Sketch book
These are sketches from illustrations of an audio production of Moby Dick. There’s about 140 chapters so quite a lot of possibilities for challenge. moby dick Continue reading Sketch book
Author: Suzanne Conboy-Hill
Tutorial follow up – bigger birds
I have in my sketch book a series of drawings of the metal birds my sister bought me for Christmas. I’d drawn them several times for different angles and began to get a feel of the shapes so that these rather than detail and gesture instead of tinkered lines began to predominate. One stood out (thank you, tutor) and I was prompted to try taking that kind of looseness into a larger frame. This is it; prismatic pencil on sugar paper, folded and inserted into an A5 sketchbook. Today I used the same sugar paper in an A4 sketchbook and … Continue reading Tutorial follow up – bigger birds
Part 3 project 3 composition
This is a landscape project and I’d been considering working a bit more on my Tin Pots Hill piece but the sun came out and water is more attractive, especially down the estuary. I find holding a sketch pad in one hand while standing to draw (and taking a seat and an easel to an outdoor venue isn’t possible) so I take photos to bring back home. In this instance, I found I preferred a panoramic view I’d taken earlier so I ran this through Paintshop Pro to reduce it to grey-scale, then manipulated the contrast for drama. This is … Continue reading Part 3 project 3 composition
Paula Rego
I was pointed at Rego’s work by my Drawing tutor who seemed to know intuitively the kind of image I’d find interesting. I’d never heard of her but her Dancing Ostriches will stay with me for a long time. [As if it weren’t obvious, the drawing on the left is my attempt at a copy] From a 2016 BBC article accessed 07/04/19 These dancers are as far from Degas’ delicates as it’s possible to get, and although I have always liked his representations of ballet, they seem wispy and idealised next to Rego’s chunky, muscular, powerhouses of women. Not … Continue reading Paula Rego
Paula Rego
I was pointed at Rego’s work by my Drawing tutor who seemed to know intuitively the kind of image I’d find interesting. I’d never heard of her but her Dancing Ostriches will stay with me for a long time. [As if it weren’t obvious, the drawing on the left is my attempt at a copy] These dancers are as far from Degas’ delicates as it’s possible to get, and although I have always liked his representations of ballet, they seem wispy and idealised next to Rego’s chunky, muscular, powerhouses of women. Not that Rego’s women are likely to turn up … Continue reading Paula Rego
Tutorial follow up
Part 2 doesn’t include landscape but my sketchbook does as I’ve kept up the impetus, and one sketch drew comment for its looseness of mark. Could I maybe try that on a larger scale and still keep the informality? This is the sketch. It’s from a photo I took a little while ago of a round hill called Tin Pots for reasons people locally couldn’t quite pin down for me. It’s on my jogging/walking/nattering route so I see it nearly every day. In the summer, it’s quite bright and yellow, this time of year the colours are brownish and the … Continue reading Tutorial follow up
Art and artists: building a vocabulary
I have no background in art history and, despite an A level and a Foundation year under my belt, no useful knowledge of artists or how to discuss their work. This makes looking at art and commenting on it a dismally unrewarding activity at the best of times, but in an academic context I have nothing but parrot phrases which is no good at all. I’m in art rehab. My tutor is feeding me artists to look at and, critically, a reason to look; the way the edges blend, the spaces between things, the textures and volumes. My job is … Continue reading Art and artists: building a vocabulary
Art and artists: building a vocabulary
I have no background in art history and, despite an A level and a Foundation year under my belt, no useful knowledge of artists or how to discuss their work. This makes looking at art and commenting on it a dismally unrewarding activity at the best of times, but in an academic context I have nothing but parrot phrases which is no good at all. I’m in art rehab. My tutor is feeding me artists to look at and, critically, a reason to look; the way the edges blend, the spaces between things, the textures and volumes. My job is … Continue reading Art and artists: building a vocabulary
Sketch book: tone and Morandi
I should number these. Maybe. Anyway. After a tutorial and the advice about practicing tone, I’ve taken to an H grade pencil and a piece of conte. For this first exercise, I’ve made horizontal lines first then gone back and made vertical ones. The top two rows are H grade pencil and the bottom two, black conte. The texture of the paper comes through, which I like. This one is just conte and capitalising on the support as a medium in its own right. The top is an attempt at a graded sweep across the page, and the middle a … Continue reading Sketch book: tone and Morandi
Videos, documentaries
This is likely to be a constantly updating page of listings and reviews. I’ve taken it from my Drawing blog and will probably run them in tandem. Abstract: the art of design. Abstract: the art of design. Netflix 2017. This is a documentary series featuring designers/architects/artists operating in different commercial arenas. It’s easy to imagine that slick, polished adverts, stark photographic portraits, or magazine front covers, just get there through some act of private genius. But even though extraordinary talent is clearly a factor, so also is a work ethic that requires constant exploration of what’s required, rehearsal of skills, … Continue reading Videos, documentaries
Strayfish Arts 