Assignment (D1) Four

1st part of the assignment is to complete picture of a seated figure using a lines, avoiding blocks of tone.      Based on my drawing experience to date this  goes against my favoured approach, which is to define the tones and then add the details correcting the initial tonal shapes as I go.

I played with different medium, but for me a drawing that was about line was going to need to be executed in ink, to keep the lines crisp... other mediums more likely to smudge, qualities that I felt should be avoided in the first part of the assignment.

Linear studies, in biro and dip pen, in some instances I have laid down a wash of red acrylic ink

Final study done with and orange bic,  happy with the pose I use this picture to work up one in ink that I decided would include a a wider variety of marks.

Final picture 1 line and shape.  Tempted to draw out the image in pencil first but decided the end drawing may suffer from a lack of spontaneity so went straight in with the inks taking little care to avoid blots.

This second picture looks less like my son than the 1st, but feel there is an impishness about the the face, he is struggling to remain serious for a few minutes more as his dad completes the drawing definitely true of his character.

I have made the most of the dip pen varying the pressure applied to create some heavier lines. I have used darker lines on the foot stall on which my son is sitting to define the trousers. These heavier lines  help added a sense of depth that is missing from the biro study. 

Second part of the assignment, model should be lying down and the focus of the drawing should be on defining tones

1st study, done in some wax pastels, son lying  awkwardly some cushions in the corner of the sofa.

Applied the medium gradually building up the tone rather increasing the pressure as I made the marks. The wax pastels are water-soluble but  I soon decided against using this feature

Next study, for the tonal part of the assignment, my daughter more lying than sitting, using her lap top (possibly doing her homework). Here I am using charcoal and soft pastels.

Happy that I have the tones are correctly placed but don't feel that the first thing that jumps out at you are the lights and darks... perhaps I should have left out the soft pastel colours.  Should have spent more  time making sure the lighting would give me the contrast in tone that was expected from this exercise.

Short break (in Bournemouth including some sunshine) took the youngest son with us, woke-up on the first morning of our vist the curtains near my son's bed were not full drawn and he had kicked the covers down towards the end of the bed. I had the pose and the lighting I wanted for the second part of assignment four,  but not the materials so I took several snaps to work from when I returned home.

Studies, thumb nail sketches working on composition, position on the figure within the drawing.

Considered the possibility of portrait format  (including the triangular opening of the curtains) but decided on landscape format which would put the focus more on the figure.

One more study, in colour pencils:

Final drawing in coloured pencils: