Facial Expressions

These facial expressions were drawn in pencil. In these images I have attempted to show two unlikely and complicated expressions. In both you are able to see the facial muscles working beneath the skin, for example where the muscles around the lips are contracting to pucker the face. I believe that the angle used in the bottom picture is a good one that adds interest to the image and creates an alternative perspective from which to view the face. The proportion of the face in the top picture is accurate and life like. However, I could have made greater use of shading to create texture and depth in the image.

Landscape Drawing

This landscape drawing of a clock tower was one I composed with charcoal. This was to improve my use of this particular medium, but also because the use of charcoal gives the picture a mixture of hard and soft lines, which makes it stand out more. I am satisfied with the low angle perspective of the tower, because the perception of looking up at it gives it height which cannot always be achieved in a 2 dimensional drawing. I would definitely add more detail for an improvement on the image, and I might have additional features such as clouds in the background to create further depth. 

Figure Drawing

 

This is an observational drawing of a figure seated in an armchair. In this drawing I am incredibly happy with the proportion, which is accurate throughout the composition, despite the complicated detail. The foreshortening of the figure's left arm is something I feel I managed to complete well, because it shows that the arm is pointing towards the camera, creating a 3D illusion of depth. The use of shading to show the creases in the material was successful, with the use of etching to show texture. To highlight the main curves of the figure, shading was again used, such as how the legs curl round in the seat. To improve this composition I would add more detail to the hair to lend it the same detail as the rest of the image.

Still Life

 

For this image, a still life drawing of two pens and a lighter on a handkerchief, I used a graphite stick. This allowed me to create better tonal value in the picture than if I had used a regular pencil. I am pleased with the way I have depicted the curvature of the material using etching and cross hatching. The detail is greater and sharper in the foreground of the image in comparison to the background as this is where I wanted the focal point to remain. I feel that the way the objects are set up, with the three overlapping each other, is accurately shown by the shading. The way the shadows fall help the viewer see that pen lying across the image is sloping downwards. On the other hand, the proportion of the lighter on the left hand side of the composition is slightly off, making it seem squat compared to the pens that are drawn. Altogether, though, I am happy with the way this sketch has turned out. 

Composition In Tone And Colour

This composition is an image of a figure drawn with tone and colour. I used colouring pencils for this task. This allowed me to add texture to the image as it provides detail to the image that cannot be seen when drawn with a regular pencil. More obviously, it adds colour which creates a greater level of interest in the picture, namely making it more eye catching. I didn't add colour or great detail to the seat so that the colour on the figure would stand out a lot more. I am pleased with the depth in the picture and also the use of mixtures of colours such as greens and purples to create the darker levels of shading. I feel that the way the colour is used creates a more realistic shading than grey would. Improvement could be added to the hair in the use of more varied colours in order to fully transfer the accurate texture of the hair from reality onto the paper. Overall, however, I am greatly pleased with the success of this composition.

Portraits

This week we were looking at portraits of our model in order to develop higher detailed drawing techniques. I used graphite stick for the drawing above. I think that the proportion in this image is accurately represented. This is because the planning of the drawing went very well, which meant that I was able to concentrate on the fine and complicated details in the drawing, such as the lips, the little wrinkles in the lips and the lines of the forehead. This helps to show the age of the model, which is what I intended as they also work with the nose, eyes and ears to show unique characteristics of the model, making them recognisable. 

In this second drawing I drew with white chalk on coloured paper. This was due to the model having a light shining on her face, meaning that it a shadow would have been cast. I am pleased with most of the proportion but I feel that in this image the forehead is a bit too big. Possibly the hair should have come down more. The use of the chalk to outline the wrinkles adds to the shading in helping to show the model's age and traits unique to the model . Highlighting where the light hit was a successful way to add shading. It was a technique that I hadn't used before, but after doing it I would say that it works very well and it would be a technique I'd like to use again.

Fabrics and Clothing on People

This week our concentration was focused mainly on fabrics on people. I used charcoal for these drawings. In the first image (above) I feel that the foreshortening in the top of the right arm helps to demonstrate that the model is led down and displays the angle of the model really accurately. I believe that the foreshortening of the left leg is also good as it shows that the position of the leg is curled up under the right leg: although you cannot see it underneath the fabric, it is implied by the angle of the foot. The use of shading has been successful in order to show the creases in the fabric, because when drawing fabric hard lines are uncommon. Thus shading is used with the intention of softening the edges. Further, I think the shading is effective because it shows the direction of the light source.

The shading in the second image also feels successful to me. More time was available when drawing this image, which meant that I was able to use shading around the image to define it and was also able to use a rubber to highlight where the light hit the fabric most. The foreshortening in the right leg, I believe, did as well in the first image to outline the figure. Overall, I am happy with both these pieces and think that my skill when using charcoal is growing.