Project 3 Expanse
Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
Thank you for submitting Part 3 for Drawing 1. You have worked hard at grappling an unfamiliar area, landscape, and have worked hard to connect with it on a personal level. You have had some successes. Take the time to work on tone. This will give you the depth and weight to what you are trying to depict with conviction.
You have a good sense of how to develop an idea from your first preliminary sketch. Working widely with a range of materials has made you embrace some difficult aspects of your studies but has brought a richness to the type of work you are making. Keep looking and take the time to slow down and observe before making a mark. This will help you make decisions prior to execution, something that will make your work easier to handle. Your material enquiry has broadened but for your next assignment I would like you to explore more. You research widely so why not bring some of that into your own exercises, controlled of course so that you don’t get too distracted from the coursework.
Exercise1: Sketching individual Trees
You have made a good start in your sketchbook observing trees with good supporting annotation.
Exercise 2: Larger observational study of an individual tree
For this exercise you have managed to sketch out some strong compositional considerations in some smaller boxes. The tonal contrast of light and dark is striking. You have taken some good photographs of the trees you have observed whilst out and about considering texture and form. Keep playing around with looking at form from varying viewpoints to enhance the work.
Exercise 3: Study of several trees
Again you have considered a strong sense of composition from selection to depiction. Working through a series of exercises you have developed a way of working from each study from pencil to coloured crayons to charcoal and then through to pastel. You are proceeding well but taking an idea through to another medium, so well done.
Consider tone, depth and space to add other dimensions to the work.
Project 2: Landscape
Research point: Research artists that use landscape across time. Albrecht Durer,
Claude Lorrain, L.S. Lowry, George Shaw and Sarah Woodfine.
You have submitted wide and varied research that is reflected upon carefully. There is a visual link to many of your selected artists. There is a similarity of palette, mark making and textural qualities, where dynamic marks are reduced to their simplest form.
Exercise 1: Cloud formations and tone
You have submitted sound critical reflection on the work of Vija Celmins. You haven’t as yet found the time to complete the cloud exercises so I am unable to give you feedback at present.
Exercise2: Sketchbook walk
From the drawings you have submitted you really get a sense of the winter’s cold and unforgiving nature. As this is a new experience for you have managed to get as much information down as you can as well as the textural qualities of the sea and beach in your local vicinity. The black and white charcoal studies are quick and confident in their mark making. I think you have been pleasantly surprised by what you have managed to achieve in 1 hour, well done.
Exercise3: 3600 studies
The work you have produced for this exercise is reminiscent of Paul Nash for me with its sweeping blocks and almost flat sense of the landscape overall. It is important to balance the sense of place with closer observation. Make sure that the balance produces an image that can be read reasonably clearly by the viewer as tonally they could be improved upon for depth of field within the work.
Research point: Monet, Cezanne, Hockney, and Nicholas Herbert.
You have produced a widened sense of landscape research looking at a variety of contemporary artists that draw the landscape from different viewpoints. The pooling of your ideas, your artists research and your outcomes comes through well in your sketchbook. Again, excellent research on Nash.
Project 3: Composition
Exercise1: Developing your studies
You have annotated well throughout this exercise in your learning log. Moving on from your initial studies made in October you have produced a vibrant drawing that denotes the light and dark of our chosen landscape. Again, further understanding of building up the foreground would give you a broader sense of depth so experiment with this where possible to gain more experience. At the moment this drawing lacks the depth due to the lack of tone and detailing throughout. It would have been better perhaps to work on a series of developed ideas taken from your initial studies to play around more with tone and depth as well as widen your drawing tools to push the edges once more of what drawing means to you.
Again, you have submitted wide and varied artists research, which is enigmatic and compelling at the same time. It will be interesting to see if you develop any of these techniques in your own work at a later stage. You have analysed these images well.
Exercise 2: Foreground, middle ground and background
This exercise has brought with it some challenges that you have reflected upon well in your learning log. For this exercise you have produced a subtle yet complex drawing, which, had you have used a sturdier paper could have been worked and worked upon in terms of building up tone. The lightness of colour overall is quite flat throughout so perhaps this drawing could be worked on further in the further perhaps as a mixed media piece. It would have been good to see the eye travel through this drawing through careful execution of the foreground with perhaps a lighter area on the horizon to pull the eye through? Again, tonal aspects need to be worked on further s o that you get a sense of distance in the work.
Your reflection on this part of your studies is well considered. It is good to see you explore and further the potential of drawing from the landscape by working through collaged drawings and studies from the collections of things you have found from your winter walks. Your combination drawings from the hard pruned trees outside the Tate have a wonderful energy to them and I hope that this will propel you through any future considerations you may have towards working in and with the landscape.
Project 4: Perspective
Exercise 1: Parallel perspective – an interior view
Perspective is a hard area to grasp as we take so much for granted. Marking out your eye level as well as parallel perspective can be a slow process that takes both patience and time, often resulting in an image that has very little detail and a series of lines lightly filled in. Whilst this is possibly the antithesis of what you enjoy doing, getting to grips with the basics can really allow your seeing skills to develop.
Exercise 2: Angular perspective
There are a few smaller errors but overall this is a good attempt. It might be a good idea to reverse the process by drawing in your eye level and angular perspective first, and then measure the buildings length and height against it. Either that or start by drawing the information lightly and then fill in in more detail once you realise that the information is correct. Working in parallel will help you see where you are going wrong. Don’t fill in any detail until you have those measurements right.
Stating that previous drawings are more accurate isn’t really doing the exercise the justice it does deserve. The drawing that you have submitted does suffer, as you have recognised in your learning log, with slight errors in the perspective. Slow down and get the architectural qualities right, then fill in with the fun stuff. Mark it out as much as you can before filling in. This can see very laborious at times or use a viewfinder that is gridded up to help you translate the information in front of you onto a lightly gridded sheet. This type of repetitive exercise will be a huge investment in terms of time but will improve the overall look and visual understanding that is, at times, required.
Exercise 3: Aerial or atmospheric perspective
You are starting to consider the tonal aspects of drawing more in this exercise. Working in black and white is easier than working in greens if you are having difficulties. Perhaps if you squint more the varieties of different greens will be revealed a little bit more to you? You have been very aware of the lack of attention you have given to preparing your materials. All of these things that you are considering at the same time can get confusing. You will get better at taking time over the prep and the working of a drawing as you gain more experience. Again, slow down and take your time in considering what needs to be done before putting your drawing medium to paper.
Project 5: Townscapes
Research: John Virtue and others
Good research; just remember to expand your written critique and reflection wherever possible.
Exercise 1: Sketchbook of townscape drawings
The sketches you have produced for this exercise are demonstrating a keenness to respond more emotively to your subject than to draw carefully what you see in front of you. I understand that making work needs to feel attractive as otherwise the interest is soon lost however I do think that some level of studies drawing needs to come to the fore so that you getting more experience at working with the difficulties. Be mindful of how you draw. Only draw what is needed rather than the whole when it comes to making studies o your subject. Our brains often fill in the rest of the image if incomplete.
Exercise 2: Study of a townscape using line
Working on the long view has been successful you, particularly the view by the road bridge. . You have completed this exercise developing the drawing as you move forward. The final drawing is a more illustrative representation of your first drawing and I like the way you have handled the roofing and architectural aspects in this way. Although not accurate I would agree the depth is starting to come into the work as you have managed to lead the eye up the river for this drawing.
Exercise 3: A limited palette study
Your second drawing for this exercise is the strongest by far. You have by now managed to get to know your landscape quite well and all is appearing to fall into place much more smoothly than the first drawing. The limited palette has been carefully considered and you have managed to leave space where necessary to balance the view. The reflective qualities within the water works well and the mark making throughout is understated yet successful in its execution, well done.
Exercise 4: Statues
The drawings of statues after Cezanne for me feels the most compelling and well executed. The roundness of the form and the light that you have depicted have grounded this form through carefully execution of line, light and tone. The hand made qualities of the paper adds something more textural to the last drawing and the editing of what you chose to depict makes this drawing the most successful out of all the works you have submitted for this exercise. The viewpoint adds a more visceral feel and the way you have handled the light, mid and darker tones makes this a successful drawing, keep it up.
You have started off well by returning to drawing after a bit of a break and the series of drawings on tracing paper where you have played around with various approaches feels lie a strong start to returning back to drawing your garden. There is an excitement in the mark making and the mindfulness to push the boundaries of your normal approach has paid off. The building up and stripping back as well as taking care to look and understand in closer detail the composition has allowed you to make a sustained drawing using a build up of varying materials. The successes I think are the chair and the right of the image with the statuette against the dark ground. Well done for this.
Your smaller preliminary studies and sketches for this Assignment explore a range of compositional viewpoints to see the effects that these can bring to your final assignment as suggested as well as evidence a sustained development of an idea through different mediums. Further reflection on what you have learnt so far in terms of techniques, materials and processes have helped you to take more risks in your preliminary studies.
Your larger preliminary sketch feels confident, energetic and overall is very successful. The composition, tone and perspective of the study works well as does the colour study. Areas where you have depicted the darker tones has lifted areas in the foreground so continue to explore this as you move forward o your next assignment.
The final assignment piece for me lacks the clarity of the larger preliminary sketch although I do like the complexity of the layers and the references to your artist’s research. Again for me the tonal definition is lacking which makes the piece lacking in the overall lustre that I can see in the preliminary. Perhaps when it comes to assessment the former larger study should be submitted…one to consider in the future perhaps
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
You have a sustained confidence exuding from your sketchbooks as you explore a range of possibilities at every turn. The pages of your sketchbook are energetic, enquiring and full. Continue to work like this as you move to the next assignment. You manage to extend and force new ideas for exploration in your sketchbook demonstrating your idea development as well as the development of your drawings.
You are visiting a range of exhibitions and are keeping notes and postcards in your sketchbook, well done. Your technical, visual and creative skills in regard to materials, is improving, just remember what has worked before after reading my report and continue to experiment as you do so. Time investment often pays off.
Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essays
Your learning log is articulate, reflective and wide in its content, particularly with your artist’s research. More in depth critique and understanding of the work of others could benefit you in terms of extending and widening the research aspect of your studies. An ongoing dialogue between your work, the work of others and its critique as a whole will be most beneficial to you and your studies so keep going.
Try to see a range of exhibitions away from drawing and painting. This will help you consider your materials for drawing in closer detail. Think carefully about what drawing is and can be for your next assignment. Don’t always use traditional drawing materials to draw with…try lots of other things particularly things that surround you.
Pointers for the next assignment
- Your next assignment is ‘The figure and the face’. Look at the work of these artists in order for you to become more fluid in your approach to drawing. Gustave Marchetti, Egon Schiele, Ron Muek, John Currin, Otto Dix, Ana Mendieta, Sam Taylor Wood, Tracey Emin, Hope Gangloff
- Have a go at replicating the techniques of other artists to bring to your own working aesthetic.
- Continue to take more risks with your drawing