Quality of line

The next task we were given within Visual Language was to explore line quality. This was because it serves as the foundation to al drawing and there fore can be seen as drawing in its 'purist' form. Further more the varying quality of line, how you see it, apply it, choose to create and alter it can fundamentally change an image and how it is being described visually. Furthermore there is no right or wrong way to view quality of line due to the unending possibilities it poses.

The work of Ben Shahn when considered next to Sam Vanallemeersch helps demonstrate this ; both use rough lines in a naive approach which would seem to group them together aesthetically in there approach to line, however this similarity ends there as one uses it in a much more minimal way where as the other chooses apply it much more intricately.

 

The work of John Boam and David Hockney who both use solid, minimal line work applied in a very considered manner but to vastly different out comes can also been to further reinforce this idea.





We were therefore tasked with producing a minimum of 20 versions of the same image/subject matter but using different quality of line to describe and explore them. This was to be achieved through the use of different media, the more the better, as well as varying the ways in which we choose to apply our chosen media.
Given the problems I found myself facing during the last task I decided to be much more experimental and take more risks visually with what I was doing. The repetition required of this task I also found helpful as it forced you to approach an image in a much more exhaustive manner which ultimately led to the creation of much more informed images. This combined with use of different media forcing you to take more risks visually I felt led to the creation of much more interesting and successful work.

Here I have chosen three of my favourite images produced during this exercise. I chose these also for the variety of different processes and line quality they demonstrated whilst all using the same media but using different tools to apply it i.e. they were all produced in ink but using biro, marker pens with a variety of nibs as well as brush.

In this drawing I used a solid uniform line to create bold static images. I was particularly happy with t he use of negative space in the image on the right, something I will explore in more depth in the future.

 Here varying line quality to help describe shape and from ; the fine,fragile lines of the biro were meant to mirror the subtleness and movement of the gown wrapping the figure whilst a hard line was used to describe the face and clothes underneath. This was due to the fact I wanted the eye to be drawn to these feature as I felt they were what was most prominent within the photograph.

 Here brush and ink has been used to create a much more fluid drawing that the two posted above. This helped to translate the flowing form of the figures hair and clothes in a much more successful and interesting manner.

I also decided to include some of the more unrefined, rough and experimental drawings produced for this task. This is so as to demonstrate the difference in attitude and approach to this task that the previous one. Mainly that I cared less about how good an image looked but instead focussed properly on how media, process and how you as an individual see and choose to describe an image effects your outcomes and ultimately leads to the creation of more successful images.