Week 12: Colour in Spring

This image is primarily focused on using a small amount of colours to generate a landscape with a good amount of depth, this is achieved through the use of various green hues, a nice white highlight and a brown and black colour. The white and lighter green have both been used to show the tonal value of the hill tops, and in conjunction with the sun, they give the scene more volume. There is a nice saturation between the greens and white also, and with the use of directional marks to imply a slight incline to the small hills. There is a small amount of burnishing displayed in the grass too. The entire image successfully stays in the warmer half of the colour wheel, with the dark blue backdrop the only negative, perhaps implying there was cloudy or dull weather at the time of drawing. The brown used on the stairs is also nicely contrasted with the green of the grass.

Week 10: Classical Interiors

Although not strictly an interior, this church window has a nice curve to it and its sheltered appearance makes it feel like it would not look out of place inside a building. There is a nice intentional curvature to the wall which mixes very well with the pillars leading outwards, a nice shaded depth to the corners helps emphasise this more, this shading also being present in the inside of the window frame also. The mark making used on the window panes themselves give the impression of depth and detail, and even though this is using conte crayon, a nice amount of detail is present. 

This graphite drawing of a classical church organ and altar has a very balanced look and a is a strong centre of interest to focus upon, with a nice variety of textures, from the plain, smooth organ pipes, to the curved altar sections. The pipes themselves suffer from being a little too messy and cluttered. There are some nice small details to the composition, such as the crucifix and book, and the small wooden slats on the altar.

Week 9: Shadow and Tonal Values

The perspective the artist has used here is very effective for making sure the main elements of the scene stay centralized, and also, the almost tunnel layout of the drawing gives it a very nice depth of field. The tones of the image compliment each other well in certain spots, like the tigers back fur and the elephants rear. There is a well observed lightness to the ceiling, that gives it an almost glass like quality, the angles of the chairs and table seem very well done also. The doorways on the left are excellent, though the doorways on the right suffer from perspective and the constraints of using a wide tipped medium like a well worn conte crayon. The image is nicely within the rule of thirds, which helps balance it as well as leading the eye around the image, which has enough detail spread throughout to keep the eye busy.

Week 8: Scenic Composition

This pencil drawing exhibits some very nice composition, and makes sure to place the tree as the focal point of the picture. There is a distinct lack of depth to the background due to the little effort focused on the scene behind the tree, but this doesn't detract from the scene too much, as the tree has lots of detail used on its shaded pencil lines, and even the smaller branches. Its a well observed scene on the whole, though there is a lack of detail in certain parts. The dustbin could have used better shading, to give it the feeling of being a round object. There is also poorly defined lines for the railing, and these could be straightened more. Too much dark shading on the dustbin and the railing is also quite a distraction. The small shadows the artist has sketched on these objects are well done, but maybe a bit too underwhelming, the tiny tree also has no visible shadow.

Week 7: Perspective of Curves

What is immediately noticeable from this image is how little depth it has, this is due to very little effort in shading. The focal point appears to be the trees and seats, which when compared with the very sparsely detailed door windows, leaves the image a little unbalanced. There is good line work on the curves of the roof, but again more care could have been taken to ensure the lines are equally spaced apart, and tidier in general. The ellipses are slightly unparalleled and could have used better plotting by the artist. More time spent adding some weight to the lines would have equalled a much more vivid piece. Detail on the plant section is well done, with the tree bark in particular showing good detail. Nice angle use on the other aspects of the scene not yet mentioned such as the right sided pillar and the roof X supports.

Week 6: Landscape, Angles in Architecture

This piece is a display of a landscape, including the angles of the architecture surrounding it. The structure of the overall piece is well done, but there are instances of lines that should be more straight, particularly on the roof and base of the building. There is also a slightly too crowded element at work in the window shade frames, the lines here are messy, and could have used a much more defined pencil stroke, as opposed to the cluttered strokes the artist used. Not much shading is present, which presents a lack of depth to the whole image. There is a nice focus on angles present in most of the outer bulding, aswell as the left sided grass area. More care could also have been taken to clean up the scene somewhat, with the smudges detracting from the picture, rather than enhancing it, as is sometimes the case with sketches. This mainly comes down to a poor choice in pencil. The architecture as a whole is a little uneven, and more effort should have been made to make sure the different sections of the building had the right proportions.

Week 5: Non-human Anatomy

The two images of non human subjects focus on firstly, accurately depicting a birds likeness, feathers, beak etc, and secondly, focus more on the skeletal aspects of an animal, including the jaw structure, teeth and general bone composition. The parrot image has very accurate depiction of the way the feathers flow and curve around the skull, and the artist has used the pencil well in dealing with the tufts of feathers at the top of the beak and underneath the patch of eye feathers. The tonal depth of the lower beak is well exhibited using pencil strokes and shading. The detail of the eye is a focal point to the picture, and captures the personality of a parrot well.

This large skull of a bear captures the essence of such a ferocious, wild creature, particularly with the sharp teeth still kept intact. Using pencil the artist has highlighted these as a focal point, whilst also adding detail to the small cracks and smaller teeth on display. There is good depth to the eye and nose sockets, though the artist could have used more curved shading to give the picture an extra dimension. The image is well balanced, though the white space in the mouth could have been utilised better.

Weeks 3 & 4: Anatomy and Movement

These image focus on anatomical structure, and also muscle definition and proportion. They are also aimed at displaying basic representations of figures in motion. This image focuses on the models arm, and there is a great emphasis on how the muscles contract and relax. This is highlighted by the shading, which follows the curvature of the arm accurately. There is also accurate depictions of a few of the muscle groups in the arm, in particular the extensors and the flexors.

This picture is places a focus on drawing the posterior perspective of the back of the buttock, the thigh and also the calf. There is an overuse of dark shading on the left side of the image, where the artist has possibly used too heavy a hand when making his pencil strokes. Other than this, the image is quite anatomically correct, the gastrocnemius is well defined, though the lower half could have used a little more definition, also the buttock is noticeably out of proportion in the lower left of the cheek, again caused by the overly dark lines used.

This image was made to focus more on the movement of the subject, and displays a good sense of anatomical awareness. Though there are points where this could have been improved. One key example of this is the left models right leg, which, due in part to the awkward sketching of the left kneecap, makes it look poorly positioned, it is also visible on the ankle, where the calf muscle would have extruded a little more. There is some very strong foreshortening on display, mainly correct on the right side sketch. The second image from the left could have used more definition in the buttock area, as well as on the spinal curve.

The final image in this collection focuses on three distinct poses, and is aimed at displaying movement. The anatomy looks well demonstrated, though the torso of the right sided model is clearly a little bit stretched out of proportion. There is adequate anatomical knowledge for the most part in the other two, the buttock area of the left one is well defined. The image could have used more detail in parts, as many of the lines used seem more like placeholders, such as the torso of the middle figure.

Week 1: Emotion in Posture and Pose

This set of images focuses on conveying emotion through the use of different poses. The above one is a collection of draft sketches showing a good variety of poses with various emotional overtones. The furthest left one displays an almost tired, disapproving stance, whereas others, like the one central at the top is that of an upbeat exercise pose. This is clearly meant as an earlier plan, but the marks made by the artist display an understanding for the anatomy, and how it alters with the different poses illustrated.

This image gives off the feeling that the model is tired through the artists depiction of emotion and perspective. Along with an added element of foreshortening to the right arm, and also the left leg. The shading also displays very good observational skills and adds depth to the piece. The left arm also helps to portray the exhaustion of the model, there is also well proportioned anatomy, particularly noticeable in the tricky leg drawing. The only criticism would perhaps be that there is a slight lack of depth to the sheet backdrop, and its corners could perhaps done with some subtle shading.

The emotion this image exhibits is one of solitude, almost boredom. And the shading helps to get this message across, giving it a dark feeling of deep thought and loneliness. There is a rough element to the picture with the strokes used to define the majority of the lines on display. The musculature of the back also seems to be one of a world weary, older model, with its slightly hunched appearance enhancing this.

Week 2: Balance, Weight and Dynamism

This image collection was created to showcase the various poses that

imply movement, or dynamic poses. These particular ones focus on the torsion, and the models signs of vigour. The image above shows on upright pose, with the implication that the model was very staunch. The use of curves, for the shadows, gives a very good tonal depth. There is decent evidence of foreshortening in the torso, and very accurate anatomical likeness. Also of note is the well portrayed proportions of the body, which stand out on the right bicep, brachialis and also right femur.

The second image shows a very dynamic pose, that would be uncomfortable given

any lengthy amount of time in the displayed pose, his back almost seeming strained, there is a very gratifying sense of curvature to the shaded parts of the body, particularly the legs and buttocks. The shading on the back is less detailed, and suffers from an excess of lines. It would also have benefited if the artist had included a small pro or backdrop, to show what the model was being supported by.

This image shows an equal parts dynamic and static pose, which could be

interpreted either way. It also suffers from poor detail and character in the face and cranium, though this bears little importance to the overall piece, it is still noticeable. There is a strong implication of an extension of the biceps and triceps muscles. The foreshortening on the left arm is not the best, and the hands suffer from looking slightly disjointed because of this, there is a nice weighted feel to the thigh area. Some of the line work on the torse is also not the best, with the implied shading looking unrealistic and messy.

The fourth image features quite a static pose with the model displaying a closed form from the outset. Given the perspective, however, this could be interpreted as also slightly open form, though the angle of the left leg indicates otherwise. The spinal curve could have used more definition, in particular the scapula areas, which are not very well observed.

Week 11: Contemporary Architecture

Using ink pens, this collection of contemporary drawings focus on the clean, elegant and futuristic look of contemporary architecture. The pens have been used to great effect to gradually build up the shading in the pictures to add depth, this image in particular has good depth to the bench, though the floor below it could have used a touch of shadow to balance the image more and make it more aesthetically pleasing. There is some nice curved line use to help the picture flow, but the floor could use more detail. 

Great use of the negative space the light window has to show some very light and subtle reflections of the cityscape behind has been used in this image, which again focuses on smooth, curved visuals to appeal to the eye. A nice balanced effort has been put into ensuring there is not as much blank space as the last one, and the implied line curving around the bottom of the image is very parallel with the topmost curved line. Some more effort could have gone into making sure the large pylons were better aligned, but they don't detract from the flow of the image.

The third image is a little more unorthodox, in that it doesnt focus on curves and modernism in the same vein as the previous efforts. This one instead has a very intimate, clean feel to it, and the shading is a particular highlight here, notably on the ceiling. The drawing does, however, suffer from a lack of detail in comparison with the other two, particularly the bland right side of the image, which throws off the balance somewhat. Nice subtle shading on the picture frames helps add a third dimension to the image.