Assignment Four: Tone

Preliminary Graphite Sketches in Sketchbook

For the tonal exercise of a reclining figure I started with some rapid small scale tonal sketches in my sketchbook. I squinted my eyes so as to get an overall impression of the patten of tonal values rather than getting hung up on details. I had decided on this occasion to move quickly from this to working on a large scale. My next drawing was an A1 charcoal drawing of Luigi who was enjoying a snooze on the sofa. He's a good sleeper so I had a good hour and a half before he woke up. I particularly like the folds in the fabric and in the shiny surface of the leather sofa. There's something not quite right about his head though. I think the ear should be included I may have drawn more of his face than I could actually see because I don't remember seeing his ear but on the drawing it looks as though it should be there.

Having completed a large scale drawing which could serve as my assignment piece if necessary I felt the pressure was off and I was free to play around and experiment. This was the purpose of the A2 sketchbook I had purchased.

A1 Charcoal, putty rubber and compressed charcoal

I drew in my sketchbook with XL graphite and Inktense blocks. I also tried a rapid sketch with ink and wash. I wanted to be less controlled Inspired by some of the washy ink portraits of Marlene Dumas. My attempt was not so successful but I can see potential for future development here as I love the marks that the ink makes when it spreads on damp paper. I do however think that the ink and wash piece gives an impression of the model being deeply relaxed and heavy with sleep.

XL Graphite A2 Sketchbook

Ink and wash with brush A2 Bockingford paper

I decided to use colour so chose a dark ground and soft pastels for the next drawing. This drawing was much better at the half-way mark. I overworked this piece, particularly around the head and face. His face now looks very stiff and plasticky. I had put so much pastel on the paper that I ended up using white acrylic ink for the highlights on his tee-shirt which had got lost. The piece as a whole was much better when the texture of the paper was showing through - a lesson learned for future drawings. I need to stop sooner or at the very least take photographs during the process of drawing. However, on a positive note, the hands are improving.

Soft Pastels and White Ink on a Coloured Ground

I had recently invested in some Windsor and Newton Oilbars so I had a try at using these for the first time. Initially I used just the black one on a sheet of cartridge paper. This was wonderful. I love the creamy texture and thoroughly enjoyed spreading it about with my fingers. A satisfying tactile experience. I also love the dense sooty black it produces and the fact that different marks can be made when it is spread out. I made some lovely marks similar to 'dry brush' marks by scrubbing my fingers across the paper with very little of the medium on them. When applied thickly , the black oil bar produces the darkest of darks but it is also possible to scrape into this dark to produce hatching in a lighter tone which I did with a scalpel blade.

Oil Bars and a Scalpel Blade A1 Cartridge paper

I decided to experiment further with oil bars in colour and to use these in combination with oil pastel. Looking back on the exercise I had done over the course of part four I particularly liked the pastel drawing of Luigi seated with the light from his Kindle tablet illuminating his face (Project: Structure. Exercise: Three Drawings sitting). This reminded me of a modern-day take on a painting I had really liked on my last visit to the Museo di Capodimonte Il Soffio by El Greco- (Click here to link to the image) in which a young man's face is illuminated by a burning charcoal in his hand. These days however, instead of the warmth of fire or candle-light. faces are more commonly illuminated by that cold T.V./computer monitor/phone/tablet light. I wanted to try to capture this cold light. 

In this composition Luigi said he was going to read a book on his kindle. However, more often he was distracted and gazing at the T.V. screen on the other side of the room (there are so many stimuli these days! - drawing is a welcome release because I can only concentrate on one thing at a time). This was mostly drawn from life although he couldn't hold the position for more than an hour so I had to resort to a photograph and previous sketches to finish the details of his face. (this was, however very difficult to photograph as it was in such low light generally.)

I used a pale grey ground and allowed this to show through on parts of the fabric such as the jeans as a mid tone. Overall I am quite happy with this outcome.I do think you get the sense of the illumination of his face by the tablet. I have used cooler colour choices on his face (lemon yellows and pale blue/greys compared to the more red and yellow ochre illumination of other areas). Despite the fact that my weak point of hands is very much in evidence here I think I have made a reasonable attempt at them in this drawing. I like the overall composition and the balance of tonal values- I think it effectively draws the eye towards the focal point of his face. I am particularly pleased with his jeans. From my previous exercises you will see that drapery is something that I have struggled with. Here I think I have manage to create an impression of the changes in direction of the body underneath as well as the deep folds in the fabric. I have also successfully resisted the temptation to overwork this area and have allowed some of the coloured ground to show through. I also canvassed opinion on the OCA sketchbooks group on Facebook and this confirmed my decision to designate this as my assignment piece.

Oil Bars and Oil Pastels on a Coloured Ground (Between A1 and A2)