Project Still life
For this first still life example I choose to draw a simple composition. Spring blossom on a bowl with some fine bamboo blinds in the background. This drawing, although simple actually had quite a lot of detail in the flowers and getting the shape of the bowl right was an important visual aspect that needed to be correct.
I used textured pastel paper for this drawing which was rather detrimental as it turns out. It was too textured and when I tried a rubbing from the bamboo blinds for the background it didn’t work too well. I used a mixture of soft pencils which enabled me to obtain deep shadows for the inside of the bowl.
Exercise Still life group using line
This is my rather poor attempt at a still life drawing using line. To start with I was happy with the proportion of the objects in relation to each other and their size and shape. Actually, I feel now, that the composition should have been different, it is not dynamic in any way. I struggled to add detail with line, especially on the watering can as it has a smooth surface.
I started this drawing by roughly outlining each object and then started adding detail with the black pen. The plant on the right is roughly ok but the rest of the drawing seems very basic and unfinished. I added the colour to mask the lack of skill in this drawing. Unfortunately, I did not have time to redo another drawing but fully plan to at a later date.
Exercise Still life group in tone
I attempted this exercise in pastels working from the darkest tones first. I was quite liberating after the precision of previous exercises.
I tried to vary the pressure and direction when working on the background and foreground. I like the texture and colour variations, especially in the background.
When using pastels I found it difficult to keep the tones light and not overwork a piece. With this piece I tried to focus on keeping white spaces and light tones, especially with the glass vases. The flowers presented their own challenges, mainly when trying to create detail. The pastels are thick and working in detail just ends up making more layers and smudges.
I feel that this piece is more an interpretation than a realistic still life but I am beginning to appreciate this style of drawing more than realistic still life drawings.
Check and log
What aspects of each drawing have been successful, and what did you have problems with?
I would say that the overall shape and proportion of the objects within the still life drawing are relatively successful. The shading in the line drawing was lacking depth and looked rather basic and juvenile. The overall effect of the pastel drawing is pleasant but probably could do with more detail and depth.
Did you manage to get a sense of depth in your drawings? What elements of the drawings and still lfe groupings helped to create that sense.
For the Spring blossom drawing I think there is a feeling of depth created by the cast shadow of the bowl and the deep shadow inside the bowl. The blinds were disappointing.
The plants drawing is flat and 2 dimensional and needs more directional light to cast shadow. Each objects feels separate from the other and as a group of objects it doesn’t work.
What difficulties were created by being restricted to line or tone.
I found it easier to created a drawing when restricted to tone than just line. With the line drawing I think if I had chosen an object that had more detail it would have been more successful. Tone drawing is more instinctive and looser to work with creating impressions than realistic detail.
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