Blogs

  • OCA Drawing 1 – Assignment 1

    Still life with objects which are meaningful to you in some way. The objects I chose were: A piece of lapis lazuli which is meaningful to me because of it’s association with the Medicine Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism. A bowl which is one of a pair I bought for my Mum and I when we Read more

  • OCA Drawing 1- Part 2, Research Point – Odilon Redon

    Look at Odilon Redon’s use of tone, find further works by the artist and discuss the atmospheric potential of tone. I’m very pleased to look more closely at an aspect of Odilon Redon’s work, as he has been my favourite artist for a long time. His atmospheric use of tone is evident in many of Read more

  • OCA Drawing 1 – Project 2, Exercise 3 – Creating shadow using lines and marks.

    For this exercise I was asked to choose a simple object and, using four different drawing tools, experiment with using different marks to create the effect of gradations in tone. I chose pencil, ballpoint pen, fine-line pen and ink and a stick. I practiced, in order, cross-hatch marks, lines close together or far apart, dots Read more

  • OCA – Drawing 1, Project 2 – Exercise 2 ‘Observing shadow using blocks of tone.

    The point of this exercise was to observe areas of light and dark, the gradations of tone and the cast shadows and reflections throughout the chosen still life scene. Possibly because I used a brown conte stick, I found it quite difficult to create the right darkness of tone where I felt it was needed, Read more

  • OCA Drawing 1 – Project 2 ‘Basic Shapes and Fundamental Form’, Exercise 1 – Groups of Objects

    Using one colour I had to loosely describe a group of objects, baring in mind the previous exercises I’ve complete on the course. I used willow charcoal and after the initial attempt to describe the outlines of the objects in the composition (and create an approximate cope of the objects themselves), I tried to give an Read more

  • Gallery Visit – ‘Being Modern’ Kettles Yard at the Fitzwilliam

    I’ve visited the Fitzwilliam Museum many, many times. I consider it one of the best art galleries in the world and feel very fortunate to live close enough to it to be able to get to it regularly. It’s a wonderful, huge space to wonder through with varied exhibitions including ceramics, paintings, sculpture and regular Read more