The following are the notes that I took during my video feedback with my tutor:-

At the beginning of this feedback I talked about how I enjoyed some exercises and not others and how I was disappointed that I felt I had not put enough work in.

Project 1

This was the least successful of all exercises, but partly because of the struggles with the limitations of the material; tracing paper and paint for example. Suggested using dry media, coloured card that can exploit the transparency of the tracing paper. Some of the sketches were nice and not without merit.

Project 2

Much more successful. Initial sketches were a little tentative, restrained and illustrative but the scaling up, cropping worked well and in terms of playing with space and where I end up creates dialogue and tension. Second drawing was less successful.

Project 3

Much more successful exercise, with ambiguity with the drawing pins with effective use of light and shade and suggestion of texture with mark making. I confirmed this exercise is the one I engaged with the most and has made me look at everyday objects in terms of how I could scale up and draw them..

Project 4

Nice sketchiness to the feet drawings. The erased figure was very haunting and unsettling and most successful and more interesting than the other more conventional drawings. Also the line drawing was successful with tension and movement.

My preferred method of drawing is detailed, no problem with this, there is something to be said for delicacy, but it is important that I do expressive work as well alongside as they feed into each other. I am aware that I need to loosen up, particularly as I like to work on a large scale.

Assignment 1

Grey pencil sketch was an intriguing composition, good texture and convincing three dimensional form.

The pastel drawings with the ink background work well. First one is a more satisfying composition. There is an ambiguity with the composition. The second drawing has a nice textured mark which goes in effectively.  I explained I have finally found a way to work with pastels and I don't dislike them as much as I thought I did. Good that I didn't make the pastel too smudgy.

There is nothing wrong with exploring with my love of detail and close up subjects as it can be interesting, but keep experimenting as well.

Parallel Project

I will condense my blog at the end.

Delicate movement to the paint and oil pastel drawing. Colours work well. The abrupt end is not entirely convincing. Perhaps crop the grey at the bottom. Perhaps try more oil pastels on larger petals.

The drawing of the tracing paper part was interesting compositionally.

Ink drawing has delicacy of the mark making but with intensity. It has strength and has captured the sense of the shapes of the petals. The drawing of the dead petals has a sense of melancholy.

Perhap try ink and small brush and allow the line to bleed and go back to it with washes. Allow the edges to seep out.

A watercolour sketchbook is useful to keep. Be careful with ink and watercolour washes as can look illustrative. Try using watercolour to get definition with line.

Research

Research is fine but need to develop reflection and avoid too much descriptive detail, a little bit is fine for context. A way of responding to research would be to try it.

Critical essay

Advisable to make it connect to the parallel project, perhaps artists who draw trees or shifts in time. Hockney is obvious but an example.

Hayward Gallery Tree exhibition could be a good way in. Best to just look at a couple of artists so the essay doesn't stray too far. Just start to gather ideas and make notes.

I expect to finish Part 2 at the end of August and I enjoy video feedback.

Tutors additional notes

These are the action points and further research suggested by my tutor:-

  • Look at Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns and how they disrupt surfaces and manipulate mediums.
  • Look at Cy Twombly and Claude Heath whose drawings are energetic and animated and extend beyond the parameters of traditional representation.
  • Look at Gwen Hardie and Tony Bevan for their different approaches to the figure.
  • Look at the Jerwood Drawing Prize website for the catalogue archive and Rabley Drawing Centre - www.rableygallery.com
  • Continue to explore material possibilities, working on a range of surfaces. Expand your scale.
  • Keep a watercolour sketchbook for quick studies and to develop fluency with fluid media.
  • Engage more fully with research, looking at contemporary artists working primarily with drawing. Make critical reflections in your learning log.

Reflection on Feedback

I was very nervous about my first feedback, particularly as I felt that I had not put enough work in. I was really pleased, and relieved, that my tutor said that what I ended up with was successful. I totally agreed with all her comments regarding the least and most successful drawings. She recognised I like to focus on detail and she said that there was nothing wrong with this approach so long as I run that alongside a more experimental approach. I wholeheartedly agree with this and intend to use part two's investigation into materials as a way into doing this.

I confess my research did feel a little 'light' in this part. I really like doing research, but lack of time meant that I rushed it. I agree I need to be more reflective rather than descriptive and she suggested that I might be a visual researcher, benefiting from trying the artists approach, not necessarily copying but seeing what I might get out of looking at a chosen piece of work for myself.

She has suggested a wealth of artists to look at, and I will begin this as I work through part two.

It was great talking about ideas for the critical essay, probably the one thing I am most fearful of at level two. I am really interested in the idea of researching artists who document time passing and will begin to make notes and collect ideas moving forward.

I feel much more energised and ready to move forward with part 2.

 This free site is ad-supported. Learn more
​