Sketchbook

ISSUES FACED

I've struggled to find the pleasure in drawing. It'something I lost at the start of the degree and something that has been worrying me. HOW CAN I STUDY ILLUSTRATION WHEN I DON'T WANT TO DRAW? 

I have overcome this by finding new, more stimulating forms of image making (to me - not saying that drawing is not, just that I haven't felt content with the outcomes of MY drawings for a while and that the process of drawing feels tedious and pointless - I'm just doing it because I SHOULD).

BUT I have gradually found that love again. Drawing from words has led me into so many different little worlds and I've realised that all of my work, whatever the form, coexists with initial sketches and scribbles.

(a page with print-outs, scribbles, thoughts and intentions)

My sketchbook might not look like I want it to, or how others do on the course (finally beginning to forget the urge to compare myself) It's not a book full of pages of free, loose sketches... it is more of a collection. I've got feathers and flowers and cuttings all stuck in there. Not a scrap book but definitely more of a track of where I've been and what I've found.

The drawings then follow. They spill out of these discoveries.

THIS IS THE WAY I WORK AND IT WORKS. :)

I need to keep doing this. I need to feed the book, give it some time and attention. I need to keep my sketchbook healthy and keep it going!

CHARACTERS

I knew I enjoyed creating and drawing characters but it's also great to have the hard work of inventing done for me! Poe's done that part, I just have to visualise them.

(visualisation: drawing characters. using reference from victorian postcard. Developing, drawing again. Working out a suitably 'eerie' aesthetic for Poe's tone) 

(drawings of Poe, young)

I avoided drawing Poe at first because I thought that was too obvious and that the author's appearance was insignificant. After learning about Poe's portraits and how we never see Poe in his prime, looking handsome and healthy, I thought it could be interesting to illustrate that.

Attempted to 'draw in' his dark demeanour/tragic life by transforming into an undead, almost skeletal being himself.

My use of media has been quite restrictive. I've been drawing on-the-go a lot, so have been relying on the age-old pencil... one thing I have tried which is new to me is Pilot Brush pens! Really easy to use and they allow you to do watercolour/washes anywhere. No mess.
Want to try using it with black ink but I've run out so that's one to play with at uni.
Being a HANDS-ON MAKER, I've had lots of ideas for things I want to have a go with, things I want to build, but since I've been working in the sketchbook, these drawings are just 'plans' to me.
I want to:
make a spooky house
make a moss terranium graveyard
make clay/plaster tombstones
make a (better) moving model crow
MAYBE have a go at taxidermy!

I've made lots of work this Summer and think I have followed the brief. I've done what I was asked to do and I've enjoyed it. I never know how much is 'enough' but I think I've used my time well - using spare moments to think about this, but not stressing about it or forcing myself to work when I'm not ready/have other commitments.

I'm really excited to see what happens next and where this project will go. I hope that I get to continue falling for Poe.