Cycle 5: Elbigenalp cross

Note 12/06/2019: Some text has been added after Assignment 5 feedback has been received. This has been dated and highlighted to provide context.

Context

On the top of a mountain near Elbigenalp there stands a cross which is clearly visible from the valley. I first saw thew cross back when I visited the valley for the first time, and wanted to get up to it. I finally managed to get to the top, and the scale of the cross and its presence is hard to put into words. I decided to see what I could do with a drawing.

Life drawing session

After a set of initial warm up session we went to a 15m pose, and I decided to go for tonal work this time:

Visit to the Tate Modern

This started a productive week and weekend of art visits. I happen to be working very near the Tate Modern at the moment, and so decided to “pop in” over a couple of lunch time sessions. Even in such short sessions I managed to see a lot of new material, and found Galleries I hadn’t been in before. The following image summary gives an idea of the range:

Linking to Egon Schiele

Now, lets try a similar experiment with Egon Schiele, who I have less exposure of. Again, I’ll start by looking at some images:

“Reclining Woman”  from https://www.dorotheum.com/blog/en/egon-schiele-radical-draughtsmen/

An experiment linking to artists

On of the challenges that I have is that of considering artistic style and approach. One challenge my tutor left me with is to:

“Link your work to that of others and make it clear
that this is what you’re doing”

Part 3 Formative feedback

So, lets start by considering one artist whose figurative work I admire – Maggi Hambling. To start, lets examine a number of her figurative drawings that I like:

Portrait of Dr David Brown

Assignment 3

Starting

Brief review

The brief for this assignment calls for the following main criteria for the drawing:

• Outdoor scene in A1 or A2;
• Shows depth – aerial or linear perspective;
• Natural objects;
• Straight lined objects.

The scene selection and approach are closely aligned. The instructions provide the following approach:

• Preliminary drawings to experiment with the composition.
• Make sketches to practise the perspective of the scene right.
• Broad sketches in charcoal or diluted ink and brush and trial other media.
• With an A2 or A1 keeping your preliminary sketches around you for reference.

Project 4: Perspective

Exercise 1: Parallel Perspective

This might seem an odd view to select, but the set of angles and lines created by the view was interesting, and using the sad step as the rectangular item just seemed to fit the theme.

Project 2: Landscape

Ex 1: Clouds

Initial sketching

Project 1: Trees

On consideration of my feedback from my tutor I’m trying a new format for this blog. I’m going to be starting to write each project up in a single post. I will add to the post as I do the drawings for the project, which I’m hoping will make the intention of the drawing process clearer.

Ex 1: Approaching a single tree

Making a start

I started by experiments in my sketchbook.

Assignment 2: Lichen revisited

Note: Reworked following Part 2 feedback, including merging together the parts of the thread.

I’ve had a few ideas for Assignment 2, but since my earlier lichen drawing it’s a subject I’ve wanted to revisit. This time, however, I’m planning to take a different approach.

Project 1: Composition

This has been a fairly long winded Project in its own way. I previously commented on my composition research, which I have been combining with some experiments in different media. I’m beginning to think more when building a composition – which I suppose is a level of success.

The next step, I think, is to move on to the other exercises and apply this new experimenting with media and composition to them. Its likely to be an interesting journey, as I have a lot of new things to think about.

Within the media, the water colour wax crayons have worked OK – but the oil pastels are too crude. They would be best for very large format drawings, or I need to find a way to provide more subtlety in their use. The blending of colour “in situ,” rather than on a palette, is also proving quite a challenge for me – but one I need as however many colours I have available I’ll never have everything I’d like.

Assignment 1

 

Key Points

Preparation:
• convey feelings
• believable shapes
• use of tone, using light and shadow
• a few objects that trigger a response for you
• ordinary, funny, practical or ornamental or a mixture
• Set them up in a space so that they create interesting shapes and angles
• good light hitting the objects at an angle
• make the tones on the object obvious and the light and darks clear
• Look at the spaces between the objects as well as the objects themselves.
• Take the two experimental mark making sheets that you did exploring texture and gesture and pin them up nearby

Playing with a Surface

I’ve managed to get my hands on a Microsoft surface and have been trying it out with Krita and Corel Paint Essentials...

It make take me a while to learn to use the tools well, but I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to use it effectively. My hope is that I can use it as a sketchbook when its impractical to carry a good range of paper and tools.

Project 5.2: Photomontage

Reflecting on the assignment and my previous blog about sculptors’ use of photomontage I decided I really had to give it a go. I’m in Elbigenalp in Austria with the sun shining, so that has to be a good start for the landscape part.

Project 5.2: Photomontage so far

I’m working on the production of a Photomontage that places an English Festival in Austria. I have pastel drawings of WOMAD’s Siam tent and some flags. To that I’ve added a pastel sketch of some figures and inserted the whole into an Austrian Landscape. I’m not fully happy with the figures, but like the tent and general effect.

Project 5.1: Testing the leaf print…

Despite my earlier post‘s statement that I wouldn’t bother, I decided to try to elicit some feedback on the print from the OCA forum here: https://discuss.oca-student.com/t/foundation-drawing-abstract-monotype-on-the-theme-of-balance/5846

Project 5.1: Found objects print

Started by setting up in a new location, much more suitable than our living room floor.

Next was by making a template and mixing up a couple of colours. Used kitchen towels to give them an interesting texture, with the print made in the second press. I made two copies for reasons that will be clear later…

Project 5.2: Storyboard

Starting to think through concerns, and play with ideas.

Project 5.1: Shift to A3

The A4 size is quite limiting, so I’m shiting toi A3 for the moment. To do this I’ve bought some A3 perspex sheets. Although I only really need 1, I thought this allows me to do a few attempts before a full on clean up. I started out using different leaves, but following the concept of the “Balance of Tees” idea.

First I tried to think though composition:

Project 5.1: Balance of Tees experiment

I decided to try the tees idea out. Chose A4 grey paper. Decided to try two layers and using a stencil. First I thought I’d try using multi-colour tees: