Observational Exercises
- A Designer's Tools -
The 5 images created for this week aimed to explore drawing and style, with each image having it's own exercise and technique used.
Image 1: Make Your Mark Exercise
The goal with this exercise was to test different materials on the same type of marks to identify the differences they produce and how they can be applied in future works. Each row is a different material, 3 wet materials and 3 dry materials. They are as follows:
Dry Materials:
- Row 1: 2B Led Pencil
- Row 2: 0.4 Fine Pen
- Row 3: 0.7 mm Uni Posca Marker
Wet Materials:
- Row 4: Copic Marker
- Row 5: Black Ink (stick was used to create the line work)
- Row 6: Watercolour Paint
My focus with each different mark was on how the materials affected the process of creating the mark rather then the final mark itself. The third collumn demonstrates this well, as the simple and straight lines produced by the dry materials suddenly are given texture and depth in wet materials.
Reflection: My lack of experience with experience with Water Colouring Paint likely affected the outcome of row 6, however the result is still one I think can be used in future works. The dry materials chosen all feel very similar in form, only the colour of the mark changes, and this change is small. My experimentation with wet materials worked well, as I was inspired by Row 5's rough texture.
Image 2: Line Drawing Exercise
The goal with this exercise was to start testing my observational skills by drawings objects that were near to me. Images 2-4 will all use these objects. They include a Pair of Headphones, a Water Bottle, A Beanie, a Mug, a Scissors and a Pen.
My focus was trying to get the right shape for all of the objects. As a result, more time was spent on the headset and scissors then the pen and especially the mug, as they had less complex shapes which were easier to represent. These were done using a 0.4 fine liner.
Reflection: More time could have been spent on solidifying the shape of the water bottle. All drawings have room for improvement however they are all obvious in their shape. The beanie was my weakest drawing, and the headset and scissors were my strongest.
Image 3: Drawing Shapes Exercise
The goal with this exercise was to create the same objects by colouring their sillhouettes and avoiding the use of line work.
My focus was trying to make sure that the clarity of the objects shown in Image 2 weren't taken away by the water colouring used, as well as adding something that the previous image did not. This was achieved to an extend, as the use of colour gave objects more depth, however objects like the pen become simple strokes without the use of line work.
Reflection: The mug is the most obvious improvement, as the use of colour gives depth to the original, and the use of line work becomes almost unneeded. Some objects such as the water bottle have lost shape, however my ability to use water colour improves with each image I produce.
Image 4: Combinings shapes and lines Exercise
The goal with this exercise was to combine the techniques used in Images 2 and 3 to make the objects come to life without needing to look realistic.
I decided to repaint the shapes in a new paper in an attempt to improve my water painting skills. This led to some objects not ending up in the same part of the paper as the other images, however all objects are at their strongest when combining the new version of the shapes with the lines.
Reflection: Repainting the shapes led to unforseen consequences, for example, tracing over newly painted watercolour with a 0.4 fine pen led to some objects having the lines look blurry. This is best seen in the mug and the scissors, however if used purposefully, this effect can be useful. The waterbottle and pen significantly benefit from having the lines with the shapes, however the bottle still came out bent, since the paint was added before the lines.
Images 2-4: A Side by Side Comparison
Above is all the images that use these objects put next to each other. I tried showing some level of improvement with each new image and I achieved my goal with at least one object in every image.
The improvement of the mug from Image 2 to Image 3 is immediately clear, as the mug now looks 3D enough that you can tell the difference between the outside and inside. The same is also true of the pen from Image 3 to Image 4, no longer looking like 2 lines connected at the end. Objects like the Beanie improved with each Image, however if repeating this activity, I would not pick the beanie, as it is the only object that isn't immediately obviously depicted.
The combination of not yet dry grey watercolouring with a fine point pen was an oversight, with decreased the quality of the final results, however the effect did inspire me for my last image for this week.
Image 5: Negative Space Exercise
Image 5 and Original Reference Side by Side
Above is the original photo I used as reference next to my piece of work. If repeating this activity, I would make the background a different colour then gray, as the current colour makes my image look dull. Green would work well, as we all wear green in the original, and these people represent positivity to me.
Reflection: There are multiple aspects to this Image that did not work. I believe my use of negative space worked on a basic level however the spacing could use improvements. The current version has a lot of space above the subjects and none below. Furthermore, I attempted to cover up mistakes I made by utilising sunglasses and mask, which takes away from the final product. The blurring effect for a shadow on the left person worked well, and should have been utilised throughout the full image, even if just to make it consistent.
