OCA D1: Assignments

Man-made composition

My preliminary studies for the man-made composition were mainly based upon an idea of old vs new methods. My profession is web designer and photoshop features heavily when I'm designing layouts and graphics. I'm also the owner of a rubbery morph (a little nostalgia here) figure that sits on my desk holding a pencil for me. I liked the idea of suggesting tension between two very different methods of modelling. However, in the end I decided to shelve this idea, perhaps for a project at a later stage, and concentrate on the project in hand, which was observation.

Morph did feature in my composition but with symbolism and narrative removed. I was very happy with my preliminary studies and very happy with my choice of medium; the composition contained vibrant colours that wouldn't have had the same impact as a tonal study. I was pleased with my reflected light bouncing off the mouse and the look of transparency on the celotape. I wasn't so pleased with my finished composition ~ my preliminary study of this composition was a square pictorial space and this didn't transpose on to my A2 in landscape format. My design was lost in A2.

Overall, I am happy with this piece but I feel the composition could have been improved.

This is my man-made composition in oil pastel

Natural objects

My natural objects worksheet wasn't completed as methodically as the man-made one. My studies were made without the confines of a pictorial space, which came afterwards. My aim was to create a full composition, making good use of a considerable negative space. I wanted a balanced composition that suggested life beyond the pictorial space, which is something I like in general. I wanted to include a range of texture and tone.

I was very excited about this piece. I haven't been a huge fan of charcoal in the past and I wanted to conquer my fear of the medium. I really enjoyed moving the medium around the paper. I used line, smudging, stippling with charcoal, putty rubber, erasers on the end of pencils and drawing with erasers.

If I am being completely honest, I didn't strictly stick to any design from my preliminary studies, but I did use two of the compositions as reference. I found the medium flexible and I wanted to experiment.

To conclude, I loved working on this piece. If I have one critism then it is about tone. I feel I could have chosen a greater tonal range of objects and included something a little lighter in the composition. Overall, very happy.

OCA D1: Enlarging an image

Success

My outcome was reasonably successful, however I don't think you can obtain the character, emotion or style depicted in a free-flowing drawing. I feel I had greater success with the larger, detailed image than I did enlarging the cylindrical shapes of the cup.

Satisfaction

I wasn't completely satisfied because of the reasons above; I like the pen or pencil to flow naturally when I'm drawing, and I couldn't do this when confined to copying small squares. However, I have used this technique in the past when painting a natural portrait from a photograph and it was very useful for marking out targets and proportions.

OCA D1: Using Texture

New ways of using drawing tools

Did I discover new ways of using drawing tools during this exercise? I will answer yes to this question. I'm really inspired by Hockney at the moment; his work and his attitude to life in general. Recently, I visited Salts Mill in Bradford, and here they're exhibiting a large number of Hockney pieces. I enjoyed looking at the Hockney faxes, drawings and his experiments depicting form and texture. I like the simplicity he applies to capture various well known textures and effects like wood grain and water. I wanted to capture some textures in a similar way and I wanted to see what I could achieve with a single implement; a felt tip. I believe Picasso's work has had a huge impact on Hockney and as Picasso wanted to revert his brilliant craft back to that of child, I thought, what better tool to use than a felt tip pen.

I'm not completely satisfied with my drawing because it is neither child-like or natural. However, there were no preliminary studies so I'm not dis-heartened. I'm actually going to push this further and see what other complex textures can be simplified and applied using a similar method.

Implying form with little or no tonal hatching

My picture has a little form, but I was really paying attention to the patterns in the composition. More solidity and depth could have been achieved by re-arranging the composition and working in form by using more contours and letting my line wrap around each object.

Frottage

This is something I do with my children when we get arty on our trips out to parks, and something I was very fond of as a child. For me, this was a forgotten technique. It wasn't an approach presented to me at art college and it isn't a method I've used in my work.

I was especially please with one of the sand paper results. I mixed in a couple of dark tones on to cartridge paper placed over a sheet of course sandpaper. On the down side I wasn't please with the condition of the paper after I'd finished. What I would like to discover is a method of frottage that can be taken and applied to another surface, like stretched paper or canvas.

OCA D1: Composition

Three dimensions on man-made and natural objects

I feel more comfortable trying to depict three dimensions of natural objects. The irregular surfaces of such objects provides more contours and tonal variation, and for me presents a greater opportunity to create the illusion of solidity and form.

Solidity in my compositions

The solidity in some of my compositions is suggested by the light direction, tonal changes on the surfaces of the subjects and cast shadows. I think attention must go in to the variation of tone; from strong contrasting, sharp tones, to variations of subtle gradation. With other compositions I might disregard solidity and form altogether. It may have been a simple pattern, texture or composiition that excited me.

Changing arrangement and a sense of form

My natural compositions were drawings of leaves, a large stone from a fruit, twigs and other bits of foliage. I had lots of tonal variations and interesting contours to work with, so even with flatter light there was still a sense of solidity and form. My answer to "Do you think changing the arrangement of your composition makes a difference to your approach and the way you create a sense of form?" is yes, for me it is about observing and finding something I can use. If the light is strong and helps to suggest a sense of form then I may work the drawing hard and create something very tonal, otherwise I might take a different approach and use simple line and direction to suggest form.

OCA D1: Drawing Reflected Light

Patrick Caulfield

I love pop art. I love David Hockney's and Patrick Caulfield's work. I love simplicity and an artists ability to remove the waste; the clutter; the distractions. I love to see design in artwork and in Caulfield's work this is evident. The design is the composition ~ the shapes, colours, tone and the ability to select and omit. It's the artistic fore-thought that gives the artwork meaning.

This is my design in the style of Patrick Caulfield

Seperating cast shadow from reflected light and shade

I feel the difficulties presented when drawing light, shade and cast shadow are subtle changes in tonal values, especially when depicting cylindrical objects. I need to observe and tell myself "this part of the subject is darker than this but light than this." I try to build up tonal differences gradually.

This is my study of light reflected from one object to another

OCA D1: Basic shapes and fundamental form

Size, shape, proportion, solidity and depth

I have made a few sketches of cylindrical objects whilst accurately trying to capture proportion and depth. Not so much solidity in this case because the excerise was to make the closest objects transparent so the viewer could see the lines of the objects behind. When I draw, be it a quick sketch or a more controlled drawing, I am always making quick comparisons and taking mental measurements. Sometimes I will use a physical aid, like a pencil, to gage distance but more often than not I will just make a visual comparison between a few points within the subject or the negative space.

This excerise was to draw only cylindrical objects. A quick observation made me realise that the cylindrical tops were shallower the further away the object was. The closest objects obviously had deeper oval tops and the bottoms of the objects were deeper still.

This is my study of jars and jugs

OCA D1: Tone and form

Primary light and secondary reflected light

Now that I have a better understanding of the effects of a strong side-light on a spherical object I can make sense of what I am seeing. Prior to this, reflected light would have been ignored, probably even becoming darker as it seems logical to assume the opposite side to the one receiving the light will be darker. A little knowledge heightens my senses and forces me to ask questions.

Depiction of form

To capture form I think an artist must pay close attention to those subtle tonal changes. Strong contrasts can indicate deep contours on an object but I feel it's the overall smoothness of the gradient that depicts solidity and form. This can be strengthened by feeling the form and wrapping around with line.

The awareness has forced me to consider form much earlier in a drawing. I'm actually enjoying drawing with form and not just making this an after-thought following an outline of my subject. I'm feeling a freedom and an excitement when drawing and as a result my work has become very dynamic and energetic.

OCA D1: Making Marks

Holding my pen or pencil

The way I held my pencil determined how much control I had over my line. I experimented with four methods: close to the tip in a writing hold, the middle of the pencil in a writing hold, loosely at the end of the pencil and my forth, which was bringing my hand over the top of the pencil and having the end rest in my palm. Each gave me very different results. I enjoyed experimenting with the loose hold at the end of the pencil, which allowed me to draw freely and expressively. I found the greatest control came from holding the pencil mid-way in a relaxed manner. This gave me freedom and control when I wanted it.

Particular emotions or feelings

Yes, in short, my drawings are deeply affected by my emotional state. Positivity will bring with it a certain flow and control to my drawings and if I feel this way then I will often opt for graphite or my Col-Erase illustrator pencils and use my time to observe and record. I will concentrate on my line, form and tone. If my mood isn't so positive then I may choose to experiment with materials or draw boldly with charcoal or pastels. Either way, I try to use my feelings and create something.

Drawing tools and techniques

I will attempt to draw with anything that makes a mark. Actually, I love ball-point pen ~ I like the tone you can build up with these. I often draw with graphite and my Col-Erase illustrator pencils. I love squared-off conte-crayon; the boldness and the ability to print with its sharp edge. I love oil pastels ~ they make me approach a piece differently because I'm thinking more about blocking in colour than I am drawing with line.

The introduction of colour

I try to see both colour and tone when creating a drawing, or a painting. Seeing both helps me establish boundaries for proportions in both positive and negative space.

If I am working in colour then I often find myself working from the inside and moving outwards, blocking in instead of drawing. I push my medium until I'm satisfied with the shape; the boundary. This would be a common approach for me using pastels or direct painting.

Interesting and rewarding

I found the freedom and expression in doodling the most rewarding. Previously, I would ponder things to draw and occasionally be unsatisfied unless I had something of interest to draw from observation. Now, this isn't so evident; I'm enjoying making marks and drawing from memory, creating lines, hatching, drawing spheres with light and cast shadows, and generally just enjoying myself and learning as I go.