After the oil pastel peanut which compensated for the stipples and dots experience, I felt inspired to draw two self-portraits in charcoal, also into the A3 sketchbook. They were fun to draw. They don’t particularly resemble me so there’s room for improvement but nevertheless I like their expressiveness. The first one has a somewhat sad […]
Category Archives: Detailed observation
Miscellaneous: Charcoal self-portraits
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Check and log: Detailed observation
Which drawing media did you find most effective to use, for which effects? In this project, I didn’t use many different media: Just felt pen and pencil. To my surprise, felt pen worked quite well for stipples and dots. Pencil was good for subtle shadings from light to medium dark. For darker tones and strong […]
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Stipples and dots
This task was about drawing another single natural object, but using stipples and dots as mark making technique. I drew a peanut in this technique and enlarged the object for better fit on the A4 sheet. I did not manage very well to capture the texture. I did several pencil drawings afterwards, but feel that […]
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Getting tone and depth in detail
This task was about getting practice with drawing greyscales, using pencil and hatching/cross-hatching techniques. The focus should be on a single object’s pattern and texture, drawn on A3 paper size. We were supposed to try to create good contrast, use a variety of different marks, combine different soft and medium grade pencils and hatching stroke […]
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Tutor correspondence: Resolving a mental block
During Part II of this course, I had to take a break from the course because my cat was so ill that she needed much care, and I was also extremely overworked. When I finally got back to course work in June, I found myself completely blocked by difficulties with the natural observation tasks. It […]
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More artists: Piotr Sonnewend
While searching for studio equipment, I came across a drawing book by Polish artist and stage designer Piotr Sonnewend (*1953 ). His drawings are very experimental and painterly in approach, very dark and conveying an atmosphere of mystery and pain. The artist’s topics are sinister, but this drawing techniques are impressive. He is also a […]
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More artists: Karl Blossfeldt
Karl Blossfeldt (1865 – 1932) was a German artist, art teacher and photographer who became known for his detailed photographs of plants, which were used as educational materials in his drawing courses. I discovered this artist when searching for guidance and inspiration while feeling stuck with detailed observational drawing. A quick Wikipedia picture search brought […]
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Line drawing detail
Half pepper line drawing I drew a red pepper cut in half, which I found in the fridge. I’m not very satisfied with the drawing, it’s a bit distorted. This may be due to my position above the object and having the support flat on my knees, rather than upright in front of me. I […]
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Research point: Detailed observation
This research point asked us to select drawings from artists who work in contrasting ways and to reflect on them: tight, rigorous work versus a more sketchy, expressive style. I selected drawings from Henry Toulouse-Lautrec and Albrecht Durer because I found them illustrative for these differences in approach. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 – 1901) I […]
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