Line:Tone,Mark and Pattern

For this task we looked how line can be used in conjunction with tone, mark and pattern to one, describe the contours of an image but also show how light behaves on a three dimensional form.


When looking at different artists I was drawn to the way in which the same process of mark making can produce entirely different results. These pieces by Moebius (above) and Mikkell Sommer (below) both use a similar method of basic line/hatching to describe light. However one is much more considered and refined making for a very complex image full of depth and detail whereas the other is a lot rougher in application creating a much more naive final out come that is strongly based around the shape of the subject matter.
The piece by Moebius (along with much if not all of his work) I found particularly mind blowing in that there is so much information within the image yet it is still highly legible/easy to pick out what is going on due to how he has used tone/mark making to break the image down into easily discernible levels of depth. This is something I struggle tremendously with and really need to work on.

I also thought there were a lot of lessons to be learned from Raymond Lamstra's work that could be employed within my own image making. This is due to the fact that his work is rooted in character and to a certain extent shape. However he then uses a really in depth understanding of light coupled with a highly skilled application of line/tone to make what would be fairly simplistic images look immensely detailed and full of depth. 

Although enjoyable , I found this task for the most part highly challenging and in the end frustrating as I would say that successfully describing light to add depth to an image is one of my weakest points when it comes to image making.

This task served to reiterate the importance of repeat drawing not just for refinement of the final outcome but also for exploration of process. In the above images I was able to create an array of different outcomes from the same reference by using a variety of different media/processes as well as focusing on different aspects of the image.

I wasn't massively happy with this series of images as I felt they were overly flat and almost graphic in appearance which seemed to defeat the purpose of the task. This could be simply a result of the way in which I create images however it is something I need to address as lack of depth is a major weakness of mine.

The images that I was happier with were those that explored the interaction of shape and negative space as well texture. I'm really interested in exploring the relation ship between these messy and anarchic textures created with dry brush and charcoal and my examples of more graphic approaches to drawing. They both seem at odds with each other and therefore I feel I could combine them to make some interesting work.

Finally I set myself a personal project of creating some 'finished' images in response to what I produced within my sketchbook. 

This resulted in the creation of several A2 drawings. This was so as to improve how I development and refine my ideas/images and get used to working within the constraints of a given format so as to get a grip on what works in terms of composition. 

A major pitfall of these images is still the lack of depth to them. I really need to start considering fore,mid and background when putting together my images to try and solve this problem that is consistently appearing within my work. Furthermore I feel the poor use of lighting in the left image has let it down dramatically.

However what I do like about them is that, although they weren't produced directly from reference images, I feel they have captured the energy and essence of the subjects depicted within the book African Gods which I looked at heavily through this brief. This shows how reference imagery can be used to inform your images and give them some real world grounding/authenticity rather than simply be used to create carbon copies of photos.