next step

Just a quick up date to the process of creating the picture.

This is a small detail of the two central characters of the work . what I am looking at here is the development of the values of tone. Carefully looking at the relationship of tone between one area and another, basically whats light and dark and all the tones in between. You can still see in this snippet of the picture the texture of the paper which i will keep in some areas as it lends its self well to the subject for example the texture of the fine feathers on the peacock head. As this process develops you will start to see the depth in the picture develop. Its important to look at the development of the picture as a whole as well as how one element relates to the one next to it so the whole piece has continuity. The detail of the Lemurs eye was done with a 2b lead in a propelling pencil as the piece develops Ill be using various methods of mark making with various different applications of graphite. If you have any questions leave a comment and Ill try as best to answer them

Thanks Lee

chttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8kfR8-4RLc Youtube video of some past work based on animals - enjoy

Working on good quality paper is a very good start, in this case its stonehendge 100% cotton 250gsm acid free.
the reason that some papers are better than others can be purely down to personal preference but what Im looking for from the paper is that it can hold the graphite well, that through the natural progression of drawing the integrity of the paper isn't lost . I do try to make as few mistakes as possible but rubbing out areas will occur either through the development of a texture or the readjustment of a line. If the paper cant hold this flexibility it soon deteriorates leaving you having to start again.


Ive started to mock out where the basic elements  of the composition are going , you may notice Ive moved the deer and giraffe a little closer,  after reviewing the pictorial plain and trying it out i felt that there was too much space and liner alignment of the characters which left it feeling a little staged and flat.
At this stage the only drawing tool im using is a propelling pencil because of its light appliance of graphite whilst giving you a thin enough line that can be easily manipulated.

starting the composition

Ive been busy collecting images of animals from local zoos and open farms together with local street life, its taken some time to develop a story that the composition holds, its made from several street scenes and of course as you can see several different animals that wouldnt normally asscociate with each other. Placing them carefully to create an air of normality , the every day.

subtle nuance of posture can suggest interaction, conversations being held, a social conformity. Its important at this stage to create the right composition. The next stage is to transfer the image to paper using graphite as my medium. Its not going to be a direct copy of the picture, theres gesture and texture that can enhance this scene will be hard to appreciate that on a computer screen but as the drawing develops I will show the process and detail some of the processes I use.

start of new work

This work follows on from my look at wildlife and animals around me ,living in Northern Ireland. Ive started to  investigate our society and how we relate to each other. Looking at the society your in, what do you see? who do you see around you? what are your impressions of them? Its hard not to be judgmental. Through many forms of media that we are constantly bombarded by , we subconsciously assimilate a collective understanding of how our society is doing. But is this a true reflection? when did you really take time to look at those people who are around you everyday.

 It would be easy to report that our society is an over populated conglomeration of O.A.P, single parents, hoodies, disaffected youth, corrupt politicians, inept bankers, poverty,hate crimes a broken society....
but is that what you really see right now. I'm not saying these things dont exist but on what scale compared to what we come into contact with.
The old exist, we are all moving in that direction, but other than relatives when did you last speak with someone from an older generation? single parent families exist for a multitude of reasons when did you last talk to someone who is a single parent? Hoodies and disaffected youth- the more we shy away from our youth the more we isolate them, they learn from peers and the generations ahead of them. If we cut our communication through fear how can they listen to what we know. Not every youth wants to steal your phone. when did you last talk and listen to what they have to say.

The list of those in our society we isolate is growing, mostly through lack of connection. Its easier to demonize than it is to understand. You are a valuable member of society, everyone is we all have something to say and contribute.
The work looks at  my social setting who is recognised as a typical sterio type. As we isolate and animalise others we grow weaker, but is that a real reflection of who we are. the images mask and vale If we treated animals the way we treat each other there would be a national outcry  so what is it we see and why act differently?
Anthropomorphism
We seem to as a culture humanise our animals and animalise one another for numerous reasons.
what part of the evolutionary process  did a small dog understand its need for a handbag as a suitable mode of transport.
There is a strong cultural and historical sense of this process its nothing new but the reasons for doing it are different. Egyptians deified some animals as did many ancient cultures.  Shape shifter and Celtic legends speak of people able to morph into the shape of animals not to mention werewolves. www.endicott-studio.com
www.feralchildren.com on a social setting though and sadly the truth is that the cruelty of man as a species is there to see. it is real.
The artistic idea isn't new and there are many artists looking at the relationship between a animals and humans www.animalgaze.org 
there are many examples of this work right through art history  and if you would like to share the images please do.
But I think everyone looks and creates from a unique perspective so thats the base for my new work along the way I will hopefully go through techniques and development of work along side any other outcomes. please feel free to share your information and ideas.

Thankyou

Lee

Art Diary

My process of creating works start with an idea that pops into my head but from there to the final piece theres allot that goes on.
So this blog will go into that process. Rather than keeping the process secret or editing the mistakes and wrong directions, it will be an honest reflection of thoughts and directions the art takes.
It will link some aspects of the research, development of and methods of creating. Your comments and further links are important, just are those of my peers who openly share information and influence. "no man is an island" How I choose to use that information is purely down to how your influence fit with what at the time I am working towards.
I hope you find the blogs of interest and of use at times.