Compare how the different methods allow you to:
1) Represent form
The charcoal drawing on paper helped me to evoke form because it was easy to create dark shadows with harsh strokes. It was also easy to create highlights by leaving paper blank or adding white conti crayon. Although it was more difficult to create light values using the eraser on the charcoal, the lights and darks produced have a prominent sense of form. There are also many grays in this piece on the left to portray dimension and form. Although the charcoal on the paper was faster to draw with and easier to produce value, it was more challenging to produce a realistically accurate sense of value. It was harder to avoid using too many contour lines with the charcoal on paper, whereas with the eraser on charcoal you were forced to rely on light and value to portray form.
2) Evoke emotion
The drawing on the left portrays a darker emotion to me, as the background and the majority of the piece are a dark black. The softer lines and shapes help to make a darker, softer, more melancholy emotion. On the right, the emotion is much lighter. Also, the scratched and rubbed lines and shapes make the feeling lighter and faster. However, the lack of dark colors prevent the piece from becoming too dark or intense. With the composition on the left, the lack of light tones further darken the feeling and emotion of the piece.
3) Define composition
With the drawing on the right, the eye is drawn to the lantern in the front and then the darker tones and shadows guide the viewer on a sort of diagonal up and across the piece. The eye travels from the shadow of the lantern, up the shadow of the watering can, and up into the items in the upper portion of the piece. The eye is also attracted to the fabric shadows and the shadow beneath the mallet. The contrast between the dark and light colors are what create interest and define the composition in both pieces. In the drawing on the left, the eye is mainly drawn to the lamp structure on the left portion of the page. It also travels up the right side of the page, but the light values on the lanterns draw the eye the most and define the composition.
To what degree do these drawings resonate with you aesthetically? (Did they allow you to fully express your intuitive sensibilities, artistic vision, etc? What did you enjoy / find uncomfortable about the process?
I found the process of the piece on the left to be more frustrating because I prefer to be precise and detailed in my drawing approach, and I found this challenging using the bulky erasers. The erasers had to be used very carefully in order to keep the integrity of the items I was drawing. I do not find it to be as pleasing aesthetically because there is not enough contrast between light and dark to make the piece interesting and intriguing. I aesthetically prefer the composition on the right because the contrast guides my eye along the drawing. I think that the shadows make logical sense and accurately portray the form that the drawing was modeled after. I enjoyed smudging the charcoal with a paper towel because I found that it gave me lots of freedom when making shadows.
