Drawing 1 – Part 3: Expanse – Reflection Assessment Criteria

Demonstration of technical and visual skills – materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills (35%).

Materials:

I have seen in this part of the course so far, that I’ve used different ranges of materials, mostly has been the inks and pens. However I try to make sure that the materials I use helps to give me more comfort and works well with the subject matter. The lacking part for me with the materials, is that I need to stop pushing away the difficult mediums like pastels, which I dislike mostly, but it’s not good to ignore them. I need to be less curious at using the ignored materials and practice more with them.

Techniques:

I take a huge advantage of the techniques that were developed in this part. I have improved in learning more technique styles, such as creating mark-makings with new mediums. My main concern is that I did less focus on establishing the foundation why I used that technique in a content way. I don’t give much information about the technique, but I intend to show it in a drawing clearly. So I need to establish a way to explain the techniques use in content and drawing to make it easier for others to understand.

Observational Skills:

So far in this part and the whole course, there has been a big improvement in my skills. I see that I have become more less detailed in my drawings, which at the same time they have shown more fresh, clean and expressive with feelings to understand the observational meaning. Thanks to my tutor for recommending me to be more aware of overworking my work that ends up messy, also to be less detailed. What I really personally see that I lack in the understanding of observational relation to my skills, I intend to be less restricted on my work and it’s building process. I need to be critical with my observational skills and bring it up in my drawings and contents.

Visual Awareness:

My awareness was the understanding of colour, tonal values, textures and mark-makings in this part of the course. Which then I took them all together and place it in my final assignment drawing, which I find my final assignment drawing the best so far, as it shows the depth of my visual awareness. I need to be more aware of my vision when I do my log, half the time I forget to look out for my visual reasons and what I see in my artworks, because I lack at writing down my visual content, which is important to help me understand what I am seeing and what needs to be improved in my vision skills.

Design:

I find the designs in this part more creative, expressive with emotions and less realistic, which I enjoy drawing townscapes and the perspective part. I find myself more happy in having the opportunity in my own choice of selecting mediums, because I can then create my own designs with my own mediums and also with my own techniques. But more concern is that I need to be aware of understanding the designs background and following up other resources that may help me with my designs. Because doing the designs in my own way all the time, ends up being the same design style, which will become boring and less skill practice.

Compositional Skills:

I find this skill still tricky, but learning during the perspective section in part 3, has given me the opportunity of more understanding in the compositional skills development. I have improved myself at putting my main focal point in the right composition place, which is a good thing. But I need to be less overthinking with the composition having to be perfect, because not all compositional areas will be perfect in real life, for example a building with never be balanced straight on a side bank, but it may be tilting to side. I need to be less of using photo references for correcting my compositions.

Quality of outcome – content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas (20%).

Content:

In this process of this part, I feel like I’m placing my content’s with more information, which is not necessary if it’s not important information. But I also need to be aware that the content is not all about me and like a long unnecessary story. I find I have improved in the way I place my contents format in the correct way with the work, which has given better understanding and that’s a good thing for me.

Application of Knowledge:

As I followed my tutor’s advice and the instructions from my assignment feedback’s, has helped me a lot in my understanding of knowledge. I have looked at my previous exercises and developed a way that is easier to combine my knowledge skills with my drawings and theory. So I focus more on knowing what to do for the next exercise or assignment by looking back at the previous works and writing down what I know more about it’s meaning, techniques and skills to be improved in future works.

Presentation of Work in a Coherent Manner:

In this part, my main issue was that my log book information hasn’t been related to my sketchbook due to the sketches process stages and writing down it’s results step by step. But I have shown a manner of asking myself questions in my knowledge and drawings, and also looking forward at presenting it as a final work with good information.

Discernment:

I intend to do researches often on other student’s blogs, to get the idea of being on the right track, because I get lost halfway in the exercises, like I would ask myself “Am I doing it the right way in the sketchbook?” or “What does that exercise instructions mean?”. But I don’t copy other students works, ideas and texts, because I want to present my works as my own ideas, style and content. Sometimes I hate when I overwork my ideas, that causes me to lack at time at getting the work done, but I have improved at giving myself time in doing researches, finishing off the work by doing it during my lunch breaks, such as at work or in bed in the evenings writing and updating my log book.

Conceptualisation of Thoughts:

I find that in this part of the course that I’ve lacked at showing my thoughts in doing little amount of preliminary sketches. But I have placed my thoughts in my final works more and in my blog writings, which is good skill on thinking logical. I need to spare time in doing experiments that will help my thoughts for the sketches and work I present to viewers.

Communication of Ideas:

So far my communication for ideas is all over the place, which lacks me at showing them in my drawings and researches. I do intend to improve at writing my ideas for the works that I have done, also I write down my ideas in the choice of techniques and mediums that being used.

Demonstration of creativity – imagination, experimentation, invention, development of a personal voice (25%).

Imagination:

I was really pleased with my imagination at developing the new mark-makings and giving more atmosphere. But what I lacked at researching ideas to create more imagination ways, such as not doing mind maps or writing down my imaginations often. Doing this could’ve helped me to explore and create imaginative methods that would make it easier for me. I would like to focus on being more imaginative in my next part of the course.

Experimentation:

I really enjoyed the experimentation of this part, because I got to use my own choice of mediums and ideas. So this was a great part for experiencing techniques and ideas in the mark-makings. But one thing I need to be aware is that I don’t take too long in the experiment process and also I need to be less at doing the same mark-makings, such as the cross-hatching marks.

Invention:

For my invention process, I liked creating my own mediums that I know they will go well together with the subject and techniques. I also enjoyed inventing new ideas by looking at the researches information. One of my main issues, is that sometimes I forget that when I come to a stage my inventions don’t work, this then affects the other work stages.

Development of a Personal Voice:

I feel that I have created a new voice in this part for my drawings. Looking back at my previous parts, I was more serious and less at using my personal feelings in my works. But now I have used more personal feelings and voices with the use of mark-makings that speak my feelings. But I need to also control the use of same feelings in every drawings and contents.

Context reflection – research, critical thinking (learning logs and, at second and third level, critical reviews and essays) (20%).

Research:
I find my research process great and open-minded. I also have good understanding in doing the researches in time. My big problem is that I intend to forget to questionnaire myself when, I do researches. I find research points useful in giving ideas of developing logical thinking skills for writing.

Critical Thinking:

Same as what I said above in “Research“. I feel my critical thinking lacks more in my research, but more improvement in how I critic my works before posting them. I also become too critical with final pieces in previous parts, but now in this part, I started warning myself to step away before becoming too over attached and end up fixing the work. I have become more stabilized in my logs and essays, by giving more critical points and questioning myself. I really need to teach myself how to respond to the critical reviews and make them into positive critical points.

Log Book Photos of Reflection Criteria Writings, below:

Log Book - First Page for Reflection — Log Book – First Page for Reflection

Log Book - Second Page for Reflection — Log Book – Second Page for Reflection

Log Book - Third Page for Reflection — Log Book – Third Page for Reflection

Log Book - Fourth Page for Reflection — Log Book – Fourth Page for Reflection

Log Book - Fifth Page for Reflection — Log Book – Fifth Page for Reflection

Log Book - Sixth Page for Reflection — Log Book – Sixth Page for Reflection

Log Book - Seventh Page for Reflection — Log Book – Seventh Page for Reflection

Drawing 1: Part 3 – Assignment Three

For this assignment three, I looked through all the previous exercises of part 3, and therefore I put together some ideas and tips for the final drawing. These ideas and tips are based on the mark-makings, colours, mediums, materials and etc.

My chosen subject for this assignment is based on my garden and the vegetable greenhouse. I find the greenhouse full of interesting natural objects such as pots, shrubs and plants. The fact that why I chose this subject, is because I can combine a building such as the greenhouse with a nature scene, which is the garden and the distance lawn. The view also gives the understanding of aerial and linear perspective, which also shows the three different ground levels and depth in the distance.

So before getting into this assignment, I first did preliminary sketches in the A4 sketchbook and keeping my log book up to date.

Stage One – Preliminary Sketches

The preliminary sketches were all done in the A4 sketchbook in the morning on a sunny, clear sky with cold breezes. I planned on doing a landscape format in this assignment, because why, the nice thing of doing a landscape format, is that you have more perspective and depth options. Also there is wide range of different objects that can be moved or taken out of the view. The landscape format can also give me the option of expanding my mark-makings in different sizes across the drawing.

First preliminary sketch was done with the black gel pen in the A4 sketchbook on page 18. I love the cross hatching mark-makings on the greenhouse, also the favourite thing about this view is that there is a nice perspective and depth in this view. I find the black gel pen really nice to create a nature atmosphere feeling, but also it would be better with colour ink washes.

You can see the result in Fig. 1 “First Preliminary Sketch with Black Gel Pen – A4 Sketchbook (Page 18)“, below.

Second preliminary sketch was done with the HB graphite pencil in the A4 sketchbook on page 19. I find this drawing the least favourite view, it’s boring, less exciting and the greenhouse shade has covered up the most interesting plants in this view. But on the other side is that it has a good perspective to draw from. So this view point is not well suited for the final drawing.

I also don’t like the use of the HB graphite pencil, but also could’ve used a 2B or 4B graphite pencil for the dark tonal areas.

You can see the result in Fig. 2 “Second Preliminary Sketch with HB Graphite Pencil – A4 Sketchbook (Page 19)“, below.

Third preliminary sketch was done with the black Conté pierre noire H pencil in the A4 sketchbook on page 20. This view point is nice and also has interesting perspective to deal with. The one main issue I struggled was the three steps in the foreground, this could probably be caused by having a lot of horizon lines in the three different ground levels. I also lacked the interest in not having the feeling connection in this drawing, I find it very contrast as this was a very shaded area.

You can see the result in Fig. 3 “Third Preliminary Sketch with Black Conte Pencil – A4 Sketchbook (Page 20)“, below.

Stage Two – Broad Sketches

For the broad sketches part, I did the broad sketches with diluted black acrylic drawing ink and oriental brush in the A4 sketchbook on page 21. I focused on the two preliminary sketches in stage one for the broad sketches. The two selected stage one preliminary sketches view points are, Fig. 1 “First Preliminary Sketch with Black Gel Pen – A4 Sketchbook (Page 18)” and Fig. 3 “Third Preliminary Sketch with Black Conte Pencil – A4 Sketchbook (Page 20)“.

I wanted to see which view from the two preliminary sketches will really work well for my final assignment drawing.

The main things I looked out for are:

Natural Objects that interest me.
Good linear perspective and composition to draw from.
Depth and distance in the three ground levels.
Shapes and sizes that work well in the subject and atmosphere.

So I drew two frames on one page in my A4 sketchbook and filled them with the two view points by using the diluted black ink and oriental brush. I only focused on the composition, tonal values and the main big object shapes.

By doing this way, I found my selected view point for the final drawing, which is frame one sketch, also same view as the stage one preliminary sketch Fig. 1 “First Preliminary Sketch with Black Gel Pen – A4 Sketchbook (Page 18)“.

I love the view of this broad sketch, I also found the perspective and composition great. The tonal values came out correct and it has a more balanced depth than frame two sketch below frame one sketch.

You can see the broad sketches in Fig. 4 “Broad Shapes Preliminary Sketch with Black Diluted Ink & Chinese Brush – A4 Sketchbook (Page 21)“, below.

Stage Three – Test with Colour Inks and Black Gel Pen

I decided to do a quick test on mixing ink colours and going over with the black gel pen in the A4 sketchbook on page 22. I chose these two mediums for my final drawing, because they have many ways to explore the feelings by doing different mark-makings. Also inks have nice colours to create a bold, characteristic and different feelings that relate to the subject. So these two mediums have same characteristics to blend well in many ways.

It turns out that I really like the colours and the gel pen results.

You can see the tests results in Fig. 5 “Tests on Diluted Ink Colours & Chinese Brush with Black Gel Pen – A4 Sketchbook (Page 22)“, below.

Final Drawing:

For the final drawing stage, I was very impressed with all the previous stages drawing results of this assignment so far. Ready to start the final drawing and it was nearly afternoon with warm breeze, sunny and cloudy, when I started the final drawing. I went outside with my A2 white cartridge paper 200gsm taped to the drawing board and a HB graphite pencil to draw the linear perspective, composition and large shapes in soft faint lines. This way helps me to make sure that the perspective, composition, distance and object sizes are all in the right stage to go into detail with diluted inks.

After doing the graphite pencil drawing stage, I went over the large open spaces in diluted colour inks with oriental brush, these large areas were such as the sky, grass, green house netting shades and the field. After filling the large open spaces, I went on in with the mid tones ink colours, and then after that was the dark tone ink colours.

Finishing the inks colours stage and waited for it to dry, before I went over with the black gel pen across the whole drawing with different mark-makings. After doing the mark-makings with the black gel pen, I stood back and looked at my drawing to double check what really need to be fixed or added. There were some areas where they need more darker ink colours and other areas needed a bit more touch of marks. Then I took another step back and looked at my drawing again, then I realized that I’m 100% happy with the results so far. I also warned myself to not overwork it, just like my tutor told me before.

You can see the final drawing results in Fig. 6 “Final Drawing “My Veggie Garden with Greenhouse” – A2 White Paper, Diluted Ink & Oriental Brush, Black Gel Pen“, below.

Final Drawing My Veggie Garden with Greenhouse - A2 White Paper, Diluted Ink & Oriental Brush, Black Gel Pen — Fig. 6 Final Drawing “My Veggie Garden with Greenhouse” – A2 White Paper, Diluted Ink & Oriental Brush, Black Gel Pen

The facts that I love about the final drawing results, is that I really have the atmosphere feeling of home and it’s warm welcoming, no matter it’s still winter here. I love the mark-makings, as they describe my emotions of being happy with bright colours. The perspective and composition of the greenhouse is what I was looking forward at the end of this drawing, because that was my main focal point. The sky is full of energy and movement. The lawn is always half green and half dry, as it has been like this when living in South Africa’s climate. The depth in this drawing makes it more interesting because of the tree in middle ground and background trees in the far distance helps to give this drawing some atmosphere space.

The mediums I used for this drawing was inspired from a previous exercise final drawing that I did in Kimberley. The inspired drawing link is below:

Link: https://tristanfineart.wordpress.com/2020/07/06/part-3-project-5-exercise-1-sketchbook-of-townscape-drawings/ for the Exercise 1: Sketchbook of Townscape Drawings – final drawing Fig. 3 – “Final Drawing “The Western Looking Town Street” – A4 Sketchbook (Page 7)“.

Close-Ups of Final Drawing in Fig. 6 “Final Drawing “My Veggie Garden with Greenhouse” – A2 White Paper, Diluted Ink & Oriental Brush, Black Gel Pen”