Well, what a blur that was!  I’m absolutely exhausted.  I ended up getting under 4 hours sleep last night; I was far too nervous to sleep.

I got into my first class which was Exploratory Media and 2D Design for Print.  I was handed my brief for the term, and given the theme ‘Coast’.  For this, I have to produce an expressive sketchbook based on my theme, which can be interpreted in any way I wish.  For example, the seasons, coastal erosion and so forth.  I will use a variety of media including paint, collage, fabrics, etc., to show diversity in my work.  I will also have to annotate my thoughts, feelings and emotions in the sketchbook, and I can also use printed material such as poetry, stories, and newspapers.  What follows on from there are assessments in which I must produce 10 sheets of images, showing my initial research.  Then for the next assessment I must further develop my research and produce another 4 sheets.  My final assessment will be to produce a piece based on all the previous work I’ve done.

Now, alongside this I will be experimenting with a variety of printmaking techniques: monoprint/monotype; drypoint etching/intaglio; lino printing and collagraph.  I will then choose 4 different images from my ‘Coast’ sketchbook, and interpret each of them using the print methods.  My assessments will be of a similar vein to that of the sketchbook project: producing a number of prints then submitting final pieces after I have gone through the research and development stages.

And that’s just for one class!

So today, as part of this work, I picked out an image of some boats floating in the water.  I drew the boats in a variety of media such as oil pastels, candlewax, colour pencils, felt tip pens, and acrylic paints.  I then brushed over these with indian ink, Quink and coloured acrylic ink.  After that, I brushed some bleach over different parts of the images to produce some really interesting effects, and I was so pleased with how they turned out, that I decided that they would be the first images to go in my sketchbook.  I also got really interesting results from pouring PVA glue over plastic, then brushing in some Quink and then adding bleach.  Definitely something worth trying. You could even pour the PVA glue straight onto your paper, and it will give you a very cool 3D image.

My next class was Life Drawing.  There was no model as we were told it is crucial to understand the underlying skeletal structure first – obviously.  So for my first assessment I must produce studies of the human figure, particularly detailed studies of the limbs and of parts of the human head.  The second assessment is to draw the human figure in proportion, using all the methods that I employ at the moment, such as plumblines.  I will also have to produce tonal studies and several speed drawings, followed by 8 completed studies of the figure: 4 seated and 4 standing.

So this afternoon, I cut a full human size sheet of paper, then covered it in diluted black paint.  This is done just so that people aren’t intimidated by a large blank sheet of paper.  This is how I always paint anyway, as it establishes the midtones immediately.  Once I’d done that, I then very loosely painted the top half of the skeleton, laying down the ribs and the skull and arms.  I painted this in white, effectively giving me my highlights.  After that I was to very loosely sketch in some of the actual details of the skeleton with a pure graphite pencil.  I must admit, I was extremely nervous about this.  This was my first ever life class.  I had no idea how it was going to go, but having looked at everyone else’s work, I became rather more optimistic. My drawings were no worse than anyone else’s, and so I was immediately buoyed by this…and that was my day.  I was fit for dropping by the end of it.

I have been given another two briefs for tomorrow’s class, which is to take an item belonging to, and is representative of me, and I also have to take in an image relating to it.  The theme is ‘My space’, and I will also have to produce a sketchbook for that, but that is for tomorrow.  I don’t want to say too much yet, but so far…so good!  I’m going to now sit down and think of what item to take with me; I seriously have no idea!