Re-visiting Assignment 2

I'm very happy with the Tutor Report I've just received.  It's full of feedback on my work and pointers for improvements and getting more out of my course.  There were also some suggestions directed at improving my Assignment and I'm going to re-visit it and see what I can do.

Assignment 2 - very dark

Co-incidentally I've had a visit from an artist friend who looked through my work.  She thought the mug in my Assignment was a mushroom!  That has led my to trying to get to know my mug better - I observed my mug from 6 different viewpoints starting with a high shelf and ending up on the floor.

This was an interesting exercise and one I should have done earlier.  Following the progression down the shelves made me very aware of how the mug appeared to change its shape and how the handle (which I always find hard) showed different faces.

In the light of my tutor's comments I've spent some time looking at my Assignment and these are my thoughts

• it's too dark - but shadow can be manipulated
• a way to knock back the newspaper would be to use it along with the white parts and cover any unwanted coloured photos as I did in version 1:

Version 1- much lighter

• The idea of using cut outs is one I like.
• I could try multiples of the same item

I looked at the work of Patrick Caulfield and found this image which I really like:

Coloured Still Life - Patrick Caulfield, 1967
Acrylic on board.  56x89cm (1)

Caulfield has used three goblets but presented each one differently.

I photocopied my work several times on A4 paper and began cutting out shapes then arranging and rearranging the the items.  It ended up with the main item being worked with was the mug but the rings were changed as well.

Cut outs with moved items

Cut outs and two cups

Cut outs and three cups

I think two cups works best because it retains some balance; it makes a good threesome with the biscuit and connects with the rings.

If I cut out the mug it looks an amorphous blob; not even like a mushroom.

As a basis I'm going to use a drawing from yesterday that offers a better defined shape like Caulfields. I hope it will give me the opportunity to try a cut out for my mug drawing.

I used image 3 which was eye level and suddenly I feel I'm on to something.  I've moved the whole thing over to the left so the mug isn't so near the edge of the paper. This is very much a cut and paste exercise.

Trying cut outs

Do I need to introduce shadow to ground the mug?  If I follow Caulfield's example there will be no horizon and no shadow.  Does my biscuit look too big?  It doesn't offer the same perspective as the mug.  Does this matter?  The only way to know is to test it, so I quickly sketched a couple of biscuits and cut down one of my photocopies.

These need to be bigger and much better defined

This is a different perspective but the right intensity

While I try to decide which way to go I'll work up my mug.  I plan to adopt a cut and paste approach and that will allow late decision making.

My best mug

I've considered this for ages using the photocopied elements in a variety of configurations.  I knocked back the newspaper with white tissue paper and it's OK if you like the crumpled tablecloth look but it's yet another thing I'm unsure of.

I've decided to run with the final experiment and I think it's because I feel more comfortable not having to make decisions regarding differing perspective etc.

I put a light blue wash on my paper so that my white mug would show up and knocked back the newspaper with watered acrylic paint.  The main elements were on water colour paper because I like the texture then they were glued onto A3 paper. The image is cropped because I can't scan A3 although it does need reducing in size.

My finished work - the shadow on the white mug is where the paper stretched

This work has been through many reincarnations but in the end I'm pleased with the result.  I've used a variety of media including pencil,  soft pastel, conte crayon and some coffee grounds mixed with PVA. It is balanced and the circular motif follows through the image.   The diagonal line made by the biscuit through the mugs is pleasing. 

Doing clever things like Caulfield is probably some way off although I'm aspirational! 




(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/coloured-still-life-70663