I took my 4 homework drawings to class on Friday, and had some interesting feedback on them. I think they showed a broad variety of styles. They were definitely not the best in class - some people had made a massive leap in what they produced - but my drawings had a wider scope in how I had used the media.
I think Michael liked the way I had thought about what might be in the mug, in order to alter the way in which I drew it. I don't think anyone else in class had approached the exercise in the same way.
Michael said I could have knocked back even more the drawing of milk in the mug. If it represents dark, sleepy, bedtime milk, I could have made the right hand much darker in the shadow, so that it could hardly be seen, and also done the same with the arms that extend off the page. This was fair comment, and although I had already darkened the image, I could have made it a lot darker with smoky, fuzzy, effects to give the sleepy effect.
I was disappointed in the drawing of a mug containing iced water, and explained that I was trying to make a image that was not busy. For this reason it was the most difficult. Michael suggested I could have floated sketchy ice cubes in the space around the mug, and suddenly it all came clear - this would have enhanced the cold feeling I was trying to achieve, without making the mug itself more busy.
He liked the busy, layered drawing that represented the over stimulation cause by tea. We had a discussion about the drawing of movement for the mug with beaten egg. I worked hard on this one, but was a bit disappointed with it. I felt it was very static. Which it was because I had drawn the "moving" fork in a very static, defined way - when it should have been smudged in one direction to give the illusion of movement. So a smudgy media was required and I had used hard pencil. Also Michael suggested drawing several right hands, to give the impression of movement - which had not occurred to me. And would have been so "right" for the drawing. I had used a linear movement to describe the mug as the whisking movement will scratch the surface, but had used pencil again, which was too soft for the effect I wanted. Michael agreed the scratchy idea was appropriate, but I think I used the wrong media for the contrast between the hands (oil pastel) and mug (pencil). I wanted the mug to be the focal point, but it ended up being the hands because of choice of media.
Michael summed up my work as representing an honest struggle from interesting thought processes. I found that conclusion to be very complimentary. And I can show that I listened to the feedback!
In class we were working from our own composition of still life. I decided to work from my flask (very hard clear lines) and my hat (very soft straw). I was still experimenting with different media and styles.
Then the final homework is to produce 2 A1 drawings of a subject of our choice, by Monday (!). Only 2 days! I think I will work on my battered trainers and straw hat.
Photos to follow
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