People and Place Part 3: Illustrative drawings 3.3

Illustrative drawings

I chose 4 of the best landmarks I drew and photographed on the route from the previous exercises. I used both photos and drawings comparing qualities and from each to see what words I could come up with or what I felt about the image.

I first jotted down some words and odd ideas of what I wanted to communicate and the mediums I feel would be the best.

St Georges Hall

reference images ^

The first Landmark I started was St Georges Hall. I decided to use coffee because some of the words that stuck out to me was old and stained and bold. I think the first version I focused more on the stained old feel, I wanted minimal details which is the opposite to what it actually is. I looked at the accuracy of the shape on the photograph to get it right and then used the sketch which didn’t have great accuracy to add those minimal details. I love the contract between the lighter shades compared to the darker it replicates that of a stain especially seeing how there is no solid edges and it’s faded in place like I’ve spilled the coffee. This effect also communicated the ‘old’ age of the building how it’s still there after years.

As for the version underneath still using the coffee, I relied a lot more on my sketch for this one as I used a fine liner to show the details but still kept the fading out as I did on the drawing. The unfinished part in comparison to the front of the building keeps the focus on the most interesting part for me personally. Both of these I’d like to think are the same image, but these snapshots created for the word I chose are drawn with a different approach. Out of all the words I associate them both with ‘Old’ and definitely stained. Stained meaning St Georges Hall still remains intact since 1854.

 The next Landmark was the radio city tower.

The tower is on the right and the plan for the radio tower is on a small piece in the centre

Next was the Radio City Tower which I again took details of each from the photograph and the sketch. I wanted to exaggerate the tallness of the tower how is towers over the city. Using charcoal, I tried to incorporate the sketchiness of the original drawing; how the outlines are heavy and there is a lot of shadow. I think this page is dramatic and I wanted to keep that effect by sticking to the black and white rather than being precise with the colours or the detail of the writing on the top, the windows. I drew some waves coming out from the top this represents the sound and energy waves which are produced considering it is a radio station that can be heard all around the city. On the list of words, I used I thought aside from reality it resembled a spaceship that's beaming light below like an abduction you’d see in an alien film. The dark tones and sound waves for me definitely communicates “towering” the darkness communicates the powerful out of reach theme. The composition is simple in the middle of the page as a main focus on a piece of paper I first tried a few versions using different mediums. I chose the charcoal.

 Costa colourful building

 Out of the four landmarks I chose to further develop this is the most abstract and expressive. The coloured tubes on the original building cannot be seen in the sketch I did so I added the colours but I thought go would go well together on a dark background with pastor I created a vibrant collection of lines thick and thin which also doesn't feature on the original building. Composition wise I stuck to a similar shape starting from one end of the page to the other simplistic combined with the bright bold colours reminds me of seeing colourful lights in the dark. It was a fun experience to draw these lines I got to randomly try out colours and depending on what side I used of the of the piece of pastel it affected the shape, size, and the amount of pigment intensity. I didn't have a plan when creating this one it was a free thought, and it is my favourite one.

 Finally the Town Hall

Next one of the Town Hall I didn't fully develop; the picture I took I wasn't satisfied with; not only was it was too far away but the detail an overall structure was a bit difficult to change and I wanted to have a similar effect I did with St. Georges hall or another medium. It was either too much detail to recreate and the layers for the building didn't interest me, there was so much that I couldn’t simplify it the way I wanted. Nevertheless, I had to go of testing out different mediums, the only medium and style I liked is the fully detailed one I did in pen, I didn't want to use pen because it’s too close of a copy to the original picture and that’s not the effect I wanted. I made a little pocket with all my different plans, sketches and attempts of this one. It’s on the page but not a focus because I didn't think it was as effective as the others.

Overall, I enjoy trying to think of new ways to change and enhance my visual references I did find it hard to try and draw certain words as a visual I try my best friend table that what the sketches and photographers were communicating and in doing so I am happy with how they turned out.

A fun thing thats happened sicne closing my sketchbook is that the colours from the pastels had rubbed off onto the radio city tower and its given a cool stobe rainbow effect, Its given a new look the page.

 Do I think using pictures and drawings to reference will influence my gathering of reference materials going forward?

I think pictured and drawings will influence on my gatherings for future reference collecting physical pieces of things like tickets, receipts, postcards, stickers pieces of random paper, doodles or anything collected on a journey I can incorporate them in a page as part of the drawing or painting.Also if I were to just draw a building or object on its own I can give it my own context.