CONCEAL PROJECT PART 1

Conceal: A two week project exploring many avenues and processes in order to extend our ideas and creative approaches.

Initially we started this project by looking at collage, and how it is possible to manipulate images to create new ones.

This is one of the pieces I am particularly pleased with. As you can see I have cut away sections of the image to create a 'behind bars' effect, and I have also added emphasis to the lips to create a focal point. After I had stuck everything down I started to consider how I could then develop the piece to create more impact for the viewer, which led me to changing the image into black and white, and then placing colour behind. I believe that this now makes the image pop out even more, as although the colour stands out in the foreground, it helps your eyes to focus on the face behind. 

This collage is perhaps the most experimental of my designs. Firstly I took two similar sized faces and 'weaved' them together to create stripes that conceal the underneath face. However upon completion it was obvious to me that this image needed much more manipulation until it was complete. This observation taught me that I was understanding the idea of manipulating images, and that I needed to refer back to the artists I studied in order to see how I could develop the piece maturely. It's very important to understand that not everything can be finished immediately, and it will often need revising and refining before it can be labelled 'completed' and I am pleased I have realised this quite early on as it will form a useful skill for both future learning and employment.

I really enjoy looking at these two images together, although they are unrelated I feel that they work really well composition-wise on this double page spread in my sketchbook. With the image on the left I have experimented with text, and I did not really think about the composition, it just worked itself out by the pieces I chose fitting together perfectly. There is not much colour in the pice and I feel that this is what it is probably missing. I think if I made the scenery background 'pop art' it would bring the page to life, and would then also link with the image on the right. 

With the image on the right, I managed to find the pink head that matched the body underneath, however I couldn't find a way to link them together seamlessly, which is why the white boarder remains around the head. The text that goes across concealing her eyes reads 'God knows what the old man thought as he gazed' which I find ironic as the body holding the head is actually male. 

  

SUMMER ART PROJECT 2015

Earlier this year I was set a summer art project under the title of 'Scavenge, Draw, Record' which is a pretty self explanatory title. We (myself and the rest of the people on my course) were given a list of 20+ items to complete over the course of 5 weeks, which ranged from researching universities to collecting certain items and drawing experimentally. 

   It was a change for me, learning to draw onsite and collecting nearly everything I had used on a daily basis, but I think the experience challenged me in a good way and I have learnt that being out of the ordinary is never a bad thing. 

     My favourite element of the project was probably the 'Drawing a day' task, where I decided to build up a collage of different subjects of interest I found that day. (See below)

From this particular task I have learnt to trust in my observational skills, and that if something happens to go wrong it is not the end of the world and can easily be corrected by drawing over it. I have also learnt to trust in myself and my own abilities, as I have always followed the mantra that I 'cannot draw'. However over the period of 5 weeks I have proven to myself that I can in fact draw, and I can draw quite well. I believe this ability has sprung from the fact that I have stopped overthinking every line I create, and I now in fact dive into the prospect of observational drawing with open arms.The skill that develops from this is that of not being afraid to try. For future learning this is very important, as I need to be able to approach tasks with an open mind and give everything 100%. 

I believe the only thing that hasn't been successful with this task is that I didn't manage to complete it! The full criteria was to draw everyday for a month, however I lapsed and will admit to missing a few days, although I believe the build up of what I have created is working strong composition-wise. I can improve this by completing it over the next week, in order to maximise the page to its full potential, otherwise the negative space takes over and it obviously looks unfinished. 

There are also a few more pages of the summer work that I am really pleased with, as you can see below.