Drawings: OCA Part 3: Assignment 3

Assignment Three - Drawing Outdoors Final Piece

Graphite and Chalk on Coloured Paper

 

First off I have to say that this assignment was hard, or more specifically finding the right view to work from was the hard part. I needed a view from a window or doorway that included natural objects (i.e. plants, trees etc) had a sense of depth to demonstrate some perspective as well as some straight-lined objects. I found looking out of any window covered a couple of these criteria but they all seemed a bit, well, bland. So when I finally found this view I knew that this was the one I was going to work from, it had a linear perspective in the buildings and some trees in the foreground and the church gave an interesting background.

 

So, having found my chosen view I set about playing around with the composition and decided on a portrait format that I felt showed the depth of the drawing well. I then experimented with the perspective of the buildings to ensure that I had it all right. After this I decided to eliminate one of the background buildings and I am glad I did this as it helps the church to be more dominant in the background.

I experimented with a watercolour and pen drawing that I decided not to pursue, it did not feel like the right media for the piece; I wanted to work with something that showed off the setting better. After a bit more exploration I decided I really liked the way chalk and graphite worked against each other, especially on the coloured paper as a mid-tone. The media manages to capture something of the feel of the place quite well.

I ended up spending a couple of hours creating the final piece and I am really satisfied with the result. My only concerns are that I may have lost some of the depth in the final drawing and that I should have explored some more choices of media that may have showed certain elements off better.

Experimenting with Composition

Biro on Paper

 

Pencil Sketch (left) and Working out Perspective (right)

Watercolour and Pen Piece (left) and Charcoal Sketch of the Same Tree (right)

 

First try with Chalk and Graphite on Coloured Paper

Drawings: OCA Part 3: Drawing Trees III - Study of Several Trees

Study of Several Trees

Ink on Paper - A3

 

Study of Several Trees - Silver Birches

Fine Liner on Paper - A4

Learning Log

 

How many different tree types have you drawn?

I am definitely no expert on trees but I’ve definitely had a go at drawing quite a few different types, oak, elm and birches at least.

What techniques did you use to distinguish each type?

I was not really focusing on analyzing the type of tree I was drawing but more on the individual tree itself and the way it had adapted to its own environment. To achieve this I concentrated on its own particular characteristics i.e. the shape and direction of its branches and sometimes detailing some of the leaves, this acts like a fingerprint to identify the type of tree it is.

What did you do to convey the mass of foliage?

Once I had plotted out the basic shape of the tree and all its elements, I would identify how the branches interact with the foliage, how bits clumped together and the direction they went in. I did a bit of experimentation but I found that being loose with the detail works best, just enough to give an impression of the foliage. I think this works best because when viewing a tree you do not register all the leaves and twigs individually, you tend to think of it as one united object.

I used very simple marks in the fine liner drawing of the birches, slightly messy marks because the foliage seemed to scribble its way around the trees.

How did you handle the light on the trees? Was it successful?

In the individual tree drawings once I had described enough of the rough details, I shaded with the intention of seeing the entire tree as one object. This allowed me to keep similar levels of light and dark continuing through the entire drawing, so the darkest points stayed as the darkest points without getting lost. I also attempted to capture the way the light shone through the clumps of foliage in places, almost glittering amongst the greenery, by concentrating on the details.

In the group of trees I produced in ink there is a much starker contrast because of the media, although less subtle this did allow me to maintain a consistent level easily. In the fine-liner drawing of the birches, the second colour of the green sort of acted as a mid-tone in places.

Did you manage to select and simplify? Look at your drawings and make notes on how you did this, and what could you do better?

After finishing this project I can conclude that knowing what to select and what to simplify is really quite tricky, include too much and it will make for an uncomfortable drawing, too little and the piece will seem unfinished, wanting more.

In the study of the oak tree and the elm tree in the second exercise I think I did this quite successfully, I spent a lot of time picking out the important details to include and eliminating those elements that seemed less important. In the group studies I think I may have simplified possibly too much in places, though I am very happy with the texture the ink was able to convey.

Overall I think I have done quite well in this project I am pleased with the results and I have definitely enjoyed working through it. Trees are still one of my favourite subjects and I shall no doubt return to them in the not too distant future.

 

Drawings: OCA Part 3: Drawing Trees I - Sketching an Individual Tree

Sketching an Individual Tree - Small Sketches

'Like people, trees are all individuals.'

- David Hockney

 

Sketching an Individual Tree - St James Park

Pencil on Paper

 

Trees are a subject that I always love to draw, no two trees will ever be the same, and they are an infinite supply of inspiration. Indeed, no two drawings of the same tree will be the same either as they are always continuously changing colour and shape, through the seasons etc.

It is also the process of drawing trees that I find enjoyable, starting with the basic shape and building up the mass of the drawing, adding in details such as twigs and leaves that might catch my eye and lend a distinct character to the drawing and individual tree.

Quick Sketches of Trees

Ink and Biro (Left) . Charcoal (Right)

 

Tree in  Local Park

Pastel on Coloured Paper

 

Drawings: OCA Part 3: Townscapes III - A Limited Palette Study from your Sketches

The Wellington - Strand

Pen and Pencil on Orange Paper

National Portrait Gallery

Graphite and Coloured Pencil on Pastel Paper

 

I really enjoyed this exercise and drawing townscapes in general, it is not a subject that I have previously explored all that widely until now. I ended up completing several pieces for this particular exercise, partly because I was having fun with it but I also had an afternoon to waste in London after visiting the Picasso exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery.

I have found sketching the London architecture is great fun anyway, with all different styles juxtaposed together in such close proximity but producing drawings with a limited palette meant a challenge and generated some interesting results. I really like the piece I did of the Wellington in the Strand; its elongated architecture suited a portrait configuration very satisfyingly.

Coach and Horses - Bruton Street

Black and White Ink on Brown Paper

View Down Jermyn Street

Marker Pen on Orange Paper

Drawings: OCA Part 3: Landscape Drawing III - Drawing Cloud Formations

  Drawing Cloud Formations - Calm day

Blue Ink and Wash - A4

 

I produced a number of these sketches in between other drawings over several days to capture the clouds in several different formations. It was definitely most interesting when it was stormy; the clouds seemed to roll on and on dramatically covering the landscape. Representing this on paper was no easy task but I made a few attempts with a couple of fiascos but also some that managed to show some of that drama.

 Drawing Cloud Formations - Cirrus Clouds

Charcoal and Chalk - A4

 

Drawing Cloud Formations - Low Storm Clouds

Charcoal and Chalk - A4

Drawings: OCA Part 2: Assignment 2

Final Piece

Watercolour and Pencil - A3 

For this assignment I knew I wanted to produce something full of colour, so I started playing around with drawing and sketching different pieces of fruit like onions and chillies, trying out different media as I went.

I initially really liked the idea of the chillies and went ahead with the idea, adding in some green herbs to enhance the colour and using the same view point (from above) that I thought worked well in the fish on plate piece from earlier in the project. I like these pieces but having reviewed the criteria for this assignment again, I was not confident that I had really completed it as well as I could with the composition or colour, probably because I rushed into doing it.

I was not particularly enthusiastic about doing another ink piece at this point so I went back and tried using a combination of pencil and watercolour on some small drawings of fruit. I really liked the way these turned out so I continued with this idea. I also thought a lot longer about the composition I would use, sketching out different ideas first. I added a simple jug that had quite a natural curve like the fruit and eventually a pot plant at the back that gave the arrangement some height and presence. Once I had finalised the composition I produced a couple of studies to make sure I was happy with the lighting and positioning of the all the items and then started on the final piece.

I first sketched the whole thing out in pencil, ensuring that the scale and shading was right. I used the cross-hatching method because I knew it would help to define the shapes well. With the watercolour, I built up layers of separate tones, building it up most where the darker tones were present and leaving the highlighted parts almost bare. It took quite a while to do it this way but I am fairly pleased with the result.

 Study of Red Onions

Watercolour and Biro - A4

 

Initial Studies and Sketches

 

 

First result that I was not happy with

 

 

Starting Over with some Watercolour Studies

 

Playing around with Composition

 

Practice before Final Piece

Watercolour and Pencil

 Pros:

-          My favourite thing about this piece is definitely the colours; I specifically choose the lemons, limes and satsumas because I thought the colours contrasted well, giving each piece of fruit its own separate form.

-          The cross-hatching works well to define the shapes.

Cons:

-          Despite all the planning for it, I’m still not entirely happy with the composition; I think I preferred it in some of the study pieces as opposed to the final drawing.

-          Looking at it now I think I should have thought more about filling in the background to give the piece a better setting.

Drawings OCA Part 2 V: Project - Drawing Animals - Fish on a Plate

Final Piece - Two Mackerel

Ink - A3

 

The name of this exercise is pretty self explanatory, I had to buy a fish, put it on a plate, draw it, job done.

Not being a fish aficionado, I decided on using a couple of mackerels, I quite liked the silvery blue patterns on their skin and the simple profile they have. I started out with a couple of pencil sketches before trying an ink sketch which I really like. I used a couple of different sized nibs to vary the marks I made, using a very fine nib to produce some detailed cross hatching while reserving the larger ones for the areas of heavier and darker tones.

I decided for my last piece to go for a view looking directly down on to the subject, giving a prominent presence to the plate as well as the fish, allowing them to play off against each other, fighting for the viewers attention. I tried to be bold with the colour and line to match the strong composition using a limited palette of blue and black ink, varying the tones by diluting it. I really wanted to produce something eye-catching for this piece and I am definitely not disappointed with the result.

First Sketch

Pencil - A4

Second Sketch

Pencil - A4

 Mackerel in Blue

Ink - A4

 

Learning Log

What were the main challenges of drawing animals?

It was difficult to capture the proportions and to get the anatomy right quickly enough before the animal moved. It was almost impossible to predict how long the subject was going to stay in the pose or even the same place. There were plenty of times I’d look down at my sketch for a second, only to look up again and find that I no longer had a model as they had scarpered.

The texture of animals also presents its own challenges, I tried my best to pick out the details of the fur on the deer’s and smoothness of the fish scales with varying degrees of success.

Which media did you enjoy using most and which did you feel were the best for the subject matter and why?

I am relatively happy with all the media I employed to complete this exercise. When drawing in Richmond Park and other places, pencils and charcoal lent themselves well to the nature of working outside. I needed to use media that would allow me to work quickly and be able to cover a basic sketch without having to stop to clean brushes or allow anything to dry. Charcoal was especially useful for this as well as conveying the texture of fur fairly well.

I enjoyed using inks as well, first in the park where I produced a couple of rough sketches using a nib pen and blue ink (See http://andrewperugia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/drawings-oca-part-2-v-project-drawing.html) I then used inks again for the second exercise of drawing the fish on a plate, where the slightly glossy qualities of the ink were very useful for showing the shiny smooth skin of the fish.

 

Where can you go to draw more animals? Think about the sorts of places that will give you the opportunities for animal drawing. Have you tried drawing a moving animal yet?

I think it would be interesting to try and draw some birds, so by a canal or the local duck pond would be a good place to try and sketch some ducks or swans.

I have not tried drawing a moving animal yet so it would be something to try out in the future.

Drawings OCA Part 2 V: Project - Drawing Animals - Grabbing the Chance

Deer Resting in Richmond Park

Charcoal - A3

 Deer in the Grass, Richmond Park

Charcoal - A4

 

Definitely an easier said than done task, animals don’t tend to want to stay still, especially with me sitting next to them scratching away with a pencil.

Like the last exercise, this is another subject that I am not overly experienced in working with, but after doing a bit of research into artists like Mark Adlington and how they have responded to the subject I at least felt a bit more enthusiastic about tackling it.

My favourite part of this exercise was visiting Richmond Park where the fallow deer were surprisingly accommodating to having me sit and sketch quite close to them. I also quickly learnt that they were more likely to stay still for a longer period if I drew them from behind or while they were dozing in the sun.

There also some more sketches below that I completed for this exercise of a donkey and a puppy.

I really like the loose feeling in the ink and charcoal drawings of the Richmond Park deer, I think this was unintentionally achieved by me adapting to drawing outside with limited tools and the need to capture something quickly before my models ran away.

 Deer Resting, Richmond Park

Blue Ink - A4

Deer Standing, Richmond Park
Blue Ink - A4


Deer in Richmond Park Sketches
Pencil - A4

Sleeping Puppy Sketch

Biro Pen - A4

 

Donkeys Grazing

Pencil - A4

Donkey Resting

Charcoal - A4

Drawings: OCA Part 2 IV: Project - Drawing Plants and Flowers

Exercise: Negative Space in a Plant 

Second Drawing

Biro - A3 Paper

 

First Drawing

Pencil - A3 Paper

 

Flowers and plants are certainly not my favourite subject which is probably why it has taken so long to put these pieces on my blog, I am ashamed to say that I think this lack of enthusiasm for them may show in some of my drawings.

I did find the first exercise quite interesting and it was quite a systematic procedure of just filling in the gaps once the features were planned out. I definitely prefer the second piece in biro; it is more interesting to look at and to complete, probably because it fills the page a lot better than the first.

Coloured pencil is also far from my favourite media to work in so needless to say the combination hasn’t produced my favourite results. I started the A2 piece and right from the beginning I really did not favour this piece one bit, this definitely shows unfortunately. I did come back for a second go, returning with a vengeance and a few sunflowers. I had a lot more determination to produce something better this seems to have worked. I tried a smaller scale and thought about the colours beforehand.

I found some interesting flowers in my garden and did some studies in coloured inks to start the third exercise, I quite like the piece with the three red flowers (I believe they’re tulips) but have mixed feelings about the other results. I experimented with combing coloured pencil with charcoal to produce the very dark piece with the poppies and the jug, the colours work well and I am satisfied with the shading.

 

Exercise: Plants and Flowers in Coloured Pencil. 

 

First Drawing - Poppies

Coloured Pencil - A2

Second Drawing - Sunflowers

Coloured Pencil - A4

Exercise: Drawing with other Coloured Media

 Tulips

Drawing Inks - A3

Daffodils

Drawing Inks - A3

Tulips

Drawing Inks - A3

Flowers in Stone Planter

Drawing Inks - A3

Poppies and Jug

Coloured Pencil and Charcoal - A4

 

Hanging Plant

Drawing Inks - A4

Learning Log

How will your experiments with negative space help your observational drawing in the future?

Concentrating on the negative space has helped me to understand how objects, like plants with their tangled stems, interact on a two dimensional plane. It helped me to start drawing what was actually in front of me more than just what I thought I was seeing.

What techniques did you use to ensure you drew your plants in proportion?

On these particular exercises I would start by deciding on a single feature such as a flower head and from then on I would compare the scale of the other objects and adjust the accordingly. This didn’t always work spectacularly but in a way it did help to maintain the natural feel, like the drawings were growing from a point.

How did you achieve an effect of three-dimensional space in your drawings?

I am not convinced that I did successfully achieve the effect in all of my drawings. It is achieved in some of them where I have controlled the tones and shading to describe shapes and to highlight the features that recede into the drawing and those that project forwards towards the viewer.