DRAWING: still life

Still life: Observational drawing 

The workshop started off with the spontaneous ice breaker of bringing our own objects, both man-made and organic, to explore in class which is the observational drawing exercise discipline similarly conducted in my previous years in art colleges. Initially, it brought back memories when it was new again. When all things were uncomfortable, nerve-wracking being in a room of other peers you're unfamiliar with and fully self-aware. All drawings are to be drawn on an A3 paper and with choices of dry medium materials such as pencils, charcoal chalks etc.

Whether it is still life or landscape, the approach to drawing is measuring, to have an accuracy in proportions and in achieving likeness. The basic steps is what really helps anyone get started such as:

1. Holding your arm straight out without bending the elbow. 
2. Tilt your head to bring the eyes as close as possible to the pivot point at your shoulder.
3. Use the tip of the pencil as the top point of whatever you're measuring and put your thumb at the bottom point.

However, for myself, I used my eyes to measure as an estimation of the object on the table and its surrounding. For beginners, I would not suggest such a way as it could be inaccurate but over the years, it simply became a comfortable habit to gage measurements using just your eyes. Actually, I found that it also isn't too different than using a camera's view finder, closing one eye to focus well. And it also makes it easy to choose a particular angle to decide on which is appealing for me to draw. As anyone can easily draw anything but how it is being done in a different way of seeing, that is interesting.

For the second part of the exercise, I was starting to sense the pressure of the challenge remembering how difficult it had been forcing my brain see things in a three-dimensional way. With all sides and angles of the object, studying it and drawing it in a very technical way like a person of designing background would know. Foreshortening, scale, proportions were all put into consideration. 

The last piece of drawing, we were given a longer time (40 minutes) to have this done with the discipline of capturing the realness of the objects, with complete accuracy which is my favourite. I have always like realism whether in drawing or painting. The discipline of having patience comes with the rewarding outcome of the representation you see in front of you. I find that it is not the outcome that matters the most but the process of getting there, to finding the way of achieving the result that you want in terms of the way of seeing and drawing. The challenge I think for the junior levels, even for me was to coordinate with the visuals in my head, while trying to map out the object in a three-dimensional way of all sides, I see myself drawing it out in a two dimensional manner. When it is from a pupil's perspective, I would firstly established the types of pencils and how they can be used in different techniques (e.g. hatching). And because I have experience, I jumped right into it knowing I can create anything with any pencils but it is best to break every step down. 

Semester 2

I felt there was more I needed to discover and improve in terms of composition. Why my previous still life was not as successful I thin is due to the subject. The interest of the subject and composition was not interesting enough that sparks my curiosity to explore at all angles. So I went out there to London and explore. I was inspired by my museum trips by the ancient artefacts which led me to set my own composition in school for the pupils as well. 

Things that are kept from decades have always interest me in how things are being preserved and the story behind it. I think that drawing can really express that by the technique and style. 

• Gestural part 1/2- cropping one section
• 1 hour- realistic live drawing