Journey towards Abstraction

The task for the day was to draw chairs, in all sorts of shapes, sizes. etc., on tracing paper, then to move the images around until a satisfactory composition happens. Draw the image on A2 paper, using charcoal and rubber, and then start to abstract it.

I found this extremely difficult as I was not sure what I was doing or why.

Moving the images around over white paper seemed great fun but when it came down to it, I could not get a satisfactory composition. Echoing shapes, finding structure, all seemed impossible. I started to wish that I had different drawings.

I tried a simple sketch to get the idea but it still seemed very contrived.










FINAL DRAWING

This is my final drawing. Charcoal on A2. I am not happy with it as the composition is not good. The page is just split diagonally and the drawing is not abstract at all.
I seemed to resort to looking at the lines and negative space in the same way as drawing the chairs in the first place. on the whole, a failure to abstract.



SECOND DAY OF ABSTRACTION



The following Friday was to introduce colour.
We started the day with a talk by Jane on the basic principles. (see below)
I also did a few tests of colour to see what combinations worked well.

I retrieved my sketches on tracing paper, tried moving them around, doing sketches of possible compositions.
 I felt very unhappy with the whole process.

After a strong coffee and lots of thinking, I came to the conclusion that what I was trying to do from these individual drawings of chairs did not make sense to me.
If I was to make something out of a drawing it seemed more sensible to stick to my original vision and go from that rather than from something that felt more detached.

I went back to my earlier drawing of the chairs. (see below)

This was my attempt at focusing into the stack of chairs and looking at the negative space, shapes and textures.

The first painting, acrilic on A2 was done very quickly, looking at shapes, colours and patterns. What I wanted was for the top part of the painting to be quite dynamic but the bottom to be more rooted, yet holding it together by the lines and shapes.

The second painting was experimenting with different colours and getting in closer with the shapes.
Not quite successful but better that last week's drawing.

The third painting ( right) was to use mainly blues and more tone and try to think more of the composition. The yellow was added to bring more sparkle. ( complimentary colour)

On the whole I felt happier with the day painting from from my original drawing rather than trying to created something from bits of drawings.
Perhaps the whole point of abstraction for me is to go slowly and let it evolve in time rather than make a huge leap not quite knowing what I am doing.

Stack of chairs

Friday morning at Leith School of Art and I walked into the studio and was confronted with a pile of chairs!
This was the still life for the day............

 After the initial shock, I began to be quite excited by the idea of tackling such a tricky subject. Life throws allsorts at me and so, why not chairs?

 The brief for the first drawing was a five minute sketch drawn blind. Graphite on A4 paper and not looking at the easel but focusing on the chairs.

The second drawing was not much better but I was beginning to understand.

The next drawing was done with the non dominant hand. In my case, my left. I had no control over what marks I was making and I found it difficult to connect my brain with my hand.

This made it very interesting when the next short drawing was done with my right hand. 

It was immediately easier and I felt my old patterns of finding structure, brain connected to hand and vision was more familiar.

The result was very curious. In everyones' drawings, the dominant hand sketches were the most boring.

Blind drawings had more vigorous marks, non dominant hand drawings were more lively and had far more interest. They also showed the feeling of chaos that the stack of chairs produced. 

The brief for the rest of the morning and the afternoon was to spend longer on a charcoal drawing, A1 size and focusing first on the stack of chairs and then focusing in on the one aspect of the chaos.


The right hand drawing was causing me trouble as it was losing all spontaneity until, with five minute before finishing, Ginny suggested rubbing out most of it and redrawing.
Nothing like a bit of pressure and time limit to focus the mind.
The result was a more complete drawing.






The drawing on the left was tricky because of the tendency to be fussy over perspective. My aim was to capture the detail of the chair back on the left and the detail of the shadows, which echoed the amount of pattern and detail. Not enough time to get it all in....

Summing up the experience.. What I failed to do was to capture the energy and sponaneity of the blind drawings. They both became too sterile and next time I hope to remember to think less of the result and more of the initial feeling.