Finally........

I have finally updated my blog!  I finished these two drawings a few weeks ago, but since then time has just zoomed past me.  These will be some of the drawings I will send in for my first assignment.  This is for the still life using natural forms.  I am really pleased with them.

The first drawing is using pencil and a bit of charcoal for the shading.  As the paper was A2, charcoal worked really well for covering such a vast area.  I wasn't sure what to do for the background so I ended up just lightly shading the whole page.  It doesn't really show up on the photo.

The second picture was using coloured pencil and some pastels.  I was really nervous of doing this one, since I haven't ever used pastels before.  The colours were much brighter than the pencil, and since my subject was a bright orange pumpkin, the pastels were a better choice.  Again this is using A2 paper, which just seems a huge space to fill.  

Now I have started work on my next still life, but this time I am going for some buttons and needles and thread.  Thankfully, this time,  I won't have the problem of my still life decomposing before I get to draw it.

Working towards my still life of natural objects

These are the latest drawings I have done, working up to the assignment of a still life.  I tried several different compositions and then added a little colour.  I think I am just playing around at the moment trying to find an idea that actually works.  As it takes me so long to draw anything, I am constantly having to move my tray of rapidly fading vegetables around the house so they are not in the way. No two drawings are ever going to be the same. Oh, to have a study!

Drawings with texture

After my initial attempt at depicting texture, (the strange looking knitting!), I tried again and had much better success.  I think it is much easier to draw natural objects as they have no hard lines, and even if one line is slightly out, it doesn't throw the whole drawing.

Using texture

This week I have been doing some exercises on using texture.  I had great fun going round the house and garden looking for different textures to draw.

I tried to use pen, biro, pencil, ink and charcoal.

I then tried to do some rubbings, or the posh name, frottage.

I made a simple collage from the impressions, but it wouldn't quite fit onto my scanner.  You can only see the middle bit, but you get the idea.

My next drawing was trying to use some of the textures that I had just tried to depict.  The drawing is of some knitting on two circular needles.  It is very unsuccessful, and came out looking like some weird internal organ!  But, it was the first time I had tried anything so difficult, so I will go off and have another go. 

Composition of natural objects

This week has been incredibly hectic, and I have not achieved quite as much drawing as I had first hoped.  My first sketch was returning to the theme of reflected light and I spotted the lamp in the corner of the room one evening and thought that would be a good subject.

I then went on to try 'Composition of natural objects'.  My first sketch of the peppers and garlic, came about after looking round our rather neglected vegetable patch.  Surprisingly, there I found two wonderful looking peppers which fitted the theme beautifully.  Sadly the drawing does not do them justice.

Having had only mild success with this I took my time to plan the second drawing using quick sketches to see which composition looked best.  I settled on the bottom right one and I was really pleased with the results. I still have a lot of trouble deciding what looks like a good composition, but I think taking the time to plan the drawing really paid off in the end.



Reflected light

I have been doing a few drawings trying to use charcoal.  My first attempt, the glass and bowl, was not very successful.  I think this was due to the fact I tried to do it in my A4 sketch book and I really needed a much larger area to get some good sweeping strokes going. 

I am much happier with my second attempt which I drew on  A2 paper.  It did seem a ridiculously large area to fill, but I think by choosing large saucepans as my subject, this somehow helped. The lid is not quite right, but I enjoyed the messiness of the charcoal.

I have now doing an exercise on still life sketches of made objects.  I have this time gone for objects which are quiet small, cotton reels and bobbins.  I'm not quite sure how to arrange the objects and whether there are any guide lines or rules on this subject.  I don't think I have got the composition right in any of the three sketches I have done.
   The pen worked better than the pencil as the drawings seemed more lively.  I think this area needs more consideration as the first assignment is a still life. Back to the books.......

Tone and Form

 

                                                                                                                                                                     I've been trying my hand at tone and form this week.  Looking at how light casts shadows on the surface of objects. I must admit this was  fun, but I still can't get my pots or cups to look quite right.  

Most of these drawing were in pencil, but I did try the apple in biro.  It came out very bold and, obviously with no hope of erasing anything, it does have a certain messy quality about it.

Basic shapes and fundamental form

I have completed two pictures on the theme of using boxes and cylindrical objects.  I must admit I am having considerable trouble getting the ellipses to look right.  You know they look wrong but it's working out how to rectify them that is the trouble.

For the second one I have added some colour, but I must admit it all came out a bit wishy washy.  The colours would have looked better a bit stronger, but all I had to hand at the time was my daughters colouring pencils.

Mark-making and charcoal exercises.

I have spent the last week or so practicing mark making techniques with different drawing tools, including pencil, biro, ink and charcoal.  I have found that pencil is my favorite medium to work in. Ink and charcoal have both proved to be really messy, although you can get some great sweeping, soft effects with charcoal sticks. I prefer to draw with pencil, as you will see from my next exercises on drawing boxes and cylindrical objects.  This is probably due to the fact that you can rub it out.  I know that's not very professional, and I must wean myself off of the habit, but I like the fact that you can draw five lines, see which is in the right place, and then rub out the other four. 

Perhaps I should try some in pen next time, it would also make it a lot easier for the scanner to pick up!

Making marks project/ doodling

These are two of my scribblings on the theme of using different drawing tools to create different marks on the page.  I used HB and 2B pencils, biro, ink roller pen, crayons, and charcoal pencils and sticks.  I even tried a few effects using some old, and rapidly fading, felt tip pens. 

Beginning from where I am.

Welcome.  I have enrolled on a course with the Open College of the Arts, entitled Drawing 1. This blog will be used as my learning journal to record my progress throughout the course.
     My coursework arrived over a week ago, and with much enthusiasm and excitement I started reading through the exercises and assignments. I then decided to have a look at some of the other students blogs to see what they were up to.  Although this proved very inspirational, it also left me paralysed with fear that everyone else seemed more artistic and professional, and my work would in no way meet the grade.  Luckily the faint and often unheard 'voice of reason' came to me last night, and told me that unless I started on these small steps towards my goal I would never have a hope of reaching my target.  It is only through constant practice that we become better at something, so here I go.
     I do not always have the right size paper or the right drawing tools but I will not use this as a reason to procrastinate.  I am going to raid my children's pencil cases and find the nearest piece of paper, regardless of weight or texture, and start my drawing.  I will then post my scribbling on my blog and begin from where I am today. 
Oh, such steely determination............