My learning process and growth in art
The category containing all posts for part 1.
I tried using darker tones for less fat white space like in my precious works. I feel that I may have done this piece too dark, although it could just be that I am not used to adding so much shadow. I think creating a wider range of tonal values is still something I need to work on.
I also tries to full in more of the background in an attempt to make the white areas in my objects stand out more.
I love Redon’s artwork, both early and late. I feel that they are very emotive, he is able to take mere ideas and turn them into expressive works of art.
Redon’s earlier work consisted of black and white drawings, known as his “noir” work, as he describes it. These pieces are very detailed and realistic (e.g. Two trees) . However he did not feel that these pieces were emotive enough and so turned to more abstract and dream inspired work. (e.g. The crying spider)
While sticking to his new style, he stared using more and more colour in his work. He would start with a black and white under drawing and then go over in colour.
He used a verity of mediums and would layer them in order to create his desired effect. He was very experimental with his techniques. I too enjoy experimenting with mediums and techniques and so this draws me toward his work. (e.g. Buddha in His Youth)
Redon does not outline his work and merely uses shadows to create substance and depth. The artwork bellow has a busy yet calm feel to it. He has used cross hatching on the main trunk of the tree which makes it seem rough and sturdy and tells the viewer that these trees/ this forest is old and holds many stories. the smaller branches are smooth and light. The leaves in the top left corner look so small and delicate in comparison to the trees.
The dark shadows behind the trees and in the hole of the center tree creates a feeling of depth. It creates a stark contrast and gives the trees substance. I feel as though if I were to go beyond the trees I would fall into nothingness.
Sources :
I found this exercise to be rather challenging because many of the techniques are new to me. I did however enjoy the opportunity to try new methods of drawing and shading. I decided to test the all the techniques with every medium in order to see the mediums effect on the textures.
Originally, concerning the two drawings bellow, I had planned to do the cross-hatching technique on the cylinder and do the hatching on the sphere. However, after attempting the cross-hatching on the cylinder, I was not satisfied with how it turned out and thus decided to do the cross-hatching on the sphere and the hatching on the cylinder.
I found it difficult using the dotting technique mostly because I was not used to it. The circles on the other hand felt more natural although I feel they would work better with a rounded object.
I decided to work on light brown paper and have it act as a lighter mid tone. I then used black charcoal for my shading and white charcoal for my lightest tone. I found it difficult to create a smooth transition from light to dark.
Looking back I feel perhaps I should have embraced the rougher shading techniques explored in the next exercise of this project. I find that my drawing style tends to change depending on what medium that I am working with. I also find that I tend to be afraid of making my drawings too dark and so end up making them much too light.
After setting up my objects I drew their shapes with pencil before using my ink and dip pen.
I had initially intended on using just my dip pen. I used quick spontaneous gestures to shape and shade my objects. I made made looser movements for the lighter areas and tighter movements for the darker areas.
I was not satisfied with the effect of using only the dip pen so used a paintbrush and mixed the ink with water to do more shading. In some areas I worked with a paintbrush dipped only in water to make the pen lines bleed. I worked back and forth with the brush and pen until I was happy with the drawing.
This exercise took me a good few days to complete as I found myself struggling to completely submerge myself into some of the emotions. I kept a blank page on my drawing board at all timed so that I’d always be prepared to start drawing immediately.
Grief was inspired by the news of the death of a family friend who I’d known for most of my life. At first I felt somewhat guilty for using her death as inspiration to draw for merely an exercise but I decided to think of it as a dedication it to her instead.
To become calm I decided to take a nap and then meditate for a while and asked my family to not disturb me for risk of changing my mood.
I did anger after my brother’s significant other finished all our yogurt (we are all huge yogurt fans in our house), then bought more yogurt and forbid anyone from eating it because she “payed for it herself”. I’ll stop there before I go on a rant.
I managed to achieve joy by fangirling over my favourite book series and listening to my favourite music.
The first one I tried in this exercise was the suggested soap in the sink activity. I started off with green dish soap then went in with my orange shampoo. After realizing that I couldn’t control the patterns made, I decided to leave it to chance. The way the colours reacted with each other, not blending unless provoked, and how the patterns continued to shift as gravity took over was an interesting display of temporary line-work.
After playing around with the soap I decided to experiment a bit with ink. I dripped a singe drop in hoping it would mix with the drops of water sitting on the walls of the sink but it only made one solid black line. I then got close and blew at the line of ink and to my pleasant surprise this happened. It was as though small patches of sink became ink-phobic so to speak and in those patches there were small lines like the veins on a leaf. I love experimentation with different mediums and sometimes very interesting things happen. Like with the soap as time went by the lines changed and so the second image is from a few minutes later.
Next I want outside to look for natural temporary lines. At first I wanted to take a picture of the circular ripples in the pool but became entranced by the reflections in the water instead. I liked how with the ripples the reflection is never still and is constantly changing and so I decided to use it in this exercise.
When I was outside I caught a glimpse of the shadow of a tree on the wall. I thought of how shadows change and move with the sun and how the wind blowing through the trees cause their shadows to shift around.
This exercise has helped me see things differently as to what makes things permanent or temporary and how things can change and develop due to time of environmental changes.
Lisa's Art Log 