Line 2 - Tone, mark and pattern

Have an opinion on line when it comes to analysing illustration, it too is part of the message and tone an image is communicating.  

Tone, mark and pattern can be used to describe the behaviour of light and form through the processes of:

Hatching
Cross hatching
Scribbling
Shading 
Made marks
Patterns

It can also be used to show actual patterns on fabrics for example, or to represent complex information. 

PRESSURE - STROKE - DIRECTION - GESTURE

Commit to a line - be confident!

Look ahead on the page and visualise the direction of your line. 

Draw multiples to maintain a process of reflection and improvement. 

For this image, I used a graphite stick and I feel I have succeeded in exhausting the ways in which this material can be used to make different marks. Dashes, dots, hatching, scribble, tone and smudging all add to the busy aesthetic of the image. I was proud of the pattern I produced on the top she is wearing which was created by vertical lines using the side of the graphite stick (showing the creases in the fabric) which were then smudged with my fingers. The top she is wearing had white horizontal stripes so I dragged a rubber across the graphite in this direction to show that stripes were present. I think the waviness of the lines shows the movement and looseness of the fabric and I find it interesting to look at as a pattern in itself. 

I used pencils and biro for this drawing and varied my mark making techniques between scribbling, hatching, cross hatching and tone. This has worked well on the face and headscarf because the variation in marks makes the image more intriguing and interesting to explore. However, I feel that using a scribbling technique in biro for the shadow areas on the body has created some very dark shapes which should have been more subtle. Maybe if I had used pencil for the shadow and biro for the detail on the clothing, the detail of it would still be visible beneath the dark areas. 

 I feel this is one of my most successful images from this drawing exercise. I used ink and a brush which proved to be an effective combination for producing some interesting line work. I tried to vary the weight of my lines depending on what I wanted the most focus to be on - here I drew attention to the face and the garment with heavier lines. The mark making on the clothing is really simple but I think it works well in showing the draping of the fabric as I have changed the direction of the marks towards the bottom left corner. At first I thought the detail of the face was quite heavy but now I think it emphasises how scrunched up the model's face becomes as she pouts. 

I wanted to experiment with producing a shape of pattern rather than filling in an existing outline. I used stripes of permanent marker pen that was low on ink which gave this interesting line quality which looks dry and textured. I added detail of creases in the fabric later on but I now feel, for maximum impact from the shape, I should have left all detail out of this area. 

I dont feel this image was particularly successful as a whole as I am not happy with the proportions of the body but as I was looking back over my work from today, I realised that I am becoming a lot more confident with loosening my drawing style. I never would have previously thought of producing an image which strayed from its reference imagery so drastically as this but I feel that finding the confidence to do this will improve my work overall. I am slowly learning to take risks with how I make images and am starting to learn things from my successes and failures in doing so. I am really happy with the variation in marks I managed to include here and I think the boldness of the stripes contrasts nicely with the fainter brushstrokes on the clothing. 

Final Photoshop Images

I have learnt a number of photoshop skills over these past few weeks which I have explained in my previous blogposts and I feel are evident in these final five images. I hope to use photoshop in the future to enhance and develop my work. I am less afraid of using digital media now I have learned the basics and I am keen to continue to explore the different tools and functions on photoshop. I still find some aspects quite confusing such as layers but I think an understanding of this will come with time and practice - I know there are plenty of people around me, staff and students, who are willing to help and share techniques and tricks. Using the Wacom tablet was a new experience but I am really pleased that I found it so simple to use so I am sure this will be featuring in my work in the future as well. 

Photoshop Workshop - Week 3

Today I decided to be brave and use a Wacom tablet for the first time. 

For the collar of the coat, I used the magnetic selection tool to select the area, colour it, and I then shifted it slightly to the right to leave the white line on the left. I used a soft, medium opacity brush for the rest of the jacket and the face using the Wacom tablet. This was just to get used to using the new technology which I usually find quite daunting - the Wacom tablet was really easy to get used to and I am sure I will be using it in future projects. I found I had a lot more control than when using the mouse. 

Again, using the Wacom tablet, I used a large brush to do some broad mark making to suggest a brick wall behind the lady in the drawing. I had selected the background only so the colour didn't overlap the figure. I used a thinner, low opacity brush after this to draw a rough rectangle around each brick and then lowered the opacity of the brush even more and increased the size to roughly draw in the grey between the bricks. I used a similar brush for the shadow on the floor. 

Through playing around with layers, I managed to add a shadow onto the wall. I selected the shape of the figure on a new layer, filled it and shifted it, I also had to remove the white background from my original image so that everything in the background was visible. Finally, I adjusted the levels of the image, making it slightly darker so the figure stood out more against the patterned background. 

I went back to one of my images from last week and used the Wacom tablet to add some subtle highlights and shadows to the jacket using the brush tool.

I am gradually learning more about photoshop and I now understand how I can use it to develop my drawings. I was previously sceptical about using digital media as I personally prefer images to have a handmade quality. However, I am slowly improving my skills so I can still keep that hand rendered quality and just use digital media where appropriate. I think it will also be a good tool for experimentation with colours, patterns and textures because you always have the option of reverting back to the original image. 

Haute Couture - Line

I chose four images from various books about haute couture fashion designers. I experimented with media and used tools in a variety of ways to try and push my drawing skills.

Felt tip pen

 Varying the weight of line was difficult with this medium but I tried to be softer with my application on the hair and the creases of her skirt. The compact lines on the ruffles provided some light/dark contrast against the plain skirt. 

Pencil crayon and ink applied with thin brush

I am pleased with how the face has turned out here, especially the eyes, because I have struggled to get the facial features right in my previous drawings. This is the final drawing I did from this image so I was familiar with the proportions and shapes. I tried to break the image down into shapes in my previous drawings and I found this really useful for drawing the area around the head and shoulders. This is a process I might use in future to understand how each piece works and fits together before I start drawing something in more detail. The hands definitely need some work - this is something I struggle with in general and feel I need more practice with.

Using the side of a graphite stick

This tool had produced a really interesting quality of line which I think is really effective in showing the movement of the fabric skirt. I drew the shoe using the granite stick normally and feel it shows the difference between the still part of the body and the part that is moving. I think I could improve this image by applying this idea to the rest of the body so the head and arms were drawn the same way as the foot. 

Grey felt tip pen and black gel pen

This was a drawing I though was unsuccessful because I think it lacks life and the combination of the two media doesn't make sense. I went for a quick, relaxed approach for this drawing but I feel it looks messy and unconsidered. 

Ink and brush

I like the line showing the edge of the skirt because the brush has split slightly and given a sense of movement to the line, similar to my graphite stick drawing above. 

Practice drawing legs - mechanical pencil

I was struggling to get the legs and feet right on this drawing so I spent some time just drawing this part of the image. I feel this was my most successful attempt and I am particularly pleased with capturing the toes from this awkward angle. 

Large, soft brush

I really like the texture this large brush with ink produced. I didn't put too much ink on the brush because I didn't want a solid line. The marks made on the paper are soft and flowing, similar to the material the dress was made from. 

Train Drawings

Drawings from observation done on the train back to Leeds. 

I think the bottom image is particularly successful because of the honesty of the lines and the selective use of darker areas which are balanced across the image. 

A day in the life - Week 1 Evaluation and Feedback

I don’t feel anything went particularly badly this week; at the beginning of the week when I was first given the article I struggled to get an understanding of it but after reading it a few times I picked up on certain themes to explore. Pouring my ideas and thoughts out onto an A2 sheet also helped me gain an understanding of the article and started to get more thought provoking ideas flowing. 

I now understand that ‘roughs’ can be rough. In previous projects I have been too precious about the aesthetics of my roughs - this has caused me to spend a lot longer on them than I needed to and consequently given me less time to develop each idea. I feel I am more relaxed when producing roughs now which is beneficial to my thought processes. 

I feel my first ideas were quite obvious in the sense that they were clearly showing the Marshmallow Test, but I thought that watching a modern day video of this experiment being conducted gave me a good insight into the expressions and movements I needed to capture to portray a child trying desperately to control themselves. Subconsciously, I looked at each different theme I had picked out and thought about the different ways I could illustrate this. 

Working to dimensions is something I have had very little experience of but I felt it really pushed my compositions because I was more consciously thinking about how I could use the space for the image to be most effective. 

Feedback

My feedback was generally positive which is always nice to hear but I was also happy to get some constructive criticism which I can really work with and build on next week. I found this feedback really useful because I could be going along with an idea that I think works really well but other people might not even understand why it links to the article. Some of my temptation imagery didn't get the response i’d thought; the image of the witch and her beckoning hand wasn't understood. I totally agree with the idea that using an image relating to smoking could be giving a false idea of what the article is about. People could be put off reading the article if they feel that it is not relevant to them. 

200mm x 200mm (Square)
Although my rough of the brain as a boxer was in a landscape composition, there was quite a lot of unnecessary detail in this frame and the people in my crit suggested this could work better as a square image. 

105mm x 200mm (Portrait)
The rough I am taking forward to develop this week is the full body image of a puppeteer controlling himself. I am pleased one of my drawings conveying this idea was selected because it feel it was one of my strongest ways of showing self control. 

290mm x 105mm (Landscape)

They thought the composition of my drawing of the boy doing the marshmallow test with the snail on the other side of the frame was really effective in showing time moving slowly. It was suggested that I looked at my other drawings of children doing the marshmallow test as the positions and expressions shown in these were more successful in conveying the feeling of resisting temptation. 

Personal Work

Pencil drawing from reference

Day in the life - week 1 progress

So far this week I have been sketching out all my ideas. I have been drawing them in rough boxes for each set of dimensions. The themes I have decided explored from this article include:

• The Marshmallow Test (I watched youtube videos of the experiment to inform my drawings)
• Evil and the devil
• Temptation symbolism (apple and snake)
• Self control
• A fight with yourself (brain)
• Ways people resist temptation (the smoking example mentioned in the article)

At first I thought this idea was too obvious but I pursued it anyway to see what I could do with it. Watching videos of the marshmallow test was helpful because I got to see children’s reactions and could then translate this onto paper. I think facial expression and composition are really important here. I also like the marshmallow thought bubble as it shows that even though he is looking away from it, the marshmallow is still all he can think about. 

I briefly researched imagery related to temptation and this sparked this idea based on ‘the first temptation’ in the bible where Eve accepts an apple from the serpent in the garden of Eden. I wanted to incorporate the apple and snake into the same image to ensure the idea behind it was clear - this is something I will continue to develop. 

This is one my ideas I am most excited about. I came up with this idea when I was thinking of methods of controlling something and then applying it to yourself to show self control. At a first glance, the image doesn't really make sense but when you figure out what is actually going on and pair this with the title of the article, I feel it makes perfect sense. 

I am going to take my ideas so far and develop and group them into my final fifteen roughs. 

Line

‘Creative line can only be the line as you see it and prefer to draw it.’ - Andrew Loomis, 1947

Although you are using line to translate information, you need to inject individuality not only to make the drawing your own but to capture the experience you are having drawing it. 

Drawing is not the same as making good pictures.

Primary functions of line:

• Convey its intrinsic beauty
• To divide or limit an area of space
• To describe form by edge or contour
• To catch and direct the eye a certain way
• To produce tonal gradation
• To create design or arrangement

There is no standard for good drawing - everyone draws differently and each individual’s craft will be appreciated in different ways.

‘Skill in any craftwork can be improved’ - Richard Sennett, 2008

• More drawing
• More play
• More evaluation
• More critical analysis

Be experimental! Exploit tools and use them to their full potential. 

GESTURE - CONTROL - SPEED - TOOL - PRESSURE - MEDIA

In order to help me complete the next task, I am looking at this book about how to draw fashion accessories. It contains a lot of fashion illustrations I can take inspiration from which will hopefully lead to my drawings this week being more informed and varied. 

Photoshop Workshop 2 - Colour and Texture

This week we were looking at ways of adding colour to the black and white drawings we scanned in and edited last week. I opened up my black and white images from last week and changed the mode of the image to 'RGB Colour'. 

Brush tool: use a harder brush for strong edges and a softer brush for blending. 

I used the brush tool to colour over the woman's coat and then changed the opacity of the colour so that the lines and tones underneath were visible. 

Setting up a new layer specifically for colour meant I wasn't drawing directly onto my image so I could always revert back to the original if I wanted to. I set the layer to 'Multiply' which means that the colour applied affects white and grey spaces anything black will still show through. This is a better way of applying colour than the method shown above. 

Colour applied using brush on multiply layer

I also used shapes to apply colour using the shape selection tool - here are examples using numerous connected rectangles on the left and one circle for the head on the right. After drawing one shape, you can add, subtract and intercept the shape to fill a more complex area, and then use the brush tool to fill in the area. 

These two pictures show how I have applied colour using shapes as well as the brush tool.

Selection tool: The selection tool allows you to select a certain area and create a boundary around it which means whatever you do next will only affect this part of the image. 

The different variations of this tool include: 

• Lasso tool: free drawing
• Polygonal: a dot-to-dot style tool connecting each point with a straight line
• Magnetic: the tool picks up existing lines and sticks to them. 

I have used the magnetic selection tool to follow the outline of the coat and shopping bag and then fill in the area with colour. This is a much quicker way of selecting a neat area within the lines as most of the work is already done for you. I used a small brush to add a bit of detail to the shopping bag in a darker shade of yellow. 

I used the brush tool to apply colour to the face and then did the same with the hair but with a lower opacity. This meant that I could draw over some of the same areas of the hair to make them darker which I think has been effective because hair never usually appears to be all one colour. The opacity of this brush meant that when it overlapped the skin colour, it unintentionally formed a shadow. 

Using the brush tool to fill in the face colour meant that not all of the colour was within the lines - to solve this I selected a small, hard brush with white as the colour to neaten up the outside edges. 

I used the magnetic selection tool to select the skirt, filled it with purple and then used a range of brush sizes in darker shades of purple and low opacity white to make stripes to represent the shadows the pleats in the skirt make. 

I was experimenting with the more textured brushes in the image on the right to try and show the texture of the ground. However, I feel this makes the image too heavy at the bottom so I prefer the image on the left as the shadow is also clearer. 

This is some more experimentation with textured brushes - I don't particularly like this image as it is very dark and grey, but it started me thinking about working with the background as well as filling in the shape of the body. To do this, I used the quick selection tool to select the background and then the lasso tool to deselect and unwanted information. This meant that my brushwork would only be applied to the background. 

Further experimentation with background

I used a large brush to create these patterns and then played around with the levels to produce different variations.

Textures

I scanned in a patterned paper bag because I wanted to use this as the pattern on the lady's coat. I used the 'place embedded' option on a new layer to import the image and then selected 'Edit > Free Transform' to move the image around and scale it. 

Multiply - texture on light areas.

Overlay - texture on dark areas.

Smart objects - Layer > Rasterise (this allows you to make changes to the scanned texture.

I used a combination of selection tools to select everything other than the coat and then pressed backspace to delete this, leaving the coat as the only part with the pattern on it. 

I then spent some time just exploring the different options.

Inner Shadow

Colour Overlay

Gradient Overlay

Selecting the background, adding colour and a white glow using a soft brush. 

Adjustment Layer: allows you to play around with hue, saturation, etc. It will affect all the layers below it in the list.