Category: Process Deep Dive
Protected: Painting prep.2
Protected: Painting preparation – theory and practice
Summer – week 15 experiments
This was the last week of the summer holidays, and I spent it riddled with Covid. What a nasty, pernicious virus. It was my first time getting it and I had a miserable time. Although I am still testing positive, I am almost back to normal, and last night I was able to sleep properly for the first time since I got it. Of course, just because I had Covid, I didn’t stop painting. It was pretty slow going, mostly just building upon what I did last week, in terms of figuring out the kind of detailing I want to use etc.
Summer – week 14 experiments
I am really starting to consolidate my thinking for my research project. After next week, I will start writing posts specifically about that. The project will be my main focus going forward. I am really excited about it, and am finding it very engaging. In the meantime, here are the painting experiments I did this week, again just trying different things and beginning to think about the elements I want in my project paintings.
Summer – week 13 experiments
This week I returned to painting, which has been great. I focused on the water technique for the confluence paintings, trying different things to see what works. It is interesting to see how much the technique has developed after a summer of drawing, even though I wasn’t drawing this kind of thing. Drawing is essentially a hand/eye relationship, and it is clear from the paintings below that I have enhanced that relationship.
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
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
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
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.
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