art class : week 5

still life with boot
mixed media (charcoal, soft pastel, carbon, graphite, indian ink, wax resist) on paper
(550 x 400)

Wow, now mixed media proved difficult, basically for two reasons - not knowing how two or more media would inter-react, and which ones to choose for each element of the drawing. Much of the application was intuitive: mainly tonal charcoal with some pastel for the soft leather boot, wetted carbon and brushed ink for the ceramic pot. However the sponge-coral object was a nightmare - brushed ink wash over white pastel and wax resist, and graphite/carbon. At least the techniques were interesting to perform.

art class : half term homework

still life with pig

charcoal on paper (550 x 400)

During the half-term recess we were asked to consolidate what we'd practiced so far producing another still life arrangement of organic and non-organic objects. After the three apples piece in class, it was suggested I do another charcoal drawing using the mid-tone 'wash' technique and building tone and highlighting with a kneadable eraser.

This is it: four lemons, two bananas and an ornamental piggy bank.

art class: week 4

three apples

charcoal on paper (550x400)

week 4 at class comprised a choice of still life tonal rendering in either pencil, ink & brush or charcoal. still finding my feet yet not wanting to play too safe with pencil, I opted for the forgiving charcoal.

I'm discovering this is an immensely pleasurable, if mucky, medium to play around with. Left to my own devises, I would use it to draw lines but here we are taught to create tonal values by preparing the paper with a mid-tone 'wash' and building on tone with broad, heavier applications and - the best bit - by erasing with a putty rubber to form highlights.

very enjoyable, the hardest part was standing at the easel - something totally new to me.

art class: week 3 homework

still life : bowl of lemons, candle and tin bus
B4 pencil (A4 sketchbook)

we were asked to practice some tonal drawings. I'd totally missed doing week 2 homework and in danger of missing week 3. my heart wasn't really in another still life so this isn't a good example of a tonal drawing.

art class: week 1 homework

still life

pen & ink (A4 sketchbook)

in the first week at class we explored several mediums used to produce simple line drawings: hard graphite, soft graphite, carbon, charcoal, pen & ink, brush & ink, and stick & ink (the 'stick' being a short piece of bamboo cane).

for homework, we were asked to draw a still life subject. I chose pen & ink because I wanted to get away from the familiar pencil and I'd just bought a bottle of ink and a 'dippy' pen. you've got to hand it to those old masters, the dippy pen can drive you nuts - keep dip-dip-dip every few seconds!

you can see I drew everything with the nib but chickened out when it came to the ellipse of the plate. ha ha.