Experiments – Page 2

Summer – week 12 experiments

This was my last week of the Anam Cara School of Drawing. To wrap up the experience, I drew a series of illustrations I’ve called “Lane & Mabel”. I think they are utterly adorable, especially wee Mabel, and if I was going to pursue illustration, I think this is the direction I would go in. For now, though, I want to use my drawing for the paintings I have in mind for my CSM research project. I realise I am limited in my abilities and am by no means an excellent drawer. But I have learnt a lot in the past 3 months, and am nearing proficiency in some aspects of drawing, which I hope, when paired with my other artistic skills, will result in some effective paintings. Three wonderful things came out of my self-imposed drawing school.

An increase in my drawing skills.

The realisation that when it comes to drawing, the learning never stops.

I now enjoy drawing.

Anyway, enough waffling. I give you Lane & Mabel:

Summer – week 11 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I had another week of drawing cats with hands, and now I am thoroughly sick of them. I don’t think I’ll be drawing any more in this style. However, drawing them has been invaluable, and has taught me a lot, and helped me develop my own style. What has been most surprising is the enjoyment I get from illustration.

Anyway, here are my last offering of this style of cats (I actually drew heaps more, but this six have taken me 1/2hour to upload because the internet out here is completely rubbish – more so than usual – so this six will have to do).

Another thing I worked on was a collage, which I have submitted for an exhibtion open-call. It is based on one i did some time ago called Ellan Vannin. I had the presence of mind at the time to scan the individual sections, which I was able to print, recut, and reassemble. This has allowed me not only to make it bigger, but also make it in such a way that it can be suspended away from the wall. I am really pleased with the results so far, and will continue to tweak it over the coming weeks. Again, I have more photos, but can’t upload them, so one will have to do.

Summer – week 10 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I had abysmal internet all last week which is why this is getting posted late.

I drew tons of cats again, and have been posting one a day on @ifcatshadhands

Here are a few I did earlier in the week.

By the middle of the week I was kind of sick of them. I was unhappy with the hands, so I started drawing them first, and they greatly improved (though I clearly need to work on fists). It’s still hit and miss whether I like the finished result or not. I may eventually abandon the project, but for now I’m still getting valuable drawing practice from it.

Summer – week 9 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I had a really fun week in the studio this week, mostly because I started drawing cats. I adore cats, and drawing them makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I also had an idea for my drawing.

At the end of the summer, when I go back to painting, I want to keep up my drawing practice by spending an hour or so of my morning studio session drawing. My idea is to draw an anthropomorphised cat each morning, and then post it to an Instagram account I have created called “If Cats Had Hands” (@ifcatshadhands). I am not sure what will become of it, but at the very least it will create some parameters within which I can improve and practice my drawing skills, plus, I’ve no doubt it will be a lot of fun.

Here are my first cat drawings.

Summer – week 8 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

This week was all about birds. I love hybrid animal/people, and I like using them in my paintings. So I thought I’d add bird heads to the figures I’ve been drawing. I really enjoyed drawing/painting them. Birds are wonderful creatures, and come in a vast variety. I really like the results and think they make great stand alone illustrations.

Summer – week 7 experiments

Drawing, Experiments, Process Deep Dive

I feel like I went round in circles this week, and although I got a few good drawings out of it, I seem to have lost the thread of the of what I’m aiming for, especially how the drawings I am doing relate to the paintings I have in mind.

One of the things I focused on this week was drawing things in the back/foreground of my figures. Although I am not that keen on the drawings I produced when practicing this, it is still a good skill to hone.

I also drew a few contraptions. The Heath Robinson book arrived, but I didn’t find it as inspiring as I thought I would. I then tried some steampunk-type mechanics, but this too isn’t quite right for the paintings I have in mind. What I am after is water falling through different levels, rather than contraptions per se, so I’ll keep experimenting.

The drawings I really like, and enjoying doing the most, are little character studies of my friends and family. These are maybe something I can develop further down the road, as works in their own right. For now, I feel it’s important to not get too side-tracked by this type of drawing, as it’s somewhat of a departure from the figures I have in mind for the paintings. Still, all drawing is helpful, so I might keep doing these now and then.