Self-Initiated project

Figure 1: Marlene Dumas - The Image as Burden

Looking at making drawings look effortless is the hardest.

The facial features on these drawings have character, similar to the birds in my pieces.  It is expressional from the artist to be able to suggest this through the faces.  In the composition of faces we can see extra depth to the work, again with suggestions of bodies, interactions and features.

Figure 2: Sketchbook drawing

Little suggestion of the outline and the body.

Moving from the sections and compositions of faces I have applied this to my birds. The watercolour suggests a body without realising it in full.  I am confident in my ability to focus upon the facial features.  I am considering how best to section together the pieces using different techniques in order to give both detail and yet suggestion.  

Figure 3: Sketchbook drawing

For example, in this drawing if I only drew the head area instead of the whole body of the crow.

I was trying to learn how to draw the object or subject as the whole, but forgot about my strength.

I am still adapting scales and sizes to fill the papers.  I can extend the sizes of paper if necessary and am trying to see the paper as a piece of fabric.

Figure 4: Textile

Where I re-do the head area and using the chain stitch to trap down the colours.

The difference between the previous is the embellishment through the conley machine. This gives a fluid outline. The fine thread for the head blends into the background of the head, this shows development of my technique of suggestion and shows subtlety of the outline of the body. It is hard to characterise the birds, however I am applying human facial expressions relating to my artist research.  The bird is serious and his face suggests this. 

Colours are true of Eagles and through editing the colour has been enhanced.  The wing has both stitch and fabric and gives the feeling of space and texture.  The fabric has been re-patched several times and I am working on applying this to my drawings.  I am precious about the drawings in a way that I am not with the textiles pieces.