatching is much harder to do and much less effective with broader tipped tools, like the charcoal pieces and pastels. I am also still not sure how to best use smudging with the softer tools, but I will continue experimenting with this.

• Did you find that any marks or tools you used matched particular emotions or feelings? Did one convey calm and another frenzy for example?

I think that the softer tools and marks were good for portraying the 'softer' emotions. The exception for this is oil pastels which I think portray stronger emotions due to their strong and vivid colours. I also think the more opaque tools, e.g. ink tools, look more serious.

• How did the introduction of colour (soft pastels, Conté crayons) affect your mark making?

I found it was a bit more confusing trying to separate the darker colours from the shaded areas. It was interesting combining different coloured tools to get different effects. The coloured tools are usually more expressive though.

• Which of these experiments have you found most interesting and rewarding?

I thought using the different tools in the Line and Other Marks exercise rewarding as there were quite a few tools I hadn't really used before. I am quite unfamiliar with pastels and charcoal, so using those in different ways was interesting. I also found recreating the Head of the Satyr with stippling and hatching very interesting. I had not used stippling before and found it made a nice effect especially on the hair to give it a softer look.