observed drawing

We did a session of continual drawing for 3 hours, drawing the same subject various times with different materials, I drew a knotted coat...

These have been done as sequential set, each looking at a different area. As the subject was quite difficult to depict, I found I was using drawing to problem solve - working out where the tonal areas are, or following only the stiching so to understand the shape as a whole. This meant the outcomes are rather abstract, though it may not be clear what it is of, I find it does represent how I was viewing the coat. It was helpful just sitting and drawing for an extended period of time, focusing solely on the subject, I found it enabled me to really try and understand what was in front of me an concentrate on communicating what I saw.

project proposal

collage and ephemera

Used plant drawing to create further work on photoshop. Played with patterns and layering - creates a nice background print, links with textile work. But also trying to create finished work. Don't think that has worked as well, everything looks like it is just floating without properly fitting into the image. But I do think the combination of rock images and my analogue drawings fits nicely.

Found working with collage quite difficult, when figuring out what to actually put into the piece and how to position it, what I wanted to show. This is a very basic piece, was playing around with selecting sections of photos, adding colour behind images to give a sort of filter. But I do find it easier to keep going on an image if I am trying to create a landscape - something finished. 

I felt I was losing momentum slightly with this project, as I have just been drawing from google references which isn't very inspiring. So I did some research around my subject, looked at a book of Ernst Haeckel's drawings, who works a lot with natural forms and found these lovely old drawings of vegetal matter. 



Cut out the individual sections in photoshop and played around making patterns. Would work nicely as background images, or as a smaller section in a bigger piece.

Watched a documentary about Alfred Russell Wallace, who was around at the same time as Darwin and actually came up with the same theory of evolution and natural selection as Darwin at the same time, but was away exploring so couldn't present his findings. But he sent Darwin what he had found asking for a second opinion, and Darwin, not wanting to lose out on the fame from his own findings, presented both his and Wallace's work but with his own name surpassing Wallace's, without Wallace knowing at all. And now everyone knows the theory of evolution as Darwin's theory when Wallace's findings were just as vital, if not more, to the theory but not many people have even heard of him. 

Thought this would be an interesting development to my project - to focus more on Wallace's findings and where he explored. I find doing research definitely aids in progressing a project, gives me more motivation to carry it on. 

From this I looked into islands Wallace explored, and the tribes people there.

Thought the colours of their culture would make a good collage.

In this I have only looked at shapes and lines, rather than features of the people, but think it has worked out well as it is still clear what the image is but you focus on other aspects of the scene. 

shape and texture

Tried a different approach to how I usually work, focused more o the texture of the image. Think it would have worked better if the colour was stronger - maybe if I drew the background colour and the colour separately and then combined them on photoshop it would have turned out better.

Like how this turned out, focused on doing sections in detail, and other bits in dark tone - create a nice contrast. Would be improved if background was also in greyscale tone, would make it more of a finished piece.




Focusing more on texture and shape - less about detail. Think bottom left worked well with the brusho inks, doing single strokes for monkey's fur is effective. Tried out splattering paint onto silhouettes of monkey, quite interesting - how it is still clear what the animal is when there is no detail.



Trying to work to more finished pieces, by adding other elements into image it creates more of a set composition.

ideas for book

After doing this research I feel that I am most drawn to doing a project where I can explore textures and play around with materials, collage etc. as I really enjoyed doing this with the fish scales. I think there is quite a lot of scope with fish scales, though I haven't done much factual research on it yet, I could look into the use of the scales.
I looked a little into the uses of scales:
- for camouflage
- to warn off predators
- to attract a mate
- to distract/confuse
- reflect light
So there will be quite a bit of secondary research I can carry out with this subject, look into the biology of fish, how they survive - there will be a lot of factual and scientific websites and books on it, but also visiting aquariums will provide good primary research as I will be able to see it for myself. 
It will be interesting to experiment with how I can best communicate the look of the scales as it is quite a difficult texture, but I want to work with collage as that will be good when trying to build up texture. In terms of materials I thought:
- metallic paints
- gold leaf
- watercolour
- oil paint
- fabric
- reflective materials
This project is also good as it isn't too restrictive, if I find myself a bit stuck I could look into other animals and how they use their skin for survival - like snakes. Or maybe explore fish's environments - the coral reef, and show how they camouflage themselves within it. 

visual research

Drawings from my visits

Observational drawings of the fish mongers. Like the simplicity of the first one, with the contrast in line thickness which makes some bits heavier - like the figures.







Really enjoyed exploring the fish scales, it enabled me to experiment with a lot of different materials









Think the contrast of the black background and the bright blue works really well, trying to capture the electric look of the scales. I tried using netting to communicate the scale pattern but I don't think it works very well, and distracts from the nice watercolour work underneath.





Tried creating a scale pattern from splattering ink in layers but it didn't come out too well. But I do like the texture above it, where I painted white acrylic over netting and let it dry and then painted watercolour over, it created quite a scaly texture, and the colours work well with it too.

research

We were given a few days to go back out to find out more about our chosen subject. I went to the market to the fish mongers, a tackle shop and a pet stall; I wanted to find the fishermen again but unfortunately they weren't there on the day I went. 

Really like the composition of the fish monger standing outside the stall - could do project focusing just on the routines of fish mongers.









Took a lot of close ups of the fish scales, think they could be fun to try and depict




These reminded me of sweets in a sweet shop, so shiny and tempting to touch



The pet stall wasn't very helpful, but I liked the composition of all the goldfish swimming in one corner of a massive tank

 

I felt the equipment in the tackle shop wasn't much use to my project, but I found a collection of photographs of fishermen holding massive fish they had caught which I really liked. The anglers are all dirty and wet but they all have such loud, happy expressions on their faces which I think would be interesting to depict if I was to look into stories of fishermen.