Second year- Life class

SECOND YEAR-LIFE CLASS
Life class is a great lesson to improve my drawing skills. Since starting life class, my drawing accuracy has improved greatly and I am now using my eyes as measuring tools. Life class is constantly challenging, and I enjoy the challenge to constantly learn and improve. 

Pencil tone

For the last two years I have been learning and improving my drawing ability through my life class lessons. Especially through my second year I have used these lessons to define and constantly improve my ability to draw accurately and precisely with correct proportions. Life class has played a huge part in my ability to be an artist, because it has taught me how to measure and mark precisely, how to get the correct perspective, how to create form, the correct way to apply tone and how to mix and apply paint. I learned the basics in the first year, and now I am experimenting with advanced techniques and skills, but constantly referring back to what I have learnt. At the start of the second year I used the measuring and marking technique to get an accurate figurative drawing. I would use a centre line and label each part of the figure as I went along. I would double check each line and angle to make sure they were exact. Although this technique is simple, it builds the foundation of my work and I need that to be accurate. Measuring and marking is an irreplaceable skill. Leonardo Da Vinci is an inspirational artist for this technique. My next step was to add tone to my drawing using pencil. Learning the technique to build tone in the figure is important so I can create form and depth. I would firstly leave the most highlighted tones out allowing the paper to represent that area. I would then gradually build up the tone using light, soft pencil strokes in a diagonal movement. I would layer the pencil strokes over and over building the tone. 

Charcoal and chalk 

I worked with pencil for a few weeks and then it was time to move onto a new technique, which was charcoal and chalk along with brown paper. Using this media I focused on creating quick, gestural, expressive drawings. To begin with I attached a piece of charcoal to the end of a cane. Using the cane gave me looser, free-flowing movements. I enjoyed working with the cane because I got organic, smooth lines and the distance gave me freedom from becoming to cautious with my mark making. Kollwitz was my inspiration for this style as she uses expressive mark making and applies the media boldly. I used willow and compressed charcoal. The compressed charcoal allowed me to really exaggerate the darker tones while the willow let me create softer tones. I used the chalk to add the lightest tones, while the brown paper came through as neutral tones. Although I created these composition quickly and boldly I still needed to make sure I got the accuracy of the figure. I loved working in this style because I work abstractedly and expressively anyway. However using this technique for life class was exciting and I enjoyed experimenting with it. I would defiantly love to use and improve this technique in the future.

One touch painting 
 

Coming towards the end of life class I got introduced again to One touch painting. Euan Uglow was my influential artist. This technique taught me how to mix paint and how to apply paint in the correct way for this style. I would start to mix my paint gradually applying it lighter to darker. I first started in tone. Working in tone allowed me to build my confidence with the application of paint and it also enabled me to really concentrate and focus on the tone I could see on various parts of the body. I used a selection of square brushes so I could apply the paint successfully onto the smaller sections like the face. I progressed onto colour paintings next and I enjoyed the new challenge. Working with colour was difficult because I had to mix a wider range of tones, with my basic colours being red, blue, yellow and white. Mixing these in various ways allowed me to create fleshy skin tones, depth and let the form of the figure become 3D. This process challenged me to create a realistic, accurate painting.(This was a change for me, because I love working in a expressive, exaggerated style), so this painting technique was interesting and exciting. I know this style of painting will help me to become a more varied painter, which will allow me to progress and improve in my life class sessions. 

In the style of 

  

My final challenge in life class was to create a final outcome, where I had to choose my own artist and style to work in. For this I choose Willem de Kooning. I choose to research his style and I was especially influenced by his women series paintings. I chose to look at these paintings because of there expressive nature, thick application of paint and exaggerated brush strokes. I also Wanted to work in colour and de Kooning is a perfect influence for what I want to create and the style I want to work in. I find his paintings exciting and adventurous because of his colour use and gestural work. His Multi-coloured and bright paintings instantly drew my attention and looking you can clearly see his huge range of colour mixes included in his paintings. I chose de Koonings style because I wanted to create a fresh, explosive, unique final outcome for life class. I know I can draw and paint accurately so I thought why not try something out there. For my first few life class lessons I practised in his style applying the paint thickly and expressively. At first I found it difficult to let myself be expressive because I was so used to being accurate in life class. However over the next few sessions I got into the technique and had fun creating some gestural and colour paintings. I would apply the paint quickly using loose, free-flowing brush strokes, gradually layering different colours over the top. I still constantly referred to back to Rick as to where I saw the darker and lighter tones and I used various colours to portray these tones. For my final outcome, I attached 4 pieces of A1 paper together so I had a larger scale working area. I drew my figure out using charcoal again using loose movements. I then worked into it with my paint gradually layering and building the layers up. It was great fun creating a expressive large scale piece. I enjoy working on a large scale rather than small because I can be myself and love the way I am working. Being able to be physical with my art work, allows me to get involved and immerse my self in it. I am happy I choose this style to work in because it was something different for me to experiment and learn with, and I would defiantly want to keep experimenting and practicing with it.