Semester 2, Week 7, Experimental WildWoman Life Drawing Class

For today's session we experimented with the model moving around in a man-made environment comprised of string along with black and white bin bags. I enjoyed incorporating the past weeks learning in this lesson where we had to be observant and imaginative.

Environment that life model walked through in the session. 

At first I found it difficult to find the grey zone between drawing what was in front of me and what was in my head, but over the course of the season this came more naturally.

I really enjoyed the element of background music, whenever I draw at home I like to have music on to help me concentrate and having it in class increased my focus. It also gave me ideas as the music was interlinked with the theme WildWoman. We heard rainforest sounds, peaceful music, voices, and all this fed into my drawing from the imagination standpoint.

(1)

Ink and brush

Over the past few weeks I have been getting used to, and enjoying, using ink. I like the result but should have made smaller people as it would have been easier to incorporate more. I also had the chance to use my imagination and make the bin bags anything I wanted which I didn't do in this piece; this was due to playing it safe and getting used to the session and in future I think it would be better to get stuck in straight away and, as usual, not worry so much.

(2)

Ink and brush

For this one I used my imagination a little more and made the life model's stick into a spear which I imagined stab a fish. I then made the bin bags hanging from the ceiling into creeper vines from a tree and played with depth by making the model close up for the next pose, creating a narrative that she was walking away from the water. I like this piece but the creepers get in the way of the face so I should have maybe not made the environment so concrete before drawing the figures.

(3)

Charcoal, Ink and Brush, Assorted Fine Liners

This piece, in my opinion, was very successful. Not only did I enjoy creating it but I love the narrative I've built using each pose. I decided to learn from my previous mistakes and do smaller figures; this enabled  me to fit all 5 poses into my piece. It moves from charcoal on the right, to ink in the middle, to fine liner on the left but I have also added in bits of the medium in each part for e.g. Background, grass, vines etc. I only wish I'd bought some colour media with me as I think this could enhance the piece.

(4)

Charcoal, Ink and Brush, Assorted Fine Liners

I decided to use the same medium as before because i got good feedback on it. I also wanted to incorporate water in order to challenge myself, and as it went well in the previous piece (which I did not expect) I wanted to try again. This is my favourite piece as I think it's most imaginative.
I was actually, when creating this, thinking about the landscape in the lakes in Sweden (where I am from originally) so I also like the piece for that reason.