Abstract project

To begin my abstract project, I started by creating three research sheets on the three topics we were to study; Portraits, Landscapes and Still Life. I collected primary sources, being photographs I had taken from previous trips and sketches, and secondary evidence from magazines and books. These sources then guided me in creating three varied mix-media sheets.

I began with my Portraiture sheet, mainly because Portraiture is my favourite area to study. I gathered up some secondary photographs from an old vogue magazine, and cut them into sections. I began with a photograph of David Bowie; I am fond of music especially the 80s and 90s so using a photograph of an artist I like brought a personal touch to my work, rather than choosing images at random. I drew out the other side of his face and from using the opposite image I filled in using coloured pencil. Using artistic license I decided I would draw it this way so It would help me improve my portrait skills. I could have been better with choosing the right colours so the images appeared to be one rather than two, however I am best pleased with my outcome. 

I drew a study from a primary photograph of my friend using acrylic paint to show my painting skills,and then using a photograph I painted abstract lines on to show contour and light and shade, but in an abstract way. I applied the paint quite thickly and loosely as I wanted the study to contrast with my pencil drawing for some variation. I added some flowers with watercolour and marker pens to add some pattern and brighten up the sheet.

My second sheet I based on landscapes. Using a secondary sourced image again, I Stuck two separate ones onto my sheet, and drew out the other half and painted in watercolour. I used watercolour because it is a nice simple medium, that glides nicely along me page. Compared to acrylic I find it easier to blend. I feel I definitely could have improved on the colour matching, and the perspective as it is slightly off. I am glad I chose watercolour to use. I added some highlights with white acrylic and a piece  of card to scrape it on with, to bring out the foreground better, which I feel worked. Although my study doesn't look exact to the original image, I feel it still represents the landscape theme. I added a transfer fish just to make my study a little more fun. I began to blend the bottom of my image out to the bottom of my page. and after cutting out the word 'landscape' form some tracing paper I printed it using a sponge and acrylic, to show some different techniques rather than just painting. I loosely drew some trees in the background and scraped paint on with the card again for some texture. I really feel I kept my colours in comparison so the whole sheet fit together nicely. I am pleased although I could have worked on my perspective as previously mentioned.

For my still life I used a variety of mediums. I mainly used primary sources for my studies. After attaching some secondary photographs, again from Vogue 1999 magazine, I washed my sheet with some blue watercolour to blend my photograph in, and began to draw some photographs I had taken from a recent trip to York. I really enjoyed the museum, and they had a huge variety of still life objects which fitted in perfectly with this project. I used acrylic paint, coloured pencil, pen and water and biro pen to create my studies. I wanted to produce a nice range to mix up the sheet a little. I am especially pleased with my biro study as I really tried to show light and shade in my lines. I transferred an image using acrylic paint; I first applied the paint into a rectangle shape and the placed my image on face down. The paint acts as glue, which takes the image from the original surface and onto the new one. I ten let it to dry, and peeled the paper away. I am really happy with my outcome, as I have learned to let the paint dry for as long as possible, preferably overnight to ensure the image transfers completely.  

After completing my primary research, I began to look at some artists for inspiration, who base their work on the abstract period. After previously looking at Patrick Heron's work, I chose to study his landscape work, as I really love the colour palette he has used, and how free he is in his studies. Heron began to take inspiration from Paul Cezanne in his early works, and then from attending the school in St Ives, alongside Barbra Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, created his own style which is very much stylized from the natural world, and a balance of colour and form. From looking at Heron's work I could infer that he brought the abstract theme in by splitting the objects into pieces of different colours and then put them back together. I feel this gives the paintings more depth, and really catches the viewers eye. I began to recreate Heron's works, 'Boats at night',  and 'Harbor window with two figures 1950'.

I chose these two pieces as they are both very different; both are produced in oil paint however the techniques used are very varied. 'Harbour Window with Two Figures' uses very controlled brush strokes. I feel it really tells a story, each section of the painting has a different meaning to it, the bright yellows really draw you in to the them as they make you feel happy and bright, whereas the darker colours in the background are pushed away form everything else. I feel it brings a sense of mystery to the painting  and make you want to study it further. I felt I would do my study in acrylic and fine liner so I could really get in the detail. I blended my colours together well to create the same colours as the original had. I only took  a section of the painting for it being so large, I just wanted a small snippet to display the varied work Heron has produced. For my second critical study, 'Boats at night, 1947',  I used oil pastel, as it is very similar to oil paint, and I wanted to expand my skill in using pastel. I used a range of techniques, firstly blocking in my colours and blending to give that loose feel Heron has shown. I used the Scraffito method to create texture, scraping away sections of the pastel to really feel earthy and rough like the original. I tried to be very free with my strokes to bring the whole piece together. To create the white waves I used white acrylic, which I had let dry to thicken up. I then dry brushed it onto my work and blended in with oil pastel. It became really effective, and had that rough lumpy texture to it which you would expect to feel if you touched Heron's study. Overall I am very pleased with my studies and feel I managed to incorporate how Heron would have felt producing them at that time. I could have used produced a bigger version of my first study instead of such a small one, although in the end it fitted in well.

I decided to research Paul Klee for my second Landscape artist, because I really loved the fact he bases his work on the colour theory. He feels colours show the emotion and the setting of each work. I also love how some of his pieces, especially 'Twittering machine' step away from the mature side of art and brings out his child like features; you can see he really has had fun with his work as well as creating pieces that have a deeper meaning. To create 'Villa, R' I used acrylic paint, as at the time I did not have any oil paint to hand. I worked over some areas with coloured pencil to really create that rustic look that oil paint gives. I used watercolour pencils which are very dense and pigmented so when pushed onto the paper they really bring texture that I liked. I also used the dry brush method to create rough looking lines.  

Through Klee's life he experienced traumatic events, such as deaths close to him from his time participating in the war. From viewing his work you can clearly see through time his mood and attitude to work has deteriorated, as the colours he used were very dark and muted, compared to the bold bright primary colours he used in previous.

For my still life research, I chose two artists, my first being Fernand Leger. Leger was a French painter, sculptor and film maker, who based his work on Cubism. I looked at two of his works, 'Plant Black (1947) and The Railway Crossing (1919). I loved the flamboyancy of his work, especially the colours as they had a primary feel to them, which  really caught my eye. To create ' Plant Black', I used two Mono-printing methods. Using oil based printing ink, I mixed my colours, as similar to the original as possible, and rolled out my three base colours, yellow green and lilac. I should have left my colours to dry before rolling them over the top of each other, as they blended together, but as oil paint takes the longest to dry, I did not have enough time, and should have focussed more on time management to get my desired effect. To make the shapes I cut out each piece from cellophane and rolled the ink onto the shapes. Then with a clean roller I rolled the paint onto the coloured background. I was really pleased with my overall result as it had a similar appearance. I used oil as the original was painted in oil, but to work on my printing skills I used inks. Oil sticks much better than water-based inks, and is much more pigmented.  To create my second piece, I used gouache, as it has a flat appearance, and it reminded me of the original image. I highlighted areas with pencil crayon, and created the rough areas as pencil over paint leaves a nice texture.

My second Still Life artist study, is Juan Gris, a Spanish painter who worked in France for most of his life. Gris was a cubist artist, who befriended the likes of Matisse, Leger and Braque. These artists too worked along the abstract style, and would include each other in their works. I can see how Gris and Leger  became friends, as their works show very similar aspects. They both were inspired by colour, and both seem to alter the perspective in their work. I like how Juan Gris adds multiple perspectives, keeping some areas quite flat and others not. I found I could recreate this look in felt and needle, so I cut up my pieces (using various colours) and sewed them together using different thickness of thread to add shading and definition in some areas. Due to the lack of felt colours It didnt quite capture the elements of 'Guitar and Music Book, 1923'. However I have gathered the texture and the way that Gris creates his work in block colours rather well. His colours are rarely blended and are neatly applied, which is why I felt that textiles would make a great alternative. My second study, 'Fruit and Book' was painted in oil paint, the medium used in the original. I am not fond of using oil paints, although I applied the colour in blocks and avoided layering so the colours would not blend and I feel I portrayed the study well. From a recent trip to New York, I was lucky enough to visit a piece of Juan Gris' work, and I gained better understanding on how he produces his work. I saw he liked to use different materials in his work that add texture, which is why I used felts to create a study of his work. Overall I feel I could have been more precise and known how to use oil paints better as I do not normally use them.

I then began to look into abstract Portraiture, and researched two artists, very different in various ways. My first artist was Henri Matisse, a French artist known for his use of bold colour. Matisse was a printmaker painter and sculptor, who's use of expression and language in art lead him to become one of the most famous figures in modern art. I recreated two of his works, 'Andre Derain,' and 'Self Portrait in a Striped Shirt'. My first study, I used oil pastel, as I felt is was a nice alternative to oil paints. Again, from visiting Matisse' works in New York, I was aware that Matisse liked to keep his work looking fresh and raw, nothing over done. Consequently, I applied the pastel in short thick strokes, keeping the colour fairly pigmented. I did however end up leaving some white spaces in the background which actually made the image appear fresh and new, unfinished in a good way. I made sure I applied the pastel like i would paint, keeping it smooth. My second study 'Portrait in a Striped Tshirt' was done in acrylic because I wanted to vary the media on my sheet. I worked quite quickly with this, and aimed to not layer the paint, to prevent the painting from looking defined. I really enjoyed painting this study, because It was something out of my comfort zone, as I enjoy creating detailed studied, not fresh ones. I made the background soft and blended to make the foreground stand out, creating a nice contrast. I feel Matisse wanted the audience to see the meaning of each piece through the colour rather than the image itself, which is why he worked so fast and freshly.

My second chosen portrait artist was Giorgio Chirico, an Italian artist who influenced the surrealist movement. Although his portraits do not have any kind of abstract feel to them, I still researched his studies, because I was really interested in the way he used light and shade; I feel it really shows the mood of the painting, and when it was set. I chose to recreate 'Self Portrait 4', in acrylic paint. As the original was made in oil, I used the acrylic as if it were oil, refraining from using water, just to get the feel Chirico may have had. I began by roughly drawing in lines of colour, to work out where my paint would go; it acted as a sort of bone structure of the face, giving me guidance for the skin. As it was one of his more recent portraits, I had to apply the paint thickly to create the deep lines and wrinkles of the skin. I feel Chirico brings life to his paintings by the use of highlight. Unlike Matisse' his works are very detailed and worked into, whereas Matisse kept his work fresh and free, to let the audience discover for themselves what the painted was about. Chirico's use of colours was also very dark and limited, whereas Matisse had childlike colour palettes in my opinion, very bright and garish. I transferred 'Portrait of Artists Mother, 1911' onto my sheet using acrylic paint. I feel the rough edges from where I peeled it away really contrast  the dark, soft strokes Chirico used. I think to improve I should have chosen an artist that portrayed more abstract techniques, to really understand why these artists painted in particular ways. For example, Picasso explored cubism in many ways throughout his life, due to the many relationships he had entailed in throughout his living.

I chose to base my final piece on Portraits and chose to influence my piece on Henri Matisse, because I was so intrigued by his use of colour, and, as I had chosen a photograph of me and my sister to create, It connected with my child theme. I looked at two paintings, 'Detail portrait of Greta Moll, 1908' and 'Woman With a Hat, 1905', which were both from the Fauvism era.

I produced 3 sets of Lino prints, using water based inks, all based on the three main themes; Still life, Landscape and Portrait. I based my still life prints on a photograph from a trip to York museum. I enjoyed playing around with the colours, and overlapping prints to create a 3D effect. I worked on one of my prints, with coloured pencil, which I really felt brought the image out. I used sunset colours, which were highly influenced by John Banting, a print artist from Chelsea. As seen in his Lino Cuts, he uses bold marks and prints with bold colours. I took inspiration from his print 'Explosion' by cutting my main image out precisely, and using similar bright colours. However, I kept my own style and added a vintage edge to my print, by cutting the background out roughly, leaving lines of lino still visable, as the photograph was taken from an old barn. I felt this contrasted nicely with the main image also.

 

 

 'Abstract' 1935

 

Banting based his work around surrealism, and on Lino, a medium, that had only been invented in the early 1900s; a modern technique compared to Woodcuts and etching for example. It is an alternative to Woodcutting, a process where Lino is cut into using a sharp tool or knife. The medium is very soft, making it easy to achieve a clear cut, compared to woodcutting, where the wood will warp and soften. I based my portraits on my favourite singer Rou Reynolds. I really wanted to work into his beard, and using inspiration from Banting's pieces, I used a small tool and really worked into making the hairs of the beard stand out. I used both water-based inks and oil-based when printing my set, as I wanted to have a mix of outcomes. Oil based ink is a lot more pigmented, as it is used for etchings it can really get into the smaller areas and produce a cleaner print. However, water-based are lighter and less messy. They are easier to work with as they are less viscose and easier to apply. However, water-based inks are less pigmented, which may result in an unclear and low opacity print. Lino prints can appear quite flat, as you are really only using two colours; your chosen colour and the white exterior. It is hard to add another colour in specific areas like you would when painting a picture, so to create definition, you would use different mark making techniques, which I had done so in my Landscape prints...

My landscape prints were taken from a primary sourced image from a trip to Yorkshire Sculpture park. I was intrigued by the light and shade in the photograph, and how I could transfer it into a linocut. I took inspiration from Banting's 'One Man Band', especially how he had incorporated different mark making skills into one print. I used cross hatching in my linocut, and I also experimented with colour, using multiple colours in one print. I could have been quicker with the printing process however; Water-based inks tend to dry out quickly if you leave them, which resulted in an uneven print. To resolve this however I worked into it using a fine liner to create some pattern, and to bring a little perspective into my image. I used another mark making technique, using swirls and wave motions with my pen to create the flowers and water, which I felt turned out well. It made my print into an image rather than just a print, which gave some variation to my set of print. I also used the bright orange and yellows, again as Banting had. I mixed my own colours together to make my prints original. My result image wasn't clear, however it did give a definite abstract feel to my print overall.

                                                                               'One Man Band' 1934

Remembrance Day project

As it has been 100 years since the beginning of World War One, a live company came to visit us, handing us two life-size wire sculptures of humans. As a group we were asked to decorate these people with items related to Remembrance Day and WWI to present on Remembrance day. To begin my research of Remembrance Day traditions (despite the knowledge I already had), I visited  Experience museum, which at the time had a world war one exhibit, to my luck. I took primary sourced photographs of the things that stood out to me most in relation to war. I would then interpret these into small pieces to put into the models.

After visiting Barnsley museum, I created a mood board, using some of the primary photographs I had taken previously. I started by dripping Brush o ink onto my page and blending to create blood. I also splatted it onto my page using the end of my paintbrush to make a splatted blood effect. Using water colour as a base and then coloured pencil I created a range of studies from primary and secondary evidence. I drew the medals I had photographed which in the end really stood out on my page. I drew the remembrance cross and a guy in battle, and blended the coloured pencil outwards, which I didn't feel had worked very well. I could have spent more time blending to create a better effect. Using water colour I painted some poppies as Poppies are what are commonly recognized as the symbol for WW1. I used the paints watered down first and then quite concentrated as I wanted to use two different painting styles to have a nice variety. I also created some poppies out of layered tissue paper and a red felt tip to create the creases which I was really please with and I crisped the tissue paper to look more like petals rather than a flat piece. The guy in the centre  is created using a brighter colour palette so he really stands out. I wanted him to be centralized to show that the war is about man and freedom for man, and our sculptures originate from sculptures of man. I used a mixture of coloured pencil, paint and  oil pastel, and began by being very loose with detail and then building layers and layers to really make him stand out. to improve I could have been better with my proportions as his helmet was too big but I am overall pleased. I painted a truck using the stippling method with acrylic paint just to have some variation. I am happy with my moodboard although I could have used some better materials such as texturized papers or a wider range of drawing methods.

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As an extra I did an A5 painting of an army Chief using water colour.

 

I started by going into the jewelry workshop, and producing some ration cards out of Copper;

-Firstly, I found a design of a real ration card from Google, and traced it out onto tracing paper

-I measured out my pieces of Copper and cut them out using the guillotine

- Then, using a stop out pen, I traced the lines and larger letters onto each piece of metal, and then stuck duct tape onto the back of each metal piece.

-I then placed them into a  tray of Nitric Acid, the tape being a protective layer, as the acid eats away at the material, and we didn't want the whole piece to disappear. the stop out also acts as a barrier.

-After leaving the pieces in for roughly five minutes I put them into water to wash away the nitric acid (wearing gloves at this time so my hands did not get into contact with the acid)

- I then found some methylated spirits and wire wool to rub away the stop out

-Using a hammer and some metal stamps I stamped in the letters and headers, making sure to hammer onto a metal surface as the stamps push through better and it did not damage the tables.

-I then used ammonia, which is a yellow liquid, rubbing it on and then straight off with water and drying. The ammonia turns black and makes the indents more visible. I then went over with wire wool to rub away any excess

-To finish off I covered in a coat of white adhesive to prevent anything from rubbing off, let it dry and then bent the metal by hand to appear worn.

Overall I am incredibly happy with my result, because the lettering is readable and they really represent that time in war; the dark colours make me feel depressed, which is how the people felt at that time.

 

 

 

Barnsley heritage project.

Tour de France project 2014

I began my project, by making a mind-map of words associated with the Tour de France. I wanted to be creative, so using a secondary sourced image of a wheel I placed the wheels around the spokes, to look asif they were moving, and if you span the wheel, when it stopped you would have a word relating to the tour. Also, it gave me some keywords to help plan out my project, and know what different aspects of the tour I can make sheets on.

I went to watch the tour on the second day (photographs will be posted shortly), and

seeing as the tour rode past my home town, I thought I would dedicate a page to it. I chose this photo, as it perfectly showed the atmosphere surrounding me at that time. It was just before the riders came past so all was calm, and the weather was bright which gave a pleasant atmosphere to the day. I painted the photograph in water colours, and tried to be quite loose and sketchy, as if the people were moving in the photo. I like the effect it gave, and I also added some fine liner to define areas. I found a map of my home town, and added some sequins in the route the riders were going. I wanted to add some texture to the flat image, some contrast.

The first artist I researched was Eliza Southwood, whom I found in the Civic in Barnsley. I really love the bright colours she uses, and I made my own interpretation of her work using a variety of printing methods. I etched into some acetate using a scribe, and printed using the printing wheel, which didn't work as I planned. I used the wrong printing inks which resulted in the print being very faint, something which I shall work on next time, and remember to check my past work to help me how to do it. I must also use more force when using the scribe to create a deeper mark. Southwood is an illustrator from Bath, who bases her work on cycling, and has created prints for many magazines and companies. Her work has a very modern, almost pop art touch to it, especially with the bright colour scheme. She also limits her colours, as majority are prints, which I feel really helps to bring he scenes together, and really set the mood at the time she created it.

I wanted to try something a little out of what I would normally produce, so I used my textiles skills from the workshops I participated in last year, and created a stencil in the shape of a tyre track. I used a cutting mat and scalpel to cut out the small pieces (which proved to be difficult!). I then printed the stencil, firstly dabbing paint through the gaps to appear as if I had rolled a wheel onto it; the outcome was very precise, and bold. However, I then painted directly onto the stencil, and printed it straight onto the paper to great an opposite effect. This came out rough and a lot looser than the first time, which I really liked, it made the tracks appear as if they were moving, as it is quite blurred. I feel as though I could have improved by adding colour in to my work, maybe overlapping some colour to give some more dimension. 

 

I wanted to specialise my project on muscles, so I began to look into the muscles that are mainly used by cyclists. Using a mixture of water colour and white acrylic I Painted each leg, using secondary sourced images. I added pencil crayon to my studies, because I could then add in he definition in which I couldn't with the watercolour. I am pleased with my work, as I really managed to get the definition on the lower leg. I feel each piece really stands out. I added some fruit and leaf printed paper underneath, to link in with the natural theme. Using previous biology and physical knowledge, I included the names of each muscle that are more predominantly worked when the cyclist rides. I feel to improve I could have done some further studies in other materials, maybe in oil pastel to do some abstract based studies, or maybe in collage for some texture. I could also have done some close ups of the muscle membrane. The materials I used however were effective in what I wanted to show.

As previously mentioned, I went to watch the tour on the second day, and I took photographs. I printed some out and stuck them into my sketchbook. Due to the printing inks, my images were very smudged so I had to spray hairspray to prevent them from further smudging. Because of this accident, I thought I would draw over one of the photos, of me and my sister. We went to watch the tour together, and being sisters reminds me of our childhood. I thought drawing over the faces would produce a child-like effect, which  made not only my photograph more visible, but remind me of my sister. I painted a watercolor study of one of the riders, really trying to get the highlights in his jacket, to give the effect of lycra. I used my finger to smudge the paint to look as if he was moving. Although messy it turned out well, and I feel I gave good definition out the sides of his limbs, where the sun was shining, as it was very warm. I maybe could have included some secondary sources into my sheet, however I found a photograph of a rider from a tour de france in the 1960s, from a flyer advertising an event linked to the tour. I added it to my sheet to show the contrast between the uniforms and how it has progressed in this time, using better technology and materials, so that the uniform is durable in all weather conditions and able to be flexible when the riders are in motion.  

For my second artist, I chose Andy Scullion; an illustrator and graphic designer from Nottingham. I included information about the artist in my sketchbook, and incorporated my annotations into my work, to make it blend a little better rather than be next to my work. I love the way Scullion presents his work, especially with the colours he uses; the pastels really give off a friendly vibe. To create his work I produced one study using pencil crayon, which really paid off as pencil crayon can be used subtly, which is soft like Scullion's work. The second I used fine liner and watercolor, which I thought was quite messy, although compared to Scullions work it looks pretty similar as the colours are flat, as Scullions work is graphically produced. I should have used some secondary sources to mix it up a little, and show what I was working from.

 

   My third artist is Mauro Pezzotta, an Italian photographer. As I wanted to base my project on muscles and the body, I looked briefly at diet, and found an artist who based their work on food and transport. Despite bicycles, a lot of vans and floats were used in the parade before the cyclists arrived, which is how my artist links in. I interpreted two of her pieces, one being a car, which I showed my drawing skills and used coloured pencils. I could really show the definition of the vegetables using pencil, rather than paint. I used lighter colours for highlighting as I presume the photograph was taken under white lights, so I used the yellow in the background to really being out the green. My second study was done using various materials. Over a patterned background I had attained, of cylindrical flowers which look like wheels. Using a mixture of magazine, coloured paper, tissue paper and colouring crayon I cut and stuck together to look like vegetables. I scrunched the green magazine to look like beans, and then to make the oranges I used orange coloured paper, which was worn so had a rough appearance. I then stuck on some tissue paper to make the orange pulp, and coloured over in crayon. Crayon is very thick, so gave texture, unlike using coloured pencil which is less pigmented.

To begin my development, I produced a sheet linked to everything I created in my sketchbook. I Added the coloured wheels as they were an experiment done in my book, although the previous time was done with puffy paint. After not being a success, I used regular ink instead, as it is just as pigmented. As I looked into muscles I added some more muscles used by cyclists, being the back muscles and the inside of a muscle, which were painted in watercolour and pencil crayon like the ones in my book. However the muscle inside was done in oil pastel; I chose oil pastel because it is something I rarely use and wanted to try and increase my skills. I reprinted an Eliza Southwood stencil I made previously, just so that I had a variety of processes on my sheet, rather than just painting and drawing. The inside of the bike is also a tyre track stencil I cut out. I had some coloured papers, which I had used in my andy scullion page as I thought they had a bike like feel to them, however this time I drew over the circles with a fine liner to make the look like bike wheels. I did this just to draw it in a little bit and link better to the rest of the wheel-based outcomes. Overall I am pleased with my outcome, however if I was to change anything I would make the colours scheme match better as everything is a little mixed up, compared to my development sheet two (Displayed below), which teams together a lot better.

Once again taking snippets from my sketchbook work, I created my second development sheet, based on muscles and movement. I took the muscle drawing of a lower leg and enlarged it, using the same technique as I had previously. I used the same technique as I felt it turned out really well last time, and I created the same effect on another part of the body; the shoulder. I was really pleased with this outcome, as I layered the paint to make more pigment ,and again colored over in pencil, where I could really add in detail, especially into the veins. I used the same technique when painting my wheels. I wanted to incorporated muscles in any way I could, so I coloured the spokes in the colours I used to paint the muscles. I felt it matched with the rest of my work. To mix things up a bit I thought I would try some illustration, and created a man made of vegetables. I soon realized the man was running and not cycling, which doesn't link into the tour de France, however it is made of fruit and is to do with health, so you could say it still links in. I used coloured fine liners and coloured pencil to blend the liner in. I think it made a nice contrast to the rest of my work, as it is sketchy and loose whereas the muscle studies are detailed. I made a stencil of a foot, and printed it around the page. I don't think it fits in very well, as it stands out too much, to improve I could have printed it in a different colour maybe, or made the stencil smaller so it was less visible. Overall I am happy with my page.

I based my first artist research page on Andy Scullion, as he was my favourite artist out of the three I researched. Reason being because I feel his work gave off a happy calm vibe, compared to Southwood and Pezzotta as their work is bright, but has a less eerie vibe in my opinion. I used various techniques in this sheet, including sewing, printing and painting. I sewed along the outline. I then cut out some blue iridescent material  and some red material and sewed them to make the union jack flag. I am pleased with my outcome, although the quality of my thread was weak, so to improve I could have used some better thread. Trish Wright, mum, said "I love how you have presented your work; I love how you have incorporated your own style into his work, but have still produced your work how he would.''  I do feel as though I added my own touch to Scullion's wok, as previously mentioned so agree with what Trish has said.

 For my second artist research page, I chose Eliza Southwood. After already completing a page on her work I am aware of her background and how she produces her work. I took the stencil I used before and printed a couple onto my sheet. However I had not pressed my stencil own firmly enough which made my print very messy. However, to improve it I reprinted over the top with another colour and made sure to press down firmly on the edges. Despite the blip I was really pleased with my outcome, because  the foundation colour created a kind-of shadow, and brought some dimension to the print rather than it being one flat colour, which was effective. I cut out some tissue paper buildings, which I  took from a few of Southwood's paintings, and added them in a collage style in the corner. The buildings represent Yorkshire in my eyes and the industrial revolution, especially Sheffield for its steel, hence why I wanted to incorporate it into my sheet. Using gouache, I worked into one of Southwood screen prints (names of her pints are not displayed on her website). I followed it on, and I feel I matched the colours quite well. I used gouache as it is thick and matte like her screen print, compared to other paint which has a shiny look to it, or oil pastels which are grainy. To differentiate from using paint I sketched a cyclists leg with biro, which contrasted nicely to the rest of my sheet. I also made some wheels out of tissue paper and water colour using the same colour scheme. Overall I am pleased with my sheet. Compared to my Andy Scullion sheet I have a lot more components included, and is packed whereas my Scullion sheet is simpler. I am pleased with both sheets however. Everything flows nicely, especially the rider in the center, which I painted in acrylic. I painted a road curving round the sheet, to look as if he has just rode past. The acrylic worked well, however I added my own streak by shading n the edges with coloured pencil. I am aware that Southwood's work is screen printed and is flat, but I wanted to bring some life to my studies. 

We were asked to produce three final paintings in the style of one of our chosen artists. I chose Eliza Southwood because I loved her style and thought it would be easier and more effective to create her style. I didn't use Andy Scullion as he is an illustrator and doesn't have as much to work from as Southwood does.