For this task I was asked to study three images provided in the course guidance to look at how the artists have variously used outline, blocks of tone or hatched lines, or a combination of these, to render their images.
Image 1: Astragaloid
For this image, the artist has used a combination of basic outline, hatching and cross hatching and patches of tone. The image is composed of what seems to be three doctors or craftspersons wearing surgical masks and concentrating on some kind of procedure in the middle though there is no ‘patient’ in the scene. I would say that the basic lines of main features and outline of the people have been used to give shape with a focus on giving particular detail to the hands and eyes and a couple of the tools/materials being used. The centre of action seems to be where the artist wants the main focus to rest as you are drawn to what is being ‘done’ in the middle with the detailed hands and the fact that the eyes are also looking to this area too. Though the right hand of the person on the right and parts of the left hand of the person on the left are more out of focus and have less outline as if to suggest movement which works well. The outline is complemented with more conscious areas of light and dark tone to give more depth.
Hatching has been used around the bodies in areas like under the chin, under the arms on the torso and around the arms to give form to the bodies. A different colours cross hatch is also employed at the bottom as if to show shadow and anchor the image onto a table or patient of some kind with the light outline of a tray of tolls resting on top but which has really little detail.
Patches of tone have also been used under the chin and around the heads and bodies of the people which adds to the form. A different colour of form has also been used at the top and between the heads which, combined with the cross-hatch at the bottom seems darken the edges and focus the light in the middle of the drawing which is where you would expect it since artists or surgeons would want the concentration of light to be on what they are working with their hands.
Overall I find the drawing evokes movement and people at work in a good way by mixing outline and detail with hatch and tone and in an interesting way that draws the eye. That said, I still find it a little flat or perhaps ghostly given the lightness and colours used. Particularly when comparing to the second drawing below which doesn’t use any tone but somehow feels to me that is has more depth. I am unsure if I am being biased in my sense of how much I find the second one more aesthetically pleasing or not but this drawing feels hard to read and resonates least with me.
Image 2: Six Pines Near the Enclosure Wall
This image is essentially mainly composed of hatching using a mix of straight and curved and short and long lines to render the different objects in the composition. The usage of horizontal and slightly curved lines for the clouds in the background that also overlap with elements of the trees in the foreground work well to give a sense of movement with the wind moving through the trees and sky. The use of short and quick zig zag lines for patches of grass in such an organic way adds to the impression of movement, as does the fact that the wall doesn’t lie straight but very ragged and organic too. Though the vertical lines used remind me more of a fence than a wall and I would have written about a fence if it were not for the title of the drawing so I feel like this is the least successful part of the drawing.
I really like the curved hatching that outlines the foliage of the trees, it gives a very specific feel to the trees and does actually give the effect of those Mediterranean pine trees that are called Stone Pines and which only have the bulk of their needles at the top in rounded cloud shapes. I have spent a lot of time in Spain where I lived for a few years and I can practically smell the pine and the sea air as you often find this type of landscape near the sea.
The only areas of slight outline used seem to be those used to mark the horizontal lines of the wall behind the trees and for the outline of the second last tree to the right which is more likely the link up between different broken lines angled together. The tree trunks and branches are also done in short straight hatching lines which mimics the twisty growth of the trees well and perhaps better than using long twisted lines which might break the drawing too much into sections given that the trees take up almost the full height of the paper used.
There is no tone in the drawing but the pencil or charcoal used is darker or lighter at times depending on pressing more or less on the paper with lighter press for background clouds for example and harder press for foreground details and sometimes overlapping elements gives the depth of the landscape.
I quite like the particular style and movement in the hatching used for this drawing and I think that adding tone may actually take away from this.
Image 3: OCA study
This image is mainly made up of outline and hatching to suggest what I think is a cow. The usage of different colours seems to allow for the impression of tone e.g. with the nose and nostrils which gives the impression of darker nostrils that are brown against a lighter pink and white nose. Though there is no change in tone across the colours.
This does make me think of the difficulty I was having in defining tone in back and white when drawing from coloured objects and I would like to try to explore that more or be more conscious of it as I progress.
Hatching is used more to indicate the different parts of the face with groups of quick and light lines in different colours and moving in different directions which helps give the effect of the hair of the animal so is quite complementary to the subject matter.
The use of yellow, orange, white and different browns for the face also helps suggest the animal is a cow without really seeing many features at all except a very defined nose. There are no clear eyes or ears and the eyes are drawn immediately to the nose where there is more definition and thicker colour.
It’s quite a striking drawing that with very few lines compared to the other two drawings, really gives the impression of a cows head bending down to munch on some grass. The faint lines at the side imply a neck or leg so the face also doesn’t seem to ‘float’ as some drawings can do when not anchored somehow.
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