Drawing for Illustration - Paige Wheeler

Final Piece - Self Portrait For my final piece, we were asked to create a self portrait inspired by our life drawing lessons. We were asked to do this traditionally and with a full body view, so I did so with a sitting position and with watercolours, fine liners and acrylic paints. To create this, I took a photo of myself in a certain position, with particular lighting to help the tonal areas. I'm really happy with how my final piece turned out as a whole, taking all I've learnt from my lessons these last few weeks to help finish the piece overall. If I were to develop of change anything, I would make the entire piece darker or possibly add some colour, just to make areas pop out more. I would also be a bit more careful with my facial proportions and hands, as they are slightly out.

Week 7 Screen Print For my screen print, I chose my favourite drawing from my previous life drawing lesson, and having no idea what screen printing was beforehand, I am quite happy with which piece I chose. Although I know now how to create this work, I know I could definitely improve it. For example, I would choose different colour variations if I were to do this again. Choosing the darker colours to be the figure print, not the background as to make to figure pop more.  I do like how the red figure print, and the prints with the black figure prints, as they all turned out bold and interesting to the idea. However, the last print didn't come out very clean and the paints smudged, so I know now to be more careful. I also really liked creating the backgrounds for the prints, being able to make my own colours and mix many together, creating many different textures and patterns. 

  Life Drawing with a Model - 4 The warm up task was very similiar to the ones in previous weeks, with three quick sketches at the top, one with minimal looks at the model, and another using continuous line. I like the continuous line sketch, with its scale and mark making making it stand out against the other sketches. For the second task, we recreated a moving task we had done before, where the model slowly moves around his stage and poses for 2-3 minutes. This time, we were allowed to experiment with colour of any kind, with any materials available to us. I chose to go with a multi-coloured biro pen, as I felt confident using this for quick sketches and I believe it turned out fantastically. Whilst the proportions may be a bit off on some, I think overall its a very catching page and I think its one of my favourites.   For the last two pages, we were asked to draw the model in frames again, whilst adding colour. For one page we could have a black outline and use another, or...

Life Drawing with a Model - 3 In this warm up task, we were asked to create three 1 minute sketches of the model, then create one image with 10 marks, and the other with 5. To do the limited marks images, I used continuous lines, as to add as much detail in as possible whilst staying within the limitations. For the second task, we were then asked to create three images that were as accurate to the models dimensions as we could make it. We did this by measuring to a certain amount on the page and creating equal boxes, of which match a hand made 'box' around the model. With this, we imagined lines across the model where the 'box' meets and drew what we saw within each section, in each image. The first image stayed that simple, but for the second and third we were asked to create a bold line around one side of the model (2nd) , and a bold line all around the model (3rd). I had done something similar in my classes last year, so I found these exercises easy to do, none the l...

  Life Drawing with a Model - 2 For the warm up task, we were asked to do five quick drawings of the model, in multiple different ways, much alike last week. Minimal times looking at the model, 10 marks only, outline and rubbing the figure out, then drawing back into it. I really like the last sketch I did, rubbing the figure out and drawing back into it, as I feel it is very loose and experimental, yet detailed and thought through.  For the first official task, we were asked to draw the model from multiple angles, using continuous lines and frames. I really liked how this series of drawings came out, although they may have turned out rough. I feel they are expressive with the mark making used, although I would definitely redo the face again If I were to redo it again.  For the second task, we were asked to draw a key of three 'shades', (light, medium, and dark). With these, we were asked to create a series of 4 drawings, going from minimal marks to many, with all three s...

Life Drawing with a Model - 1 For our first week of drawing with a model, we focused on loosening up and getting used to working with a nude model. We used different graphite pencils for all of this session, simply focusing on proportions and different ways to draw.  For the warm up tasks, we were asked to create multiple drawings of the model in different ways. Using our wrong hand, taping our pencils together, using both hands, and drawing by memory are just a few examples. This was a really fun page to do, it helped me warm up and not focus or worry about drawing details of the model. For our next task, we were asked to draw parts of the figure, using frames. We had free reign on how we did this page, as long as we had multiple drawings of different body parts. I chose to explore many different areas, using tonal and sketchy techniques to experiment with shading and depth. I love the two tonal drawings as the top, both having minimal detail but holding alot of depth. I really do...

Week 6 Dry Point For my drypoint print, I decided to draw and etch a dinosaur skeleton, from a photo I took from the Museum of Oxford a few years ago. I knew going into this print that it is a very delicate print, unlike Lino, that takes to any small print you leave on the acrylic. With this in mind, I thought a detailed, delicate design like a skeleton would be a great way to really experiment with the materials being taught to me. In doing the print, I know now that I would put alot more detail into the shading and all over design on my skeleton if I were to develop this piece further. I would love to use this print in my final piece, although I will look into that in the future. I chose to print with two different black inks, and a mossy green, thinking it would be a wonderful mix. I found in my first print that I took far too much of the inks off of the acrylic when wiping it down, so for the next I took note of this and saw an immediate change.