Starting this exercise off with a few photos of some cloud formations. I am at an advantage where I live because visually, I can see a lot of open sky therefore I am treated to vast cloud displays! I particularly like looking at clouds when the sun is setting and rising as the colours that they reflect are stunning to experience. I also appreciate the solidarity and heaviness they speak of when getting ready to release rain; I have noticed there is such a difference in terms or appearance and movement in different types of clouds. This is something to be conscious of when producing landscapes I believe, if the clouds are wind-swept and billowing or heavy because of a storm and strong winds, what might the surroundings and other features in the landscape, how might they behaving in this environment.
The following photos document my work for Exercise 1.
Experimenting with charcoal to depict a soft but heavy and billowing storm cloud
20/01/2020
Returning to this section to add an image I found when researching Tacita Dean in Project 3. I really enjoyed seeing her use of mixed media on an unusual base to create this really calm and mesmerising piece. the use of really light tones against the dark bluey-grey of the slate contrast really well but the use of soft edges created by the spray chalk ensure that the contrast is gradual in areas, resulting in a piece that is dynamic yet easy on the eye.
In this short video: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2019/vija-celmins, Vija Celmins describes her traumatic childhood during WWII and how it may have influenced her drawings and paintings; by looking at photographs and illustrations, she makes the link between this research and her remembrance of the war she lived through. Celmins started with references and inspiration taken from pop art, studying photographs to replicate intensely. She then widens her skill set by exploring photo-realism and realistic drawings and paintings. Celmins says “the painting often has an emotional quality to it” which leads me to believe that although Celmins presents viewers with drawings and paintings which are realistic, they still contain emotion and artistic perspective; inviting the viewer in to learn more about the structure and aesthetics of what she sees in her mind’s eye rather than simply observing without feeling. However, Celmins then proceeds to state “I’m not into telling stories, I like a lot of retinal activity”. Her drawings are conducive to this statement as they feature laboriously illustrated dots, dashes and marks which are obviously time consuming yet compelling in the finished piece. I feel this artists drawings are intended to be studied for a while, maybe not necessarily to find the story but for the viewer to observe and feel immersed in the atmosphere of the piece whilst appreciating the attention to detail in describing the subject within the piece.
Celmins reminds me of Michael Karaken, who I looked at previously in the course. His style is also realistic but laden with atmosphere and emotion. Interestingly, I notice that the majority of both Celmins and Karakens pieces which I find moody and atmospheric, yet combine realistic and precise detail, are rendered in a black and white format. Possibly the colours would distract from the clever use of light, which would change the feel of the piece. I would like to practise this in my sketchbook; what would happen if I produced the same drawing, one in monochrome and one in colour?
I wonder how I would use Celmins style in my own work? I prefer a more loose and expressive style and I think this would prove a challenge to me, to not rely on the line and utilise intelligent and expressive areas of tone to describe light and dark, representing 3D forms. I wonder what effects Karaken and Celmins used in their work to ensure that the atmosphere they intended to portray was retained in their drawings whilst still conveying the subject realistically. It looks to me that the drawings are done in a soft edged way, so the lines are not too harsh and brash, ensuring a soft vision is easy on the eye, it also makes me feel that the subjects are easy to recognise yet the styles ensure the viewer want to look more intently and absorb the information within the scene, rather than a quick glance.
Another note to mention is that the whole of the plane is used to present the ocean in the above drawing by Celmins. This is a technique I have not considered before. It is very absorbing, consuming and shows a dynamic and immersive piece. For me, it does create quite an impact and although there is only one subject in this drawing, there is so much detail that, as Celmins states, there is a fair amount of retinal activity to observe and analyse the whole piece. It may be beneficial to me to experiment with this viewpoint in my sketchbook; what does the subject look like from a different viewpoint, i.e. further away, from above, from an angle, or as above, completely filling the frame. Once I have attempted these investigative experiments in my sketchbook, i’ll reflect on them in this blog.
Researching Dürer has informed me that he was a competent practitioner from a young age and was well travelled throughout his artistic career. His experiences in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland had an influential impact on his work and style as between phases of painting, he experimented with etching, engraving and printing which, according to Art The Whole Story, Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2010, printing had a significant factor in helping to shape the Northern Renaissance and it’s art movement. The wide spread reproductions of Dürer’s work enabled him to become extremely well recognised and financially prosperous as his work became more accessible and financially obtainable. Whilst I could express that there may be an element of degradation of originality and uniqueness when mass-producing artwork, I do feel that Dürer’s prints were able to become widely recognisable and ultimately reach the homes and enrich the lives of many who could not afford original pieces of art, which can only be a positive outcome.
Looking at the landscape paintings below, I have selected two paintings which are very similar. The reason I chose to select these two based on their similarities was to compare and analyse the differences in which the overall feel and tones of the landscape scene change by the addition of clouds (on the left) when compared to a scene without. Because of the colour palette utilised and the tonal variations, I would have actually guessed that the painting on the right should have had the clouds included. The buildings feel darker, more oppressive and sombre, encouraging me to feel that there is a dark and heavy atmosphere which would be suitable to moody and atmospheric low lying clouds. The roof tiles show a darkness in comparison to the painting on the left which appear light and airy as if the sun is to the right of the scene judging by the subtle cast shadows made by the dormer windows in the roofs. Although one could argue that Dürer captured a fleeting moment where a gap in the cloud formation formed, enabling a distinct area of sunlight to shine through and illuminate the scene. If I were to approach a similar task, I think I would struggle to remember how this scene would look in these temporary conditions and I would need a lot of sketch annotations and possibly utilise a camera to record the shadows and light etc. I do observe the effect of perspective is clever and there is a vanishing point in both landscapes, although I do feel that the perspective is slight off as some of the roof lines and walls don’t follow the same vanishing point, giving an ever so slightly warped and ‘free-hand’ style, which in my mind, adds character and charm to the period buildings. This surprises me considering Dürer produced a woodcut in the 1525 edition of perspective and proportion textbook called The Painter Studying The Laws Of Foreshortening By Means Of Threads And A Frame. Although these are just my observations and my historic knowledge and experience is limited, therefore there could be many reasons as to why Dürer has chosen to paint in this style of which I am missing the point. Overall, the landscape scenes with buildings show no people or theme but yet still retain an element of interest with the recognisable shape of the buildings, appropriate for the time period in which the painting was produced. I feel that the elevated viewpoint gives a sense of grandeur and a greater view of the courtyards and beyond, with the towering roof lines receding into the background, which I think is possibly what Dürer intended, for the viewer to be able to see beyond the foreground walls to give further depth to the painting.
Moving onto study Claude Lorrain, I find a painting that I looked at earlier in Part 3, Landscape With Sacrifice To Apollo, 1662. I studied this painting previously because I liked the way Lorrain added a sense of softness and romance to the landscape setting which is classical in style. The colour palette has a warm gold hue and the scene feels calm and his style produces a romantic feeling, almost mystical feel to the overall outcome of the scene. What I also find interesting is one of his ‘methods’ of producing the landscapes, which https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1145.html succinctly explains: “Claude’s early compositions consist of receding tracts of land accentuated by tonal modulations from dark foreground to bright green middle ground and icy blue distance”. The text at https://www.theartstory.org/artist/lorrain-claude/ explains that “his works characterised by a Baroque classicism which is especially evident in his depiction of antique architecture, and his emphasis on dramatic contrasts of light and shade” helps me to understand the context and era in which he painted a little further.
E.H. Gombrich, The Story Of Art, 1984, Phaidon Press Ltd
This is evident when I looked at other landscape scenes by Lorrain, such as Pastoral Landscape: The Roman Campagna, 1639; perhaps this style/method, that he possibly learnt on his travels in Rome, could be explained as a stylistic approach to paint the idealistic landscape through attention to detail and a realistic approach to landscape painting. The methods that Lorrain adopts makes me question if the methods he followed were a ‘recipe’ or process that the majority of painters followed to produce landscapes or whether they took the process and made it their own with their own creative vision and style? Through my research so far, it seems that quite a few landscapes where painted in the 1600’s in a similar style to Lorrain, with attention to detail when describing trees, foliage and clouds; warm, golden light that illuminates the scene and a reasonably dark toned foreground, lighter green mid-ground and and icy-blue background, as described earlier by nga.gov. For example, Jaboc Van Ruisael, A Pool Surrounded By Trees, 1660 and Bartholomeus Breenbergh, The Preaching of John the Baptist, 1634 also adopt these techniques.
Laurence Stephen Lowry
“I watched this scene — which I’d looked at many times without seeing — with rapture.”
L.S. Lowry
The quote above (taken from https://www.christies.com/features/10-things-to-know-about-LS-Lowry-8657-1.aspx) strikes a chord with me on my artistic journey as I feel that I am often looking but not seeing on many occasions. How many ideas and inspirational moments can be captured if I took the time to enjoy them, and then manipulate my tools and media to express an outcome which produces a reaction to my experiences?
Lowry’s landscapes were produced around 200 years later than Lorrain’s. It is immediately clear from the stylistic approach to both these artist’s landscapes that a large period of time has passed, with several artistic movements and other cultural influential factors presenting a marked difference between the two artist’s work.
The landscape below shows dark, opaque colours applied, creating a sense of heaviness and poverty. I have understood this painting was painted during a time in which the Second world War had happened shortly before, and this scene gives me a sense of the gloomy years post-war period where the city is rebuilding and the community is recovering amidst the industrial environment. Although it does feel quite a gloomy scene, I feel there is a little hope here, that the businesses and the games still go on and the community still comes together, regardless of the current situation. This landscape is a world away from those painted by Turner, Lorrain and Dürer, it almost feels childlike and clumsy in comparison. But if we look at the landscapes of Cezanné, Van Gogh and Constable, I can see traces of different elements that come into play which have left impressions on artists over the years, until we get to Lowry; this gives me an understanding of how the art movements help shape and evolve different styles which are so wide and varied today. The opacity of Lowry’s limited colour palette and the dark, filthy atmosphere which surrounds the city and football match contrast greatly to the artist’s styles that I have researched previously. This combined with the relative flatness to some of the landscape shapes gives me a feeling of a slightly abstract painting here.
Lastly, I wanted to express that I found that Lowry appeared to be comfortable to paint scenes and landscapes which do not necessary represent the epitome of beautiful landscapes and themes, whereas the likes of Lorrain and Turner strove to achieve this in their works, marking another great comparison between historic and contemporary artists.
George Shaw
Moving onto another different style again, artist George Shaw presents landscape paintings playing around the styles of abstraction and realism. His chosen scenes are ones that conjure up childhood memories but invite the viewer to consider the social and political statements that the artist is making through his work. Immediately I notice a difference in the majority of his landscapes, almost as if Shaw is painting the unseen and unloved scenes, the landscapes that are not usually admired for their typical beauty and lustrous foliage: “Now its roof has gone and its gutted shell is fenced off. This is just one of the images of decline and decay that fill Shaw’s ruinous pastoral.”
It seems that Shaw wants to document but also include messages or statements for the viewer to digest, centring around the presence of people which are absent from the paintings. It maybe that Shaw uses Rembrandt as inspiration for his realism style but other than the realistic style, I do not see or can find many similarities between Rembrandt and Shaw in terms of: chosen media, colour palette, execution of brush technique, lighting representation which feels soft and illuminating in Rembrandt’s scenes. An interesting thought I observed: Rembrandt’s landscapes remind me very much of Turner and Claude, as discussed earlier, with soft, mystical atmospheres, warm hues and washes of light illuminating the landscape the viewer can relax and enjoy. Shaw’s paintings do not feel relaxing to me, they offer me an uncomfortable viewing, ensuring I am taking note of the political and social messages contained within the scene which lead a little towards abstraction I feel. However I do agree with his statement that both himself and Rembrandt’s self-portrait paintings document time passing and the environment changing: “in the same way that Rembrandt’s self-portraits are a mirror of his society and the way in which that changed, so these paintings of a place which has changed through nature and through political will is also a representation of a person that came from here” (https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/george-shaw-i-make-no-distinction-between-great-painting-and-great-tv) This could appear to the viewer as a time lapse being shown through the artists works and Shaw’s link between documenting the life that is lived in his urban landscape scenes without actually including people and figures. Finally I observe that Shaw pays particular attention to the use of light and which effects it can play on the scene as well as the overall feel of the piece, I believe Shaw uses this technique to his advantage, especially when describing the degradation of the urban landscapes from his childhood that he revisits in his paintings, which create gloomy, depressive and weary scenes, especially when considered with the muted and dull colour palette utilised in this works. When comparing this to the artists such as Lorrain, Dürer and Turner, I see they also dedicate thoughtful planning into how light can enrich their paintings and create an atmosphere that is almost mystical in it’s presentation to depict idealistic beautiful landscapes.
Sarah Woodfine
Researching Sarah Woodfine returns interesting results on her expressive landscapes. The 3D drawings that she produces are clever and engineered, a unique twist using her experience as a sculptor. I enjoyed looking at her creative works, they bring a sense of nostalgia as I remember designing and building similar constructions, such as a diorama, as a child. The depth in the landscape composition is created by physically placing elements of the drawing behind and in front of one another creating interesting dynamics and I particularly like the intelligent use of cast shadows and reflected light. For example, Woodfine’s ‘Newfoundland’ (pictured below) has cleverly placed components that add interest and fluidity around the scene: the tent produces a cast shadow pointing diagonally across towards the boat, drawing the eyes across the scene, which produces its own reflection on the lake it sits on. I observe that whilst Woodfine has used realism in each drawing she has placed within her landscape, there is a theme and feeling of surrealism and fantasy in how she has brought the landscape through from conceptualisation to execution. This was of working, combining 3D construction, sculpture and drawings ensures that the multi-disciplinary way of working creates unusual yet intriguing pieces of working. It makes me question why Woodfine would work in this way: could the drawing not provoke the same thoughts and feelings if it were produced in 2D? Did she intentionally plan to create shadows within her landscape to create an atmosphere? How did Woodfine plan the negative spaces around the back of the objects as they are not flat against the plan? I would definitely like to experiment with this style of working within this course.
It has taken just over a week since starting exercise 3 to finishing it and I’m pleased with my journey. I have had to walk away from this exercise a couple of times, and come back after a restful night and a little more research. I am aware that it was not an assignment, but the variety of research that I undertook and the knowledge I have gained from this exercise has been quite heavy and I am grateful that I followed my instincts to not let this exercise go by as a missed opportunity.
I have noticed recently that the more I get ‘in tune’ with the artist’s voice and vision in my mind, the more challenging and fun the exercises are to explore. It feels like I have an inner voice that is slowly starting to build, develop, get stronger, be more decisive and confident. Simon, my tutor, said in my last feedback “I have confidence enough in your abilities to suggest to you to not overthink but to act on instinct”. I have never received this feedback, which felt like permission, before but once received, I felt freer and happier to just go ahead and take the risks, explore with the media, go wild with the experimenting… The possibilities are genuinely endless and I am enthralled by the idea that I could go anywhere and the only limitations are my own that I set myself. Little questions keep popping up in my mind: “What if I did this? How would that look like this or like that or with this? How can I do this better? Where have I seen this before? Which artists are known for this?” etc. Sometimes I feel like a firework has gone off inside my head and I just can’t get the ‘excitement to create’ out quick enough so I’ve been writing in my diary and making to-do lists as a coping mechanism to help remind me what ideas I have thought of; especially useful to keep a notepad by the bed for those 3am epiphanies.
I’ve also discovered that the further I take my independent research of materials, media tools etc. the more I am learning about their (and mine) limitations but also possibilities. It is a really exciting venture to learn that some media can be manipulated differently to produce an entirely different outcome than originally thought. Also, I am discovering, with a little experience and practice, I can manipulate the materials in a more refined or competent way to achieve the effect I set out for.
Whilst reading through my modest collection of art books, I highlighted the paintings and drawings I thought would serve me well in this exercise after studying the brief and requirements. Below are 9 photographs: 1 taken from Brooker, Suzanne. Essential Techniques Of Landscape Drawing, 2018, Watson-Guptill Publications and the other 8 taken from Gombrich, E.H. The Story Of Art, 1984, Phaidon Press Limited. These photos help document some of my self-led learning during Exercise 3 in which I have been reading about the artists who created this artwork to gain a better understanding of the context in which they were produced and to study the detail of the methods of application of the mark-making to help me develop my vision for Exercise 3 and beyond.
Photo 1 Suzanne Brooker, Aspen Meadow, 2017
Photo 2 Gainsborough, Rural Scene, approx. 1786
Photo 3 Van Gogh, Landscape with Cypresses near Arles, 1889
Photo 4 Kao K’o-Kung, Landscape after rain, 1250-1300
Photo 5 Henri Rousseau
Photo 6 Benozzo Gozzoli, The Journey of the Magi to Bethlehem, 1459-1463
Photo 7 Painting of a pond, approx. 1400 BC
Photo 8 Watteau, Fete in a Park, 1718
Photo 9 Pissarro, The Boulevard des Italiens, morning, sunlight, 1897
I wanted to take a little time to reflect on a few of the photos above: Photo 1 – Brooker. Suzanne, Essential Techniques Of Landscape Drawing, 2018, Watson-Guptill Publications. I found this book through Amazon.co.uk and whilst studying the text and the references to various other artists, I also found further links to develop my studies and find inspiration from a larger scope of artists. The front cover drew me immediately as it tied in so well with Exercise 3 and my personal tastes, (Suzanne Brooker, Aspen Meadow, 2017, Graphite on Bristol paper) the front cover displays Brooker’s drawing, the detailed and accurate representation of the trees in the fore and middle ground and realistic and show good use of leaving white areas to represent light falling on the bark. The drawing also demonstrates perspective, with the background less detailed and sharp than the foreground. The rest of the book does not disappoint in offering helpful advice in creating landscape scenes through drawing. I have also been made aware of Michael Kareken, whose fabulous use of conté is displayed on the back cover with a piece entitled ‘Fallen Trees’, unintentionally inviting me to look at further works by himself and also investigate what dura-lar, his foundation on which he applies the conté, is. When looking closer at Kareken’s work, I find I feel an awful lot, and the more I look, the more I see in terms of movement, atmosphere, tonal variation, contrast, expressive marks. They are an absolutely wonderful source of inspiration for me for Part Three and I am sure I will be returning to Kareken’s work continually.
Photo 2 – Looking at Gainsborough’s simple use of leaving white areas for light in his landscape sketch I also feel some inspiration here for my Exercise 3 drawing. Although simple in style, I do feel the marks offer a sense of direction and energy in the scene. In the book, The Story of Art by E.H. Grombrich, the author explains that Gainsborough ‘designed’ these landscape scenes rather than draw what he actually saw from nature: “they are landscape ‘composition’, designed to evoke and reflect mood”. I wonder why Gainsborough decided to manipulate the landscape to his own design. Did he not find the rural countryside inspirational enough to spark interest? Could he not find a good viewpoint to study? The scene he draws is rustic and rural, but perhaps the landscaping he designs in his minds’ eye satisfies his artistic vision and offers a more enticing scene to produce; a more aesthetic landscape? Perhaps he liked the challenge to construct and piece together a scene from what he observes on his walks?
Photo 3 – One of the more obviously famous pieces here is Van Gogh’s landscape painting, which was completed approximately one year before he took his own life. the work I see here represents more of the artist’s voice, perception and mental state than it does to represent the natural landscape before him; almost an anecdotal story. The brushstrokes and colour palette used in this piece are simple and non-offensive, albeit bold and solid in appearance. Simple shapes and marks are made to ensure the fluidity of the piece is continued along with the energy in the warped and distorted landscape. I am intrigued that Van Gogh’s work is strikingly different to the work I have previously look at in the landscape category, but it offers a strong contrast and an opportunity to compare the techniques used and the feelings/thoughts evoked by Van Gogh’s style and others previously studied. It is interesting that the foliageand texture of all of the trees and bushes are described in roughly the same way, with the same types of thin, swaying brush strokes, each meticulously laid down to describe the leaves and branches. I wonder if this was symbolic of his time in the mental asylum, where life was repetitive, slow and monotonous; taking one step at a time?
Photo 4 – I read that the Japanese would not paint from nature but imagine the scene in their mind’s eye after studying it and absorbing the ‘moods’ of the place (according to E.H.Gombrich) and the work of other masters of their discipline, then paint the scene onto a silk scroll, which was then to be brought out and read like poetry. I wonder if the Japanese ever undertook study sketches to enable them to produce relative accuracy in their landscapes? I also question which techniques they decided to use to describe the mood and ambience of the landscape they experienced and how this translates on the scroll for the viewer.
Photo 5 – I understand that Rousseau wasn’t a professionally trained artist and his style was to paint all details of the tree with intricacy and bright colours. The detail in the foliage of this work (Portrait of Joseph Brummer, 1909) shows me that Rousseau didn’t intend for the painting to be realistic, but show a very detailed representation of the bushes and trees in the background. The individual leaves are clearly marked, and it feels as though a sense of perspective/foreshortening is lost here because the detail is not out of focus in the background, which it may appear to be less focused in a more realistic style piece.
After my research, I started to apply some marks in my sketchbook to see what could be achieved from my thoughts so far for an outcome of Exercise 3. I already had a landscape scene in mind and I took a photograph of it to capture the scene seeing as I knew I would not be able to finish the drawing in-situ, so thought it would be best to try out some sketches of the scene, ready to develop when I returned home.
sketchbook experimenting with pastels
sketchbook experimenting with watercolour
sketchbook experimenting with oil pastels
sketchbook experimenting mixed media
This is the scene that captured my imagination. There aren’t many forests/woods near to where I live in Cyprus, so I thought it would be great to try to capture the dynamism of the palms when looking up at them. I discovered that the contrast with the sky was strong and the light falling onto the individual leaves of the palm would be a challenge to describe in my drawing.
When it came to drawing the scene out on paper, I really could not get what was in my mind’s eye, out onto the cartridge paper, I couldn’t find a place to start; artist’s block, if you will. The attempts I had made in my sketchbook to prepare for the final drawing in my sketchbook were not guiding me towards an end result for exercise 3 that I expected would come easily. The work produced in my sketchbook wasn’t sitting right and I couldn’t ‘connect’ and develop the drawings further.
Further work in sketchbook
Further work in sketchbook
Reflecting back on this, I believe that I was trying to focus on everything at once, all of the criteria in the exercise requirements and to be able to draw out what I think this meant in the first attempt. Perhaps I missed a few steps in exploring how to achieve these parts individually, such as: simplifying the scene, contrasting tonal areas, form and mass etc. Because my instincts were drawing me to a more loose and expressive style, I felt that reading Robert Kaupelis’s Experimental Drawing might do me some good as it may give indications on how to produce these techniques and methods whilst acknowledging my expressive and experimental drawing style at present. After a study session and picking out key pictures/text from the book to work from, I felt a renewed sense of confidence to try again with my drawing.
sketchbook experimentation
Last page of the sketchbook and I felt like I had ‘arrived’ at the style of drawing I wanted to proceed with
Drawing out the simplified landscape scene ‘Study of several trees’ Exercise 3. Tightened up some of the looseness from the experimentation in my sketchbook to get in a little more detail so I could express the white areas on the trees with a little more emphasis.
Applying tonal wash for the sky to contrast with the foliage and the tree trunks; this wash wasn’t applied as well as it could have been, I should have used a little more water as it was so hot, the watercolour paint dried too quickly in the Cypriot summer heat!
It was a funny but yet relieved feeling to get to this stage as I had suffered intense frustration before this and it felt like it had taken me so long to get from initial art book studying and sketchbook studies to the final drawing. In reality, it had been a week, but I found that the ideas and thoughts surrounding this exercise followed me around, causing me to feel a little restless with a little weight on my shoulders. I really did want to crack this! It is interesting however, that the feeling of ‘I’ve found it…there it is…’ instantly flooded into my mind, as soon as I had drawn the loose drawing of the palm tree on the last page of my sketchbook and rendered it with broad tones of watercolour paint. I’m not really sure what ‘it’ is or how I can articulate how it feels when I discover I’ve found ‘it’ as it is not always tangible for me but mostly seems to be a sensation that appears. Once I’ve found ‘it’ I know I can push on with gusto, almost like I’ve discovered the catalyst to enable to deepen my work and really entice my creativity even further.
Using my knowledge and experience from my studies and experimentation, I now find that I’m at ease with the drawing and I know which direction I would like to take this in. Below is the finished drawing for Exercise 3.
The palms in this study are the same species which would make distinguishing them a relatively unchallenged task as apposed to an arboretum or woodland full of various species of trees within close proximity to one another. However, distinguishing the individual branches, leaves and texture of the bark would a challenge to not underestimate. The dynamism of the direction of growth against the sky and in relation to the other palms in close proximity made for a dramatic and exotic scene which was light and airy; I was desperate to capture this in my drawing. I felt really excited to observe the simplicity of the trunks, growing up and snake-like, their smooth and concise forms contrasting greatly with the wildness and dramatic palm branches up above, growing this way and that. The individual leaves of the palm branches were splayed out at all angles, which meant capturing the light that fell over each delicate finger of the palm leaf was difficult when rendered in broad areas of tone. I feel my loose and expressive way of applying the watercolour tones acknowledge the contrast of colours but still leave room to represent the sunlight falling on the fronds and sun-facing areas of the trunks. The perspective for the background was achieved by not applying as heavy a line to the outline of the trees to give the impression that they were less in focus (in contrast to Henri Rousseau’s style as discussed above) and not applying a high level of saturation to the trunks and foliage to simulate the effect of perspective.
The fronds of each palm tree were huge, compacting and folding like a concertina in the middle and at the base and then splaying outwards so they masked a fair bit of light apart from in the extremities of the foliage mass, at the ends of the palm leaves, where little tapered ‘fingers’ appeared. The light appeared to bounce across these and stream through the gaps, showing little areas of rich blue sky. I tried to describe this in my drawing above by adding the detail and thinking about the contrast of colour of overlapping palm leaves from one tree to another, to show more obviously where one palm’s foliage began and ended.
Describing light was achieved by using broad areas of tone on the trunk and foliage, and leaving areas white where the lightest values were although I felt that by drawing with a loose, expressive line, it was harder to achieve this in the detailed yet messy foliage which meant I had to think more carefully where to apply the tones than on larger surface areas such as the trunks.
I simplified the scene by removing some other trees that were obscuring my view of the palms foliage and trunks and also selecting a few trees and placing them together, a bit like Gainsborough did with his ‘landscaped’ landscape drawing above, which enabled me to select the best bits for my composition and really add to the dynamic forms of the trees.
Post Exercise Reflection
A little further experimentation in my sketchbook and on cartridge paper as I felt like my artistic voice had a little more to say and there was something else to give on this exercise.
Dip pen, chop stick and Indian ink
Indian ink, chop stick
Indian ink, chop stick, dip pen, tin foil
Charcoal – I also tried this medium but my instinct was that it created an effect that I wasn’t trying to achieve in this experiment. At this point, I didn’t really know what outcome I was trying to achieve but as soon as I experimented with the Charcoal, it felt like I had taken a wrong turn. Going back to ink felt like rejoining the right path.
Indian ink, chop stick, tin foil
Annotating work to reflect on
An outcome I felt was good to stop at. I applied tonal washes with the ink to give a sense of depth to the foliage and trunks of the trees.
Above are photos documenting my research and experimenting. I really enjoyed the tonal variation created by the utilisation of different tools (tin foil, dip pen, Indian ink, chop stick, paintbrush). Dark/light tones, delicate and intricate lines, solid thick chunky lines, smears of lighter tones, thick to thin in weight of line, sharp/soft lines, varying degrees of transparency of the ink applied.
Michael Kareken
Making contact with Kareken through https://www.michaelkareken.com/ has lead me to develop my understanding of using conté with dura-lar but also alternative ways to include light/white areas to describe light falling on subjects in a drawing and how to use this technique effectively to create an atmospheric feeling from observing the work. I have become extremely fond of Kareken’s work and I feel his pieces pull me into the scene, enticing me to feel and absorb the atmosphere in which he creates with Conté and Dura-Lar. I am excited by his drawings with ‘motion’ as I feel this is such a clever technique to achieve in a drawing.
In his reply email to me, he also refers to artist Sophie Jodoin, which leads me onto another exciting avenue of discovery. Kareken’s email is wonderful to read in that I am inspired to explore Dura-Lar and it’s possibilties because it sounds as though Kareken, Dejoin and I are interested in the same style, for example, Kareken refers to Dejoin’s work: “Her work combines very soft, rich tonalities with precise detail. “.
From here I go onto to looking at making white areas of paper with masking fluid and soft charcoal so that detailed contrast and soft tonality. It didn’t work as well as I had hoped, possibly because of a mixture of my technique/inexperience and medium chosen to work with. I will continue exploring the soft tonal effects with conté and charcoal on various foundations (paper, dura-lar etc.) and see how I can use Kareken’s work as my inspiration for creating soft contrasts of tone but still include detail as he does so masterfully in his work.
charcoal, watercolour, conté and masking fluid, smudging with fingers
It is easy to get caught up our hectic lives and not observe fully, the beautiful natural world around us. Since starting the Drawing 1 course, I have been able to be more present and mindful, analysing and observing potential areas of study for creating sketches and pieces of work. I’ve also noticed that I have been able to ‘switch on’ the part of my brain I had suppressed, the part that sees the world in an artistic way, it ‘sees’ an opportunity, and my thoughts are encouraging and explorative, pushing me to think about how to create an artistic and creative opportunity out of something or somewhere that may have been missed previously, without this ‘switching on’ effect that Drawing 1 has brought back to me.
Being more frequently out in nature for my studies has also inspired me to appreciate the beauty and the many opportunities there are available in abundance to learn, observe and experience from, which only enriches my personal and artistic journeys in life. Below is a selection of photographs that I have taken either in my Cypriot or English country of residence, and they are varied in their viewpoint/angle, style, proximity of closeness to the subject etc. I thought that whilst studying Part 3, the exploration I have completed outside amongst the trees in Limassol Marina (Cyprus) and Wisley Gardens and Surrey Countryside (UK) would help me by developing my observation skills of seeing trees up close, looking at the seeds/branches/fruits/leaves/bark etc. observing how they grow singularly or in relation to other trees/animals/plants, how the light falls on them and their canopies at particular times of the day, exploring the expanse of various species that can grown around each other and in different countries, how they grown wild and undisturbed versus being pruned/shaped. I have tried to make the most of these observational and analytical trips out, to ensure they continue to be beneficial to me and my developing practise.
I would like to spend a little time in my sketchbook, drawing a sketching from observation when outside with the trees. I think it would be helpful to work with a variety of media to encourage me to explore and take risks when describing the forms of the trees, whether in singular or plural subjects in the composition, and would give me a feel for which materials are effective in conveying the sense of direction and energy that the tree emits from it’s growth pattern due to the weather and environment. I also wonder, how it would be to include trees within a larger composition, such as a landscape scene, maybe a forest or a boulevard. It could possibly make me feel slightly overwhelmed in knowing how and where to get a successful viewpoint for the composition, perhaps this is where the viewfinder would come in handy, but also the thumbnail sketches, as suggested by my tutor Simon in his previous feedback, and various other drawing self-help books. The photographs above help me when reflecting on viewpoints. I feel that although they aren’t able to help convey what I experienced at that moment, it still offers a snapshot as to what I saw and how it could potentially looks as a composition due to being able to reflect on the viewpoint and type of lighting and tonal variation being displayed. This could enable me to be discerning and see which photos I thought would be a good starting point to return to the scene to potentially create a drawing from, almost like the photographs are visual notes for documentation.
Cole, Rex Vicat, 1965, The Artistic Anatomy Of Trees, Dover Publications
I found the following photograph quite interesting. It reminds me of one of the photos above where the view point is pointed up towards a tree’s canopy and the sunlight is filtering through, creating shadows of leaves on top of leaves. There are negative spaces where the leaves are creating holes on the canopy, much like this silhouette of sunlight shining through an empty floral napkin holder on my table. This is another occasion where I have seen a simple effect that has sparked my interest and imagination. Possibly I could take this simple idea of using silhouettes or playing with negative spaces between the leaves somehow, into my sketchbook to see where my artistic vision can take me.
Below are four photos that document a little experimenting I completed in my sketchbook with a dip pen and black Indian ink, and also using green, orange and nut brown inks with paintbrushes, a dip pen, artists sponge and a chopstick on cartridge paper. I found that apart from the initial black ink and dip pen work in my sketchbook, I wasn’t enamoured with the rest of the experiment and didn’t feel this was the right method or style to proceed with for the remainder of Exercise 2, however, it still has given me experience and thoughts to reflect on.
Below is a painting I found, hung in a hotel, by a local artist when travelling in Cyprus, I believe the artist has signed the painting by the name Christothea, 2009. This painting was the only composition to have a tree as a subject, in the entire hotel. It was nice to see a local’s artwork displayed and I get a sense from the painting that the tree is of some significance, due to the enormity in scale in relation to the rest of the composition and rustic grandeur that the artist describes. The painted leaves in the tree’s canopy suggest a great deal of time and consideration was spent on them; olive trees have the most beautiful leaves where usually one side of the leaf is lighter in colour than the other side, so the foliage displays quite a speckled effect, as seen in this painting. The light, being set low in the sky, makes me feel the scene is set at sunrise/set where laborious work such as olive harvesting would have been easier at lower temperatures. The light falling through the fork in the trunk adds a little visual interest to the bark and the solid mass of the tree’s trunk, which I feel isn’t as detailed and intricate as the leafy foliage has been presented. I also see that the artist has utilised very similar blue colours in the lady’s dress, the worker’s jacket and the bucket on the ground. I would say this was intentional to ensure that the main focal point is observed, then the eyes are drawn around the painting in a flowing and natural manner and with the guidance of the direction of the ladder, then swept back up into the tree with the lady harvesting the olives. Rex Vicat Cole, in his The Artistic Anatomy Of Trees, 1965, page 29, explains that some artists use trees within their composition as the main focal point and describe the trees with grandeur and weight to ensure they are successful in their aims, whilst other artists may wish to incorporate the tree(s) with more subtlety and/or intricacy: “Others will wish us to appreciate the tree as a bulk, and will accentuate its statuesque quality in which all details are submerged. Others, again, will find out wonderful shapes, and through them will appeal to our love of pattern”
Coming to a natural close for this exercise, I finish my drawing for Exercise 2, and I am happy with the end product. I found that through my observation time with the trees and experiments with ink and various applicators, I found that the black Indian ink and dip pen was a great choice for the tree I wished to draw from my mind’s eye. The branches swept up with a messy multi-directional spray, as did the needle-like leaves on the twigs. The bark was detailed intricately with cracks and splits, which I thought would be terrific when being described in my drawing with a scratchy-style application of the ink on cartridge paper. I found that I quite enjoyed the Quentin Blake-style technique of drawing and the free-flowing hand method came very naturally to me for this drawing. I didn’t want to try to include all intricacies of the tree and it’s structure, rather give an impression of it’s overall form with just a few descriptions of details to the texture of the various parts of the tree. I included some tonal variation in darker parts of the tree’s foliage and the bark on the trunk and lower branches of the tree.
If I were to take a risk here, I think I would quite like to flood in a little colour, but only in isolated areas, with either watercolour or a diluted ink wash, to suggest a little more tonal variation and depth. I refer back to Cézannes still life, Ginger Jar And Fruit On A Table, 1888, in which he outlines the composition with a contour line, and then very delicately introduces shading with the pencil and then colour into some of the fruits and the table in the foreground and a darker tone in and around the table in the background to give a sense of depth and form. I think this is something that I would like to try in this drawing, although I am a little worried I would loose the spontaneity and flatten the form by applying too solid a colour to the drawing. Perhaps this is something that I could investigate a little in my sketchbook before applying to the drawing itself.
Drawing for Exercise 2 Larger Observational Study Of An Individual Tree A3 cartridge paper, black Indian ink and dip pen
After completing the drawing for Exercise 2, I wanted to push on a little further with drawing in loose, expressive lines with ink and see how the feel and structure of the drawing would evolve as I was producing it. As explained earlier, I had an idea of trying out using a little colour with a sketched/drawn pieces involving trees. I also am enjoying the freedom to be creative and expressive with my lines, and I wanted to experiment with building up these lines in layers and with different mediums, working solitarily or in combination with other media. Below is photographic evidence of my learning.
Ink 0.1mm drawing pen and watercolour. The sketch on the right was created by using one of the photos (looking up at the sunlight falling on the trees bright green foliage) above.
Ink 0.1mm and watercolour. Enjoying the experiment of building up tone using shading with the pen and watercolour paints.
Here I try expanding on an experiment I had started earlier, by introducing a little colour into a loose-lined tree trunk and the needle-shaped foliage from the tree that I drew for Exercise 2. I chose not to apply colour to my drawing for exercise 2, but instead use my sketchbook as a place to experiment and explore different ideas. This gives me a really good indication of how the outcome will be presented and how it can be developed further, making any changes and building confidence with the technique before applying to a final drawing.
Next, I chose to explore the loose-line work with another tree which I had seen on my walks recently. Because I live predominantly in Cyprus, it isn’t long before I find myself near a palm tree of some sort; it would seem a wasted opportunity for me not to try and capture the characterful tree in my sketchbook. The following three photos of the work in my sketchbook show a loose pencil line describing the palm tree, ultimately being rendered with a little splash of watercolour to describe form and depth with the trunk and leaves. Potentially, I could have gone a little darker with the contrast in the scruff bits of the trunk and also in the bases of the fern branches, I was hesitant to add too much colour, as I didn’t want the painting to become flat, heavy and overworked; my inspiration was the Cézanne still life previously mentioned.
I also wanted to try a more expressive line, which was built up in layers. I knew that I wanted to start with a soft pencil, such as a 2B/4B but the idea of layering up on top the pencil with indian ink came to me as I was drawing with the pencil. I was a little concerned that the drawing could become too heavy and busy, with the lines becoming condensed. I was conscious of this when applying the ink, and so kept my hand free flowing, with an expressive style which I found to work harmoniously with the dip pen and Indian ink.
As with the previous exercise, here I start this exercise with a little more research into other artists and practitioners and how they approach the topic of describing a tree’s form and/or shape within their work. The methods and techniques are very varied and I quite enjoyed exploring these in this research.
Firstly I come across Bruno Munari, who appears to adopt a style which looks contemporary, clean and simple, offering a strong suggestion of the tree structure with the shape of the branches, trunk and foliage. The leaves look like they may have been applied in a finger painting style, almost giving this piece a child-like feel. It interests me that Munari names Leonardo in the bottom right of the photo immediately below which gave me a further interesting article about Leonardo da Vinci’s rule “the sum of the cross-sectional area of all tree branches above a branching point at any height is equal to the cross-sectional area of the trunk or the branch immediately below the branching point”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3979699/.
Investing in some time to research, I found many artists who, as explored above with Munari, describe and represent the trees and foliage in their drawings and paintings in various ways. I am really intrigued to see how various methods and techniques have been adopted over the time period between when these works and what styles they were produced in.
It appears that within the Victorian Watercolours book (first four photos below) the trees are rendered beautifully, with utter care and diligence in the production of branches, twigs, leaves and even trunk details. The light is captured on the canopy of the trees, also describing the shadows and various tones within the tree’s foliage and sometimes, individual leaves. I am amazed at the intricacy demonstrated here, especially as watercolour paint can be difficult to manage with minute and intricate details; I can see the effort and has been made to describe the trees and their features (bark, leaves, branches, trunk, twigs etc.) in great detail which when looking at the artists across the pages I have studied, seem to be a common theme in the Victorian time period (1800s).
Looking at Paul Cézanne’s Landscape With A Viaduct: Mont Sainte Victoire 1885-7, I can see the recognisable brushwork of Cézanne here, just like in his still life with fruit that I had studied before: the short, jabby painting technique is evident in both these paintings. I am challenged in what I see; the difference between Cézanne’s painting of trees, compared to the Victorian Watercolour artists in technique and overall outcome. The foliage in Cézanne’s trees is more block-like, not as delicate or detailed, but yet shows evidence of tonal variation on the tree canopies and trunks but also movement and direction. I am torn between thinking the paintings and their subjects look flat yet have depth and form. I feel this is down to the multi-directional flat brushwork. It’s easy to see that the painstaking detail is lost here, in comparison to the detailed work of the Victorian watercolourists, however, the characteristics and features of the tree are instantly recognisable, so one might argue that although the level of detail and style differs vastly, Cézanne is still successful in describing trees in his painting which are recognised and understood by the viewer. I am curious to see how I could use this as inspiration in my work, perhaps some experimentation in my sketchbook would be a great way to see how I could use and adapt the idea of taking the recognisable shape and features of a tree and exploring various ways of artistically manipulating them, yet still able to resemble a recognisable tree shape. This reminds me of an exercise in the Robert Kaupelis book of Experimental Drawing, 1980, Watson-Guptill, in which on page 21, he explores an exercise with his students that basic or “brief” brushstrokes can be “read” by the viewer, suggesting that few lines are needed by the viewer to be able to read the drawing and recognise the object.
Newall, C. Victorian Watercolours, 1987, Phaidon Press LTD
Newall, C. Victorian Watercolours, 1987, Phaidon Press LTD
Newall, C. Victorian Watercolours, 1987, Phaidon Press LTD
Moving further into the other techniques of describing tree forms in paintings and drawings, I found work by Bonnard, Gauguin and Matisse, which have captured my imagination. Matisse’s Tea, 1919, reminds me a little of Munari’s simple but effective description of a tree with the singular marks made to resemble foliage, a bit like finger painting, or primitive mark making. However, Matisse’s trees have more direction and energy to his foliage as the movement is described in the positioning of each individual leaf mark and the simplicity of the bending tree trunks and branches. I do notice that the trees in Matisse’s painting are even less realistic than Cézannes, and they also show little, if any tonal variation in the tree canopies, which would suggest light filtering through the leaves casting shadows or describing the dappling light, or texture to the leaves or bark which Cézanne and the Victorian Watercolourists seem to include. I feel that Gauguin is similar in his technique to Bonnard, Cézanne and Matisse, perhaps because they were linked in the time period and Post-Impressionist and/or Fauvism movement.
Another photo above is of a piece of work by Raoul Dufy, entitled The Paddock. I was surprised by how little realism the trees have in this painting, but yet how I instantly recognised the basic shape of canopy/ foliage, trunk and branches etc. Dufy looks to use large blocks of colour and then apply the detail of individual leaves, trunk and branches in a loose and suggestive line. I like the use of different blocks of tone to describe large areas of shadow in the tree’s foliage. Although the painting isn’t a realistic description, Dufy’s trees and foliage still show a loose representation of direction of form because of the line drawing depicting the leaves and branches and their direction of growth. The simplicity is quite easy on the eye and I find the description of form basic in comparison to the heavily detailed Victorian Watercolourists. However, the drawing still has character and a sense of spontaneity which the loose line only compliments and emphasises the overall style of this drawing/painting. This is something worth considering when looking at how I will describe my tree in this exercise. The experimenting I will be doing in my sketchbook will hopefully enable me to see how these various techniques and methods which I have studied, will change the overall feel and style of my drawing.
Lastly I looked at a surrealism painting by Paul Delvaux. I am not usually drawn to surrealism but I found that this painting was quite interesting in that the tree form had been used as part of the women’s hair. The leaves are intricate and well defined and I thought that the colours used in rendering the tonal variation were quite accurate to a realistic style, considering that the painting is in the style of surrealism. Although the trees are not completed in a realistic way, the trunk of the tree is presented with a detail description of bark, depicting texture and tone with the light and shadows playing on the intricate roots and bark texture. Again, I feel that these limited features of the tree being present are described in a way that they are still recognisable, if not completely realistic.
Here are four photographs which I took for reference when I went on a walk to find trees to observe and potentially draw:
Photograph of larger observation of single tree
Photograph of larger observation of single tree
Photograph of larger observation of single tree
Photograph of larger observation of single tree
Firstly, it was a wonderful feeling to be out in nature, being mindful and paying attention to the natural beauty around me, it was a relaxing experience to observe and draw outside. Secondly, it was quite refreshing to pay particular attention to the trees and take the time to really observe them, not only singularly, but also in their surroundings and relation to other trees and the earth, sky and other objects in view. I noted that all the different types of trees had a different shaped canopy, trunk, leaf structure, direction of growth etc. and so this prompted questions in my head as to how I would most likely attempt to draw them and distinguish these differences if drawing them together in a composition, and maybe which materials would be suitable for my selected style and method of drawing. It was quite nice to see the standalone trees with their shape contrasting against the blue sky, it made it more obvious for me to try to describe in my drawing and it made it clear where the positive and negative shapes were. I noticed that when I was looking at the trees amongst other trees, it was harder to pick out their individual features if amongst others of their type, because the attributes were very similar.
Within my most recent feedback from my tutor Simon, he recommended an author to help me with my perspective drawing development: Rex Vicat Cole. Whilst searching for this book, I also found that he had written another on the topic of trees: Cole, Rex Vicat 1965, The Artistic Anatomy Of Trees, Dover Publications, Seeley, Service & Co. I purchased this book and I find it fascinating; it is hard going because of the wording’s old-fashioned style but the content in this book is extremely comprehensive and will certainly develop my historic art knowledge dramatically in terms of tree formation and detail etc. I feel this book will not only greatly benefit me throughout Part 3 but for the rest of my artistic journey; it looks as if it analyses artists and their work in relation to others within the context of the era they were painted/drawn. I also feel, after reading a few pages into the book, that the style and content in which Cole writes, encourages an open-minded approach to observing the works of the artists discussed within the book whilst taking note of the true anatomy of trees to ensure that composure of the tree can be successful in the composition, whilst still retaining the artistic style of the artist. There is much to consider in this book, and although I agree with constructing trees correctly for drawings and works of art (in correlation with their true anatomy) I do believe there is much scope for artists/practitioners to be able to produce a drawing of a tree that is instantly recognisable as long, as it bears some of the characteristics of the tree such as a trunk and branches and sometimes a canopy of foliage, in an abstract style. This can mean that the overall style is open to interpretation and application by the artist and his/her mind’s eye.
Beginning this chapter with observing an individual tree and its’s structure and form, I also produced a short but quick succession of notes; questions and thoughts that were on my mind as I had been reading the introduction to Part 3. My notes touch on various artists who I remember using trees in their paintings or work, how trees can be described in drawings and paintings with various methods, and reflection on my current level of knowledge on trees and how I would currently draw and paint them.
Initial notes on first impressions of Exercise 1
Dr 1, Pt, 3, Pr 1, Ex 1. 4 drawings in succession of each other, building on layering techniques to develop further observational skills and understanding of the tree basic structure and form.
Beginning to look at trees and their basic structure had intrigued me to want to observe a little closer at the bark, seeing as this is something that I am quite drawn to; textures and details sometimes overlooked. Although this exercise didn’t require closer observation at this stage, I wanted to explore this area lightly before continuing on further with the project.
researching texture of silver birch bark
researching the texture of common oak bark
experiment with silver birch bark description on crumpled brown packing paper
experimenting with common oak and silver birch bark textures with chalk pastels and conté sticks
trialling common oak bark with conté sticks on heavy NOT paper
Photograph of a drawing in a gastro pub I was visiting, unfortunately it was not titled or signed by the artist.
Above is a photograph of a drawing that was mounted, framed and hung in a gastro pub that I visited recently; it really caught my eye and so I took a photo of it to appreciateand analyse the drawing again at a later time. I think what struck me initially was the simplicity but intricacy of the drawing. It is busy and dynamic, light on detail and makes good use of semi-loose contour lines to give structure to the many view points and positions of the hands. I somehow made a quick link between this drawing and Anthony Green’s Study for Mrs Madeleine Joscelyne with her son, 1987 due to the multi-perspective drawning showing different views and angles of the object to enjoy within a single drawing. I feel that this technique is very effective for drawing the viewer in to analyse the composition which is abstract and dynamic. I feel this mutli-perspective style in both the hand drawing and Anthony Green’s work; it adds a contemporary feel to the drawing but again, makes me reflect that I have researched and come across this style of drawing before in my course research. Looking back, I rediscover the painting of Violin And Grapes by Pablo Picasso in my studies. The style of the broken pieces of the drawing pieced together or even the drawing with multi-perspectives integrated into the composition itself is an interwoven link between all of these drawings mentioned. I appreciate how each of the drawings/paintings demonstrate this in their own unique styles too. Green’s warped and destorted perspective of the room from a slightly-off bird’s eye view ensure that the room has a long sense of depth but also foreshortening effects due to the perspectives used. The drawing also entices viewers to even interpret that it resembles a drawing on a crumpled piece of paper, a screwed tissue, origami paper or maybe an unfolded box interior. This makes for a very interesting piece which gives an unusual perspective from using a familiar shaped paper plane.
Taking my research further and understanding how the artists working methods could be applied to my work, I was intrigued to see how I could manipulate my drawings and artwork to utilise a different viewpoint from the more familiar and traditional views and perspectives. During my research I found a few artists work which made my artistic mind feel very stimulated indeed:
Below are photographs that I found through Tate.org.uk and I note how different perspectives are used within these pieces due to the positioning of the figures infront of the mirrors. I have seen this technique before within the student course study notes: Eduard Manet, A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, 1881-82 (oil on canvas), page 48. Although the perspectives seem simple, they give further context to the figure within their domestic interiors, whilst adding interest to the scene. It reminds me a little of Picasso’s Violin And Grapes, 1912, in that the painters below have used the mirror as a tool to add additional perspectives of the figures and the interiors that would not have been visible had the mirror not be positioned there. When linking the study of the interior desomtic views in these paintings, and comparing to Geiger’s below, I do feel there is a huge difference in the domestic interior design. According to tate.org.uk, “for Whistler the drawing room was not only a rich vein of subject matter, it provided the whole context within which such paintings were produced, displayed and consumed.” This brings context to my thoughts about the contrast between Whistler and Geiger’s paintings, I do not feel that Geiger set out in his planning to design a painting that represented the era through its domestic scene, I feel like Geiger had the intention to merely contain his moment in time in an unoffesnsive or overly obvious scene, to give emphasis to the story and its figures within in, which if he included the use of mirrors within his paintings, I think it would add an element of complexity and a distraction away from this focus on the figures and the scene they are set. I believe that from article written by Tate and by my analysis of the two paintings below, that the time period with which these two paintings by Whistler and Sickert where produced, much more emphasis and poignancy was given to the interior domestic scenes and the environment the figures find themselves in. Here in these two photos, I believe that the use of mirrors in the drawing not only give physical and visual varied perspectives but also psyhoclogical elements within the context of the era they were painted. Why was it these women wished to look in the mirror at their reflections? Tate.org.uk explains “The woman’s psychological interior and her physical self, along with the reflected and actual spaces of the interior, converge onto the same flattened plane of the canvas”. This may offer some explanation as to why in the victorian era that mirrors were popularly hung on walls and so appear in these paintings.
Working from top left, clockwise: – Beachy Head: Brink – This is an usual perspective within an unsual shape of plane. I am fascinated by how Camp was able to construct this drawing; his ideas and imagination are powerful and show through in his design and execution of the overall piece. It feels as though the idea was to capture the most poignant moment of this scene with no wasted, empty or unnecessary scene creating an un balanced piece and I also believe the title of the painting gives extra emphasis on ‘the brink’ of the cliff in which the figures stand, ensuring the power of the story is supported by it’s name. As a side thought – I’d like to learn more about entitling artwork as I believe this is a topic that requires thought and research in itself. Because of the shape of the paper plane and the detail that is within the cross shape, it appears to make the drawing more dramatic and the energy of the sea is drawn up and over to the left hand side, giving width and motion, drawing the eyes around the unsual shaped artwork with vigour.
– Sketch Of Kitchen – Interestingly, this drawing adopts a fisheye effect. The results are brilliant and show intelligence and experience of the artist’s drawing skill whereby he demonstrates that the perspectives within the drawing are thought about and are accurate in execution. I understand that photopgraphers can adopt this perspective to obtain an interesting and contemporary scene within their photographs. This style of drawing reminds me of the distortion I would find when looking through a marbel, or even a transparent vessel containing water; the optical distortion adds an interesting effect which takes precision and patience to execute when applying marks to a plane.
– We Live In Financial Times – A great drawing with multi-perspectives of the shark within the same drawing, much like the artists I have discussed previously. It reminds me a little of a concertina effect or a hall of mirrors, and creates interest and energy to the piece. The colour palette and perspectives certainly add drama; a ferocity and sense of iminent danger or emergency, could this be what the advertising campaign team wished to portray when illustrating the advert with a well-known boisterous character? Especially as the sharks appear in succession, to be eating one another in a chain of events, it appears that there is a cross over of psychology and art here again as Luke White from tate.org.uk says “My argument is that the shark provides, throughout its modern history, an image not only of nature as hostile but furthermore, and more precisely, of nature being as rapacious, insatiable, and unfeeling as capital accumulation itself”https://www.tate.org.uk/research/publications/tate-papers/14/damien-hirst-shark-nature-capitalism-and-the-sublime.
– Hand With Reflecting Sphere – Escher’s drawings and artwork are a feast for eyes and stimulate the brain with their many optical illusions and trickery Escher is well known and respected for. I spent a while athttps://www.mcescher.com/gallery/most-popular/, taking in the many drawings and their compositions in which he spent a great deal of time planning and executing, I am certain. They demonstrate intelligence, accuracy, competency and imagination, to name but a few. The photo of his work above show intricate and hyper-realistic use of tone and line, giving the drawing an extremley accurate representation of the metallic sphere’s surface and the light it reflects. This is something that I have touched on in Part One, and an area of study I would like to develop further. The surface of the sphere that Escher represents is just fantastic as I get a feel for the smoothness and heaviness, especially as the way the hand is drawn, with the fingers outstretched to support the sphere’s weight; I can almost feel it in my hand.
– Triptych August – Bacon’s series of works put together here, tell a story within the three seperate pieces singularly whilst simultaneously holding its own as a group piece of artwork. Although this style is different to the multi-perspective drawings that I have looked at previously, I do find it interesting as it is a different way of showing various perspectives; rather than having them contained within one drawing, they are spread across more than one plane, which I find dramatic and enticing. Naturally, I start to ‘read’ and observe from left to the right, and analyse the workings as a story which unfolds which doesn’t end how I thought it would, so I return to the middle drawing of the coupling of the figures to analyse further. To me, these drawings feel like a long piece of work, and emphasises that there are various perspectives within the story to be observed. I note that although the drawings could be standalone pieces, they work harmoniously together also as are linked in style, context and overall presentation. This method feels like a contemporary approach and something I would quite like to persue in my work in the near future. I feel that great care and diligence should be taken when in the planning stages, to design a piece of art that will be shared and explained across multiple planes.
Having turned my attention to contemporary artists who specialise within the domestic interior area, I decided to search within the WordPress student community for opinions about my research topic. Two blogs (mentioned below in bibliography) highlighted a particular artist called Philip Geiger who pays particular attention to capturing “the nuances of mood and feeling that make up the more peaceful moments of contemporary family life” according tohttps://www.hidellbrooks.com/philip-geiger, 2017. In terms of the content of this piece, I would say the scene doesn’t describe a busy moment in time for this family, the figures appear relaxed, peaceful and content with being in the moment, their attention captured by the small child. I notice the brushwork and how Geiger applied the oils to his panel; they are loose and expressive with care taken to describe forms and the light that illuminates the people and the domestic interior gently, conducive to the overall calm feel and style of the piece. The muted and pastel colour palette within this painting shows a delicacy that I feel works really well with the moment in time that the scene is setting. Life can be dull and lonesome, but in contrast we can find it colourful and enriched with memory-making moments. Geiger has captured this snapshot in time intelligently, showing imminent movement with the way the child looks to be unbalanced and the lady in the background nearing a doorway, illuding to her coming or going. He also picks up on this fleeting moment in time, emphasising the importance of the little everyday moments that enrich our lives if we stop to take the time to be really present; children grow so quickly. Within
In the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hhrTPP2zV0, Geiger talks about his inspiration for his domestic interior paintings from two artists, Vermeer and Dahouk(? – not sure on spelling and cannot find this second artist mentioned) and it is evident from Vermeers interior scenes that Geirge sees potential to take inspiration from here and make it his own. Geiger explains he is enthused by thresholds and objects moving from one source of light to another in this video, which is clear in the painting below. I was already drawn to the lady around the threshold before watching the YouTube video on Geiger so now he has brought attention to it in his interview, it certainly adds further detail within context. The portrait layout of the piece gives a good sense of height and makes me feel that this building could potentially be of a period style/age because of the tall, wide doorwars and the solid-looking wooden floors. The ladies and child appear to be dressed in contemporary clothing, suggesting that if the building is a period property, then perhaps it was passed down through the family generations, which would give a lovely addition to the story that is building within this painting. The sparcity of furtniture and furnishings in this work suggest that Geiger wished to focus on the subject of the interior scene and the figures within it, especially as how they appear to be lit by the light from the right hand side. However, because a vast proportion of the piece’s negative space is used to describe the domestic interior, I still feel that the property that the firgures are contained within is still relevant and important to this scene and it’s context. Geiger explains, when discussing Vermeer’s work, that he is intrigued by a “single subject against a wall” and how it could be potentially powerful and expressive. The contrast of colours that he has used around the old figures in this drawing, between the hair colour and the walls is quite strong, so I feel that this was intentional in his planning and concept.
Reflecting back on my analysis of this drawing, I can see how it is fully relevant in todays era, as the work was completed in 2018, our society at this time often struggles to make time to stand still and enjoy being present in the moment with our loved ones. The fleeting, warm and peaceful feel of this scene ensure my thoughts are drawn towards the child and it’s iminent movement and energy but also the adoration and love the figures hold for the child that holds their attention; this is a message to its viewers, to try and find time to observe and enjoy the everyday moments that life gifts to us. They may seem menial to some, but when exposing this level of intimacy within a domestic interior to its viewers so openly within a work of art, it gives the moment and the messages received, weight and substance. Lastly, I understand and receive a a warm and emotional response from this painting by Geiger, and actually many of his other works, because of the colour palette, the light sources and how they react on the figures and interior, the loose and expressive brushwork and density/solidarity to the paint, the privlidge to be observing this intimate scene etc. During the aforementioned YouTube video, Geiger expresses his wish that his paintings retain the vital emotional reponse to the subject within his work. I feel that he achieves this wonderfully through careful and extensive planning through to completion.
Approaching Assignment 2 with energy and enthusiasm, I was optimistic that I could produce a drawing which could competently demonstrate my learning so far in the course. The competencies to be aware of that needed to be met: – The use of colour – Appropriate medium for subject – Composition and context – Mark-making and contrasts of line and tone – Accurate and expressive description of form – Experimentation with idea, material and method
To begin with, I had a clear idea of which piece of work I would like to revisit from previous work on Part Two of the course, whilst still acknowledging and utilising techniques and learning experiences from Part One also.
Looking back at the pieces of work, I was drawn to using and manipulating the outcome from Project 3, Exercise 4, Monochrome. I feel that this is a natural choice for me as I felt this piece wasn’t ‘finished’; there was room to play with this piece and I really enjoyed the composition and the cropped view of the drawing perspective that I wanted to do this composition justice and take it forward to develop it further. I hadn’t yet experienced this overwhelming sense of feeling that a piece isn’t finished and that it can be taken further; from the final outcome of this assignment, I am pleased I have listened to my instincts.
The concept captured in a photograph; this composition was also used for Pr 3, Ex 4, Monochrome
Pushing on with preparing to take this assignment drawing from concept to resolution, I made good use of my sketchbook here, making notes, recording thought patterns and trialling out the use of media that I thought I would like to work with. In Project 4, Exercise 3 – Material Differences, I set out a set of experiments to see which materials I would like to use for that drawing, here I found the effects that I would use in this assignment. I also discovered upon reflection of Exercise 3, that I wanted to disregard the loose line that contoured the forms, I wanted to push forward and develop my skill set by describing form with more tonal variation than relying on the line which could make the shapes appear flat. This was a big lesson learn for me in this exercise, and so I have experimented with using line with the colouring pencils and decided it was best without. Another previous lesson I learnt was to be conscious of the colour and texture of the plane that the composition is to be applied to. I found that because of not experimenting with this previously, that I hadn’t taken into consideration how the media’s application and aesthetics would look when applied to different surfaces, i.e. how the colour of the media would change on a plane with a colour other than white, or how the tooth or texture of the paper would affect the application of the media to the plane itself.
Photographic evidence of my preparatory journey for Assignment 2:
Having studied Cézanne’s still life work previously, I returned back to his Still Life, 1878, because I appreciated the composition being cropped so some of the image was out of the frame. I also liked the effect of the paintwork, that Cézanne’s Still Life wasn’t crystal clear and that the drawing seemed intriguing by the mottled appearance by the brash application of the oils. Although I liked this effect, I wished for something a bit smoother around the edges and more refined in the application in media, but still a rustic feel to the tonal variations in the colours. I knew from previous research that Seurat is linked to Cézanne so I took my research into this artist a bit further to see if his style was more of what I was looking for. Other artists who I found I was quite drawn to the style and techniques were found in the OCA study course handbook; Michael Coombes’s still life was a great find and I really like the soft approach with the obvious marks of the media being left apparent with the tooth of the plane displaying the foundation colour through the markings. I also appreciated Leyla Bilsborough’s still life of the peppers, the vibrancy of the colours and the variation in tones caught my eye. I also considered her use of tonal shading such as the cross-hatching which I thought would look great in my drawing, especially to describe the papery leaves of the husk around the cob.
Cézanne, Still Life, 1878, Phaidon Press Limited, 1984
OCA Study Handbook
OCA Course Handbook
Here I look at Seurat and study his drawing alongside Pissarro; I am intrigued by the method Pissarro adopts to create his drawing, all marks are dots and dashes that together, make up the image that the brain recognises as patterns and pieces together. Although I thought this is a clever and unusual mark-making technique to adopt, I feel this wasn’t quite right for my style of drawing in this composition. I did try this out on my preparatory work and the technique just doesn’t sit right for the medium I will be using. Seurat’s technique was to use a black crayon on rough paper. The History of Art explains that his varying pressure of the soft crayon enables Seurat to vary the tonal gradations precisely. I like how the edges of the form of the boy are mottled because of the tooth of the paper. Something I would like to adopt in my drawing and try in my sketchbook.
Pissarro, Apple Picking, 1888, The Illustrated History of Art, 1992, The apple Press
Seurat, Seated Boy with a Straw Hat, 1884, The Illustrated History of Art, 1992, The apple Press
Experimenting with Derwent colouring pencils as choice of medium
Analysing the texture of the plane my composition will be drawn onto – NOT paper 120lb. Daler-Rowney
Anlysing texture – smooth paper 130lb. Daler-Rowney
Looking through Billy Showell’s Botanical Painting In Watercolour, Search Press Limited, 2016, I found some striking methods to describe the texture of leaves and the shiny surface of edible products. Although the polished and precise detailing in these drawings are highly impressive, I feel this method is too refined for my rustic approach to my still life assignment.
Whilst researching how other students through OCA have approached Assignment 2, I found a really lovely still life, pictured below left. Tina has experimented with different media and found a mixed media approach worked best for her in this drawing. I like the vibrancy of the colours and the tooth picking up the media in the background. I feel that some of the rawness of the plane is lost and not showing through the drawing because of the layers of media involved, this is something I think I would like to try to retain in my drawing to some extent. I know that I am quite keen to have quite a rustic approach to echo the rusticity of the content and subject of my drawing. The corn on the cob’s papery husk will present a rustic and rough texture contrasting with the smooth and polished look of the corn kernels and tiles, cooker hob and metal surfaces. It is evident in Tina’s drawing that mistakes have been rectified and the position of the board has been moved. Through my previous research I have found this evoked memories of the Feininger layering technique to describe depth and dynamism, but also the Rauschenburg drawing where marks are left on the paper from something that was there and is still slightly evident even after being removed. It’s good to see how my previous research sessions and studying is now creating cognitive links and I can relate my studies in art work to the context of the history of art too to create a broader range of knowledge and techniques within my skill set.
R. Kaupelis, Experimental Drawing, 1980, Watson-Guptill
The History of Art, Phaidon Press Limited, 1984
OCA Student online blog, Tina
Proceeding with my findings within my sketchbook, I discovered that I felt confident beginning to sketch out the light outline of the composition and place the objects in the desired way for this piece. I looked at the light source again, with scrutiny, to ensure that the tonal variations that I would include in this piece would be obvious and strong, but also I noted at what time of day I was looking at the shadows and the available light. After previously learning this lesson of how a sitting relying on natural sunlight will alter the aspects of the shadows and reflected light etc., I was adament that I would be more conscious of the lighting and its effects from then onwards. Because this Assignment piece took 8 hours to complete, I completed this in three sittings to be able to see where the light fell (from the downlighter above within the extractor hood light) and from the side from the kitchen window (natural daylight which the sun moved around the side of the house past 14:00). Being aware of the difference in positioning and type of light available at different times of the day from the previous studies in my sketchbook experimenting with this situation, I think I was able to judge effectively how much time I would have to sit and draw to focus on the light, shadows and reflective light and how it effected my interior still life composition without the light changing too much of the tonal variation I have captured in this drawing with the use of colour.
Below are photos of my work as it was progressing from the initial sketch to applying colour and tonal variation. I found that once I had started applying the media, I began to apply layers to build up the colour and tone across the drawing slowly but surely in one area at a time. Once the overall drawing was complete with the colour applied, I then was able to make sure that the tonal variation was accurate and of contrast enough to accurately describe form to ensure a realistic, albeit slightly rustic, drawing.
Finally finishing the piece gave me such a sense of achievment. I started the drawing with a good level of confidence, certainly not arrogance, because I felt that Part Two had prepared me in a way to understand the challenges that I faced with this Assignment and which techniques to adopt in this circumstance. I genuinely felt that this drawing was not one to be rushed, and I took my time to look back through Part Two to see how I could best demonstrate my cumulative learning and how it has had an impact on me as a learner and an artist. Because of the previous exercises I have studied recently (and of course from Part One), in this drawing, I have given much more thought to: – Positive / Negative spaces – Drawing with or without line – The use of colour / monochrome – The use of using single medium vs. multiple/mixed media – The use of light, reflected light and shadows These topics may not have been given extensive thought to previously, but I am certainly more aware of their strong impact on drawing and art in general. How they and may more subjects can alter the feel, look and overall outcome of a piece of work and what I can do to manipulate them to ensure I produce the desired outcome of my artwork.
Assignment 2 Corn On The Hob
Assessment Criteria Review
1 Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills (35%)
Using my sketchbook to decide how and where to proceed with this drawing has helped enormously. I’ve found that by using trial and error to experiment with the style of the drawing (line, tonal variation, shading techniques, media etc.) I then felt prepared to start my drawing on a larger scale for my final drawing for Assignment 2. As in Assignment 1, I observed the various areas of light, mid and dark tones to ensure that my drawing remained realistic in its presentation. As a result of experimentation in my sketchbook, I found that a rough plane and Derwent colouring pencils were the right medium for me to use in this drawing. The tooth of the paper left a slight rawness to the drawing which I felt complemented to lack of strong lines and so the colours, although not solid in appearance, gave a lovely rustic statement to the drawing which matched the context of the rusticity of the papery husk of the corn on the cob. I felt this was in great contrast to the polished tiles, hob metals and cast iron po. I intentionally chose to crop the corn cob compoisition view so the cob entered the frame from the right with a hint of the cooker hob on the left. I chose a landscape composition due tothe width of the drawing but also because I felt a portrait frame would have given no more value to the drawing as further height to the tiles in the background would have made this drawing contain a large amount of negative space which would have been unnecessary and could have spoilt the drawing by unbalancing it. I do wish that I had taken more care to observe the tonal variation in the paper leave surrounding the corn on the cob. I feel that looking back at the drawing that there could have been more definition and description of form here as the contrast could be made more dramatic, for example, the light source coming from above was quite strong which would have meant that the shadows underneath may have been darker in colour than what I have described in the drawing. I felt that the techniques I have used to apply the colouring pencil to the paper are sympathetic to the style and feel of the drawing. Applying broad side strokes of the pencil to give description of large flat areas of tone, but also using the points the describe detailing, folds and creases, within the paper leaves of the corn on the cob, the hair at the top of the cob and darker tones between the corn kernels themselves. Overall, I think the viewpoint I have chosen is fitting for the close and intimate view of the corn on the cob (espcially the corn kernels which I wanted to emphasise), which was successful because of the previous exploration of viewpoints in my studies previously. I like how the design of the composition introduce rawness, roughness and flowing shapes, lines and forms of nature, contrasting here with the solid, smooth, and angular lines of the manmade materials.
2 Quality of outcome – content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas (20%)
I believe that this drawing submission for Assignment Two is a confident submission and one that I am proud of. The quality of the application of my knowledge that I have learnt so far is evident in this drawing; I have considered carefully the use of my application of line and tone, colour, shading techniques, positive and negative spaces and been discerning in which sill life composition concept would have been best to proceed forward for this assignment and also which viewpoint and style was appropriate for the context and content of my chosen subjects for this drawing. I feel that I have communicated my ideas through this drawing effectively in that the main focus was on the corn on the cob itself, with particular emphasis on the corn kernels, with rusticity and rawness to the overall feel to the piece, which I think I conceptualised by using a rough plane to ensure the tooth of the paper took a dappling effect of the colour pencil when applying it to the paper. The eyes get taken around the drawing with the dynamic angles of the paper skin leaves of the corn husk taking the eyes up and across the drawing, whilst the lines of the hob equipment and tiles in the background give width and height to the drawing and effectively make good use and interest of the negative space. I am encouraged by my development of discernment; I found it easier since Assignment 1, to be intelligently selective when deciding on the set up of my composition and understanding what my drawing would represent with the viewpoint, style and tonal variations within the drawing. This is where experimentation in my sketchbook was invaluable.
3 Demonstration of creativity – imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice (25%)
The idea to create this drawing and present it as my final piece for submission came through re-engaging with a orevious piece of work after feeling that the ideas could be developed further with imagination. Potential was evident and I feel that the previous ideas within this composition didn’t quite do the drawing justice and were almost wasted. The way the cropped view of the set u of the items feels intimate and dynamic makes me feel excited to explore the drawing, details are up close and in full view. Perhaps this is why I feel a little dissapointed with the outcome of the leaves around the corn on the cob; at such close proximity, they lack a little lustre in comparison to the corn kernels. I feel that I have pushed my boundaries with creating a composition with angles and lines which constrast with nature, ensuring that the objects entering from the side of the frame add interest and provoke imagination for the viewer to build up the story of what else is going on around the scene. This still life aims to give enough clues to the viewer so they can use their imagination to decided what situation is occuring in this still life interior scene. My imagination sees that there is no water in the pan but yet the corn is still enveloped in its papery husk, my mind is drawn to want to ‘fix’ this problem and produce a story that would complete the process of what is occuring within this drawing.
4 Context reflection – research, critical thinking (learning logs and [at second and third level] critical reviews and essays) (20%)
Research and experimentation across Part One and Two has cumulatively helped me arrive with the production of Assignment 2. I have gained an extensive amount of knowledge from reading about artists and their journeys when producing work and exploring methods and techniques that have ultimately helped shape artistic movements to where we are today. Ienjoyed making conscious links between knowledge and research on specific artists learned earlier on this course to the present, this has helped me form an understanding of a small part of art history and its movements, which was one of my preferred outcomes of the course. I believe that without my previous research and experiments with materials and media that I have or will be using in my art work, I would not have gained the understanding of what effects and feelings the art work would have produced when finished, or even an understanding of how artists in history would have felt when they too, mainuplated this materials to produce their work. It is interesting to me to try to get into the mind of the artist, understanding the context of the time and environment that they lived in, when producing their work. Spending time researching the context and era they were practicing, ensures that I understand the wider context of how and why they worked and made their decisions but also allows me the scope to practise these techniques within my own sketchbook to see how they could be adapted within my work. Using research of other artists styles and methods ensures that I remain open with a growth mindset towards learning and embracing new experiences. The exposure to a variety of practises and practitioners ultimately makes me question and self-reflect on my journey and work, which can only develop and positively benefit me and my artistic voice further still. The most challenging topic for me is to use discernment when selecting on style, method of application, feel/atmosphere to bring a piece together as a whole. This challenge of engaging and reflecting on research and self-led learning, selecting and utlising the information that will be useful and positively benefit my work as it progress is an exciting opportunity. It can become overwhelming, but my skill to research and select the vital information which will get the best out of me and my work is becoming clearer and more refined.
In the previous exercise, I produced a loose sketch in the kitchen of a bag of apples and a watermelon (pictured above), which I would have liked to have taken forward into this project. However, my family decided to eat my domestic interior still life scene, so I was left with the fruit bowl and a few less apples. Obviously not my first choice in composition, I have adapted to include these changes in my drawing with the positive feeling that I could still produce the drawing with the same aims that I would have, had the children not eaten the melon…
Below are photographs to demonstrate the different viewpoints that I have taken to see how my drawing would look; cropped, zoomed in/out, portrait/landscape, to one side, above, below etc.
AViewpoint 1
Viewpoint 2
Viewpoint 3
The chosen viewpoint – Viewpoint 4
Attention is drawn to foreshortening in the student course notes for this exercise. As ever with my curious mind, a definition search through google wasn’t enough to satiate my appetite for embracing this terminology and its meaning within the artistic environment. One of the books I invested in recently for my life drawing classes that I attend, has this topic discussed further with demonstrations on how to effectively manage foreshortening within the drawing context. The book, Life Drawing by Hester Berry, published by ILEX, 2019, was a welcome resource to my ever growing library, but I didn’t realise how quickly the concepts, such as foreshortening, would be approached and worked with on this course. It is extremley beneficial for me to put into context the terms that I am steadily coming across because it gives me a greater understanding how to apply this new knowledge to my work and my artistic skill set. The book goes on to highlight an artists named Andrea Mantegna, a painter and engraver within the northern Italian Renaissance (according to The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-the-dead-christ-by-andrea-mantegna-c1480-8160310.html)
Here the painting of Dead Christ, 1480, shows an attempt to portray the foreshortening effect, which I feel after studying the painting that it’s almost not quite right in that the feet look a little on the small side, compared to the head, which if foreshortening had occured, the feet would appear larger in scale as the perspective of the feet being nearer would suggest they are closer to the view point. This idea of things closer to the viewer in my drawing is something that need attention; the apples in the bag are closer to the foreground and therefor should appear larger to the viewer than the fruit bowl in the middle to background.
Sketches below are shown to demonstrate how I experimented with viewpoints to see how the drawing would look and feel as a portrait or landscape set up. I used a black Conté stick to describe the main darkest and lightest tonal values, by doing this I was able to see where the positive and negative spaces fell and how balanced and dynamic the overall feel of the piece would be once produced on a larger scale.
Dr 1, Pt 2, Pr 3, Ex 3 Material Differences 31/07/2019
Approaching the exercise was fun and I felt light-hearted that I could produce a really nice result. I was a little concerned that I had no idea which media to use to produce this piece however. After a little work in the sketchbook, I found that with my loose expressive line that colouring pencils, conté sticks and watercolour were my favourites. I I found that the conté sticks gave me a lovely texture with the tooth of the paper plane that I just couldn’t resist and so I selected this medium as I felt it worked well in my sketchbook. However, once the conté was used over the expressive contour line, the black ink was dampened and felt a little lost, which I didn’t pay particular attention to and possibly underestimated this effect on the large A2 scale I would be working. When reflecting on this, I felt that I could have omitted the line altogether and possibly played with the conté sticks to describe the form without the line. Using the loose line gave m confidence to progress forward and I now realise that actually, it doesn’t really add to my drawing, rather takes away and makes some of the drawing appear flat and a little scruffy. Lesson learnt here; try to find alternative ways to use the selected media and understand it’s properties and effects when used in conjunction with other media. However, looking back, the watercolour and the colouring pencils worked quite nicely with the loose ink lines so perhaps, if I were adamant to keep the lines, then these two mediums would have been a better choice.
Experimenting in the sketchbook with different media
Pushing forward with conté sticks
The finished piece is quite striking and I am pleased with how the overall feel is presented to the viewer. I feel that the drawing is balanced and makes good use of space (positive and negative) whilst paying attention to the direction of light and how it plays on the textures of the objects and those around them. I felt that the landscape layout was a better choice for this piece as my viewpoint was quite wide and it appears inviting, the open bag of apples drawing the viewer in, then drawing the eyes around the background with the rounded forms within the fruit bowl. I love the effect of the tooth of the paper digging in to the conté sticks to give that orange peel effect, this possibly could have been developed further by adding a shadow grain to emphasise the pitted texture, capturing light and dark pinpricks of tone. As said previously, the loose line I think could take away from this drawing (especially by giving the appearance of a flat sense of depth, drawing the fruit from the middle/background forward) rather than positively add to it, but standing back and viewing this piece, the blending of the tones to describe the forms are quite effective and I find that I am certainly drawn to appetising subjects. I certainly feel the difference of materials within this drawing due to the waxy but smooth appearance of the apple skins compared to the pitted and bumpy orange and grapefruit peel. Thr brown paper bag also offers a little difference with its creases and light reflecting properties from the sheen of the inside of the bag. I could have gone even darker with the shadow within the bag, espeically in and around the apples because it looks like this may have helped bring these items forward and in more focus with an impact and also give a sense of depth and feeling of cavities between the round forms of the apples stacked together.
Finished drawing – Exercise 2 – A composition – An interior
Laura Baker 522918 Learning Log - Drawing 1 