Project 3: Exercise 2 - 
Still life in tone using colour

For this exercise I chose to use logs of wood, chosen for their differences in tone and texture: 


I placed the 3 logs together and started by creating a simple line sketch of their shape using a brown pencil crayon: 


With pencil crayons I looked hard at the texture of each log, I  specifically wanted to take note of the direction of the lines in the logs. I used a different colour for each tone that I saw:


I then began to fill in blocks of tone with my coloured pencils. I wanted to try and stay true to the directions of the lines in the wood. As suggested, I worked quickly and spontaneously: 




With the sketch above, I was concerned that I had not emphasized light against dark effectively. I felt that the contrast in tone just wasn't enough. As much as I felt the lines of the word had been captured, I was unsure that the difference in tone had been. 

 I drew again in the same quick and spontaneous nature. Again, using limited selection of pencil crayon colours. For this second attempt I wanted there to be more of a colour contrast. I chose a lighter shade of yellow to capture the very lightest tones in the wood, and a maroon red to capture the middle tones. The very darkest tone is the centre log, almost black in colour. 

 As much as the drawing below is messy, I can see that I have captured more of a truth in terms of tone. There is more separation between the tones. 




Reflections: 

 I found the study of the lines of the wood really interesting. Drawing with the natural grain and direction of the wood was an insight. 

 I feel that in the end and with reflection of my first attempt I did start to see the different tones in the wood, using a lighter shade of pencil against a much darker shade really helped with that. 

 I don' t feel satisfied with the sketch as a whole, it is messy and undeveloped. However I can see that the tones did appear with my second attempt. 

 Drawing the initial line drawing in a coloured pencil was pleasing, however I am struggling with this medium when blocking in colour. I am finding coloured pencils rather pale and clumsy. Much more practice is needed here I feel. 

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