Before I begin reflecting on the work I’ve produced for this assignment, I want to spend a moment talking about my personal experiences. The last twelve months have been totally clouded by the Covid 19 pandemic, I feel this has both negatively and positively impacted on my practise. At times my artwork and college related activities have been a blessed release from the world. I’ve been able to engage with other artists over the internet, which has been positive. While at the same time I’ve also felt incredibly constrained and limited, especially during this section of the course. The inability to get access to real life models has been very frustrating. This has led me, in some instances to get a little creative with the briefs. Hopefully this won’t negatively impact on my progress, as I’ve had to in most instances rely on photographic reference.
Figure study using line – Seated model in an upright chair.
The idea for this drawing was born out of this drawing I made earlier in the course.
I liked the pose and I was happy with the way I had reacted to it when I produced it. But I did want to push myself further to produce, firstly a more colourful image and secondly an image with considered, controlled marks without being tight. I had been looking at the work of Curtis Holder and liked the way a limited palette, using coloured pencils could create such interesting results. I did a number of small thumb sketches, followed by this sketchy experiment.
I liked the mix of colours and the interesting way they interacted. But I would need to be more accurate with the pose as this one didn’t really feel right.
This is the final drawing I produced; it is slight smaller than A1 but only just. I decided that the addition of a third colour in the chair would add an some much needed contrast. This drawing took about 2 hours to produce, if I was to do it again, using a similar technique I would need to spend significantly longer to get more consistent believable tones and a more pleasing result.
Figure study using tone - Reclining model
I’d found the photo I used as reference for this drawing months ago while on a reference photo hunt. I’d had it in my reference folder for a long time and it hadn’t really spoke to me. I had never used it for any other drawings, I couldn’t resolve a way to draw it interestingly. But while choosing an image for this exercise, I had an interesting idea. The photo has shafts of shadow going diagonally across the model. I thought it might be interesting to use toned paper for these parts of the image.
This is by no means my best work, there are sections I find uncomfortable, like the hands. I do however think using different papers is an interesting idea. Although it doesn’t quite work in this drawing, I think with some more experimentation I can get something satisfying.
Self-Portrait combining line and tone.
I took two words completely to heart from this brief, be experimental and ambitious. I had been drawing self-portraits off and on for most of this section of the course. Some of which you’ve seen in earlier exercises, this time I want to do something completely different. In some of my research into self-portraiture I had come across two images in particular, that sparked an idea.
Both these portraits have a couple of things in common, they have multiple copies of the same head and show the artist at work. This intrigued me and it set me dabbling in photoshop, I end up with this frankly terrifying image.
I knew this wasn’t right but it did set in my mind that I wanted to include multi copies of my head. I thought about the artist at work idea and deemed it something to try in the future. Whilst in the office I would sit and doodle different compositions trying to resolve an image. Unfortunately, an overzealous office cleaner didn’t think much of my sketches and consigned them to the bin in my absence. So, with a clear weekend ahead of me I settled in determined to get a composition I liked. Unlike a lot of the other drawings I’ve done in this course, I just let mind wander while looking photos of myself and in the mirror I had on my desk, this is what I ended up with.
OK I thought that’s quite good but what do I do with it now? I considered using marker pens, I thought about doing something digitally, I wasn’t really sure what to do. Then I did my portrait from imagination, I’d painted that in acrylics and really enjoyed myself. So, a painting it would be. All the backgrounds were done first with a rag and my fingers, I then set to work painting the centre figure.
I honestly don’t know what to think about this, it baffles me. It grew organically from one idea to another and I don’t really know where the finished image came from. I can say that the likeness is a bit off, I’ve got a bit of a weird expression. So, the question I have to ask myself is did I live up to the two words I selected earlier. Is it experimental and ambitious? I have to say I think it is, I experimented both with medium and execution. I stretched myself to produce something unlike anything I have every done before. As a learning experience it’s top draw, as a piece of art, I’m totally convinced.
This is the last of the prescribed sections of the course, I look forward to developing some of these ideas while in the process of researching my personal project.
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