Circles

Experimentation with circles
pencil on tracing paper
A3
2014

I've been experimenting with using different ways to create portraits. This first piece was an experimentation of using circles created with a compass to draw a face. I'm rather disappointed with this outcome. It definitely doesn't have the same effect as my previous work. The face is non existent, which I feel would almost alienate the viewer from my work. 

I didn't want to give up using circles so I thought I would give it another try but using a different technique. I created a face by filling in defining features of the face with different sized circles. I was really pleased with the result. I like how even with minimum features filled in you can tell its a face, and even have a vague idea of defining features.

Circles
Fine liner on tracing paper
A4
2014

Circles
Fine liner on tracing paper
A4
2014

Different direction

I'd found with my drawing project that I hit a dead end with what I was doing. I felt like there was nothing more I could explore or develop with the line drawings and became very stuck as what to do next. I tried different sorts of ways of creating faces, but I wasn't happy with anything I produced ad felt like I was severely diverting from the original intention of my project.

I wanted to go back to exploring the relationship between lines and something as organic as faces. I came up with the idea of instead of creating cross over lines from different directions, using vertical parallel lines. Lines which never cross but instead are layered on top of each other to create the impression of a face.

I did a first attempt using biro on tracing paper. I was extremely pleased with the outcome. It was the first piece of work I was sincerely happy with in a long time. It's still using lines but is a different exploration from what I've been previously doing. I carried on in this media, finding that some of the outcomes worked really well, while some were not as successful. I'm not sure f there is a pattern or its just that sometimes the face I'm using doesn't work.

My next idea was to try and do the same thing but with using horizontal parallel lines instead. My first attempt at dong this was creating a face with minimal features, to try and create a sense of detachment. I only shaded n the background, his hair and his glasses. This was quite effective, it created something very stylised and almost looked like one of Julian Opie's computer drawings. Yet I'm not sure if it looked too much like a design and not very much like a drawing. So I decided to go back to creating layers of lines, and found them to be very intriguing 

Coloured experiments

I've been told to try and experiment with colour in my drawings. It's possible the colour might add something to my work. My first attempt was creating lines with colour, the colour being the same colour of the face that the line hits. I wasn't entirely pleased with this. There's something about this drawing which doesn't have the same effect as my previous work.

Coloured lines
Coloured pencil on tracing paper
A4
2014

 This was another colour experimentation. Instead doing the same pencil line technique. but adding block colours to certain areas instead. I did prefer this outcome to my last drawing. But I'm still not entirely happy. The block colours make the face much more evident, thus making the lines almost unnecessary. I feel like this takes away from the ambiguity of the work.
 

Blocked colours
Pencil and coloured pencil on tracing paper
A4
2014

Barrier Installation

Last week I went about further testing my black light by creating an installation in a room. This is a test as to what the final outcome of my self directed project will look like. It's the exploration of creating visible and invisible barriers. 

 I finished expanding the sheet made out of tights that I started a couple of weeks ago. This time it successfully reached opposite sides of the wall. This is the first barrier of the installation. It's visible in the light and I purposely made it like this so it's difficult to see what is behind the sheet.

 This is what was behind the sheet. It's a variation of my web installation I did a while ago. This time however I intertwined white thread and white wool around the web like structure.

 After I put up the sheet I created a web like structure from white thread in front of the sheet. Even though it's in front of the sheet it's not very noticeable and your eyes are still instantly drawn to the sheet.

After I set up the two black lights I turned the lights off and the room looked completely different. The web like structures in front and behind of the web gave off a blue glow and instantly stood out more. While the sheet became see through and almost invisible. I consider this experiment a success, there were just a couple things which I was unhappy with. I need to figure out how to make the black lights more discreet so that they don't distract the viewer from the installation. Also, the rooms blinds did not completely mask out the sunlight outside, meaning I would either have to find a way to block the windows more successfully or use a darker room next time.

Black light installation

This piece is created by sewing tights together to create a skin like structure. I wanted this to stretch across opposite walls, but I didn't make it big enough, so I stretched it across a corner for the time being. I would like to eventually extend this piece so it will stretch across the whole room, created a barrier.

 I then created a web like structure made from white thread, created a second, albeit invisible barrier.

 But when I turned the lights off and turned the black light on, the second barrier became visible to the human eye. This is what I would like to explore, but by created something like this on a bigger scale.

Black light experiment

After my self directed crit I've decided I want to experiment with the idea of creating barriers. Something that was suggesting was to purchase a black light and experiment with creating things that could only be seen in the dark.

So I've purchased a black light and did a little experiment with it to test out whether I would want to further carry on with using it. I created a web with white thread. In the light it is barely noticeable, but when I turned the light off, it gave off a blue glow. I found this mesmerizing to look at, this experiment was definitely a success. This has given me a clearer idea on what I want my final piece to look like.

Black tights

I've been using flesh coloured tights for all the web structures that I've made. I thought it would be a good idea to experiment with the colour. So I switched from using flesh tights and black thread, to black tights and white thread. 

The end result of my experiment was definitely a lot more sinister looking. I'm however not sure whether I liked the way it looked. I want the message of my work to be subtle, but I feel like this is a lot more loud.

Drawing- Three dimensional

This was an experiment to try and make my drawings more interesting and 3-dimensional. Instead of drawing the lines to make the face, I folded them thus making this ambiguous, sculptural looking face. I do like this outcome and thinks its definitely a change to the drawings I've been doing. However I'm not sure whether I'm going to carry on with this method or not. 

folded tracing Paper, A3

Web Installation

This was an installation I created. It's an entire room filled with a web like skin structure. I like how interactive the piece is, and how you can move around the installation. 

I don't want the photographs to be the final piece, but rather for the viewer to experience the room themselves.

Skin web- second experiment

The next step I wanted to take in my work was to create more three dimensional pieces and move away from the 2-D pieces that I've been doing. This was an experiment I did with flesh toned tights and thread. The end result looks like some sort of web structure, There were even comments that it looks like muscle structure. I want this web to be a representation of skin. It's an exploration of how we as humans strive for perfection.

I really like the end result of this. And now tat I've successfully finished this experiment, it would be good to try something on a much larger scale.

Skin web-first experiment

This is a continuation of what I was doing but without the limitations and restrictions of a frame. It looks like it was just created out of nowhere. similar to a spider web. The delicacy and neutral colour of the tights is a stark contrast to the black harsh looking thread which is holding the tights together.

Skin in a Frame

This piece was the result of a further exploration of my skin board samples. This is on a larger scale and doesn't it have the background, which is what I wanted to try out. I really liked the result but I'm also worried it's too 2-dimensional, I want to try to find a way to expand out of the frame so it looks more free and less restricted.

Skin samples

These samples were creates by stretching tights onto a wooden board, and then sliced and sewn back together. I wanted to see what my skin idea would look like by eliminating the hand casts altogether and solely focusing on the skin. I think these pieces were rather successful and I think I've found a new direction for my work.