Assignment 4
1 – Figure Study Using Line (A1) – Research
I am interested in exploring the way that emotions are portrayed in art and how those emotions are passed on to the viewer. During the last project I worked on some drawings of my daughter and how I have portrayed her in her state of depression. This is something that I would like to research more and see how other artists have worked on this subject. I have trouble making loose and fluid drawings so this will be quite difficult for me. Using my Japanese brush pen may help with loosening up the lines and make them more fluid so I will be exploring this in my sketchbook.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
Here I examined the use of magazine pieces and ink and pen and brush pen. Trying to get looser in my mark making.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
Here I was looking at line and how I could use this for my assignment, just using line to draw.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
Some sketches of the seated figure drawn very quickly to see if I can loosen up.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
Her I was experimenting with the background and also looking at John Currin and his drawings.
I was really inspired by John Currin (b1962) and his work
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/82186 (accessed 19/12/2019)
This picture above in particular was very inspiring I really like the use of line and the mixture of white and black line. I think this really helps with the description of the light and the way it falls on the face.
Assignment Piece, Part 4 – 1 – Figure study using line (A1) Seated model in an upright chair.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
My daughter always seems to want to be curled up, the way that she sits here is typical of the way that she likes to sit. The squares behind are from magazines and they are all textures, which I my daughter finds difficult. In her depressed condition even the feel of her clothing is important, any rough texture is difficult for her. I think that this worked well and I really like the look of the textures with the drawing on the top. The face is quite bank and this is sometimes how my daughter can look, far away and thinking. The lines to describe the wrinkles in the clothing around her body I think worked quite well in some areas. I was looking down on her and took some photographs as well as some preliminary sketches, so that I could work with her and without her. It is tighter than I would have liked again, although I feel that I am beginning to loosen up a bit, this is getting easier but is still quite difficult.
2 – Figure Study Using Tone (A1) – Research
I decided to use my daughter again in this assignment and started to think about tone and how I could use just tones to show her mental state. The background needed to be dark, I felt to show the depression and I started to look at backgrounds and how this can affect a drawing. I went to see Lucian Freud ( 1922 – 2011 ) at the Royal Academy (27th October 2019 – 26th January 2020, this was very inspiring. I found his use of mirrors very interesting, the way that you can use them to add a hidden view I wanted to bring into my assignment. I really liked the idea of using a mirror, something which has become a bit of an enemy for my daughter. I used a small mirror to give another view of my daughter.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I looked at tones and played with the way that the light hits my daughters face.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
In my research I found many artists that use tone and here I wanted to try out some new ideas using chalk, oil pastels and charcoal.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I wanted to look at the background and how the background could affect the finished drawing. I really liked this blue which is kind of smokey in the way that I applied it to the paper. I didn’t like the white paint over the blue ink, I felt it was better with the blue ink as it was more atmospheric.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I looked at a contemporary artist Guy Denning (b1965) and how he uses just tone in his drawings https://guydenning.org. His work really uses the background to enhance his work creating great atmospheres, with the faces coming out from the background.
Assignment Piece, Part Four -2 – Figure study tone(A1) – Reclining model.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
The use of the mirror in this drawing added an extra dimension to this drawing and I think that it worked. I like the composition she looks comfortable but the sadness in her face is echoed in the dark background. I used white pencil crayon and this helped to show the folds in the fabric that show the shape of the body. Because the background was dark, I decided not to use any dark clothing and use an artificial light. The artificial light allowed me to get the contrasts quite strong which I wanted in this piece.
3 – A Portrait or Self-Portrait Combining Line and Tone (any size)
With this exercise I wanted to go in the opposite direction and produce a drawing that would be happy and hopefully the viewer would see the happiness in the drawing. I am getting more interested in the way that an artist can convey the emotions of the sitter in their work.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I started by drawing my friends child as she is very happy most of the time and thought about how I could add to the happy expression on her face. I started to think about the background and how this could add to the feeling of being happy.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I looked at colour and felt that sunshine yellow would be the most appropriate although it is probably the usual colour to use for happiness. Then I started experimenting with gold.
Own Photograph from the National portrait gallery (accessed 19/12/2019)
I visited the National Portrait Gallery a few months ago and when I was there I saw the contemporary artist Suzi Malin’s (b 1949) work on Elton John. I really wanted to use some gold on my portrait as I loved the way that she used it.
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
Here is my friend Malcolm, he has a really interesting face and is always happy. I have always wanted to draw him so I asked him to sit for me and I took some pictures of him laughing. I decided to use pencil for the line and tone as it is good for describing both.
Assignment Piece, Part 4 – 3 – A Portrait or Self-Portrait Combining Line and Tone (A2)
Own photograph Own image (accessed 19/12/2019)
I hope that the features here are in proportion, I decided to do the drawing straight on because I wanted to capture all of the smile and the way that all of the face is smiling and changed by this. I wanted the image to be really light so the tones are light and the lines are light too. I don’t think I have been too experimental in the drawing but hopefully I have made up for that with the background. I really enjoyed doing this drawing and this sense of fun I think is in this portrait.
I have really enjoyed this part, I have been most interested in portraying people as they are with different expressions and trying to show this in my work. Sometimes it has been difficult but researching artists has really made me see how it is possible to use backgrounds, line and tone to explore this.
OCA Drawing 1 