Vulture Head-Metallic

I was going to try something less time consuming but then I saw a great image of a Vulture and just had to give it a go. I had seen a piece of work by a previous student in scraper board which was the inspiration for this piece. I love the texture in the feathers, the strong contrast and reflecting light provide real visual power but while the control and technique is very similar to the pen work (Bird Head) it is much harder to distinguish between surfaces. In the pen work the beak, eye and feathers look different - in scraper board it is not so evident. I will need to take this into consideration later on. Feel free to leave a comment!

Leopard-Coloured Pencil

I am still undecided as to what direction to follow so I am keeping my focus wide in relation to my source materials. The photo of the tiger captured my attention. I wanted to use colour pencil and I felt that the fur in this image was suitable. Other images I had seen had been too complex. I am please with the outcome, the subtle changes of colour an the small details have a natural feel about them. I have realised however that using photos as my primary source is leading me to work very tight and while I like the focus on accuracy it will prove to be problematic to produce a final piece in this style so I may need to bring in less time consuming techniques.
Feel free to leave a comment!

Eagle Head-Biro

Following the squid I wanted to try something different so I opted for some biro work. I love using pen and I am really pleased with the effect of the feathers and it works really well against the smoothness of the beak. However I underestimated how long this technique would take and so I am leaving it at this stage to save time for another material.
Feel free to leave a comment!

Squid-Pastel

To follow the snake head I chose pastel to help capture the soft colour movement across the delicate flesh of the squid. The tentacles were a pain. Having finished two, taking way too long, I decided to move onto another material. If I decide to use more squid images I need to look at another way of reaching the same level of quality as what the pastels have done. Feel free to leave a comment! 

Snake Head-Shading Pencil

To start my project I felt I needed to begin with some tonal control, the snake head was an impressive example, I particularly like the contrast of the liquid surface of the eye and the dry rough texture of the scales. The eye is very effective and I am very pleased with the small details at the outer edges. The scales are well controlled but I feel that some of the distinction between the edges is a little fuzzy. Feel free to leave a comment!

 

Introduction

The starting point for my project is the title ‘ALTERNATIVE LIFE/FORMS’.

My immediate reaction is to focus on the ‘LIFE’ aspect. My experience at GCSE was successful and through developing my skills I feel confident that I am able to capture most images using a variety of materials. I think that I need to use the opportunity to direct my own studies so I am going to start with a broad brief – ANIMALS are both an alternative form of life whilst also being a diverse and visually interesting resource. I am sure that the combination of fur, feather, scale, skin and all the other textures and surfaces will provide an excellent starting point to develop my skills.