Project: Still life - Check and Log

What aspects of each drawing have been successful and what did you have problems with?

Still life in line: 

The use of the dip pen for this drawing was successful as I was able to create some interesting and variable lines and marks. The less controllable nature of this drawing implement was well suited to the organic nature of the subject.

I had problems with getting a good sense of the solidity of forms without resorting to hatching and shading. Luckily, the jug as a prop was helpful in this respect, as the ellipses helped to create a sense of rounded form. However the lack of a good range of tonal values makes the rest of the subjects look rather flat and two dimensional. More like a cartoon or illustration in appearance than an accurate drawing.

Still life in tone:

I like the contrast between the dark and light tones in the second attempt at this drawing. Also I think that the fact that I worked quickly is successfully translated into the second drawing and makes it look more 'alive'. 

I had problems with composition because I avoided drawing lines to map out the composition. I also started by blocking in the darkest tones.  This meant that I had committed myself at the beginning and could not adjust the position of objects on the page very easily. On my first attempt the composition wasn't as intended, but my second attempt was more successful.

Did you manage to get a sense of depth in your Drawings? What elements of the drawings and still life groupings helped create that sense?

I did manage to create a sense of depth. This was much easier to achieve in the tonal study than in the line drawing as the shadows help objects to recede in space and help with the construction of the forms. 

In the line drawing, the factors that contribute to the sense if depth are:

(1) The overlapping of forms so that one object appears to be behind another

(2) The ellipses of the jug and the receding rectangular form of the chopping board.
(3) The thicker and bolder lines used on the vegetables in the foreground (pepper and artichoke) compared to the fine lines of the scarole in the background.

What difficulties were created by being restricted to line or tone? 

The main problem was to actually stick to the restriction stipulated. It was very difficult not to introduce tone elements into the line drawing and vice versa. In fact I found it impossible! There are certainly suggestions of tone in my line drawing and there are also lines in my tonal drawing but they are each mainly about line or tone rather than being an even mixture of both.

The other difficulties are already described above i.e. overcoming flatness with line drawing and planning compositional arrangement on the page with the tonal drawing.