Part 2 Material Properties, Project 3: Narrative

Aim: The project’s aim is to experiment with the expressive potential of materials and create a drawing where the materials play a significant role to the way the piece is read.

Method: It is suggested in the course instructions to think of a person for whom we have a strong feeling or opinion and make a drawing using objects and materials that we associate with that person.
I found a broken hair ribbon belonging to my 5 year old daughter. It is an object that I associate with her innocent femininity. I would portray this in a very soft way. I am thinking that if she was a drawing media , she would probably be watercolour. Watercolour is a delicate material with great purity and lightness that would also describe a child. At the same time it hides qualities that could transform it into a very dynamic medium depending on the way you work with it. Likewise a child hides all the potential that is about to reveal through it’s development. My daughter encompasses all these qualities that are revealed under different circumstances.

For the following piece I chose a pink lightly applied in order to convey her pure innocent female beauty.

Pencil & watercolour (A5 sketchbook)

For the following piece I put acrylic paint and scratched the shape of the ribbon in order to show a more dynamic element. I also applied the pink watercolour to restore the softness of her character.

Acrylic paint and scratching with pinpoint (A5 sketchbook)

I continued on a bigger scale for my daughter’s portrait. I placed the ribbon on the paper and I traced the shape softly. Using a photograph I tried to draw her face shape and to convey her essence with the watercolour.

It may seems an unfinished piece. However, I don’t feel like I want to put anything else on this piece since I read on it what I wanted to convey.

”My girl” Pencil & Watercolour on watercolour paper 305 x 229mm, 300g/m NOT)

I moved on to create another piece as a narrative of my daughter. I found a paper bag of  a store where we buy our favorite accessories. At this point I started to explore our connection and relationship as a mother and daughter. I see myself in her as I suppose she sees herself in me. I used slightly darker tone of the same pink watercolour for the face that represents myself in the back. I made the two ”faces” meet somewhere in the middle in order to show the connection. The design of the paper bag I decoupaged on the paper represents the femininity we share and also the creativity and richness of mind and soul that I wish to transmit to her as I try to pursue it myself.

In this piece as in the previous one ”My girl”, there is a lot of empty space. I am not sure if the piece works well with all that empty space, but at this point i wouldn’t add anything. Perhaps later on I would add features or fill the area of the face with a thin layer of the lightest tone of the pink used.

”My girl & I” Collage/decoupage & watercolour on paper 424 x 590 mm

Remaining on the subject of my children I move on to make a few pieces that would associate with them. I used fragments of soft pastel in pink shades to represent my daughter and blue shades to represent my son in separate pieces in sketchbook.

As I smashed the pastel I realize how nice it is as it is and that I wouldn’t want to smooth it. how would I preserve this? i used plastic film to cover the fragments so that they stay in place or at least not to be smoothed on the paper. Another way to have this kind of work preserved is to make it and photograph it. Then the photograph would be the artwork on its own.

”Preservation A” Fragmented Soft pastel on paper sealed with transparent film. (in A5 sketchbook)

Fragmented soft pastel

 

”Preservation B”.Fragmented Soft pastel sealed with adhesive transparent film (in A5 sketchbook).

I took this idea further by adding another material that I would associate with my children in order to create a narrative about them. That was a piece of thread that is also delicate and can be worked as a child’s character and personality is worked while developing in life. In addition the thread would also associate with the umbilical cord for me as their mother. That would be something that connects us.

”Female & Male” Fragmented soft pastel, and thread sealed with adhesive transparent film. (in A5 sketchbook)

The previous pieces lead me to  another piece for this project. I used acrylic paint on pink paper. I scratched with a stick to create a drawing. I put soft pastel and thread to represent my children following the previous pieces associations. I also used watercolour to connect the thread with the other materials on the paper and finally I sealed it with adhesive transparent plastic film. The film not only retains the soft pastel fragments on the surface , but also is associate for me with preserving and protecting fragility. This piece is for me a narrative about femininity and mothering. It could be seen in conjunction with other works I had made for similar subjects (https://marina491189.wordpress.com/assignment-5/)

”Inside or contained”. Acrylic paint, fragmented soft pastel, thread and watercolour on pink carton paper sealed with trasparent adhesive film. (210 x 295 mm)

Detail of  :”Inside or contained”. Acrylic paint, fragmented soft pastel, thread and watercolour on pink carton paper sealed with transparent adhesive film. (210 x 295 mm)

All this work is definitely at a primal stage. The ideas should be explored further, in more well thought and executed work. However it could constitute a reference and a starting point for more advanced work of such subject.

Part 2 Material Properties Project 2: Mark-making materials

Project 2: Mark-making material

Aim: The aim of this project is to explore the use of different, traditional and inventive media in drawing.

Method: Make drawings exploring mark making on a variety of surfaces that have two differently coloured layers.

For the following experiment I placed metal surface tape on the paper and then draw on it with marker and scratch it by pressing on it a pinpoint. they way you put the tape on the paper could also give different texture surface. You could place it flat or create rifles or bumps.

Heatproof tape, marker and scratching with a pinpoint (in  A5 sketchbook)

Applying in a decoupage way paper on another paper or other surface could give endless drawing possibilities that have three dimensional quality. You can manipulate the direction of the rifles and bumps to give certain directions of the ”lines” that are created. a line is not only created by pressing a drawing material on a surface. There is not actually line in nature, but we represent the point where an object meets another by drawing a line in order to portray those conceivable boundaries. This also reminds me of Angela Eames saying for her work:1997 Wool winding ”…Jumpers are made form shaped sheets of woolen line. The line itself has three-dimensionality. Fancy that, she thought, we all wearing drawings…”(http://www.angelaeames.com/Wool.html)

Thin paper applied on paper with the decoupaged method with diluted white glue. (in A5 sketchbook)

I experimented with a few different combinations of layering and scratching that could be a reference for use in future.

Photograph decoupaged on paper with Decoupage vernice, acrylic and pigment ink pen.(in A5 sketchbook).

Acrylic paint and scratching with blade on black carton paper. (196mm x 280mm)

For the following drawing I used tracing paper that was glued with vernice decoupage on a carton paper. This was an interesting procedure to build up an image. Some of the results were unexpected, but worked well. For example the different tones that were created because of the uneven application of the vernice. The vernice did not attach evenly on the surface of the blue carton paper and created an interesting texture effect.

Photograph as source material for drawing

 

Work in progress (One with the river)

 

One with the river. Tracing paper glued over blue carton, pigment ink pen. 227mm x 295mm

In the following piece I applied modelling clay on a carton board and chose a subject with rich texturing. The clay can be manipulated using hands or tools to create texture taking advantage of it’s plastic properties. For example I was able to create ribs and rifles by pushing and pressing the clay in certain directions.

Modelling clay on carton board as working surface for ”Olive tree trunk”

Photograph as source material for ”Olive tree trunk”.

 

”Olive tree trunk”. Modelling clay on carton board, watercolour.(210mm x 295mm)

I was able to create interesting texturing on the clay, but If I used a different colour on the carton surface it would make an interesting contrast.

There would be an endless catalog of materials and ways to apply on various surfaces. A specific subject matter could be portrayed in many different ways depending on the artists purpose and what one would want to convey through a specific artwork.

 

Project 1, Part 2 Material Properties

Project 1: Space, Depth and Volume

Aim: The project’s  aim is to make a reductive charcoal drawing and try to convey depth and volume.

Method: The suggested method is to cover a whole sheet of paper with charcoal and draw into the charcoal using a selection of rubbers.

I used smooth drawing paper, willow charcoal ,soft and tough rubber.Also  I used my fingers to smudge charcoal on paper and a soft brush for fine removal of charcoal.

I chose to work with portraits because i want to improve my skill as it is the subject i am going to work for my parallel project as well.

After a few experiments I observed how difficult it is to work with this reverse way. The  problem for me was not to assess and build tone, but to draw correctly especially in the case of portrait drawing.  I found it difficult to retain the correct place of the features and the portraits I produced had mistaken analogies. Also I found it difficult to retain the lightest tones. I couldn’t get the white I wanted. In addition it was very easy to accidentally sweep of areas that worked well and having to make them again was not that easy. While working many of the drawings appeared good at certain stages and they were destroyed at my effort to make them better. One point to have in mind is to decide when a piece is finished. Nonetheless, this is a part of the learning process that should not be judged by the outcome, but by the lessons learned through the process.

 

A few of my experiments:

My boy. Charcoal on A4 sketchbook

 

Me. Charcoal on A4 sketchbook

My man. Work in progress

 

My man. charcoal on A3 sketchbook

My man B. Work in progress

My man B. Charcoal on A3 Sketchbook

M man c. Charcoal in A3 sketchbook

I plan to continue experimenting with using a photograph with more dramatic tone variations. Also I think should avoid being drawn by the details and try to convey the general effect of the picture.

Further  I will work on different paper and charcoal types to observe the different results and find what works best on what I wish to portray.

I took a picture of my self in an angle that would make the correct drawing of the face easier. I manipulated the photo in photo editor to make it black and white and create a good tone contrast. I also posterize the photo to make it more abstract and to assist me to avoid be drawn by detail and likeness. I aimed at creating a more dramatic effect for the second picture.

I chose a different paper for the following drawings (Canson drawing paper for charcoal)  and this was positive to the outcome. the paper wouldn’t be overly smashed and I could have lighter tones till the finishing of the drawing.

I started with the more realistic photograph and tried to draw correctly, but at the same time to work the picture as a whole and tried to retain some freedom in my gestures for applying or removing charcoal accordingly.

I think there are obvious drawing mistakes like the positioning of the eyes. there should be more space between the eyes. Also the top left side of the head should have had more volume and also the re should be some more space between the nose and the upper lip.

However, I think I was able to give a sense of depth in the drawing, which was also the project’s aim.

I continued with the other drawing which came out more easily and I enjoyed doing it a lot more than the previous. I like to convey in my drawings a dramatic expressive effect and with this drawing I had the opportunity to do it. I worked more freely. My reference picture was helpful for my purposes and I realize the importance of good preparation work for the prospective results. Any drawing mistakes seem less important in this  picture because of its abstract quality.

 

”Self Portraits-opposites”. Charcoal on paper.645 x 490 mm

The two drawing were intentionally drawn on the same paper. This idea came out of my previous assignment where my tutor mentioned how different drawings presented together create a new composition and they become one. The way I positioned each drawing on the drawing surface intended to give an expressive effect. The two portraits face opposite and they also have opposite approaches (realistic-abstract).

Ghika,Craxton, Leigh Fermor Charmed lives in Greece A.G. Leventis Gallery, Nicosia

http://www.leventisgallery.org

Temporary Exhibition:  Ghika,Craxton, Leigh Fermor .Charmed lives  in Greece (24.2-22.5.2017)

5.4.2017

Special guided tour by curators Evita Arapoglou and Sir Michael Llewellyn-Smith.

It was an amazing tour on the exhibition. The curators were able to enter the viewers in the historical background of the time the artists lived and how this affected their artistic expression. Also they explained how the two artists Nikos Hatzikyriakos Ghikas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikos_Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas and John Craxton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Craxton and the writer Patrick Leigh Fermor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Leigh_Fermor  connected in a long friendship and accompanied creation in Greece.

I noticed immediately how the light of the sun of Greece affects their work. In both Ghika ‘s and Craxton’s paintings shiny tones are prevailing. the colours are slightly saturated with white. They use thin layers to apply paint (oils and acrylics mostly for paintings and pastels or coloured pencils for their drawings.). The canvas is apparent through the paint layers and it seems like the light enters the painting as sunlight enters a room and creates a foggy feeling.

Also cubism is apparent on both artists work and the landscape of Greek island Hydra is the most appropriate surrounding, as well as the other places they live and created (Kardamyli, Poros and Crete).

Ghika works more as a landscape painter and the architecture influence is obvious in his work.

Craxton on the other hand is more interested in human as well as animals and how they connect to the land thy live.