Documenting My Process: My First Drawing of the Project
Documenting my process is a key method of how I like to work because it allows me to both show how I create my pieces, in gradual steps, as well as giving me an opportunity to write down any thoughts or personal suggestions about my work. Documenting how I draw, and my process in stages will also be very useful for when I begin to develop the education platform. All of my activity packs will have the same sort of process.
This is the first drawing of the project that I have decided to produce. Doing this early piece allows me to create a starting point that I can then begin to analyse and experiment with other elements of my practice in the future. I like to have a starting point that I am creatively comfortable with because it allows me to see where I may need to improve my technique, or areas where I can be more experimental. I have also decided to document the process of me drawing the shed to show the progression, and some of the mark making techniques I use during drawing.
Although I am at the very early stages of the project, I have decided to begin producing work from my references. This reference in particular was one of the more challenging ones because the shed was from a distance, as well as being full of rubbish, leaning over and having other objects in front of it. I found it one of the more visually interesting sheds I have references of, but still has challenging elements to try and depict. I intend to use this reference again, but in different ways to create more experimental outcomes in the future.
Although I am at the very early stages of the project, I have decided to begin producing work from my references. This reference in particular was one of the more challenging ones because the shed was from a distance, as well as being full of rubbish, leaning over and having other objects in front of it. I found it one of the more visually interesting sheds I have references of, but still has challenging elements to try and depict. I intend to use this reference again, but in different ways to create more experimental outcomes in the future.
To begin this drawing, I started with a pencil outline on A2 watercolour paper. Starting with a pencil outline allows me to eliminate any issues with the shed in its most simple state. I can check if the perspective, proportion and angles are accurate at this stage before adding pen to paper. This is an aspect of my process that I do not envisage changing because of this. I chose watercolour paper as my preferred paper type because of the texture. The paper is slightly bumpy which adds to the scratchy effect of the fine liner pen. The paper is also slightly off white, which compliments pen drawing more because it gives it a nice contrast. However, this is an aspect of my practice that I would experiment with because I believe the outcome would change depending on the type of paper used.
As I began adding detail to the pencil sketch, I started using similar mark making techniques to produce a level of accuracy. Specifically with the wooden fence in front of the shed, I decided to put more emphasis on the natural texture that is visible. All of the lines and knots in the reference were good to depict in pen because of their linear nature. Shading is more of a challenge in pen, or any attempt at tonal range because blending pen lines together is far more challenging than using graphite to draw. Therefore, when there is a clear texture, like in wood, it makes creating a tonal range and a high level of detail very straightforward to do. Whereas, in areas of transparency, such as glass, it is more difficult to depict it accurately in fine liner. I think from my previous project to now, I have been able to develop my skills in mark making and achieving detail to such a level that the sheds produced are accurate. However, I want to develop my technique even further, to try and create the same level of detail but in a more delicate manner. By delicate, I am referring to lighter pen marks, but still have the tonal range possible in the pen drawing. Sometimes, I found areas of this piece become incredibly dark, which was something I didn’t intend on doing. This is because the details are so dense, in an effort to capture as much as I can, it leaves that area of the piece dark. I think more refinement in my process will only improve this further. Possibly, I could experiment with a pen and pencil drawn piece which would give me my desired tonal range, accompanied with the high contrast look of fine liner pen.
I then began working on the main emphasis of the drawing, the shed. The shed itself had two large windows on it, as well as multiple other materials that made up its exterior. I had to adapt my mark making technique to fit the materials that I could see. To do this, I used cross-hatching at varying densities to try and create a smooth, consistent surface. I also used singular lines very close to each other to create some of lighter points. As mentioned previously, creating the glass was the most challenging because there was objects immediately behind the glass. To combat this I tried to draw what I could see, and then put a very light layer of pen over the top to give a suggestion of a transparent material in front of it. I think this was the best thing I could do in light of my chosen medium. Similarly with the corrugated plastic on the front of the shed, I wanted to give the impression of the texture and pattern that the plastic had. Therefore, I focused on the areas of shadow between the bends in the plastic. Although you don’t get the smoothness of the shapes, there is a suggestion of a textured material in this area. To improve this area I would focus on the horizontal shape, and the illusion of the correlated element more. I think then it would look more like a bumpy material. But, at this stage
of the project, I am happy with how I used the medium in this situation. I do however see a similar issue in the foreground where the glass is leant against the fence. The surface is not how I would like it because it looks scratchier than it was intended to be. To combat this, I think I need to approach glass in another manner, possibly using alternative pens to try and achieve a better affect. But, it does give an indication there is a hard material present in the piece.
FINAL DRAWING
This is the final drawing of my chosen shed. I am happy with the outcome of the piece because I see it as the starting point for lots of experimentation. I am pleased with the way I used the fine liner pen in certain areas of the piece, such as the wood and the physical objects in the shed. Although there are areas of the piece that are darker than I would have personally liked, I still feel that it is a successful piece. Improving on my mark making techniques will combat this and also working larger. Working larger would allow me to create the shed with larger details, making them easier to draw. It would also completely change the viewing experience of the drawing because the larger it becomes, the more immersive the experience is for the viewer. I think that the viewing experience is an important factor when creating pieces of work because you want to be able to capture the interest of the viewer as well as make them think. I think at A2 size, the viewer would experience the sheds completely differently in comparison to them being life size drawings. I think the larger a piece is, the more immersive it becomes.
Compositionally, I like the drawing in its current state. I think the decision to keep the fence and the large glass window in the foreground was a good one because there is a significant amount of the shed that isn’t visible. I think the composition wouldn’t have worked as well if the foreground elements were not present. The use of the fence and the glass gives the piece balance and more of a sense of place in an environment. All in all I am very pleased with the outcome of the drawing and I can see some clear areas that I would like to improve and experiment with going forward.
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