Sketch Book ~ Part One

This is my first sketch book, for Part One of the UAL Foundation Art and Design Course.

Our starting theme is Grids, Layers and Reflections.

After our initial visit to Blackburn Art Gallery and Museum, I choose this painting entitled ' Hardy of Chelsea Green'.

I picked this as I was drawn to the colours and patterns of the clothes in the painting, also the fact that I thought the subject looked like a man dressed as a woman, or as though the subject was 'dressing up'.  The painting struck me as not being just a typical portrait. 

I tried to capture the colour variations within the painting, there are a great many colours and patterns to the clothing, plus detailing like the fringing on the shawl.  I also attempted  to recreate the colours and pattern with different mediums of paints and pencils.



Patterns on the neck scarf



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Bugs and Insects

Whilst visiting the Art Gallery I was also fascinated by the cases of bugs and beetles on display.  I thought the colours and variations of patterns on the wings and shells of the bugs were really interesting, and gave great scope for a whole range of work.  With colour combinations, patterns and textures able to provide ideas for many projects.

On reflection I decided I'd concentrate my work more on this area, rather than pursuing the painting I'd first chosen.  I believed the bugs and insects would provide greater scope for me, plus they are something I can, and we all can, relate to.

You have to understand that there are very few of these bugs and beetles that I would actually want to touch or hold on my hand!

Having said that, as a small child I vividly remember keeping Ladybirds and Small Green Beetles in a sellotape tin as my treasured pets.  As a young child I found them cute and colourful and interesting to watch as they scurried around.

I think everybody adores Ladybirds, they are used for so many branding and advertising items, in fact the first book I  learnt about insects from, not only contained information about them, but was published by a Company bearing their name.  One of the rhymes we learnt as children is about Ladybirds.  My dressing gown as a child had Ladybird buttons.   So bugs and insects are part of us from an early age, probably without us really being aware of the fact.

Early Ladybird Book on Insects



I Used to keep Ladybirds and Green Beetles In a Sellotape Tin



A Childhood Rhyme



My first idea, was to take the word Ladybird or Ladybug literally, and create a picture based on that.  A true 'LadyBug'
A decoupaged picture on a colourful background.

Unfortunately, it didn't quite work as I'd hoped.  My colourful 'fruit and flower' background, is just too colourful, making my LadyBug rather invisible.



For my research on bugs and beetles I looked in a beautifully illustrated book, which contains hundreds of gloriously photographed insects, moths and beetles.

I drew some of these through carbon paper, capturing the different shapes and structures of their bodies and wings.  I also tried to create my own little 'Insect Display' using photographs of the bugs, lining them neatly in a brown framed paper case.



Insect Display



CARBON DRAWINGS

I tried again to created a picture using  decoupage and collage.   I used cut up pictures, wallpaper and torn textured papers to create a mini framed art work of my own interpretation of a green beetle.

Whilst researching insect inspired fashion, I was prompted to draw my own idea for an  insect inspired garment. 

One of my particular favorite images in the book, was this Helicopter DamselFly, I hope to do some work around this.