Project detailed observation

which drawing media did you find most effective to use for which effect?
For me I enjoyed the use of  pencils and pen and ink. When I was younger It was always the pencil that I turned to draw with, so I am inclined to fall back to that.  But after staring the course I have taken the plunge and taken an interest in pen  and ink(something I never though I would attempt)  For the seashell I used  the HB graphic pure, the 3B and the graphic 9B these I also used for the driftwood and the material draped across the chair and was surprised with the different depths and lightness that could be achieved

Exploring coloured media - I used pen and ink in the bamboo strudy (at the time I only had use of black ink, but havve now purchesed  some diffrent coloues so look forward to trying these out.  I found that the pen and ink gave beeter results with regard to creating tone, pattern and texture.  When using the pencil I have a tendency to fill in or crosshatch than rub over gentle with the finger.

Did I enjoy capturing detail or creating large broad brush sketches?

I must admit to capturing detail rather the brush sketches.  Ir seem to help me stop and study the subject in more detail. The stipples and dots for this excise was used on the bamboo from our garden.  Using the pen and ink the cross hatching seemed yo work better Although I am still unsure about strippling I shall have to pactice more

Project exploring coloured media

check and log

Which media did you find the most expressive


notes on coloured media used

Soft pastel

This I found surprising as I have never used this before the different textures and blending was interesting  I shall experiment more

Coloured pencils

I found some interesting results with these I used three different makes to see if there was a difference (Faber-Castell- Dewent and Boldmore) My experience has been limited in the passed as I have usually only used pencil when drawing.  These again prove to be an interesting exercise

 Oil Pastels

I have never been interested in using these before as I suppose I did not know the best way to use them So again I found the results good  I think maybe handy when doing landscapes etc. rather than details work

Maker pen

These I have never considered using before in art so quite enjoy the experience again I think would be useful in background work etc

 Coloured Chalk

This was fun  though I did think it might be a little messy it proved to be not as bad a charcoal I agree you may be able to make some detail work with these.

Coloured ink

Here I use a variety of nibs on this exercise including various sized bamboo pens I think these are ideal for more detailed work and enjoyed using them almost as much as pencils!

My last experiment was using academy watercolours pencils in different ways

Wet on dry - Lifting the colour off the pencil with a wet paint brush this gives soft colours  and some details

Paper palette - drawn solid blocks on separate paper then lifted off with wet brush this was similar to the wet on dray but give more of a softer colouring (clouds etc maybe)?  

Finally  Dry on wet   wet paper the drawn with dry pencil this gives a more defined mark and quite interesting in hatching and blocking

I my opinion I think that the coloured ink lends itself more to detailed work also the drawing pencil.

two artists that exemplify mastery of detailed drawing

My first artist is Andrea Del Verrocchio born between 1434 and 1437c -to 1488 in Florence in to a artist family.  Verrocchio was counted among the best draughtsmen of his time (Hemingway). His Head of a Woman is a line drawing in black charcoal on paper which has acquired a buff tone during the centuries. Observe the decisive line with which the hair and its ornaments are drawn but wonder whether the line was used tin the shading of the face. The features are draw in charcoal, this was them rubbed down with a stump or finger to create a greater subtlety of tone - a method which most art student have adopted but which has never produced a result comparable with this study by Verrocchio.  He has softened the face shading to suggest the texture and tone of flesh with highlights which he has emphasised with white also with the texture of the hair.  (from the book The Magic of Line by Percy V Bradshaw).

The next drawing by Verrocchio is a design for a monument in the form of the covered bowl surmounted by a figure of Justice, as a design for a funeral monument to Andrea Vendramin commissioned by Vendramin while his was in Venice the original  drawing in lead pencil has been covered in pen by a later hand which may have modified the main shape (V and A Museum)

William Albert Green 1907 to 1984

Green began drawing as a teenager using pencil and water colour then turned to pen and ink mainly concentrating  on historic buildings in the Mildlands counties then  later on further a field. His method was to make a pencil sketch on location (by bicycle or public transport)  from which he would later trace the outline on to cartridge paper and complete the drawing using Indian ink and a fine mapping pen (wag@ewgren.org.uk).

reflections on Assignment one

Question 1
I personally think it has helped doing preliminary work before starting on the final work this I have never done before and found it very helpful.

Question 2
This I found quite hard as I have never done any drawings larger than  A 4 or smaller so it was  a challenge

Question 3
I think I made a fair selection of objects to draw it was interesting the different ways to arrange them and the final design different as I have not done group objects before and it was interesting to do.

Question 4
The enlarging exercise helped on the subject of  working on a larger sheet of paper

Question 5

The drawing and hatching was a bit trying as have not attempted any for a long time but once I got started and relaxed a bit it wasn't  to bad.  I think I need to practice a lot more in all of these areas.  

Still life

Notes to myself regarding still life ----- need to practise more and look harder at the shadows and shading

At this present time I have found it easier to suggest three dimensions on man made object possible because they have a more solid outline than natural objects.

I am still working on this one I think it comes down to the shading and depth of the object

 It was interesting changing the arrangements around because in some instances you can create a sense of form and depth

So far all the drawings have been sitting at my desk either with the pad and the objects parallel to me or sitting back  the pad against the desk and on my lap.As yet I have not tried standing up at my easel


observing negative space and perspective


Using texture

drawing with textures I found quite hard to depict the textures did try with pen but not successful so went but to pencil

Frottage was interesting finding out the textures with different drawing tools



Enlarging an image

this was an interesting exercise it was surprising how when enlarging the dimensions change using the graph seems to be easier than free hand. On my 1st attempt I did 4 grid squares and 5 large so on my 3rd  attempt I realised and  started again !!!!!

negative and positive space

Jo Peters student no 487398

Patrick Caulfield   negative and positive space

In some senses Caulfield focuses on the background (negative) and fills it there by making the negative space as positive the real  objects are mostly left blank making them the negative space.

He used simple often geomometic sometimes asymmetrical shapes superimposed on each other to crate the depth though laying images through contrasting perspectives

I found the difficulties in separating cast shadows from reflected light and shade is getting the different  depth of the shading right.

To follow the contours in respect  of shadow and light objects is the shadow has a darker tone to it

drawing 1 drawing skills

Project

Drawing 1     Part one   mark-marking and tone

holding the pencil, pen etc was an interesting exercise - the further away you hold the pencil etc the less likely you are to hold it firmer this seems to give a free hand to draw lines as your hand does not seem so tense

Doodling  this was an interesting exercise at first I found it hard to do but by looking out of my window and letting my hand move freely the results were quite interesting

Mark making  I found this surprising the difference each tool makes in the stippling and cross-hatching exercise how many different textures you can achieve

Charcoal  I was not so sure of this one as it proved to by messy, interesting though how using a rubber or the end of a pen achieved  a different effect the rubber give a softer texture whereas the pen defined the lines. It also brings out the grain and texture of the paper ( as in some respect does pastels, oil pastel and conte crayons

Line and other marks  This was the first time I have used a ribbed pen in a drawing exercise and after the first attempt it was interesting the detail you could obtain.  Out of all the pen pencils etc  at the moment I prefer the rubbed pen and the drawing pencils.

Pencils have different depths hard for fine line work and soft for shading depending on the pressure used.

Artists coloured pencils and crayons can be used to apply the same textures and techniques as those that are possible with other dry pencils etc.

Bamboo  I found this hard to use as the lines cannot be varied with pressure and you seem to run out of ink very quickly.

Pastels I am not so sure about using these as I  did not seem to achieve such a fine line with them, maybe better for blending etc?

Oil Pastels  have a strong colour range and do  not seem to break as easy as pastels - but again not so good for fine detail


Research Point

Van Gogh  Winter Garden  1884 pen and ink and graphite on wove paper

Of the Winter Garden  Van Gogh wrote "the garden sets me dreaming" (this was one of the drawings from the vicarage).  The main focus is on the angular bare trees stiffened by the winter cold which makes the starkness of the flat empty fields look more pronounced.  The forceful scratching of the line work reduces the complexity of the tangled branches to a graphic potency.  This is also set against the cross hatching in the sky which helps to describe the diffused shifts in the cold light.  The figure shows a black - coated peasant with a touch to the macabre as a grim spectre in relation to the building on the horizon.

Project 2

Basic shapes and fundamental form

supermarket shop

I think the objects are correct size in comparison to each other and the shapes between to objects seem to correct  the only one I am not sure about not looking solid is the cereal box?  I think I maybe should have moved them apart a bit more.








Research point

Odilon Redon  1840

He is known for his unique blend of artistic naturalism and symbolic subject matter. Redon was highly influential among the late 19th century French av ante garde circle.  We worked in charcoal, pastel, oil and lithography.  He  created scenes that while often based on the supernatural, were nonetheless executed in a highly representational manner. Redon considered this deceptive accuracy essential stating "every time that a human fiqure does not give the illusion that it is about to come out of the picture frame to walk think or act is not a truly modern one".        (artsy.com)




I found two drawings of his work,  Two Trees 1875  and  Tree 1875

both of these Redon used various charcoals stumping, scraping and erasing on cream wove paper
These the trees stand out and you can distinguish the light source - in Two Trees  I think the light source comes from the centre right.  With the Tree I think it appears more from the right.  with regard to awareness of light and shade it gives you a different aspect on the subject the more you look the more you observe.