Student name: Mengping (Vicky) Huo Student number: 980794
Written analysis
Throughout the length of this course, I have learned that drawing can be regarded as a “continual process of discovery”, which can stimulate, analyse and develop ideas, and also can “enable a deeper understanding of the object” (Seligman, 2016, p.10). We can find problems during the drawing process and we also need to figure out how to solve it. In this way, we can improve the understanding of the object and learn more. According to fig 1, it can see that proportions challenged me. As Simblet (2005, p.118) suggests, you can lock your concentration onto the most essential part by drawing quick poses, and the quick exploratory line can be used to indicate the decision about “overall flow of form, balance, and height”. Furthermore, “adjustments, while checking relationships between length, direction and angles” can also be a good way to solve the proportion problems (Goldstein, 1986, p. 57). Thus, I was encouraged to use a quick exploratory line to draw the outer shape of the figure and emphasis on the balance and movement without focusing on the details (fig 2). Before honing the expression, I used the pencil to make the outline and work over with further observation. I also tried to use continuous contour drawing which can potentially modify the form through the variation of lines (fig3 & 4). In fig 5, I tried to use negative space to portray the outer shape, losing the details in this way can make me focus on the proportions. Moreover, the emphasis/dominance of the drawing challenged me as well. In figure 6, the folded cloth and dark ventilation pipe hold the viewer’s attention, which affects the unity/harmony of the drawing since people more likely to focus on the upper part of this drawing. I have noticed this problem and tried to solve it in the following drawings fig 7. Drawing has to not only do with lines, but planes, the surface of an object needs to be constructed of “unfocused” planes that gently fuse together (Goldstein, 1986, pp. 49-52). Fig 12.5 can illustrate the progression from line work to the tonal effect and the use of different colours. As Simblet (2005, p.18) states, “techniques and materials are the grammar and vocabulary of drawing”. In fig 14, I used the contrast between the cold and warm temperatures to illustrate the different values of shadow, and some sharp lines have been used to emphasise the difference in distance (the face - front and background - back). The drawing also can be regarded as a silent twin of reading, we have not required any elaborate equipment and it can be done in any environment and at any time by any person (Edwards, 1986, p. 55). This can be seen from the figure 14 & 15, I can use charcoals with different colour and hardness to portray, but I also can just use a simple pen to draw the same portrait. We can also use the same material to achieve a different effect of drawing. With the same pen, a different effect also can be expressed and this drawing has been down in a different environment (figure 16 & 17).
I also find out that I am not good at portrait drawing, and that is the reason I chose portraits as the subject of my development studies. Using simple geometries to describe human bodies can be a good way to start a portrait easily. Human's head and neck can be conceived as a single unit arranged in four different parts: an egg-shaped cranium, triangular or egg shape face, column trapezius and triangular throat (Simblet, 2005, p.142). This shorthand diagram has been used and gave a firm footing when I started the portrait section.