Cuckmere Haven, week long drawing project diary.

12/01/18

On our first day as a group we traveled to Cuckmere Haven, in the bus there we were told about how the landscape is changing and that the cliff face disintegrates by half a meter each year we were warned not to go to close to it. While at Cuckmere we began a group walk across the hills, taking photos as we went as we got further up the steep hill the landscape became more interesting and revealed itself to us. We sat and drew together for  a while, this was fairly successful I drew fragments of the landscape not feeling confident enough to go further. It was also very windy which was off putting.

We walked further into the landscape towards the beach, it was calmer down there and less windy, I tried to illustrate this in my drawing from this scene. I drew the scene in coloured pastel, I was proud of this drawing as it had a sense of the landscape to it and I felt happy with the effect of the pastels, as they aren’t one of my favourite medias to use.

Next, we went down to the beach here I collected a piece of sponge, a prickly plant and sheep wool. I also noted that surrounding the beach were full bin bags and assorted pieces of man made material – this reminded me of my idea for the Manifesto project, and how the environment is changing due to waste and global warming.

After going to the beach, we finished the trip with a hot chocolate. When we got back we talked through our drawings. I hadn’t created that many which disappointed me, however, I got plenty of photos and collected a few things to work from.

Below is a PDF of the photos that I took while at Cuckmere Haven, I was drawn to the landscape appearing to have layers and the sheep. Also I was looking for different textures in the landscape; the grass against the water and how to illustrate that successfully.

Photographs of Cuckmere Haven

Cuckmere haven photos.compressed-1kkw2bb

13/01/18

The next day we looked into how to use materials differently and had a short introduction into how to use ink successfully, as this is one of the areas Emma Stibbon works in. We cut the feathers we had found into quills and the sticks into drawing implements.

Emma made an interesting comment that using implements from the landscape to make a drawing of a landscape is a good way to make the drawing different and location specific.

I collected a lot of wool from the day as I have always been interested in textiles. I’m eager to look into how to use it in my work.

In the afternoon, I was in my module option Lithography. In that we were learning how to make marks on the zinc plate, I took it as a good opportunity to create a new landscape drawing. I made a response to the coloured pastel drawing I made and it came out really nicely. I am looking forward to trying to recreate some of the marks I used in it.

Sketchbook Work

Above is a sketchbook page utilising ink and water to recreate a similar atmosphere to what I felt in Cuckmere.

14/01/18

Below are my notes from a talk with Emma Stibbon, in which she looked at different types of landscape artists from traditional to contemporary and also discussed her own practice and where it has led her. I was most interested in Emma talking about enjoying landscapes which have a sense of transforming, in modern times most of our landscapes are changing before are very eyes. With the impact of global warming the environment is constantly evolving for better or worse and through illustrating this we are documenting these changes. This felt relevant to my current Manifesto project.

Emma Stibbon talk notes


15/01/18

We had an initial crit with Emma where we shared our ideas and discussed how to make them a reality, I was a little behind at this point but felt confident that I could finish that day.

Planning for a concertina book

I decided that I wanted to create a concertina book. To help with planning this I made three example books (in portfolio),  I consulted with Emma on what form she liked the most. She gave me a new idea to create a concertina book which could present the images in a landscape format like my photos, this presented a challenge in the folding of the book. However, I made a successful practice model and continued designing.

Below are photos from the planning of my concertina book, I stuck up the photos on the wall knowing that I had to create at least 8 pages for my book. As part of my process I tried to find something which could run throughout the book like a line or form. So I found focal points and adjoining lines that I could follow through the book (as shown below). In the overall crit of the project it was commented on that this worked really well and made the images work individually and complete.

Using my lithograph

While completing my concertina book I had an issue with keeping the landscape interesting. I originally decided to make them all in ink and water washes with ink details, however, this became repetitive. So I looked into how I could use my lithograph to collage with and create some different mark making.

Below are some examples of the different textures I obtained from my lithograph, interestingly these are actually marks made when I made my first lithograph wrongly. I had applied the ink while the zinc plate had dried, which is a huge no in lithography. However, I really enjoyed the effect it created and it was one of my favourite parts of the image, it created a bubbling look which wasn’t expected.

Final Crit

The final crit of the project went well and it was really interesting to see how everybody had differently responded to the same landscape.

I completed my concertina book with drawings of 8 landscapes, using ink, water, pencil, charcoal and chalk. I decided to use many medias as it added variety to the landscapes. I think the concertina style book was a good choice of outcome, and Emma remarked that when composed in a + shape it could be compared to North, South, East and West. I’m really happy with the landscapes and was told that I knew when to hold back and stop, which kept the simplicity of the landscapes.

Lithography outcome


Module Option: Lithography

Upon choosing Lithography as my module option for the term I had many hopes and expectations. I’m looking forward to devoting time to printmaking, which I enjoy thoroughly already, but haven’t had the opportunity to submerse myself in to. I’m curious to learn about the printmaking process and how to utilise it in my current Illustration practice.

During our first session we were given an induction in using the Zinc plate, the Zinc plate is a useful tool as it utilises mark making and therefore tone, texture and depth. While watching the induction I was considering how this would work in my practice, we are always encouraged to use mark making, the lithography process highlights the quality of marks and brings them to the forefront of image making. The printed quality gives a great heightened contrast but also has room for subtle and gentle marks, this has been an opportunity to consider marks and methods to include in my own print.

Also, we were introduced to how the module will run, I am eager to create a body of work which acutely responds to a process. Furthermore, it will be an opportunity to design a print and consider composition, space and depth to work with and against the process of lithography.

Text and Image Workshop

For the text and image workshop I used a random word generator to create film titles. Surprisingly, the random words conjure many images and thoughts. For many I very quickly imagined what genre the films could be for instance; ‘Space Graduate’ is one of those 90s/2000s films like ‘Dude Where’s my Car?’ centered around college stoners, ‘Midnight Mother’ a ghost documentary, ‘Sin Clique’ chick flick like ‘Mean Girls’ while ‘Ego Doll’, ‘Future Report’ and ‘Heavy Steam’ are definitely cult and hipster.

  1. Space Graduate
  2. Whole Bathtub
  3. Favourable Observation
  4. Bare Orthodox
  5. Dance Pack
  6. Unlawful Cellar
  7. Heavy Steam
  8. Bus Result
  9. Future Report
  10. Midnight Mother
  11. Sin Clique
  12. Rational Core
  13. Ego Doll
  14. Federation Carve
  15. Reactor Belly
  16. Undress Residence
  17. Daughter Compact
  18. Strip Hour
  19. Fault Researcher
  20. Candidate Stereotype

 

 

 

Manifesto: Briefing and Initial Thoughts

On receiving this brief I was met with some apprehension, as I have never made work as a response to social, political or environmental issues affecting the world. Although I think visual culture is incredibly important in responding to the issues in our modern world. I find that I avoid subjects which could be controversial, as I am concerned of a viewer misreading my intentions. I also believe that to authentically respond to something you have to be very well informed and I’ve felt that accurate, unbiased information can be hard to come by.

However, this is an excellent opportunity to bring my work into critical view because if anything it will be a learning curve and an important one. My initial thoughts are to look into something that is centred around the environment, recycling, global warming as this is something I want to be better informed on.

My first steps in this project have been unusual to my other projects as I’ve started at visual material rather than texts and informing myself. This seems ironic as I feel very uninformed on the subject however I wanted to get some visual stimuli down quickly and it coincided with my Lithography Module Option. For the module I decided to focus it towards this project, I feel that printed material has always had a strong place in protest art and it felt like a good foot to start on.

Also, I’m eager to use more collage and juxtaposition in this project and I think lithography would be a great place to achieve these skills.

My influences for this project are health and safety posters by Bernard Chadebec, as they are so clear and functional and yet very graphically informed.  Health and safety posters interest me because they have a  concise message which they must quickly get through to the viewer. This quick relay of message, thought and action I think would be beneficial in a campaign geared towards the environment. As often I find information on the environment can be convoluted and confusing.

Life Drawing

AMELIE BARNATHAN 

26/01/18

Today, we had a life drawing session with Amelie Barnathan, instead of the standard life drawing we used surrealism as a starting point. We watched the following video, to help us get in the zone for surrealism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=054OIVlmjUM

The session felt like good timing, as it was right after assessment. Therefore, I felt comfortable to just to relax and draw whatever and however. This is quite unlike me as I usually focus fully on what I’m drawing and for what reason I’m drawing it. These aren’t my best drawings and I’m out of practice with drawing the male form however, I think they have a certain energy. Also, to help with experimenting with surrealism I tried using different paper colours and also overlaying them. I think this had a really good effect and I’m looking forward to trying it again in the future.

Collab with Connie Wright (above)











‘You Make Me So Sick’ Album artwork and promotional material for band Pin Ups

I was contacted by the indie/rock band Pin Ups to create an EP cover and promotional material for their upcoming release. This was a great experience and taught me a lot about working with real life clients and their needs. It helped my ability to communicate with clients.

I am please with the outcome as are they, here are some colour ways and layout designs of it.





Art Fair

The opportunity of having BIF held at Brighton uni was one not to be missed. For the event I decided to make puppets and Halloween-esque cat lino prints. I really enjoyed making these items for fun and feel like it expanded my knowledge of what sells at art fairs.




Drawing Project

JAZZ MEN DRAWINGS (A2)

DRAWING IN RESPONSE TO THE FILM ‘PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT’

DRAWING AT HOVE MUSEUM

HANDS DRAWING WORKSHOP

This workshop was really useful. As I’ve been developing as an illustrator its often meant that I have left practical skills behind. However, this refresher reminded me how much I enjoy hands as an area of study.

DRAWING AT THE TATE

DRAWING IN RESPONSE TO THE BBC PODCAST ON THE HISTORY OF PERFUME

STILL LIFE’S CREATED IN THE SUMMER