I originally started this exercise with a similar subject and theme as in Pr 2, Ex 1. I decided to go against this idea after about 5 minutes of starting the drawing. It felt forced and I wasn’t enjoying it so I came back to this exercise the following morning and decided to find a photo of a model online in an moody atmosphere with the model in a dynamic pose to suit my wants and needs for this exercise. Ultimately, using photographs is not ideal for this type of study but it was the best I could do at the time with the limitations of finding a model during the lock-down restrictions.
Getting the self-analytical evaluation out of the way first, I think the challenging points here are more around the re-occurring theme of measuring and accuracy of the figure. I don’t think I have done too badly here although I do reflect and think perhaps the torso should have been shorter, maybe the right leg a little less rotated. As the figure was stationary when this reference photo was taken, the centre line of gravity or line of balance was easier to find than in a dynamic pose. Therefore, I think I have balanced the model well and even succeeded in adding a little drama and dynamism with the use of light extending from the finger tips and feet, giving the impression of where the energy is flowing to or even, which direction of movement the figure has moved from?
Following advice from my tutor, I researched an artist that I previously looked at in Part Three; Tacita Dean and her charcoal drawings with mixed media. There was also a moment of inspiration after seeing a student’s figure study on a black support with a white medium in the handbook which prompted me to look at Dean’s work on the blackboards again. I found the use of the medium to be the lightest tonal value on the support quite enticing as a challenge. It made me work hard to make proper use of the negative spaces and really think about how the light reflected off the dancer’s form but also how to use the support as the composition’s darkest tonal value. This is normally the opposite to how I work whereby the support usually offers the lightest tones. I felt obliged to ground the figure with a slight reflection and also varying tonal values behind her form to give the impression of her occupying the space and her presence in the dark atmosphere and a specific source of of light. If I were to attempt this drawing again, I would like to lay down the construction of the skeleton first to achieve a more accurate representation of the figure.
As this was the first time I have really focused on the proportions on the body, I tried to measure accurately and notice the angles of the body, i.e. how the shoulders are tilted away from the hips to ensure centre of gravity keeps the subject upright or where some parts of the body are hidden by other limbs or furniture and even the challenging effects of foreshortening. One of the challenges I faced was to make my figure appear seated in the seat rather than just perched on top of it; the angle of the femur bones in relation to the tilted pelvis was challenging for me to depict accurately, with consideration to correct proportions and measurements. I felt liberated to use my dip pen and ink to describe my 10 minute study and I wanted to capture the model in a relaxed and effortless pose with his guitar. The loose and expressive lines enabled me to rework my lines, again and again, until I felt like the proportions and planes were where they should be to make the construction of the figure a realistic representation. This tied in well with the music theme here and the atmosphere which was expressive and free flowing like the music being produced from the guitar; it seemed like a great pairing. I particularly enjoyed the way the lead from the guitar came out in a fluent way which captured the subject and the theme of the drawing well. I applied thick patches of tone with a metal skewer on its side (rather than the point) to describe the darkest tonal areas but also add a little drama here and there. Initially, my first 10 minute study sketch was completed in ball point pen and I felt like the line was very thin, and although the ink from this style of pen flowed effortlessly, I felt like it lacked personality and depth to match with the subject in his surroundings. I wanted a little more weight and some resistance, not quite sure why, but it felt good to follow this instinct. Looking back and analysing the measurements, I can see where I could have added a little more foreshortening and acute angles of the joints, for example, to ensure the foot is properly planted at an angle which is conducive to the knee being bent up at such an angle and therefore the pelvis being at the right tilt to suggest a seated model from the angle I was drawing him at. I think these things will come with time, practice, good observation and patience!
Drawing in this particular way of reworking the drawing and going over the same lines again and again reminded me of Alberto Giacometti’s work and so I spent a little while researching his drawings and his work. It was interesting to read in an article at https://www.theparisreview.org/art-photography/4844/eight-drawings-alberto-giacometti that it is thought he said he doesn’t like to sit too close to the model and/or focus on one particular part of the form as he gets lost and can’t find other points to work from so cannot accurately create the “whole ensemble”.
It does intrigue me as to how nude art was perceived historically. As discussed briefly in my previous research for Part 4, I am aware that their were certain moral and religious values that were upheld during the time when nude figure studies were gaining popularity. Interestingly, conducive to the historical opinions of the immoral association of a painted nude portrait, The eBook I found online (line below) discusses how Pre-Raphaelite artists couldn’t afford (I’m guessing financially) to display work which would not find a buyer because of the subjects ‘pornographic connotations’ painting. Furthermore, some artists were thought to have added clothing or draperies to their subjects as they had not attracted interest from buys because of the nude content previously. Obviously, time and therefore, opinions have moved on hugely since this era where artists found it difficult to express themselves with the nude figure in their work unless for pure scrutiny and biological analysis.
An article I found interesting, by Brian Yoder at https://artrenewal.org/Article/Title/nudity-in-art-a-virtue-or-vice, proposed the moment you clothe a subject in your drawing or painting, you document a specific period in time, giving the work context within an era. If the artist did not wish to link the subject to a specific time, place, genre, then using a plain sheet or drape would eliminate this association and ensure that the subject remained timeless.
There is of course a great deal of misunderstanding about nude art and nude figure drawing, even today. I myself had preconceptions and imagery of what nude art was about until I started Part 4 of the course. It has enabled me to be more open-minded about why artists study the human form and what they may learn from their experiments of capturing the figure through different lines of enquiry. I also understand, after attending collective life drawing classes, why historically, there may have been negative connotations revolved around groups of people sat around a naked figure, it can be strange to experience for the first time. The idea that nude art revolves around or stems from a sexual orientation or to demoralise women or even men is simply untrue in my opinion. There may be artwork that is created to represent and promote these topics but I feel the organic reason to study the human form is initially to improve and develop ones technique in exploring ways to accurately record the construction of human anatomy. This could then develop into further works of art, or even scientific research drawings by using this knowledge as the foundation for the work succeeding the figure studies.
However, as I have mentioned previously in Part 4 research when using Picasso as an example, some artists use their knowledge and skill to depict subjects which are deliberately distorted or more representational than realistic which may be the counter-argument for the above opinion of mine that life drawing is essential. Although I would argue that without the knowledge and experience of constructing the human form initially, how would the artist know how to manipulate the figure away from the realistic to achieve the desired result for, let’s say, an abstract portrait.
It was around the beginning of March that I was undertaking this exercise and restrictions were in full swing due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. As such, I was not able to attend any more life drawing classes or use friends as models for the rest of the exercises in Part Four. My view on how to get around this challenging in terms of progressing with my coursework and artistic journey had been encouraged by my natural optimism that I could find alternative ways to investigate my drawing with photos online and in books, possibly even catching a glimpse of a passer-by out of the window for quick sketches. This exercise was difficult to produce without having a model to give me a real sense of depth and formation to the cloth being part of the human form. However, to overcome this, I looked in my art books for an image that would really inspire me to be loose and free with my description of the cloth as in the previous exercise. I came across a photo of a sculpture, which was different to my initial idea of a photograph of a drawing or painting, but actually it caught my eye as the tonal variation was quite strong because of the interesting way the light fell on the figure captured in marble. The book was ‘Art The Whole Story, Thames & Hudson Ltd 2018’, and the sculpture was ‘Moses’ 1513, Michelangelo.
I enjoyed this exercise as I felt quite liberated to represent the robe that the figure was wearing and make it appear as if it were one with the form. The difficulty I had, and I notice it after I had finished working on this piece and stepping back, was the proportions of the body were stretched, meaning the torso was unnaturally elongated because I didn’t draw the structure of the figure first, rather than put the construction and proportions down first and then add the textile onto the figure, I went straight ahead and drew it as one. This is fine I imagine if not going for true accuracy, but something to bear in mind if trying to place an accurate description of the form under the material. This experience reminds me of something I read on the website https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/from-life-history-of-life-drawing-annette-wickham when studying the history of figure drawing. Historically, I understand that society frowned upon artists drawing from nude models, this may have seemed morally inappropriate for the era and the culture of those who lived in this time. I found it refreshing that, according to Annette Wickham at royalacademy.org.uk, 2018, “Theoretical justification was provided by the Italian architect Leon Battista Alberti…He recommended the following process in preparing a figurative painting: “Before dressing a man we first draw him nude, then we enfold him in draperies. So in painting the nude we place first his bones and muscles which we then cover with flesh so that it is not difficult to understand where each muscle is beneath.” This agrees with my findings on this exercise and I am really happy to have read this information and made the link and proven Alberti correct in his justification.
Finally, I feel like this exercise is one that went a bit too ‘tight’ and I got carried away adding all the creases and folds in the material with various tones. The figure’s form dictates a light and loose hand with broad patches of tone, whereas the material suggests quite a sharp and detailed textile in some parts. If I were to do this drawing again, I would loosen up the tonal marks on the drape and apply more of a broad tonal description rather than individual little lines here and there, I would also look at the structure of the figure and its proportions, trying to adopt an accurate measuring technique.
Two different techniques used to describe this piece of fabric: one with a focus on tone and the other on the use of line. I found both techniques introduced some challenges when used exclusively, where when used together, I find I can work tone and line together to describe form quite well in that the line gives me boundaries to work to and the tone introduces depth and helps to give a three-dimensional effect.
Using only tone made me feel, as in the past, a little uneasy as I had no line to direct me and work too. Broad strokes of charcoal were laid down for the first study whereas, in the second experiment, I experimented with an ink wash. I found it easier to begin with the darkest tones and estimate where they should lie before introducing the lightest (the support of the paper) and then all the tonal variation in between. The texture of the blanket was woollen and I would think this would be quite difficult to describe with the ink wash, the charcoal easier so as the tooth of the paper would have left white pits which could be useful when describing texture.
The use of line was challenging in that I felt the cloth didn’t look as voluminous because of the lack of tonal gradation; perhaps the choice of material and the sharp point of the pen exacerbated this. Perhaps I could have added some cross-hatching but I thought it best to stick to use of line to see how the lack of tonal gradation would impact the representation of the folds of cloth. I also felt the drawing with use of line exclusively gave the material a rigid feeling to the material with the dip pen medium I chose for this, whereas the charcoal and ink wash seemed more fluid; perhaps this came through because of the properties of the materials that were laid down on this specific support.
Describing cloth with the use of line
Describing cloth with the use of tone
Describing cloth with the use of tone
Describing cloth with the use of line and tone
Describing folds in the cloth
Before travel restrictions were put in place, I was travelling back to the UK by plane and took advantage of the 5 hour flight to draw in my sketchbook. One of the things I was inspired to draw was the texture of the seat fabric and stitching in front of me and also another passengers coat. Two simple little sketches but this enabled to see what it would be like to draw on the move and sketch in a public area with people watching what I was doing. I was a bit apprehensive about doing this but I thought this was a good position to put myself if I wanted to travel and draw in my sketchbook in more public places or to continue to build confidence at life drawing classes.
If I were to sit and think about figure drawing, images come to mind of the nude form posed and angled in a variety of ways, artists and practitioners gathered around, ready to challenge themselves to describe the model before them in their own creative way. Before beginning Part 4, I had attended life drawing classes, once a month on average, and although I felt I had learned a considerable amount every time I visited the group, such as estimating how much I could achieve in the time allotted for each pose, class etiquette and environment or a figure’s central line/axis etc. Despite all this, there was something fundamental lacking: a basic understanding of the human form, the structure underneath and how to measure it accurately to describe it convincingly on the paper before me. There is a wealth of historical artwork related to or specifically focused on the human form, I questioned why we as practitioners have so much curiosity about human figures? How did the Old Masters achieve such a high standard of accuracy when describing the human body in their drawings and paintings? Did they attend hundreds of life drawing classes and constantly analyse and scrutinise their technique throughout their lives? Something I noticed when looking at others work during the life drawing classes was how there was only one model but yet it had been described in a variety of different ways, different mark-making, different mediums, different focuses and end-goals. It appeared that some people came to the class to focus on something particular to develop, and this could change every week. This was interesting to me as I had preconceived ideas that life drawing classes were there for one reason: to learn to draw the whole of the human body in one sitting. This was proven wrong quite quickly when I saw one practitioner who maybe focused on the proportions, then others who focused on the energy of the pose and how to represent it with quick and energetic marks rather than concentrating on detail. I understand that I had been using the classes to try to draw the figure and make it look realistic at every change of pose, no matter the duration. Before Part 4, I didn’t really understand what I could get out of the class other than realism; maybe a little naive. Perhaps now I am more open-minded and a little more experienced, when I return to life drawing classes, I will be more aware of what can be achieved at these classes, rather than a fight for realism on shaky structural drawing foundations.
Something in my memory came back to me regarding realistic, impressionistic and abstract figure drawing. When reading Experimental Drawing by Robert Kaupelis previously, I found it really exciting to see so many varied styles of drawings of the human form. Artists and practitioners of all styles used a variety of marks on various supports to represent a figure, others more realistic in style, and some more abstract and/or impressionistic. One exercise Kaupelis used with his students was to show that an entire figure can be represented in one line. How freeing and liberating to draw in this way. I feel this is certainly a way to engage the brain and ask the viewer to read the drawing rather than simply observe it. As previously pondered, I wonder which attributes of the human form are needed for the viewer to acknowledge they are looking at the human figure? Do these recognisable attributes change depending on the shape, weight and style of mark made? This is an experiment that I would like to try in my sketchbook. It certainly is a step in the other direction from the ‘Old Masters’ traditional and classical way of drawing the human form which can feel overwhelming and restrictive if not allowed to wander away from this starting point to investigate a more creative and abstract view point.
Furthermore to this line of investigation, when previously reading The Story of Art, E.H Gombrich, Phaidon Press Ltd, 1984, I remembered I came across an interesting paragraph which discusses Pablo Picasso and his two styles of drawings depicting a chicken with her chicks and a cockerel. Although the birds are similar in classification, the drawing styles are not. When looking at form and realistic construction, I see that the chicken and her chicks are much more realistically described compared to the cockerel which is more of a caricature, bringing out the cheekiness and feisty attitude of the cockerel. Gombrich explores the idea that the opinions of people that view the work of the artists, who produce drawings of forms whether human or animal, can be very prejudice in that they may view a piece and judge it’s success by how accurate the rendering of the subject is in terms of realism. This flagged up a few questions for me: why do some people automatically judge a piece of work to be incorrectly drawn if different to what they envisage the ‘correct’ image to look like? Why do some artists choose or favour drawing in an abstract way, yet can achieve highly detailed, realistic pieces of work? Why and how do some artists/practitioners select elements of the subjects characteristics to portray and how do they successfully convey this through their use of media and mark-making? When looking at historic mark-making, did representational drawing and depictions begin with archaic cave drawings which slowly evolved into more refined marks, then reverted back to more simplistic and abstract shapes with contemporary art? Was it shocking for the society within the era and culture that these abstract and non-realistic drawings where being produced alongside beautifully detailed pieces of work? Did the public deem these abstract risk-takers to be less skilled because of the differences in their work?
I acknowledge that this comparison of Picasso’s chicken and cockerel drawing is transferable to looking at studies of the human form and how artists use different influences and styles to produce their work, whether it be realistic, impressionistic etc. Art history shows that as humans, we have been obsessed with describing the human form as a whole or focusing on individual attributes of the body since we have learnt to make marks with Earth’s materials. This can be seen with sculptures, paintings, drawings and the like, which have been produced for a huge variety of reasons; wealth and power symbols, enjoyment, information/warnings/ religion and culture etc.
I have enjoyed reading about the renaissance period and how artists during this period were united in their aim to study the human form accurately and so, according to royalacademy.org.uk, figure drawing was born as a collective activity. For many years, it was the tradition to study the human figure and ‘correctly’ describe it; I believe this is what is referred to now as classical or atelier drawing? I enjoyed looking at Michelangelo and Da Vinci’s historic drawings of figures; many as preparatory work for their further investigations or masterpieces. I believe that the intense studying and drawing of the human figure, traditionally in the nude, was initially meant as a way to further encourage accurate and detail description of the form rather than elicit shock and offence to the viewers of their studies. The artists would see beyond the nudity for the structure of the figure, the skeleton, then come back out to the shape of the muscles then how the skin was wrapped around those muscles to complete the anatomical figure. A bare or undressed figure, free of restriction and disguise would enable accurate measuring and observing of the figure in its natural form. This sturdy foundation was then built on to drape the figures in textiles if so desired.
A search through google and various social media platforms brings up an array of contemporary figure drawings. It’s not hard to find a wide spectrum of styles and expressions of the human figure. Some of these pieces appeared, to me, to want to draw out unusual feelings and emotions whilst others I found were quite calming and delicate; an appreciation for the human form as if it were. I found highly sexualized nude figure drawings or portraits quite distasteful and I found myself feeling as though it was more pornographic and that it was difficult to concentrate on and understand the techniques used to create the piece and be able enjoy it as a composition. However, this is my mere opinion and there were many contemporary nude figure drawings that I did enjoy studying, more so towards the loose line and figurative drawings which had a suggestion of the human form, rather than a hyper-realistic recordings. I especially liked returning, multiple times, to Kaupelis’ book Experimental Drawing for contemporary figure drawings due to the wealth of examples to select for inspiration in my own experimentation here: the simplicity of a few lines, contour drawing, blind drawing. The list is non-exhaustive, as is the variety of ways to study the human body. I really love looking at all styles of work revolving around the figure as it gives me a small insight into how perception and expression play a huge role in how the figure is described and what the overall outcome and feel of a piece has. Much like Picasso’s chicken and cockerel drawings, some people perceive a ‘right way and a wrong way’ to draw the human body, and others have a more open-mindset and can explore the ‘grey area’ between the black and white with expression, spontaneous experimentation and freedom in their risk-taking to go against tradition.
Investigation
Robert Kaupelis, Experimental Drawing, Watson-Guptill, 1980
This drawing inspired me to ask and investigate what recognisable features or patterns do the human eyes and brain need to see before recognising a human form?
Whilst following some exercise’s in Kaupelis’ Experimental Drawing, I decided to branch off and investigate in my sketchbook some techniques which could be used to describe the figure. I was intrigued about the simplicity of figure drawing in an abstract or figurative style and when we as the viewer recognise it is a figure drawing we are looking at in an unrealistic representation. The following photos document my learning; photo captions explain my thought and physical processes.
For the first of my experiments, I decided to follow some exercises from Kaupelis’ Experimental Drawing. and try contour drawing and blind contour drawing. I also took inspiration from other featured artists work and tried similar techniques with a reference photo from New Masters Academy. I kept using the same image to try different techniques and mediums as I didn’t want to be distracted by the different energies or dynamics of individual poses, rather observe the differences of the medium and technique itself. The top drawing is a pencil structure and dry brushing with leftover earthy tones from my watercolour paint palette. Second drawing bottom left is a ‘partial peek’ contour drawing in ink without a pencil structure so proportions were off due to only taking my eyes off the model to look down occasionally. The third drawing, bottom right, is a blind contour drawing in ink where I didn’t take my eyes off the model and drew on the paper blind. I took inspiration from Luca Cambiaso for this.
4th drawing, top, is a pencil structure with ink laid over in the style of Abrecht Durer in his Portrait of Agnes. According to Kaupelis, he used hatchurling over the body to describe form and tone, apart from on the face. I quite liked the simplicity and semi-looseness of this style of working. 5th drawing is in the style of Egon Schiele who distorted the figure in his Self-Portrait, 1910, and used tone sparingly. I thought about how he would need to observe the accurate structure of the human figure to be able to distort the figure to how he felt it should be distorted. Without the preliminary studies of the figure, how would Schiele have known how to to distort the parts of the body he needed to, to get the desired effect?
6th, 7th and 8th drawings are abstract contour drawings in pencil, ink and finally charcoal. I noticed by the charcoal version, I was loosening up quite a bit and the slow steadiness had become more smooth and quick strokes of charcoal which meant proportion suffered a bit but looseness and expressiveness had grown.
I really enjoyed following an exercise here that involved allowing the heel of the hand to rest on the support and smudge the charcoal as the drawing progressed. Usually, this technique would cause some anxiety and usually I wouldn’t allow my hand to smudge the work I had so precisely placed. However, it was quite liberating to go against the norm for this contour drawing with charcoal. 10th picture, bottom is a blind contour drawing in pencil without taking pencil off of the paper. When comparing this blind contour drawing to drawing number 3, it is easier to see that I was a lot more anchored as the pencil remained on the paper and maintained specific reference points on the figure which helped keep the drawing more ‘together’.
Drawing 13 sees a progressive charcoal drawing where I reduced the number of lines I used to describe the figure which are representational of the contour lines and lines of flow. I enjoyed seeing how different ways of working produced these results, some looking very smooth and slowing, others looking jaunty and less refined.
One of my favourite experiments so far is this Indian ink exercise where I started with 5 lines and gradually reduced until I drew the figure with 1 line. This gave me a great perspective on what the single dominant line of flow was in the figure, the one that represented, to me, what the figure looked like in its most basic form. I also was able to see how varying the weight and shape of the line helped to describe different parts of the figure, whether they be the solid torso or more delicate fingertips.
Drawing 13 is an experiment where I develop a contour drawing and basic lines of flow with trialling wet into wet and wet on dry with Indian ink. I started with a large patch of water on the paper and painted the Indian ink in for the figure. With the other two drawings, I gradually reduced the area of water so there were more sharp edges than ink finding patches of water. I found this quite exciting as I didn’t know where the areas of ink were going to bleed into the water which meant the drawing had unpredictable qualities. Perhaps, If I wanted more control over this, I could lay down specific areas of water, or even a tonal wash to see where they are, to control where I put the figure lines.
Experiment 14 moves towards applying a more controlled wash of tone to my figure. I used undiluted Indian ink to lay down the contour lines and then when dry, applied areas of water where I wanted tone and diluted the ink on the paintbrush progressively, applying the darker and mid tones wet-in-wet to describe form. I feel this is quite an abstract outcome and something quite dynamic and striking because of the sharp contrast of undiluted Indian ink, the white of the support and the tonal washes helping to bring together the concept. I wonder what this would like on a colour or rough support? Or even if I introduced a little colour into the tonal washes or line?
Drawing 15 is a simple and delicate drawing of a figure with a nude colour palette to describe form. I applied a very light contour line and then applied the darker tones wet-in-wet.
I had fun with this drawing in that it started with a cross-contouring drawing in pencil, then I saw a wrapped effect, a bit like drapery over the body from the shape of the lines following the curves of the figure. I also imagined a lined wrap around the limbs and torso.
I decided to spiral my lines around the body parts to give a caged, wire effect. Not quite sure why I went in this direction but I am glad I experimented and took the risk to try something that came to me as an idea. It is a liberating technique in that it asks the viewer to look for patterns and shapes it recognises into understanding the drawing as a figure.
Originally, my idea for drawing 17 was going to be an ink cross-contour drawing but I felt like I had experimented enough with that technique at the moment. This drawing started as a pencil structure and then I felt like changing the medium to fountain pen as I knew the ink was soluble and would therefore bleed if I touched it with a wet medium. I also knew that fountain pen ink has more colour variation to it when bled when comparing it to Indian ink.
Drawing 17 saw me pick up the rigger again and add the same nude colour I used in drawing 15. I gently dragged some of the fountain pen contour line into the areas of tone with the watercolour nude wash I was applying with the rigger. I used the rigger because I knew with certain pressure, I would be able to bend the brush bristles and apply a spontaneous and loose wash so it wouldn’t be so detailed but I could get interesting results with the combination of watercolour and ink. The area of tone could be controlled but the mixture of colours bleeding together was a lot more unpredictable which was satisfying for me to observe. The mixture of soft and hard edges offer some interest to this drawing too and I would like to consider this technique for Assignment 4.
Drawing 17
Here I draw abstract shapes and marks and question my family which body parts they think they are.
A mixture of lines and shapes which describe a figure. This style reminds me of some of Picasso and Modigliani’s work.
The experimentation that I have undertaken here will set me up for the rest of Part Four as I will be able to recall the various techniques and materials that I have experimented with. Also, by looking at the human figure with all of the exercises, the time spent observing and finding the contours and structural bases for the figure drawings has improved my technique and observation to some extent. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of Part Four brings and how I feel inspired by it.
– Demonstration of technical and visual skills – Materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills (35%) The submission for Assignment 3 demonstrates my ability to apply tonal ink washes and detail made with brush strokes and dip pen marks. I opted for a monochromatic colour palette because I wanted to focus on the sense of perspective and focus on the amphitheatre as the main subject. The view in which I opted to draw was from the top of the huge stone seating looking out to sea. I spent a while observing the depth of my view, the steps closest to me would be in focus and detailed, with the steps at the bottom of the stair case and beyond would seem to gradually appear out of focus. I also wanted to represent the perspective changing with the tonal variation; strong contrasts closer to the viewer. I chose a cold-pressed medium weight of paper which would give me a relatively smooth line, which would be ideal for describing the stone stair amphitheatre seating. The slight roughness would also allow me to use a slightly drier brush and see some white areas on the sea be left around the tooth of the paper, describing reflections from the sea’s surface. I tried to keep my line in-between loose and tight, giving the impression of a slightly atmospheric and aged scene, rather than a realistic, polished looking drawing. I think the design to present the view from the top of the amphitheatre was to help draw the eyes from the strong lines of the steps down to the contrast area around the middle of the drawing, on to the foliage and out to sea and the clear bright sky. I tried to ensure there was interest in the drawing with the earth and foliage running from right to left diagonally around the viewing platform, following the line of the steps but also by using the limited colour palette, the viewer was taken around the drawing and its use of simple lines and strong contrasts in tone. I felt that with a mixture of the lines being parallel, diagonal and horizontal, and the looseness of the rendering of the stone steps and foliage on the earth, the drawing would have a dynamic feel to it with interest coming from these conflicts between smooth and rough, manmade and natural. The use of ink came through experimentation in my sketch book. I felt the darkness gave the stone steps a feeling of solidity and strength against the sky and sea. Through experimenting with other materials, I found that the use of colour distracted my mind from the feeling that I wanted to evoke from the viewer in this piece. I visited the amphitheatre to try to understand the positioning of it and the perspective against the vast open sky and sea it overlooked. I also tried to observe the amphitheatre from many view points to see if there was another perspective I hadn’t noticed before which would make an interesting composition. It was also interesting to see the amphitheatre in the autumn/winter season as the shadows were longer than they had been when I visited in the summer with the sun directly overhead.
– Quality of outcome – content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas (20%) The scene’s content itself shows what I had envisaged the outcome to include, but I am sad at the rendering and description of the tones and textures of the subjects in the composition. I also feel disappointed that the use of perspective and the lines used on the steps, let down my aim to describe the Roman built architecture standing strong and impressive in and amongst the natural landscape. It looks out of proportion and feeble in my eyes. I experienced that the lines detailing the steps were a lot more difficult to draw in a way that shows good knowledge and application of media to describe the steps accurately in this relatively realistic drawing. I also feel that the content feels a little bland with a lack of texture to the sea and/or sky. The application of the tonal ink wash was too wet and I wasn’t able to pick out reflections on the sea with the tooth of the paper. My thoughts of the overall piece are of disappointment and I am not entirely happy with this submission. I feel I have let myself down with a lack of experimentation and research, paying particular attention to how the lines would appear when drawn on a bigger scale, and the use of perspective. I don’t feel there needs to be any other features in this composition’s content, but perhaps had I investigated further into the details and textures I could have applied, remembering perspective, in the fore, middle and back ground sections of this composition, I would feel that the drawing’s composition links together cohesively, as the Romans built it. Overall, it isn’t a bad drawing and I can see and understand where improvements could be made to develop this drawing further. If I were to attempt it again, perhaps I would try from a different angle, to get more of a feel of the steps and their textures against the delicate and intricate greenery cliffs overlooking the sea. I would also pay particular attention to the vanishing points, ensuring that the squareness of the steps is shown here. My idea to incorporate the concept of the intelligent mathematics that were utilised in ensuring the amphitheatre steps fit snugly together is lost in my drawing, but I would try to develop this idea in a future drawing. I do like the way the brushstrokes and large areas of tone simplify the greenery in front of the amphitheatre, creating a little energy and movement with the wind direction that was blowing across from East to West. I also feel the subtle lifting-out technique in the sky for clouds and the wet-into-wet technique to describe tonal variations in the stone are pleasant and do not take anything away from the scene. I could have perhaps gone a bit further with these techniques to develop the overall feel I was aiming for.
– Demonstration of creativity – imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice (25%) Experimentation, compared with Assignment 2, was fairly limited within the preliminary work to this assignment due a number of factors. Due to health and family priorities, I found applying myself completely to the second half of Part. Although this was a burden to my studies, I also found out a lot about myself in terms of my learning and studying style and habits. I found that my creativity, passion and enjoyment wavered with emotional stress involved. It almost created a block which was hard to work around. It did feel unnatural to return to my studies and I feel my lack of research and experimentation during this period of difficulty reflects this somewhat. I believe that experiencing this and seeing my personal voice struggle through in this drawing (when I look at it, I feel as if it was drawn by someone else in their style) has shown me that it would have been better to keep progressing with my studies with small steps rather than take a large period of time away from it. My personal voice seemed to be really quiet and shy after a break. On a positive, I did try to experiment out of my comfort zone in drawing on such a large plane and using a tonal wash rather than watercolours. This was interesting as ink cannot be manipulated so easy after it has been applied if it is staining so I had to work in a slightly different way. Again, if I had experimented with this more extensively prior to the Assignment piece, my expectations and experience may have been more prepared. I am really pleased with my ideas for this piece, even if the communication and application were not to my expectations. I imagined this scene to feel historic and timeless at the same time. This view would have been fairly similar for thousands of years, with the introduction of the amphitheatre, and the contrast of the manmade structure and the natural landscape surrounding inspired me to create a drawing which played on this concept, inviting the viewers in to the scene with the specific perspective from the top of the steps.
– Context reflection – research, critical thinking (learning logs and, at second and third level, critical reviews and essays) (20%) I have discussed the research above but I would like to add that I have started to explore this assignment again (in the interim period of after submission and before tutor feedback) starting with researching other artists who focus on historic monuments with black and white colour themes. Also, I have been practising drawing curved archways and pavements keeping in mind the perspective. Also, I will be experimenting different types of line with the dip pen but also trying different media to work with here. Potentially, this scene would have looked like it had more life and drama if used with mixed media. Reflecting back on this, this should have been preparatory work for this assignment, not post-reflection.
A really enjoyable walk around the sculpture park enabled me to see these sculptures up close and personal. I actually found this sculpture park in Part 2, but I’ve revisited them for this exercise and it was nice to try charcoal and pencil to describe these forms. There is a lot to understand about sculpture and, just in a small snapshot that I have documented here, I can see how expressive artists can be with their chosen materials. The variety of sculptures and their textures, whether raw, smooth, dynamic, soft and flowing all have a story to tell and I think a lot of my intrigue and reaction to the pieces comes from being able to lay my hands on them and feel the forms under my finger tips. Many questions arise from the design of the sculptures too. Which materials/colours to use? Single or mixed materials? How tall/wide? How to position? How will the light (reflected light and shadows) effect the overall feel of the piece to the viewer? What message will the piece emit? How will it look from different angles?
These questions are much like those I would ask myself when looking at drawings and paintings, or even planning my own. Sculpture, to me, opens up a new world of possibilities, in that the subject becomes three dimensional, open to interpretation with all sides exposed, leading me to think that the artist has to think about the sculpture’s vulnerabilities from all angles.
For this exercise, I really liked the idea of the colour flowing in like a mist. I also was drawn to the dark links and limited tonal variation.
Experimenting with media / mixed media
Trying a sketch-style with the ochre colour for tone
Moving away from the dark line here and opting for an ochre line in colouring pencil to sketch out the scene.
Enjoying using the light tone of the paper as the brightest tone in the scene.
This drawing makes me feel quite relaxed and happy to look at. Not only does it bring a sense of familiarity as it is near my home, but the warm, rich ochre colour reminds me of the warmth of the sun that beats down on this road and its houses. I’ve not worked with a monochromatic colour palette before and opted for this because I felt like it provided my drawing with the relaxed and light-hearted feel I wanted. The subtlety of the tones is much better than the previous attempt with the dark line which feels quite harsh and rigid in this sun-kissed scene. I found it easier to describe aerial perspective with this duo of pencil and watercolour paint than with the pastels which I tried in an earlier exercise. I lightened my touch/pressure and retracted the intensity of the colour, the further away the lines and forms were from the viewer to achieve this.
Considering the perspective exercises in part 4, I did find this exercise a little easier than if I hadn’t completed the preparatory work. After finishing the line drawing, I saw a few areas, such as the road not meeting on the horizon or the foreground fence panels being slightly ‘off’, that didn’t conform to their receding lines or vanishing points. I felt like my preliminary sketches, documented in Exercise 1, helped me to shape the drawing and get a real feel for how it would look once complete. I tried to capture the sense of perspective, with lightening the weight of the line and using lighter cross hatching for the little areas of tone, as the drawings recedes towards the horizon. If I were to draw this scene again, I would like to spend more time focusing on the receding lines of the angular perspective to really ensure the drawing completely knits together. I also would like to draw with a tighter line to make the drawing more realistic.
Laura Baker 522918 Learning Log - Drawing 1 