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............