Life Drawing

I had my first taster of Life Drawing last week, I was a bit apprehensive at first but then began to love it. Being 24 and a bit more grown up than school days, the whole nude man in front of me, wasnt funny or scary but actually interesting.

Martin gave us timed tasks with the model in different poses, some just quick 5 minute sketches, others slightly longer, and others a bit harder ( draw model without looking at the paper, or draw with your 'other' hand). You stop thinking of the man in the nude, and start seeing him as an object to draw, an outline really of 'the human body'. I sound a bit poncey now but anyway, I enjoyed it.

It was also the first time I used charcoal. Another first and another new challenge, there's no rubbing out, just confidence with every stroke. I really liked my work done with charcoal, I may have to invest in some!

College is great, the people on my course are so nice and friendly, and I'm enjoying myself every single day, even if it is a little tiring. I'm sure I will get used to it soon!

Second Week

The start of the second week began today, with Ceramics in the morning and Visual Studies Metal, in the afternoon.

Ceramics went really well, our first objectives were:

1) To identify Health & Safety issues in the workshop
2) To wedge clay
3) To start to make 3 coil pots using 3 different clays with 3 different surface designs based on your Jam jar exercise.

We started with the boring(but essential) H&S issues, then onto the physical times.

Wedging the clay is a technique to get all the air out of the clay, basically a kneeding type style which is important to do because if you didn't the clay would EXPLODE in the kiln. It took alot of strength to really get it done!

Then we made a base using a rolling pin and two wooden guides to make sure it was flat. Once we did this we began on our coils, rolling out long cylindrical coils of clay, to then put on the base. Round and round and round, flattening and joining the insides as we went along. I was quite pleased with mine!

Metal started off terrifyingly. The H&S issues seemed to be alot worse than imagined and actually the metal workshop is a scary place. I'm obviously being a typical girl and ridiculous but still!

We were to take 3 strips of different metal (Steel, Copper and .....) and incorporate our drawings of our Jam Jar into some techniques using different machines in the workshop.

Here's how I got on:




On the top bit of metal, I used the hammer and press. The middle piece, was made using a flux as paint and oxidizing it with the gas/air flame torch machine (TERRIFYING), and the last piece was made using wire, masking tape and a heavy heavy scary machine!

What a way to spend a Monday!

More of the First Week...

We were told to bring in a jam jar and fill it with random stuff. We created a window with masking tape, and draw whats inside the window. Divide a piece of A2, into 6 sections. First section we were to draw normally. The second square was to draw the same but using a continuous line.

Third is to draw the same but using only dots:



Fourth was to draw the same, using dash marks:


The final, sixth piece was to use all the different marks:

My first full piece in A2, all 6 drawings of my Jam Jar.

My first 2 days of the First Term..

So Monday was the start of my stay at college doing a Diploma in Art & Design, for nine months!

I was incredibly nervous, but everyone seems really lovely so far. Team exercises, getting to know each other and everything Art at OCVC for the first two days. Tiring, but good!

Friday brings the start of the First Project "Window of Opportunities", which incorporates the units; Introduction to Drawing, Introduction to 3D and Media Development. What this all means, who knows, but I think I'll really enjoy this. Our bit of homework to bring in on Friday is a clear jam jar filled with objects, be that things you find in your house, sweets, small toys, buttons, photos/news clippings, textiles etc, we will also receive our brief and some explanation on what to actually do!

We also got our timetables today, my Monday mornings will be in Ceramics with the afternoons full of Visual Studies in Metal. What a way to start the week! Mess, dirty clothes and hands, banging hot metal. I win! Tuesday afternoon brings something new to me in Life Drawing (I have never done this before!), now any practicing artist or someone who has been to Art college or University will be old pro's with this. I am really looking forward to this, we are all old enough on my course to not snigger at the naked man, but to concentrate on learning, practicing and discovering new ways to draw the Human Body. I think there will be an enormous amount of Charcoal used so I should get used to being covered in it!

Martin showed us a Portfolio and some old students sketchbooks today which was really interesting if not a little daunting. These sketchbooks were not like anything I have ever owned, tatty edges, bits of fabric, feathers, cardboard, wool, string, paintings, sketches. I had never even thought you could use it like a scrapbook!

I decided to experiment with some threading, I have a habit of doing this pattern that looks like fabric I guess, thought Id thread it! Obviously not finished yet.