Tuesday 19 November 2013

Part two - Reflection

Development of Technical and Visual Skills
I think that my technique has improved a lot in this section. I have found that I am drawing quite a lot quicker and with less hesitation. I think that I am much better with certain materials now; I am a lot more confident with the markers and oil pastels, which I had not used before. I think my compositions are fairly bland sometimes though, and I need to experiment with having some objects being cut off the page.

Quality of Outcome
I am pleased with all of my work in this section apart from the sketches of animals. I found that really difficult and thought the drawings for that section were quite poor. There were maybe 2 drawings in the whole of that exercise that I thought were decent.
I thought that the drawings in marker pens were quite good, both the fish and the flowers, I was very pleased with those. I also liked the graininess of the oil pastel pictures.

Demonstration of Creativity
I tried to experiment with mixing media - e.g. I mixed oil pastels with coloured pencils, and markers with coloured pencils. I think those experiments were mostly successful, but I was quite worried about the markers because some of them have ended up a bit dirty.

Context
I had to do the first two check & log and research points together because I somehow missed the first one. I am quite bad at remembering to add things to my learning log, but I think that I managed to make quite good notes in this section of the course.

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Part two - Learning Log - Check & Log

Check & Log 1 (Exploring Coloured Media)

 Which of the media you have experimented with did you find most expressive? Make notes in your learning log on the pros and cons of each medium.
  • I think the different mediums are expressive in different ways. The oil pastels are very expressive because of their vivid colours, and using them I think you would be able to create a beautiful drawing, though i think the colours would not be true to life. I think marks would be expressive in a similar way, however I think the colours may be slightly more true to life, and the blending is more subtle than with oil pastels. Coloured pencil can produce more accurate colours but the thinner lines and less vibrant colours to me are less interesting than the other mediums.
Which medium do you think lends itself to very detailed work?
  • Before seeing Henri Fantin-Latour's work I thought that mediums with small tips, e.g. pencils, biros, fineliners, would be more effective in detailed work. Now I think you can use any medium and achieve a detailed work, but a that a variety of stroke widths give a much better effect.


Check & Log 2 (Detailed Observation)

Which drawing media did you find most effective to use, for which effects?
  • The fineliners are fun for line drawings, they give a nice bold line and can give some fine details. It is tricky to use them for shading but I did not attempt this as I used them only on the line drawings. I found the markers and dip pens useful on the stipples and dots exercise as they gave different widths of stipples/dots, which allowed for variation and detail. The pencils i used for Getting tone and depth in detail were very versatile as they were able to depict light and dark tones, and a sharp point allows precise marks and a blunter point gives wider marks. I think the pencil was most effective here, but I have not used markers very much before so I think I will find them more effective as I use them more.
What sort of marks work well to create tone, pattern and texture?
  • I think dots and hatching is useful to create tone, pattern and texture. But more 'random' marks and a lack of pattern can give a nice scruffy texture.
Did you enjoy capturing details or are you more at home creating big broad brush sketches?
  • I did enjoy capturing details, however I have not really done any work with big broad strokes before. I found the stipples and dots interesting to do, but I think i should've used some colour to indicate the form more accurately. I like to be accurate but I found the Getting tone and depth in detail exercise quite difficult because I had to stare at the object so much, and no matter how much I drew there was always something to add. That is why I really liked doing the line drawing of the mushroom, the lines give the impression, and despite there only being a few lines, the object still appeared! I think that the more details you add, the more details you still need to add, but if you do not aim for detail you can achieve a result that is just as interesting with only a small amount of detail. I think adding too much detail somehow makes the drawing lose something.
Look at the composition of the drawings you have done in this project.
  • I seem to keep placing my objects too much in the middle of the page. I always end up with space on all sides, so I think I should try to use some compositions where objects are cut off at the edges.


Check & Log 3 (Still Life)

What aspects of each drawing have been successful, and what did you have problems with?
  • I think my choice of objects for the Still life group in line exercise was poor. I should have gone for objects with more interesting shapes individually. I think the result is that I have a drawing with too many spindly objects, and not enough objects with substance. For example I should've had some bigger round objects in there, maybe some bigger flowers. For Still Life Group in Tone I liked the selection of objects, but I am not happy with how I used the oil pastels on the leaves. I tried to add detail with coloured pencil but I do not like the result of the leaves. However I really like how the mushrooms turned out with just a small amount of oil pastel.
Did you manage to get a sense of depth in your drawings? What elements of the drawings and still life groupings helped to create that sense?
  • I think that I managed to achieve some depth in the Still Life Group in Line exercise, however as I siad above, I think I would have achieved a better composition and suggestion of depth if I had some other objects of a more varied size. I think there is a three dimensional look but only a slight one, although that may just be because it is only in line. I think the thicker lines suggest form quite well. In the Still Life Group In Tone exercise I think the leaves look too flat, but the shape of the mushrooms is good.
What difficulties were created by being restricted to line or tone?
  • It is harder to suggest depth with only line,as the only way is to vary the line thickness. I think that using tone only does not have as many limitations, as by using tone you get the effect of a line almost automatically.


Check & Log 4 (Drawing Fruit and Vegetables in Colour)

Your composition should occupy most of the paper's surface. How much negative space do you have left?
  • I always seem to have negative space left in the same place - around the edges of the drawing. I noted earlier in the project that I should try to position objects coming off the page slightly, but I seem to be drawn to the centre of the page.
What have you learned from drawing the details of fruit and vegetables?
  • I have learned how to present form, and how to position objects interestingly (except for the point above). I think that what I have learned by drawing these objects can be applied to everything else, as all objects can be made up of regular objects, such as spheres and cubes, and many of the natural objects are almost regular in shape.
What did you find most challenging about this part of the course?
  • I have struggled with how to use the oil pastel. I really like the grainy effect when using oil pastel on grainy paper, but I am not sure if that is ideal or not. I think smooth paper will be too slippery for oil pastel, and will not give such an interesting result. I also struggled a bit with blending the markers, as I am not entirely sure how to use the 'Colourless Blender' in my marker set without making it dirty (and dangerous for the next time it is used!).


Check & Log 5 (Drawing Plants and Flowers)

How will your experiments with negative space help your observational drawing in the future?
  • The negative space experiments have really highlighted how important it is not just to look at an object, but the relationship between an object and other objects around it. I think in future this will help me with compositions, making the spacing of objects accurate, and help with the proportions of certain parts of objects.
What techniques did you use to ensure you drew your plants in proportion?
  • I compare different parts of the plants to each other to see roughly how much space they should take on a page. I also look at the distances between objects.
How did you achieve an effect of three-dimensional space in your drawings?
  • The composition of the objects helps - having objects in front of one another and depicting the shadows cast from one object to another. Also having objects that don't have a lot of flat surfaces - e.g. the leaves of a plant are quite flat, but the flowers of roses are quite rounded in parts, and the flowers of lilies flare outwards quite a lot.


Check & Log 6 (Drawing Animals)

What were the main challenges of drawing animals?
  • My main challenge was finding one that would sit still long enough for me to draw more than two lines. I attempted to draw my dogs in different poses but they were quite alarmed when I was staring at them for more than 5 seconds. It helped me to try to draw a shape quickly though, and I think I improved after the first few attempts.
Which media did you enjoy using most and which did you feel were best for the subject matter and why?
  • I found the charcoal most useful as it was very expressive and I could do a few quick strokes and still get the impression I wanted. Especially as I could then blend the charcoal rather than attempting to get more lines in. I also found the markers quite useful as I could block in colours for highlights and shadows rather than trying to draw a pose with lines.
Where can you go to draw more animals? Think about the sorts of places that will give you opportunities for animal drawing. Have you tried drawing a moving animal yet?
  • My first thought would be a zoo or a wildlife centre. There are also a lot of rabbits or hares at a marina near where I live, so if it was not too busy I may be able to attempt to draw those in the future. I have not tried to draw a moving animal (at least not on purpose).

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    Part two - Learning Log - Research Points

    Research Point 1 (Masters of Detail)

    Charles Mahoney 1903-1968

    Polygonum and Anenome de Caen, 20th century
    Image from http://www.lissfineart.com/picture/96

    I chose this piece as it contains a flower that I also used as a subject in my line drawing of a still life group a bit later in this section of the course. In my line drawing I used hardly any lines to show the detail of the petals, as I wanted them to look soft. However, Mahoney used a lot of lines to show the creases and crumples and still managed to get a soft effect. His use of line is quite extraordinary as it is very precise, and where he only uses a few lines he manages to suggest the form exactly. He uses both curved and straight lines when drawing branches and stems, giving them a very realistic feel. His use of tone and colour is quite simple but is highly effective, as the shadows, curves and markings on the leaves are extremely accurate.
    Henri Fantin-Latour 1836-1904


    White Roses, Chrysanthemums in a Vase, Peaches and Grapes on a Table with a White Tablecloth, 1867
    Image from http://tinyurl.com/olxs5d9

    In this work, there is a kind of grainy effect, however it does not obscure the details of the objects in the still life. The use of tone makes it so that you can see every single petal and leaf of the roses and chrysanthemums. Even though the grapes are nearly black, you can see the edge of each one, and the small highlights really give them a three dimensional look. The slight fold in the corner of the tablecloth is very subtley presented. Every object has seems to have so much detail. I always think that detail is achieved using small marks, but if you look closely you can see that some of the marks used are actually quite big.



    Research Point 2 (Artists with Contrasting Styles)

     Zeana Romanovna

    (Please click link to view image)

    I found this artist by mistake when looking for an artist with an expressive style and really loved this painting. Like in John Ruskin's Study of a Sprig of a Myrtle Tree, the edges are not exactly defined, and there is an almost blurry look to the picture. However the use of colours is much different. The colours here are a bit psychadelic and probably nothing like they were on the object being painted, but the shape and beauty of the flowers is presented really beautifully. There is enough detail to show the stems and petals, but the brush strokes are very big and almost messy. The style is very relaxed and fun, but the placement of the strokes and the colours used suggest the form and tone accurately.

    Henri Biva


    Matin à Villeneuve (From Waters Edge), 1905-06
    Image from http://tinyurl.com/ltdv8jb

    The colours in this piece are much more natural and realistic. The strokes are much smaller, which allows for finer details to be defined. The piece is less fun, but more realistic. There is a great deal of detail, for example the blades of grass are defined individually, and the leaves of the bushes and the trees, and even the spaces between the leaves are defined to show the sky behind. The objects in the foreground are not the only things that are drawn precisely, as you can see that on the reflection of the background on the water, the form of the trees is presented accurately, and even the slight ripples of the water are present. The highlights and shadows on the leaves and on the bark of the tree are very realistic.



    Research Point 3 (Ben Nicholson)

    Why does he simplify still life forms and negative space and superimpose them on the Cornish landscape?

    Nicholson's art allowed him to 'explore his interest in uniting objects in the foreground with those in the background' (richardgreen.com). You can tell that Nicholson was really inspired by the landscape as it is present in all of his work.

    My favourite work of Ben Nicholson is Window in Cornwall (1946). I like it because it is between the stage where he drew landscapes and still life separately, and the stage where he superimposed the still life objects onto the landscape. It also reminds me of family holidays to Cornwall and looking out at the sea.

    Research Point 4 (Depictions of Animals by Renaissance Masters)

    Leonardo Da Vinci



    Da Vinci's animal drawings focus on the shape, structure and pose of the animal, with little detail on the actual creature other than base shadow. In the drawings I have seen, Da Vinci has not drawn long haired or very texture animals, so it looks as though he does not depict fur or texture on the animal, but focuses more on the shape and proportions. This might be the case only on the two drawings I have selected though (a short haired dog and a horse), as the texture of the horses mane is very realistic.

    Albrecht Durer

    You can see in Durer's Rhinoceros and Young Hare that he takes into account the texture of the animal.



    The fur of the hare is very realistic, it looks fluffy and has a sheen to it. The eyes are also very realistic and have a glossy look to them. The poses he has the animals in are very interesting, and the structure is accurate even with the, on the hare, fur details on top you can see where the legs are bent and where the skin folds.


    The rhinoceros' skin looks armoured, almost like plate mail, and has a circular pattern over it. The texture of the horn is clearly rough.



    Research Point 5 (George Stubbs)

    George Stubbs (1724-1806)

    By studying the anatomy of horses, cats and dogs, Stubbs was able to understand the different poses and motions the skeleton and muscles of the animal is capable of making, with anatomically correct pivoting and joint movement. 

    Study by George Stubbs of a horse's skeleton

    Study by George Stubbs of a horse's skeleton with some muscle

    This helped him draw horses accurately in a variety of dynamic poses - galloping, walking, and standing. Durer and Da Vinci both drew motionless animals. The benefit of the skeletal drawings is clear when looking at Stubbs' pictures of horses with lions, as the horses are in unusual positions but they are drawn perfectly - as if the horses posed for the drawings in those positions. The way he has drawn the muscles is incredible.





    When you compare his drawings of the lions to those of the horses, you can see that he has a better understanding of the figures of horses. The horses are always confidently presented as the main figure in the drawing, basked in light, whereas the figure of the lion will be obscured by shadow or partially hidden behind the horse. It looks as though he probably used his studies of cats to draw the lions, as I don't think he would've had any access to lions. The bone and muscle structure of cats is very similar to lions, and they have a similar stance. The lions look quite small - probably to show how majestic the horse is.


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