This week we reflected on our Big Assignment. With this assignment, I was able to challenge myself to not only complete a piece that is a lot larger than normal, but also experiment with a new medium, drawing ink. At first, I was weary because my mind goes straight to “Emily + ink = disaster”, but I actually found the ink to be a quite interesting way of creating value and mark making to really make my still life pop. This piece below is a smaller recreation of my original work from last week. After receiving some great constructive criticism, I was able to improve on my piece in ways that I would have never thought of by myself. Adding a more distinguished background was one of the most mentioned critiques, which lead me to create this blotchy background that really highlights the placement of the objects, making them stand out far more than before. I also was given the idea of having more texture in my objects. To do this, I really focused on how perfect imperfections can be. I added more cross hatching and loosened my contouring/line work on this recreation. It has a messy – but controlled – look to it. This was way out of my comfort zone, and initially I was skeptical, but I ended up really having fun with the creation of this new piece. Because this was a recreation, the measurement/line/value that I had experimented with before provided great insight on the ways I could change and improve the piece. I would like to thank my classmates for participating in the critique of my work and really helping me improve my skills! The main thing that this project has taught me is; If you only look at something for what you want it to be, rather than what it actually is, you will never be able to see the true beauty of your creation.
Still Life Drawings
Week 6 : Composition, Measurement, Mark Making, Value
This was our first “big assignment” of the semester. After learning about measurement, composition, texture, placement, and many techniques of drawing, this is what we created to show it all off. By using the new skills, I was able to create a still life that has dimension and texture to show the depth and composition of each object within it. I used q-tips, straws, sponges, chopsticks, and a toothbrush to make this piece and I am happy with how it turned out. I have seen a lot of improvement from the beginning of the semester up to now, and I am excited to learn even more!
Week 4 : Composition
This week involved a series of small contour drawings of another still life. I was stressed about how many little drawings we were required to make, but once I started working, everything flowed smoothly. Drawing the same still life but from different view points really forces you to study the entirety of each object. You have to look at the shapes and how the lines connect with each other, to truly capture the idea of this assignment. The view finder we used (pictured below) helped with this. Not only did I find it easier to draw each square after finishing the previous one, but I also find pleasure in the final product and how each sketch shows a piece of the dimension in the still life.
Week 3 : Objective and Subjective Line
This week challenged me to go out of my comfort zone. I was instructed to use an ebony pencil to complete an objective line drawing of a still life, which is not easy, since it has such a dark value! I also completed a subjective line drawing of the same still life, showing more dimension to the objects. Not only can you see a difference between the lines in each drawings, but also how the objects shifted slightly due to the fact that I took a break in between drawings (and may have accidentally hit the objects with my huge drawing board). After completing this assignment, I have become more comfortable with these techniques, and I think it even shows when comparing the two from today.
Week 2 : Still Life Self Portrait
Describing yourself may not be the easiest thing, let alone with objects. As I started to look around my house for things that represent me, I was surprised by how difficult this, seemingly-simple task, actually was. My second challenge was something I did on my own. I added a piece to this post, being a mix between a line contour/gesture drawing. I feel as if I have established my art style to be anything but abstract, which is why I was weary about this 5 minute creation of mine. Turns out, I love the rushed simplicity, overlapping lines, and contoured look of it.