So that’s assignment one done dusted and boy have I learned a lot. Not just about my drawing and art but about the course, the logistical demands of part time study, and my own crazy little mind. Below are some of the remarks I have received from Helen my tutor and my reflections on them.
The first part of this course is diagnostic and you have made a good start, demonstrating through your assignment and supporting work, sound observational skill and handling of conventional drawing media. You have also responded well to the challenge of working with more experimental approaches to drawing as evidenced in the initial exercises. Going forward I would encourage you to avoid tightening up when it comes to the assignment piece; continue to explore creative possibilities and take risks with your work.
Well you can’t say fairer than that. Avoiding tightening up isn’t going to be easy, from the very start of formal education we are told to always do your best. By the time you reach my age this is just what you do, especially in creative endeavours. But what is your best is a subjective thing. Technical proficiency doesn’t seem to be the goal here, I’m learning. It’s about the creative journey and not necessarily the outcome. A dashed off sketch done at two in the morning can hold as many creative possibilities as a laboured over 15 hour “masterpiece”.
Exercise 1: Warm-up Temporary Drawing Parts 1 & 2
You explore here the possibilities of working playfully with the medium rather than controlling it. I thought it was helpful that you kept others work in mind when exploring your own process. For example you relate exploration of impermanence to the work of Goldsworthy and Long. Your experiments with water reminded me of the practice of water calligraphy and the act of drawing as a meditative process – this might be something to explore further.
Time and permanence are two themes that seem to keep coming up for me in my work. The passage of time, and our relatively impermanence leaves one with the desire to, both reflect this and also leave a mark that will outlast us.
Project 1: Feeling and Expression
Exercise 1: Experimenting with expressive lines and marks
You have done well in these initial exercises to push through the process and recognise their value to you as you move forwards. You point to mark making as a possible warm up activity and way into the creative process, in this respect making the activity more important than the resulting marks.
This exercise was really challenging, but has definitely impacted on how I go about work now. The freeness of not being focused on an outcome, focusing instead on the feelings and creative intention. But as will anything this is a process and something I need to continue to work at going forward.
Project 2: Basic Shapes and Fundamental Form
Exercise 1: Groups of Objects
Warm up sketchbook exercises provide a helpful start to your process. Your approach is thoughtful and well considered. You identify particular routes for investigation, for example the study of negative space, which informs the progression of your work.
Nothing to add here really, sketching is something I do every day. Using my sketchbook as a visual tool to think through ideas has come relatively easily. This warm up and investigation process is something I will continue to work on and improve as I progress through the course.
Exercise 2 Observing shadow using blocks of tone
Where you had been relying on outline in the previous exercise, here you have been able to describe form successfully through your use of tone. You use some useful techniques to sharpen your observation of the subject – for example turning the drawing upside down. I noted your use of photo editing to check tonal values. This might seem a handy short cut however, don’t dismiss the importance of first hand observation to inform the drawing process. What, and how, we see is not the same as a camera sees. I have included a short clip below which you might find interesting of Hockney talking about the difference, as he sees it, between a photo and a painting or drawing.
I agree that observation is an extremely important thing when drawing. I have and will try where ever possible to work solely from life. But this does pose an interesting question and bring into focus something I’ve been thinking about. What am I trying to achieve with a given drawing? The modern world is screen enhanced, we have them with us all the time. So much of life is viewed through the window of a screen. This has made the inherent distortions of the camera lens much more prevalent and accepted by modern viewers. So when producing a drawing a decision is required early on, is this drawing a reflection of the real world? Does it live in the unnatural realm of lens distortion, parallax, and vignette? Or is it a flight of fancy where none of the rules apply?
Exercise 3 Creating shadow using lines and marks
Reading your learning log it seems that you are reaching some realisations about how to manage your time and resources. I agree that a daily engagement, however brief, with your drawing practice is beneficial. With this continuity and momentum breakthroughs will come. As you also recognize, it is important to take risks, work on developing the results of your explorations and give your work time to develop.
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. With the amount of work that needs to be realised I keep this in mind all the time. Without time to develop a drawing you can only hope to scratch the surface of what you can achieve. Without good time management there won’t be space to explore and develop.
Exercise 4 Shadows and reflected light
Your exploration of tone and the properties of your media have resulted in a robust drawing. I agree that the reflective qualities are not as developed as they might have been. Perhaps you could use a charcoal pencil to introduce more precision and apply a molded putty rubber to reintroduce the whiteness of the paper.
Fair points here about technique, which I will experiment with in future drawings.
Assignment 1
I though the preparatory drawing work for your assignment piece had an immediate and lively quality. The final piece, though sensitively drawn, does lack the energy and curiosity found within the earlier course exercises. It is not unusual for the assignment piece to become less experimental and exploratory. Remember this piece should expand upon what you have learnt and discovered. You have shown that you have good basic skills and you can afford to remain curious, take some risks and explore creative possibilities here. I noted that you worked initially from a photograph and used a grid system. I would encourage you to work purely by eye – not only will this improve your observational skills but stepping out of your comfort zone may also help you to identify new and exciting possibilities for your work.
I understand this and have referenced my need to remain free and curious earlier in this blog.
I have been given the following points to think about and work on in future assignments.
Explore creative possibilities and take risks with the assignment piece.
Maintain continuity and momentum within your course work as you progress through Part 2.
Avoid taking short cuts within your process and focus on developing your observational skills.
So as this section of the course comes to an end, I can look back with some pride at what I’ve achieved so far. I now embark on part 2 with a much better idea of what’s required of me both creatively and logistically.
Happy scribbling
Comments