End Of Year Unit

Experimenting with Textiles

In the past few weeks we have been experimenting with textiles and how we can incorporate it into our own work. At first i found this difficult as it was an area in art that i was not confident in and began to get frustrated as i believed i did not have the skills to use textiles in my art work. However i practices more with hand stitching and found areas in my artwork to use this technique to show my ideas.

Firstly we began with looking at textile artists to collect inspiration to create out own textile pieces.

Artist Inspiration

Nicole Chui

Nicole Chui is an embroidery artist who hand stitches patterns and words onto photography and illustration. Her work gives off a powerful, loud and empowering vibe and gives off different messages depending on the photograph used, words stitched, or colour of the thread.

I was inspired by Chui as i think the use of both illustration/photography and embroidery can give powerful messages and also adds texture and depth to any piece. 

Artist Inspiration

Callen Schaub

Callen Schaub is an abstract contemporary artist who works with paint, natural forces and machines to create bold, thought-provoking and individual prints and patterns. Schraub often creates his work live at events and venues such as the Metro Toronto Convention Center or The Field Trip Music and Arts Festival at Fort York.
One of his machines is an old bicycle where he places the canvas on top, places the colours of paint onto the canvas and then spins the peddle so the canvas also spins, causing the paint to expand over the canvas. He also makes paint can pendulums that he swings over canvases to create individual lines and splatters of colourful paint. his bright colours and organic lines of paint give an energetic feel to his pieces and can be interpreted in different ways by different viewers. 

Sketchbook 3

Sketchbook 3

Experimenting with Colour and Portraits

In my second sketchbook I 
have begun to experiment with different use of colour to express emotions and mood and the use of portraits to convey the same emotions. On the first page I simply researched what particular colour pallets show particular emotions. I found that Yellows and light oranges can mean joy and happiness, blues mean sadness and sorrow, red mean desire, love and passion, greens can mean peace, envy or nature and opposite colours from the colour spectrum can mean noise and mess.

After that I began to play around with coloured pencils and drew different eyes and a face in different colours. I enjoyed using coloured pencils because it was an effective dry medium to use and prefer them to oil pastels and chalk because u could create more detail and precision in my work.

 I developed my colour pencil drawings further by drawing pictures from photographs of me as a child. i decided to draw these with yellow and light orange tones to reflect the happiness and innocence of being a child. childhood is a warm and joyful memory so i think that the colors reflect this well. i then followed this with other portraits of children showing different emotions; sadness, anger and again, happiness using the appropriate colours.

Next i photocopied these drawings and layered coloured Biro over the top using continuous lines. i made the lines softer for sadness and happiness and stronger for anger. i think these were effective as it gave different layers to the drawings making them more interesting and thought-provoking. 

I then used these same portraits to develop my ideas even further. I decided to use sellotape transfers (a process that I enjoy) and layered this over coloured paper with different textures. The experiment in the bottom right is a sellotape transfer layered over a mono print which i later burned with a heat gun. I think this is very effective as it not only burned the paper but also melted the sellotape which represents the burning anger of the face. 

Process used to create this effect.

Experimenting with Continuous Line

Continuous line creates a more organic feel to portraits and drawings in general. they can be created using multiple mediums such as pen, pencil, ink, string or anything that is capable of creating line. I decided to experiment with more line drawings, starting by using string.

I used a previous mono print as a background and then began to create the shape of a face by gluing the string t the paper. i then added colour with red string for glasses. the simplicity of the line drawing contrasts well with the chaotic background. The absence of detail in the face is regained by the small lines and marks created by the mono print, as well as the small line of colour in the glasses.

Another line portrait using string.

Next I simple drew more detailed continuous line portraits over coloured pencil. these drawings are inspired by a German artist named Boris Schmits who creates line drawings using pen. while the portraits are simple and minimalist, they show mood through line and how the subject is posed. Harsher, scratchier lines can show anger, rage or passion whist softer, more flowing lines can show joy, happiness or love.

Ian Liddle

Another artist who used continuous line is Ian Liddle, a Berlin based artist who creates his art in a verity of different ways; drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, collage and observational/ life drawings. I thought his line drawings were effective as they felt more organic and free in the way he drew the lines. He also added colour to his work in what appeared to be smudged oil pastel or crayon in particular areas of the drawing (in the hair, eyes, mouth and clothing). I took inspiration from his work and created my own portraits using black fine liner and then added colour to them using felt tips and water colour paints.

However although i thought the style in which Liddle draws in was effective in his work, i did not think it was effective in mine as i thought it was mundane and had no depth to it.

Expanding on Portraits

After looking into pencil drawings and continuous line, i began to explore painting and portraits. One particular artists i decided to research was Ivanna Besevik. Besevik is a traditional and digital artist who paints portraits (notably of women)using slightly messy, visible brush strokes and a warm colour pallet. The warmth and glow of the faces are usually contrasted by a cool tones or dark background in which the hair and shoulders seem to merge into.

I found Ivannas work interesting as she seems to layer thick paint rather than blending the paint in her work. I also considered making my brushstrokes more visible and blending the hair and body into the background. 

 This is the first portrait I did inspired by Ivanna. I tried to layer paint and make the brushstrokes more visible as well as making the background and hair/shoulders blend together. However I found that either the acrylic I was using was not thick enough or the paint brushes i used were too wet.

Second Portrait inspired by Ivanna Besevik. Analysis else where on blog.

Exploring Abstract Art

After spending sometime looking into portraits, i decided to explore more of the abstract rout of contemporary art and incorporate this into portraits. Whilst researching modern contemporary artists i came across an artist names Kika Karadi who is a visual artist who builds composition using masking tape, cardboard and cut out shapes. She also removes paint using razor blades to create more negative space in her work, most of which being monochrome and dark with no defined object or subject. I found Kika's work interesting due to the techniques she uses as well as the monotone emotions i believe it emits.Below are the pieces i created using inspiration from Kika Karadi's work:

 To create these pieces I used cotton wool instead of a regular paintbrush to add more texture to the paint (acrylic). I started by placing four black dots onto the page, eyes ,nose and mouth. I then added white paint to the space between these dots and simply dabbed the paint until it blended together to create an image of a face.

                 

Portrait Process

For this portrait (inspired by Ivana Besevik) I layered acrylic paint to create visible brush strokes and create a messy style with vibrant colours. I enjoyed doing this because layering the paint gave a more opaque look rather than blending.
To improve i think i need to add more detail to the face and hair and blend the hair/body into the background by using similar colours like Besevick does; rather than the dark and light blue paint i used here.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park

13/11/17

What is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park?

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an open-air gallery in West Yorkshire, England, showing work by British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Particular artists work that i viewed were Tong Cragg, Alfredo Jarr and a series of collaborations between other artists.

Artists and Sculptures that inspire me

I enjoyed Tony Craggs series of sculptures at the YSP names 'A Rare Category Of Objects' because i thought they were effective due to the materials used and the shapes that he created. His most used material in this series is Bronze. I viewed the sculptures as silhouettes of faces and the materials he used created different emotions and meanings. My personal favorite was his was a large sculpture made from a mirror like material (i could not find out what this material was) in the shape of faces. The sculptures colour, shadows and highlights change depending on its surroundings, the lighting and where the viewer stands. i think the material chosen is effective because it creates shadows and colours that would not usually be there if it were a different material. I believe this links to how people can change themselves due to experiences and lessons learned in life. We can be influenced (good or bad) by our surroundings and people we surround our selves with and this can eventually lead to someone becoming a different person to what they were before; whether its for better or worse.

Mono Printing and Sellotape Transfers

Mono Printing and Sellotape Transfer

During this weeks lessons we have experimented with two new techniques, Mono printing and sellotape transfers. I have experimented with selotape transfers before however monoprinting was a technique i had never tried before. 

What is Mono Printing?

Monoprinting is a technique where the plate (or laminate covered paper) is covered in printing ink with a roller untill it is sticky. A piece of paper is then gently placed onto the ink but not pressed down. On top of the paper patterns or images can be drawn or traced using objects such as pencils, pens, your finger or nail, scissors or sticks. This creates a pattern that transfers onto the paper. If there is enough paint on the first piece of paper then you can place another piece of paper over the original piece of paper to make a second print that with be slightly different to the original. The technique gets its name because mono meaning 'one' because no print with ever be the same. 

First Mono print attempt.

What is Sellotape Transfer?

Sellotape Transfer is the second technique i tested. The process starts with a printed out picture or photocopy. Next sellotape is stuck over the whole image, overlapping to avoid holes or rips in the final product. The paper is then submerged into a bath of water and left for around 5 minutes. After the paper has been soaking in the water for a period of time it is then taken out. A sponge is then used to remove the paper from the sticky side of the sellotape where the ink from the origonal image will stick to the sellotape but the paper is removed.

Sellotape transfer

Creating a Piece using Both Techniques

Later in the lesson we used these techniques to create a final piece. First i photocopied a pattern from my sketchbook into black and white and proceeded to use the sellotape transfer technique to remove the pattern from the paper. While this was soaking in the water i used the mono print technique to create the second layer of my piece. Instead of using one colour, i used blue, red and yellow ink and rolled them to merge into a pattern and drew a swirl to create the second pattern. I then proceeded the finish the sellotape transfer and layered the two pieces onto one. This was the outcome:

Next i used a scalpel to cut triangles from the the transfer and print to create holes.

I then used the mono printing technique a second time but this time i used black ink and straight, sharp lines using scissors. I then transfered this print a second time.

First Print

I then layered all of these pieces together to create my final piece:

Composition

Composition

What is composition?

Composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements in a work of art, as distinct from the subject.The term composition means 'putting together' and can apply to any work of art, from music to writing to photography, that is arranged using conscious thought.

Why is composition important within art?

The point of composition is to pull the eye of the viewer across the painting, taking in individual elements to finally focus on the main feature or focus of the painting - this could be anything from subject matter to emotional effects.

Conceptual Art

27/09/17

Whos afraid of Conceptual Art? 

The BBC Documentary 'Who's Afraid Of Conceptual Art' explores the meaning behind many artists conceptual artworks as well as exploring their ideas behind the piece itself and conceptual art as a whole. The idea of conceptual art has always confused many who view it because the artwork seems to be normal ordinary objects from day to day life. The idea of conceptual art stems from the idea that art began to become objects and objects began to become artworks. The works are designed to make people think and come in numerous forms; still life objects, living sculptures, poetry, words or live performances. They can also be vey controversial and the public can not always understand what the meaning behind the artwork is.

Piero Manzoni was an Italian artist best known for his ironic approach to conceptual art and a few of his most known artworks include Artist's Breath, Artist's Shit and Line 1000 Metres Long. His works were seen to be 'making fun' of museums and art gallery's for their seemingly simple and ridiculous concepts towards art. In May 1961 Manzoni created an art piece in which 90 tin cans wee filled with 30 grams of faeces. While the idea is controversial, the pieces are said to be the exploration of the relationship between art production and human production.

Another controversial artist shown in the documentary was Marry Kelly who created a 6 part conceptual art series titled Post Partum Document which explores the first 6 years of her mother-child relationship with her son. She used unusual material as canvases along with personal accounts of her relationship with her young son. The series sparked controversy due to her choice of canvas in part 1 of the series; used stained nappy liners from her own son accompanied with a log of everything her son had ate that day.Each of the six-part series concentrates on a formative moment in her son’s development of language and her own sense of loss.

Another artist shown in the documentary is Robert Montgomery. He is a London based poet and artist who used light, public billboards and 'fire poems' to convey messages and poems in particular public locations. His poems are emotional and people can interpret their own meanings behind the poems to make them meaningful to them. Montgomery is quoted in the poem saying " I can touch the hearts of strangers without having to meet them face to face".

Sketchbook

Sketchbook

Use of texture. Newspaper for background, fine liner pen to create dots.

Observational drawing of a shell. Use of colour and line.
Materials used: Oil pastels and fine liner pen.

Observational drawing of stick. Use of texture and line. Book paper to create texture in the background and fine liner used for drawing

Left: Observational drawing of TV. Use of texture, Lines and colour. Materials used; Newspaper crossword, Felt-tips, Fine liners, pencil and chalk
Right: Observational drawing of lamp. Use of line and tone. Materials used; fine liner and pencil

Art That Changed the World

Art That Changed the World

Starry Night- Vincent Van Gogh- June 1889

The infamous Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most popular and most recognised works of Van Gogh. It is an oil painting created in June 1889 and shows a view of a village out of van Gogh's asylum window just before sunrise. The painting is currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1941.

The painting itself has changed the worl as it it more of an abstract, crazy almost insane looking style and allows the person viewing to have their own feelings and interpretation on the painting.

Personally I think that the painting shows Van Gogh's mental state during his stay at the asylum and shows an element of madness, insanity and an extraordinary view of a simple view of a village from a window. 

Induction Work

Induction Task

For my induction task i decided to create small pieces of pointillism depicting different images. Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of colour are applied in patterns to form an image. I took inspiration from this idea along with the techniques used in pointillism tattoos.Pointillism tattoos are the heirs of two different types of arts. First, the traditional hand-poke tattoo art, and then the pointillism. Pointillism is an artistic technique of painting using dots to create images and shadings. To create this effect I used different sized fine liners ( 0.8, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1) to create small dots of different quantities and different saturation to create tone, depth and texture.
My first drawing is of a hairless cat. I decided to draw this image because a hairless cat has many wrinkles in their skin as well as piercing, large eyes which I wanted to show through pointillism, as well as their large detailed ears. Many view hairless cats as being "ugly" or "the ET of the cat world" due to them having very short, almost invisible hair, wrinkly skin and abnormally large ears and eyes ; contrasting to their cousins in the cat family with "cute" fluffy fur. To me hairless cats have an unusual beauty and are also known to be intelligent, inquisitive and extremely friendly.


 For my second drawing I created and black and white mandala and incorporated pointillism shading into certain areas.Mandalas are circular designs symbolizing the notion that life is never ending. Many mandalas have spiritual significance to an individual or group of individuals. I created multiple different sized circles with a pair of compasses and started to draw petal like shapes.









I also used the same technique to draw a moth in front of a geometric shape with red pen. One of my biggest fears is moths so decided to incorporate my fear into my art; to show how fear can be beautiful and a natural emotion that shows ourselfs we are human.