For this assignment one, I looked through the previous exercises and collected ideas. After this, I planned what drawing tools will be used in this assignment. I thought it would be interesting to add some texture effect for this assignment, learning about texture throughout part one, has been an important part in the part one section.
In this assignment one, for the final drawing, I used mixed mediums such as Black Acrylic Drawing Ink, Conté Pencil, White Chalk and Conté stick.
The meaning for the objects I selected are part of my personality, such as I love collecting antiques, looking at my family tree and my vintage lifestyle personality.
The Objects used in (Figure 1):
- Swinging Clock – Gold Gilt and from year 1919
- Kodak Brownie Camera 1960’s – Gift from my Grandfather
- Titanic Compass – Gift for my 21st from my Aunt
- Vintage Water Spray – Belongs to my Sister
- Gold Painted Pebble – Paper Weight
- Framed Photo – My 2 x great Cousin Winifred Fava Wood in 1913 at her graduation.
I placed these six objects on a table with brown table cloth. Then I added the desk lamp, that lit from one side onto the objects. I find using the desk lamp helpful, if I’m doing a large group of objects. As seen in (Figure 2) below.
The fact I chose the half brick wall as my background subject, is that it has lovely texture for my drawing in this assignment.
Light Sketch Drawing in (Figure 3):
My first plan is to do a light sketch drawing on an A2 white cartridge paper 160gsm with a HB graphite pencil. This was to help me layout the objects, and get their proportions correct.
Then I took my light sketch drawing and traced it on a thicker paper, because I chose Acrylic Drawing Ink as my drawing medium, and 160gsm paper is too thin for the ink. So I chose an A2 white cartridge paper 200gsm, which is what I normally use for ink drawing.
Materials used in (Figure 3):
- White Cartridge Paper 160gsm – A2
- Graphite Pencil – HB
- Putty Eraser
- Soft Eraser
- Tracing Paper – A2 – to trace the (Figure 3) drawing onto and A2 White Cartridge Paper 200gsm
- White Cartridge Paper 200gsm – A2
- Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
- Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
Final Drawing:
Beginning of the Final Drawing in (Figure 4):
There were some issues regarding to some of the object sizes and the brick wall, that I came across in the beginning of drawing with ink. So while I was drawing with ink, I also was fixing these issues as I went along.
First of all, I started filling in the big spaces with light black ink that was diluted with water. This was a beginning tonal foundation for drawing with ink. Ink drawing is very different to normal drawing in the tonal value process.
When we dealing with normal drawing, we always start with the mid-tones, but with ink drawing, it’s a very different process.
With my ink drawing experiences, I came across an easy way to start with which tonal value first. So I find dealing with ink drawing, that there are four tonal values, which are Highlight (White), Light, Mid and Dark tonal values.
I always start with the light tone and leave out some of the white areas of the paper for the highlight tones, then I work my way towards the mid tones and then after is the dark tones. As you can see in the (Figure 4) below is how I work my way.
Halfway with the Final Drawing in (Figure 5):
Halfway during my ink drawing, I carried on the same process with the highlight, light, mid and dark tones as seen in (Figure 5) below. I focused on each of the objects, by doing one at a time as I go along.
Ink Drawing Tip that I used halfway until to the final drawing:
I used White Chalk for the highlight areas that I went over by accident with mid or dark tones, as ink is very difficult to lift off paper and make it light. So White Chalk is a fantastic medium to bring the highlight tones back. The best thing about white chalk, is that you can go over with ink if you added too much highlight tones. As you can see below in (Figure 6).
White Chalk is also helpful to add highlight tones in small areas such as I’m doing in (Figure 6) above on the vintage water spray.
While doing the background, I decided to add texture with putting some ink on a high density foam and patting it down on the brick wall and plain wall background areas. As you can see in the Gif below in (Figure 7):
This texture idea turned out well, I also later added some cross hatching lines between the bricks and also added the same hatching marks on the objects with the Conté Pencil and Conté Stick.
Final Drawing in (Figure 8):
I love the results of my final drawing in (Figure 8), the background texture added a vintage age towards the objects. The table surface was slightly tilt up, due to me drawing from a looking upward view point.
I found the Swinging Clock, the female figure to be very tricky to do with ink, but I’m impressed with the final results, as seen below in (Figure 9):
Here is close ups of each of the objects:
In (Figure 10) – Framed Photo – My 2 x great Cousin Winifred Fava Wood in 1913 at her graduation, below:
In (Figure 11) – Kodak Brownie Camera 1960’s – Gift from my Grandfather, below:
In (Figure 12) – Titanic Compass – Gift for my 21st from my Aunt, below:
In (Figure 13) – Vintage Water Spray – Belongs to my Sister, below:
In (Figure 14) – Gold Painted Pebble – Paper Weight, below:
Materials used in (Figure 3):
- Acrylic Drawing Ink – Black
- White Cartridge Paper 200gsm – A2
- White Chalk Pencil
- Water – For Diluting the Acrylic Drawing Ink
- Tissue Paper – For lifting the Ink and Water off the paper surface.
- Graphite Pencil – HB
- Putty Eraser
- High Density Foam
- Soft Eraser
- Conté Pencil – Black
- Conté Stick – Black
- Fixative Spray – Used once the drawing was done
- Fine Liner – Used for the Writing
Assessment Criteria Points
- Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills (35%)
I found it important for me to look back at all the exercises that I did, and follow what I learnt in this Part 1 section, also read in my log book on what I wrote that helped me. Using these previous exercises drawings as to guide me on what I planned for my final assignment.
I learned to take control of doing light sketches as the first foundation before I go into my final drawings. I focus on what is the main important parts for this assignment, which are how I’m going to layout the objects or how I want my final drawing look like.
I do some plans before I start, this is to see where the beginning of the results and how is it going to finish in a good piece of work. I find my compositions always important for me to be able to draw it’s scale on the paper and identifying which object stands forward and which one is further back. Some of my objects don’t end in a perfect shape, which I need to practice more until I get them in correct shape formation.
I make sure that the viewpoint of where I’m looking at the objects is clear for others to understand. I kind try not to go into fine details, as art doesn’t have to be realistic. But I find negative space well laid out, which is important towards the objects and their character. The ink tones give a supporting effect to the design of this assignment.
- Quality of outcome – content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas (20%)
The outcome result are good as what I have been planning as my final piece. It communicates with me as part of an experience that I have shared in favor towards my personality and what I love doing as my hobby. It was important for me to make my communication more sense and understanding at what people are looking forward to understand who I am and how I’m related to my final assignment drawing. I find art has a logical way of explaining the theory, communication and ideas that can be shared through our imaginations and visions. To me it’s like a revolution of how many thoughts and ideas we can share throughout from just one piece of work that we see in front of our own eyes.
- Demonstration of creativity – imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice (25%). Experimentation
The imagination for me was to capture the timeless of these objects in an vintage effect style. The invention was on how I used the white chalk as an helpful experimentation for ink drawing. The ink is such a great effect for capturing these objects in a classical, but more of the present world.
I’m happy with the objects that I have selected, as they support the creativity of my personality. Experimenting with these objects, were very interesting. I find taking a tricky object, such as the Swinging Clock Statue as a good piece for me to practice it’s difficult shape. Learning is a way of inventing your own skills and teaching to open your mind to many new ways to experiment.
- Context reflection – research, critical thinking (learning logs and, at second and third level, critical reviews and essays) (20%)
I find researching very helpful way of giving myself a lesson of different techniques, tips and information to learn more. Learning about Odilon Redon techniques, was interesting way of motivating me to use the cross hatching texture for my final drawing in my assignment one.
As I first started my first blog post, I was so confused at where to start, but now I find using a blog much more easier than a log book. I believe that a blog is easy and clear to read what is typed. I find the log book more creative and the blog more formal.
Critical thinking was a challenge for me as I’m not a very critical artist, so I did critical thinking exercises to myself on my own work. I would say, is this good enough to be a finished piece? or Does this make me confident as what I’m trying to communicate between me and the final piece? So I find it a good challenge to force myself that I must be confident to what I’m critical at and its purpose of making a big difference.
That’s my Final Assignment One
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