Exercise 4.1

Description and depiction

This exercise challenged me to use both words and pictures to describe a chosen scene; a task I was excited about, as I enjoy both forms of creative expression. First, I reflected on the questions posed at the start of this task.

How much of your own presence do you think comes through in your drawing?

My presence certainly influences the choice of content – such as the people I find most interesting to draw – and the angles or perspectives I choose to observe. Sometimes when I am settled drawing, I will include items I have added to the scene, such as a teacup I have been drinking from, or my own hand holding a pen. These are perhaps slight indications that this is an observation through my eyes.

What is your intention when you draw?

My main intention is to represent the place, person or object in front of me – sometimes with minimal detail, sometimes with lots. I like to vary the style or amount of detail I add to an image, and I think this sketchbooks module has highlighted that to me.

Are you a silent bystander or active participant?

For the majority of the time, I am a silent bystander. If I can be considered an active participant by sitting in a café, enjoying food and drink, while drawing at the same time – then I am active!

Are you looking to capture the objective reality of the situation or more a communication of how you see, feel and engage with the world?

I think I look to do a mixture of the two. I want my drawing to be recognisable, but I also try to use a style, colour etc. that fits my mood or impression of the location or person.

What obstacles might you encounter if you attempt to draw exactly what is in front of you, as true as you can?

Trying to achieve a complete copy of the scene in front of you could be tricky as the scene will change. This does not take into account the time change and movement. Also, it can only be true to what you see; it can never be an exact replica of what is in front of you; it MUST be partly the artist’s interpretation, because they are the one capturing the scene. As the course materials state, there are ‘subjective authorial qualities’ in your work; your personal voice, coming through the choices you make about content, composition, materials etc.

The task asked me to choose a space that interests me, where some slow activity or movement is taking place. I chose my favourite coffee shop in my home town; Coffee Street. It is beautiful, with interesting decorative items and usually 60s’ music playing. I have lots of memories in this café and it feels like a comfortable space to draw.

I set up my page before arriving, with four oblongs on a double-page spread. I created a postcard template for box 1, and I left the other boxes blank until I arrived. Below is the finished double-page spread:

Reflection

What approaches did you enjoy and which will you take forward?

I loved combining words and pictures. The second box, where I wrote descriptions of items in the location they were placed, was the perfect way to understand the scene. I knew what I was instantly drawn to and what I wanted to focus on, but it helped to describe the textures or colours too. I actually found that, as I drew, I didn’t want to add colour using materials, because I had used words to describe the colours and to store that information. I wanted the words to have power on this page; the drawings would help with shape, positioning and little details. The idea of describing the scene before drawing is definitely something I will take forward.

What happened when words and images interacted; did they reinforce or play off against each other?

I think the words helped add more detail to the pictures. In box 4, I added words to create ‘shadows’, which I think looks effective; the words were there to add tone to the image. I prefer the descriptive use of words in boxes 1 and 2; I would like to see how these could be integrated with the images more effectively. Although the ‘brick’ idea seemed like a fun way of creating the pattern, it doesn’t really add anything to the image; it doesn’t explain the texture, colour or pattern, it simply states the item, which an oblong shape would have done just as well.

Did describing the scene using words first affect the way you drew afterwards?

Yes! I loved describing the scene first. It focused my mind on what I wanted to portray in my drawings; the cluttered, cosy nature of the coffee shop, the warmth, the quirky items. It also makes you look and listen and notice everything around you in a different way, before embarking on sketching the scene. I will definitely take this idea forward; it was like a more detailed brainstorm of vocabulary. I can also see how the style of writing might change depending on the location.

Did what you described using words help you to decide the emphasis of the image?

I think it was a combination of the words that helped establish my emphasis. I wanted to make the scene look cluttered and cosy. I wanted to make it look friendly, a little wonky, a little strange. I don’t think I particularly focused on one specific item; it was more the ‘mood’ I was emphasising.