For the first part of my course I had to experiment with mark making. I found it quite difficult to begin, as in the past I had always drawn 'something', never making marks that weren't arranged to be something certain. I felt quite intimidated by the paper when I first began this exercise. I felt as though the blank sea of white mocked me as I first struggled to put pencil to paper. However as I began, my tools seemed to take on a mind of their own, drawing, shading and scribbling across the page. As you can see in the photograph below.
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| page from learning log |
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| page from sketch book |
Doodling with pencil:
During my experiments with the use of pencils I learnt:
Ø the harder you press the darker the marks;
Ø the higher the B number the softer and darker the pencil;
Ø using my finger over dark shading creates soft tones;
Ø Rubber can be used to take out parts of shading (make negative areas);
Ø Removing some lead from dark shading can make different textures;
Ø Areas can be built up with hatching to make different tones
Example of my experiments with shading:
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| page from learning log |
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| image from sketch book (conte crayons) |
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| image from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book Doodling with charcoal: |
Charcoal is a much darker tool then pencil. I found you can use the side of a small, fat piece of willow charcoal to cover large, broad areas with shading,. Thinner pieces can be used for finer sharper work. Charcoal pencil can be used to make much finer detail, however it is much lighter than willow charcoal. I personally love the dark, deep blackness that the willow charcoal makes. I also experimented with using water over the charcoal and using my finger to smudge it. I found you can make lighter tones in this way. I also tried out graphite sticks for the first time and was surprised by their softness.
Below are some photos of my experiments with charcoal;
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| page from log book |
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| Page from sketch book |
Experimenting with ink:
From my experiments with ink I learnt:
Ø The more dilute the ink the lighter the tone;
Ø Ink runs;
Ø If ink if applied to wet paper the ink does not run past the water;
Ø When water is applied to water soluble markers the ink runs (I personally really enjoyed watching the ink bleed when water was added);
Ø Biro can be used for hatching and finer detail.
Below are some images of my experiments with ink:
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| page from log book |
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| Page from log book |
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| image from sketch book |
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| image from sketch book |
General doodling:
When I began the mark making exercises I don’t think I fully appreciated the benefits and rewards of experimenting with making marks. I have really enjoyed the excercises and below are some pictures from my sketch book and learning log showing marks made from a mixture of pencil, charcoal, ink etc.
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| page from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book |
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| image from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book |
New media:
For the exercises trying new media, I used: feltips; coloured ink pens; oil pastels; watercolour pencils; ink with different size sticks; powdered ink; ink with fan brush; ink used with a roller.
I really enjoyed searching through my draw to find anything I could use to make marks. To be honest I didn’t really know what I was doing, apart from getting a feel of the different materials I came across.
Most of my work went well. I tried using different materials in different ways. I made patterns, filled large areas as well as trying smaller marks.
From my experiments I feel I learnt how different materials work in comparison to others. Pastels are good for covering large areas of colour; they can be used for smaller detail, however watercolour pencils and coloured ink pens are much more precise. I love the vibrant colours of the oil pastels, and enjoyed using them one over the other.
I’ve also come to realise how colour can be used to define form and shape, as well as give the sense of light and shadow.
Below are some photos taken from my learning log and sketch book:
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| page from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book |
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| page from sketch book |
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| page from log book |
End of mark making project,
Check and log:
When I first started this project on mark making I was, I am ashamed to say a little sceptical of its benefits. However on the contrary, as I’ve worked through the exercises, I was surprised to find how much pleasure and enjoyment I found in making marks for the sole purpose of becoming in tune with the way different materials work when applied in different ways. I now believe this project could be an endless task. Thus throughout my entire course I shall try to put effort into practicing and refining different techniques.
I have learnt a lot from this project and have included some of my findings below:
- Normally I would have held my pencil/pen very near the tip. This makes very precise marks, and depending on the pressure, I can vary the darkness of the marks. Furthermore applying marks over marks several times can increase the density of the marks. (however you have to be careful if you don’t want to create a solid block of colour)
During my studies I tried holding my pen/pencil right at the top, so that it dangled onto the page. I really enjoyed making marks in this way. It was somewhat liberating to see the less precise and ragged effects this gives. I think this is a good technique to use in large flat areas around or behind more precise and intense objects.
- Different techniques look different depending on the materials used. I find it hard to say which material is the best for which technique as it all depends on what is being drawn and the effects wanted.
Pencil and graphite sticks make very precise marks, and can be easily used for hatching, stippling and other sharp, specific marks. They are also excellent for drawing fine detail.
Charcoal is a much softer material, and depending on the thickness of the stick, can make a variety of marks. It is not as precise as pencil and graphite sticks, but can cover much larger areas, and can be smudged to make varying degrees of intensity.
Ink was my overall favourite, for the simple reason it was such an exciting material to use. I love the fierce blackness of the ink, and the different ways it can be applied. Strong, sharp marks can be applied using a pin or sharpened sticks. It can also be used to cover large areas with a brush. Different intensities of colour can be made by adding water.
- I discovered that rough, short, jagged marks portray a feeling of chaos, anger, or depending on the colour, excitement and provocation. On the other hand, marks that are smooth, flowing and colours that blend well into each other portray calm, gentle, restful and serene feelings.
- With the introduction of colour I found that moods and feelings became more apparent. Furthermore I found that the, marks became less precise and it was difficult to make sharp angular marks.
Throughout my experiments I enjoyed every stage. In particular I really liked trying out different pens and ink. I love the intense blackness and the fast fluent marks that can be made. I hope to carry on with my experiments using pen and ink in the future, and hope, in Van Gogh’s words to ‘draw as easily as writing’.
