Assignment 3 first attempt

Please click on this link to go to the Assignment 3 piece I eventually chose to submit for assessment

The project for this assignment piece contains preliminary sketches and a final drawing of a view of a rather overgrown driveway at home.

From my position just inside the window of the front porch in the house, I began with a few small sketches, moving some objects around a little to position them more to my liking (see sketches). I went on to check out the perspective in the gate and the driveway by first establishing my eye level and a vanishing point . From this it was easier to place the angles. I tried to encourage a look of aerial perspective by using overlapping forms in the trees and shrubs and a very pale area behind the gate.

Preliminary and perspective sketches

In the colour sketches I tried out watercolour pencil washes under dry shading, also wet tipped pencils. In another, I used felt tips brushed over with water to smudge in places. I didn’t feel happy pursuing any of these avenues and was becoming weary by this stage. Then almost as an afterthought I very casually had a go with oil pastel, chiseling out the shapes with the side in different directions and was surprised by how liberating it felt. So now there was no contest for what media to use for the final drawing - oil pastel, although in some areas I did use some felt tips a little and coloured pencil, but they aren't very visible.

Perspective sketches - pencil and watercolour pencil

Felt tip pen and wash

Oil pastel

In the final drawing I found it took a long time to build up depth in the trees and shrubs and I used lots of layers. At one point I thought it wasn’t working and becoming muddy in places, especially on the left, but I persevered with varied tones of colours and techniques, using lighter flecks to help bring out where the sunlight was catching some lighter areas. I remember using my non dominant hand occasionally – particularly on the corresponding side of the paper – the right hand side and noticed the resulting lines were freer in appearance. A trick some Impressionists used for shadows was to use purples and blues in the shadows, so I followed their example and it seemed to work well. I also erased certain places, which I thought needed lightening, such as the pink flowers on the left and a thin sliver of light to the right of the gate, with thinners on a cotton bud. If I was doing another landscape in oil pastel I would consider doing an underpainting with diluted thinners on a brush or rag to give more intensity to the colours. I stumbled across this tip in a book after the drawing was completed. I would also try tinted paper, perhaps in another drawing. Using oil pastel for a finished drawing was to me a challenge I’m now glad I took on and will try to continue using more often.

Assignment 3 Final Drawing

I found it difficult to find a view incorporating many of the elements suggested in the instructions from what seemed a limited choice available to me; I found that this view came closest to fitting the bill. At least it has depth being a driveway and contains a straight lined object - a gate. It also has plenty of trees and shrubs around the sides - giving a layered look, with a gate at the end together with a glimpse of a view beyond.

It came as a surprise to me that as the drawing progressed I began to see more interesting things in the view than I ever did beforehand. It's a pity the result didn't reflect this new found enthusiasm, turning out to be so disappointing and artificial looking considering the amount of time I put into it.
It was not put together in the same spirit as the sketches and as such is not successful. Unfortunately I was blind to this until my tutor pointed it out. I will make another attempt, so watch this space!....


After yet another attempt things still didn't prove successful - another 'overdone' drawing. Image as follows:

To describe it further, this is an excerpt from the tutor's report after the second attempt:
Both finished versions look over finished and somewhat sentimental and fussy. You are trying to make a picture here instead of investigating your subject/view through interpretive drawing; these are the same issues as when you first sent me assignment 3.
I think that says it all really, needless to say it has become a real thorn in my side as I think I'm starting to develop a complex about this assignment piece and I will be happy when I've got the third one over with. That will be the final drawing no matter what..

Above - a few preliminary sketches for the second attempt. I dare say these turned out better than the final drawing.



I did further sketches for a third try at a view of the garden, but after some deliberation I decided to make another version of a townscape drawing from this assignment (Part 3).