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01
Dec
More analytical drawing
Heather

I’ve no idea what tissue paper and brown paper has to do with analytical drawing but we had to use it for class today. Actually, the tissue paper drawing was done last night for class today, and the brown paper drawing was done in class today.

Essentially, I had to glue pieces of tissue paper onto the first using different colours to represent midtones, dark tones and highlights then work paint into it.

I was to do a similar thing with the brown paper. The brown paper established the midtones and we were to use burnt umber and chalk for dark tones and highlights. I’m still working on this and will hand it in next week with my other drawings for assessment. After that is done we will be starting our highly finished pieces.

Category: Drawing, Mixed Media, Still Life, Visual Arts  Tags: , , ,  4 Comments
30
Nov
Life drawing, or should that be life painting?
Heather

I’ve been doing life drawing for 13 weeks now, and I have to say it’s not a subject I’ve really enjoyed.  I found that the methods being taught have slowed me down to a snail’s pace.  That’s not the fault of the teacher or the methods, but simply because I am just learning.  I realised that I should only employ these methods periodically during the process of drawing.  My problem was that I had been using them for every single measurement, thereby slowing me to a crawl.  Thankfully, today I decided I would use a paintbrush instead of a pencil, and what a difference!  I’m much more comfortable with a paintbrush, and it is a lot more freeing.  This allowed me to loosen up, and for the first time since I started this class I actually enjoyed life drawing.  The time (just over 2 hours) usually drags through but today class was over before I knew it.  A good sign I’d say.  Also, my tutor said I should stick to this medium as it seems to really work for me. He said that in the early stages, he forces us to use different mediums to see what works best for us.  I could have told him before I started! Oh well, at least it confirmed what I always knew.

So, we did some warm up exercises and then we  did a 20 minute pose, followed by a 45 minute pose.  The results are below.  There are many things that need fixed in the paintings, but I like where they are going.

Category: Drawing, Life Drawing, Painting, Visual Arts  Tags: , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
18
Nov
Analytical drawing is a bitch!
Heather

As I mentioned yesterday, I picked 3 objects for Analytical Drawing, and I started working on them yesterday.  See below:

I chose a troll thingy, given to me for Christmas many years ago by my dear friend Sarah; a piece of rock from a Roman settlement in Tongeren (the oldest town in Belgium), and an African statue.  Oh, and the girl in the picture is Suz, one of my friends from class.  She sneaked into the shot, and I had to put it up here!

The idea was to take objects that you have a personal affinity with.  I collect tribal ornamentation, and objects from early civilisations. I have many ancient artefacts such as an earthenware jug from China c. 2000BC; a Tolita culture head from the pre-Columbian era – roughly 500BC-300AD; an elephant bell from the Khmer Samrong Sen region c.1200-1500 AD; bronze age arrowheads; mammoth teeth; and fossilised fish.  I also collect ancient books. The items above aren’t old, except for the rock from the Roman settlement.  I didn’t want to carry my artefacts around with me in case of damage, but these give an idea of the type of things I like.

I wish I hadn’t bothered!  I should have taken much easier items to draw.  The problem is that I am now being taught to draw using certain methods of measurement.  Of course, I understand completely why I’m taught to measure using these methods but they are so alien to me, that it is taking me hours to measure pieces.  It has really slowed down my drawing, to such an extent that I cannot complete a drawing in 2 hours in class, and it is agony to draw.   It is making me more tense, because I’m standing with arm stretched rigid.  It doesn’t help that I have shaky hands, so it takes me a bit of time to get the measurement just right.  No doubt I will get quicker, but just now it is hellish!  This is making it very difficult to draw these items as there is so much going on – well for me as a beginner it is.  I spent all afternoon just trying to get this sketched outline in:

It just feels so mechanical, and has absolutely no soul to it.  So I reiterate, analytical drawing is a bitch!

Tomorrow, I have more analytical drawing. Fun, fun, fun, but I also have a new class: Sculpture! I’m soooo excited!  I can’t wait to get my hands messy.  I’ve said before that, for me, the visual aspect is the first response to art, and that the tactile aspect should be the second.  It’s just a personal thing, but something I truly believe.  I want to touch art – not be made to stand at a distance from it. Sculpture should be exactly that. There’s a saying here: You see with your eyes and not with your hands. It would be said, usually one child to another, when you wanted to look at something that the other had.  I disagree completely with that sentiment.  I get really excited when I run my hands over a piece of art that is full of texture.  Am I weird?  To some, probably!  Anyway, I’ll let you know how I get on with that tomorrow!  Peace out.

Category: Drawing, Sculpture, Sketches, Visual Arts  Tags: , ,  9 Comments
15
Nov
The Sandman: Dream Illustration part II
Heather

I finished my Sandman: Dream illustration finally!  It took me around 3 hours to do, but only because of the amount of colouring in that was needed!  I used a black ink gel pen for this, and I think I’ve used most of the ink in it.

Anyway, here it is from start to finish:

The first stage was done last night.

The final stage was finished off with soft pastels.

I’m really pleased with how it went, even if there are a few glaring mistakes in my eyes, but hopefully no-one will notice. So that’s another page filled in the old art journal. It’s coming along slowly but surely. I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to draw again in it, as I start back at college tomorrow, and it’s going to be HECTIC with the new subjects. More on that tomorrow!

Category: Drawing, Mixed Media, Visual Arts  Tags: , , , ,  4 Comments
25
Oct
My Space project update with some life drawing
Heather

I’ve done a bit more work on my project today, and I think I’m nearly done with it. This has been quite a challenge for me, as I’m completely outwith my comfort zone, in terms of colour and my work method.  I’m not usually this adventurous with colour, and that in itself has been quite a major hurdle to get over.  Colour terrifies me.  Well, new colour terrifies me.  I feel so reserved when I use colours and I tend to stick to the same colours.

Creating this has given me the chance to be a bit bolder.  I’m trying to learn not to be so ‘precious’ about what I’m creating, in the sense that if I don’t like how it’s going then I’ll paint over the top of it.  This has been something that I’ve been scared to do.  I’ve kind of felt that since I’ve just spent hours creating it, I have to live with it.  Silly, I know.  However, I’ve painted over this several times and you really can’t see much of the original colouring.  I’ve used all sorts of colour here like reds and pinks, alongside blues and yellows.  Combinations I never thought I’d use.  So, yeah, I’m really enjoying this.

Photobucket

I’m back to college tomorrow and I have been working on my life drawing skills for my assessment, also tomorrow.  The feet I did in the classroom with a live model, but he wasn’t there the last class before the holidays, so we had to work on the hands at home.  I’ve drawn my own hands.  It’s really difficult to try and hold a pose when you’re trying to draw it at the same time.  Your hand or whatever your drawing tends to move. Obviously that’s something you have to get used to, and you have to adapt.  The drawings aren’t great but since I’m just learning I’m not too down about it.  Thankfully my tutor is really interested in expression at this stage, and not overly concerned about exact detail.

Photobucket

So, I’m actually getting on really well with my final pieces. I’m just about done with the top painting, so that’s My Space out of the way.  I have a drypoint etching to do tomorrow for Coast, which I would do today but I have to paint the surface first and run it through the printing press before I can do the etching. I also have my collograph to print and I have my lino cut ready to go. So basically all I have to do is my printouts, and that project is finished.  I just have to do my paintings for Painting To A Theme, but I will have 2 weeks to complete these, and since I’ll be finished everything else I’ll have the whole 2 weeks to do these.  That will be plenty of time!  I can’t believe I’m so far ahead with everything, especially given the state of panic at the start of the course.  I’m really, really pleased with how I’ve coped, and I feel I’ve come on massively since the start.  I really can’t wait to see where I’ll be in a year’s time!

Category: Abstract, Art, Drawing, Life Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Project, Sketchbook Development, Sketches, Visual Arts  Tags: ,  2 Comments
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