Last Morley session, still life composition and drawing with tone

The end of my second term of drawing instruction, and I can now pick up a 2B pencil without hyperventilating.  These classes have only increased my retrospective disappointment at the standard of art teaching at my senior school.  ( At the time, I just sat there, baffled by the whole idea of getting something representative down on paper). 

This session was in two parts, the first on composition, using cut out shapes in two shades of paper to analyse pleasing and discordant placement of these shapes.

We then took some objects from around the studio, placed them in an interesting composition, and  then drew them, using only tone.  The result is below, A4 size.  Apart from  a couple of wonky lines, this is light years away from where I started this course.  Thank you Steve.

Inspired by Art

The quilt group has a current challenge, " Inspired by Art", to make an A3 piece, inspired by a piece of art, ideally which can be exhibited with a postcard of said piece of art.  I've ummed and ahhed about this for far too long, so got started this weekend.  My inspiration is a piece by Vasarely, who is known for his Op-art paintings but who also did a lovely drawing, titled " Anti Racist Drawing".  There are a couple of images of this piece online, but not many.

I'm adding some tattoo content to my piece.  While I could have challenged my appliqué skills with this one, I took the easy way out and used Bondaweb, but yet again the back to front , inside out, upside down thing went awry, and despite cutting out the eye of the white head three times, it is still different from the original image.  It is now staying that way.  My interpretation is in blue, as black and white seemed too stark in cloth for these rounded shapes.

Details

 

Feathers again

I feel I am starting to get somewhere with the drawing.  

Today's efforts were to practise tonal values and different line quality to express different textures.  Discussion with the tutor about the 2B pencil and the degree of shading that it is possible to get with that led to a review of how hard I was pressing on the pencil, even when I am supposedly holding lightly.  We agreed that while he would never use an HB pencil, it might be a good idea for me to try that for lighter lines and shading.  After the exercises, we then proceeded to draw either a reflective bauble, a furry toy or a feather.  Not surprisingly, I chose a goose feather.  Unfinished, but I like this.

Unfortunate news today that the Quilt Museum in York is closing in October 2015 due to lack of funds to keep it going.

Drawing and stitching

After drawing in the museum last week, and analysing what I found difficult about that task, I decided to draw from photographs to try to understand light and shade and how it contributes to form.

Lily

Converted to black and white

Printed photograph next to resulting drawing

The challenge of course is to attempt to draw the same flower from life.

Stitching has been some machine quilting practise, and testing out colouring with watercolour pencils and Sharpie markers, 

and preparing some seasonal postcards

The recipient of the Narnia postcard was delighted, I am glad to say.