ARTIST RESEARCH: ANALYSING THE WORK OF ANDREW FAULKNER - My thoughts, Analysis and making connections with my own work.
As my project revolves around drawing, approaches to different drawing skills and how I can further my abilities while teaching others some of my fundamentals, looking for artists who experiment in interesting ways is important to the development of my understanding. In light of this, I have decided to look at the work of Andrew Faulkner, an artist who’s work primarily focuses on “ruins and deteriorating architectural subjects, particularly where deterioration brings mystery and dramatic lighting in the ever present interplay between man and nature” (Faulkner, 2021) because of his interesting depiction of such subject matter. As This work has similarities to that of my own in terms of subject matter, I want to look at his use of medium to see if I can incorporate elements of his approach into my own to improve on my work, or my sketches.
From looking at Faulkner’s work, I noticed that the use of graphite and charcoal as the primary mediums. This allows him to document the buildings effectively because he can build up different
tones, while taking into consideration about the light in the location and the objects around him. Many of his drawings are quit dark, but the darkness is broken up by the object and their individual characteristics such as texture. This is shown in the first image where may of the objects within the ruin have highlighted areas to show their presence. I really like this technique because it shows a consideration of light and dark, while being able to build up the necessary tonal range for the piece to be accurate. I also think it benefits the overall composition because it gives a feeling of being in the building, and being able to see elements in a low lit location. Also, the use of blue within the piece was something I found particularly interesting. This is because it gives the location a sense of coldness, adding to the idea of it being abandoned. I think it also contributes to the light visible in the building because it gives a sense of the light being more prominent in the areas of blue. I like the use of colour in this situation because it does not overpower the piece, but rather compliments the overall tonal range and mood of the drawing. It has made me consider the use of colour more in this manner.
Faulkner’s use of colour continues to be a point of interest for myself because of the way it compliments the subject matter. In the case of this piece, the colour acts as a layer for the drawing
to be placed over. I think the use of the brown, coffee colours give the piece an aged mood without overpowering the main point of the work, the drawing. The colour also compliments the tonal range because it makes the darks appear more prominent, giving the piece a nice selection of light and dark. I think the colour layer has been done strategically, so that the brown tone is inconsistent because it compliments where the location would be brighter or darker. The consideration of light within Faulkner’s work is very
interesting because it gives each piece depth and compliments the level of detail visible in each location. I think the consideration of light is one of the most important aspects in terms of his work being successful.
The use of colour is best shown in this image where the work is in an unfinished state. The colour works as a strategic wash of light and dark tones to build up the location through undertones. I think this is a really effective use of colour because it shows how it is being taken into consideration as the drawing is coming together. The combination of brown and blue is an interesting combination, however I think it adds to the concept of using earthy tones to generate some interesting tonal range in the piece, which I believe benefits the drawing heavily. I think the drawing would appear unfinished or too flat if it didn’t have any colour present within it. I believe that this shows how colour can be used in a beneficial manner within a piece of work to add to the tonal range rather than colouring the piece in.
I think that Faulkner’s work has shown me a possibility of incorporating some colour into my work in
a way that’s both not overpowering and effective. I think adding colour is a difficult task because it is important to avoid having a piece look like it is coloured in or if it serves no purpose. The use of colour can be really effective if the colour has purpose. Overall, I am really pleased that I have looked at Faulkner’s work, as it has given me further insight into how I could incorporate colour into my work, and also looking into tonal range further. I think it will translate into my own work in the form of a more diverse body of work that helps the overall outcome of my pen drawings. All in all, I am very pleased with the research I have undertaken.
SOURCES
Faulkner, A., 2021. Andrew Faulkner Artist - About Andrew. [online] Andrewfaulknerartist.com. Available at: <https://andrewfaulknerartist.com/about> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
IMAGES:
Faulkner, A., 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/andrewfaulknerartist/> [Accessed 1 May 2021].
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