During the workshop we covered a range of different drawing techniques, identity drawing, drawing from memory, drawing something you can’t visualise/ translate easily (like an emotion or element), draw without looking at the paper, tonal/ abstract drawings / paying attention to formal qualities Rubbings/ tracings / think about mark making, collage and storytelling.
The technique I didn't feel quite worked were the rubbings which surprised me. I applied charcoal to cover a piece of paper and took it outside to find objects to rub it onto, using it as a tool to draw with. The following experiments were unsuccessful due to not being able to get a surface that took the charcoal well enough to draw. I was also concerned that I was on Campus and didn't want to vandalise! Although I do quite like the idea of testing natural materials on different surfaces.
Two of my favourite techniques were using paper to sculpture draw chaos and order and drawing to music. I was surprised at how little I wanted to use pencil to draw with and how you use sculpture as a way to draw. I wanted to explore different approaches and materials to draw with, rather than the typical pencil and paper.
Substituting pencil/charcoal for paper was a freeing experience. Using my hands and fingers to mould and shape the paper into a chaotic structure. Using a folding technique to create order, folding the paper back on itself every 3cm or so. Standing it up on its end and winding it into itself to create a star shape. I wanted to create a symbiosis between chaos and order by using both techniques, halving the paper and crunching one end to create chaos and folding the other to create order. The physicality of this was interesting to me; to create a texture that would be inviting for the viewer to explore by touch. This is also something that is important for me to explore within my practice; creating work that engages the senses to make it naturally unique to each individual. I want to make art that people can touch and explore with all their senses and exploring this technique, drawing with sculpture I can hopefully find a way to do this.
Another technique I found effective was listening to music whilst drawing. Something I have previously explored in my practice. By closing my eyes and letting the pen and my senses do their thing felt freeing and intuitive. This created freedom on the paper and by using the emotion stirred by the music I was able to create free flowing marks. To take this further I will explore different types and speeds of music, different mediums and colours.
I have chosen to further these experiments in particular every day for 15 mins over the next 2 weeks to explore, experiment and push the boundaries between music, emotion, intuition and the senses to see where it takes me in my practice. Do particular sounds relate to certain marks and/or colours? Do colours relate to emotions? By listening to music and exploring using my intuition, will there be certain mediums I will want to explore further? These are all questions I will be asking myself over the next 2 weeks. The experimental work I have produced from the workshop I am not 100% happy with as pieces and I feel I can explore both techniques much further to create more effective results however I am enjoying the creative process of the making and experimenting.
Experimenting with different genres of music and tools to draw with.
Reflections:
- The classical piece I listened to whilst doing this was effective due to the marks it brought out in me.
- The black pen makes the marks look distinct and I quite like the negative space. It brings out the black more.
- The marks made are chaotic but also flow nicely around the page like they're dancing.
- The crossovers of the marks
- There are certain areas of the page that are effective.
- This was the most effective use of pen on paper.
Below are the details taken from the page that I feel are most effective. They could almost be signatures for the song.
- Another classical piece
- You can clearly see the build up of the piece of music which I think is quite effective for portraying the instruments and feeling of the music.
- Scattered in some places but flowing in others.
- This wasn't as successful in my opinion aesthetically.
- Some areas are interesting to me, it would be good to go back and listen again and work out where in the music made me make the marks.
Experimenting with watercolours and different genres of music
Reflections:
- The song I listened to was a song that brings out a lot of emotion in me.
- This is shown to me in the imagery of this piece, the colours and the dark areas.
- I closed my eyes for this one and really felt into the song - High emotive songs, more visually pleasing in this one.
- I like the palette I used for this one.
- There is a lot of charge behind some of the brush strokes.
- Another song that is quite emotive for me which comes across in the brush strokes in the middle.
- Movement behind the black in the middle.
- Composition is good and colour palette.
- The song used was emotive but not as much as the others.
- I don't feel the same charge coming from the brush strokes but still there is some.
- I like the negative space in the other drawings and I filled the page in this one - negative space creates tension on the subject, here being the brush strokes, this is something to bear in mind.
- This one is ok.
- Song wasn't emotive for me and this can be seen in the lack of emotion in the brush strokes.
- I didn't feel into the song therefore it hasn't created as effective image, this is something to bear in mind.
- Possibly because it was a song I had never heard before, therefore I had no nostalgia attached to it, thus creating shapes and thinking too much into what I was doing rather than feeling into the emotion of the song.
I used alcohol inks for this A3 painting on YUPO paper and listened to various songs from my liked songs playlist on Spotify.
These alcohol Ink paintings are pretty however I don't think they add anything to my practice at the moment, they're quite safe to experiment with and I don't feel they challenge me. Although I could get better and will most likely order more colours to experiment with, I think I will use these to make presents for people.
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