To start this workshop, we were given the task of creating two A3 sized drawings of the skyline out the window or a view from inside the studio. To begin with I decided to create a quick study using a black sharpie of the atrium. I felt that by doing this I would be challenging myself as perspective and angles is an area I have struggled with in the past. I feel I was successful however as I think it is recognisable and in the short space of time, I feel I was able to capture the different levels and direction of the atrium while looking from above.
Following this, I wanted to create a more expressive piece so I changed location as I felt by recreating the skyline there would be more components to work with. I used oil pastels as they can create quick marks but also blend together effectively. I feel I was able to make each building stand out by using darker areas of shadows and shapes while focusing on my placement of the structures. Near the end of our time limit, I began to introduce the motorway which was in front of the buildings and started adding quick lines of colour to represent the moving cars. This is an area of the study I would like to improve in particular.
In the afternoon, we were tasked with creating a larger, A2 drawing using our viewfinders of a structure in the environment around us. There was one building in particular that appealed to me as it had very definite shapes and lines which I felt would be effective in charcoal. I started with the charcoal putting down a loose outline of the building. However, the outcome was not as strong as I had hoped so I introduced black pen. I would consider this drawing my most successful out of this workshop as I feel it is the piece where I was the most accurate with my lines and angles.
On our second day I decided to create a study using wet media and the idea of using watercolour paints for the red bricked MAC gallery was how my first piece started. I quickly sketched out the basic outlines of the building then started to add loose, quick brush strokes to represent the bricks. However, once I completed this I felt I lost the drawing element of the piece so once it was dry, I used the side of my charcoal to add more defined edges and lines. I feel both the media, while very different, combine well together.
My final piece for this workshop, was an A2 pen study of St. Anne’s Cathedral. I used a range of mark making to try and create the shadows and texture of the building. A big issue I have with this piece is that when I was completing the drawing all my angles and lines seemed straight and correct, however when I placed it on the wall for review I realised it’s quite lopsided. I feel if this didn’t happen it would have been an effective, loose study. Quickly at the end I added some blue marks and lines to represent the sky which I think are effective as they link well with the linear drawing and don’t make the piece too busy.
