In terms of skill, my most successful drawing was the one of the Japanese pagoda roofs, as it was entirely sketched by hand as opposed to traced, like some of my other drawings. Usually it takes me quite long to sketch because I like my drawings to be accurate or close to accurate as possible even if it’s just a minor detail, which normally results in thick messy pen and pencil lines, as well as smudges, hence tracing. An example was the image below of a sculpture from the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where I had gone over my drawings in pencil, in an attempt to make my image proportional. By doing so, the 3D element of the sculpture was lost, especially as there weren't different line weights. However this time, I was able to sketch the image more accurately, perhaps because I was drawing continuously just before the deadline, becoming more and more comfortable. The light pencil strokes meant that each detail such as the windows and the roof slates were clearly defined. Also presentation wise, I had not clipped a piece of tracing paper to my sketch pages, which meant that I had dark blotchy smudges over my drawings making it very untidy. This is why I sometimes used pen, which made my work look much neater and to an extent more detailed, especially the ‘Pitcher & Piano’ bar detail. |
When it came to exhibiting my work, I had chosen to frame and present this specific sketch, as it was simple and interesting the way the emphasis of dark colours reveals and enhances the window details. This is seen especially with the arches and the window height as it makes the overall sketch appear sinister and haunting. Even though the dark lines of the wall represents the corners and joints, this made it even more Gothic in architectural and literary terms. It could be interpreted as being dark spirits or ghosts seeping through the walls and diffusing itself throughout the room, just as you would see in classic Gothic films, and plays such as Dr Faustus. My favourite architectural period as a result was Gothic perhaps because it was something I could identify with as a former Literature student and therefore translate this into architecture. The two were closely linked at the time especially after Horace Warpole's The Castle of Otranto in 1764, where the stories where centred around desolate castles hidden in endless forestry. (BBC Magazine, 2014) |
With the introductory project to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, just my attempt to draw some of the sculptures wasn’t very good and had put me off sketching and so throughout the term, although I’d practice sketching occasionally, I would only sketch when I needed to do, which in the end proved to be an ineffective work ethic. Although I like drawing, just the thought of picking up a pencil to draw was daunting but I’ve found that towards the end of every project, is when I begin to enjoy it especially when I apply these skills more than ever. When completing such a project or any project in the future, I will motivate myself more to start strong and start experimenting and developing my style and techniques early, so when it comes to finish the project, the work quality would have progressed and improved greatly/ to a much higher quality and at a quicker rate. |