Basic shapes & fundamental forms project log

Aug 14th 2010

Completed the above project today and golly did it take some doing - was at it on the 'supermarket shop' drawing/colour for about 4 hours. Things were just effortless yesterday whereas today has taken real plod! Reasons? I think I inhibited myself because things did go so well yesterday - I wanted to better myself and produce something fabulous, got stuck in 'production' rather than learning to start with. Also, knowing that I was going to put colour on seemed to enhance the importance and bizarrely hampered me. I did eventually relax although i did break the cardinal rule of simply scrapping what I was doing and started again - it was so 'off' there was no rescue. In fact that was good learning as maybe I just need to scribble and doodle for a bit to get going when stuck.

So, learning:

My objects are in the majority the correct size and in proportion to each other - I use their respective sizes to gauge where my lines and shapes need to be placed, including looking at negative space. In my supermarket shop drawing however:

1. The special K box is not quite the right shape vertically (the photo makes it look worse because of the angle) which I didn't recognize until I was colouring it (using inktense pencils which I hadn't previously had a go at)
2. The choice of items were not great as both the paxo and t box are economy size and this then makes the other items potentially look distorted
3. My pen drawing initially had the incorrect size sugar bowl which then threw the mug out of kilter - I was able to correct the bowl but not the jug fully

The shapes between the items are correct - except for the pen drawing where the mug went awry do the sugar bowl problem. Additionally:

1. I find it really helpful to use each object distance to draw the next item
2. It is really important to therefore get things right and not "pretend to myself" - as Ian Simpson cites in his book
3. Also really useful to not use a rubber but to redraw lines as that helps me to get it more accurate.

The objects look solid but:

1. I think look most solid in the pen drawing as I have defined shape with lines on the from of the object
2. Also I have used stronger marks at the base of the objects which helps 'place' them on a surface
3. Should/could have used more shadow on the coloured picture to help with solidity.

There is a feeling of depth in all drawings yet:

1. The pencil drawing of the jars and jugs appears to be less so - the mug carrying strong lines from the jug which interrupts the eye. I would do well to draw more lightly so things like that can disappear more easily.

Fabulous learning especially that of the fundamental forms and thinking 'through' the item to capture it's solidity.