Mercy Kagia is a Kenyan born artist currently based in the UK. I featured her in my artist research during the Reportage module as that is her forte, but her work also encompasses drawing animals.
Her animal studies are quickly done, stylized pieces that capture the shape, mood and motion of the creature.
John Banovich is an American born painter with phenomenal skill at capturing the likeness of animals all over the world. He has travelled to Africa many times on research trips and tries to use his art to raise awareness for those species in very real danger or facing extinction.
His work is beautifully done, capturing the exact likeness and energy of the scene.
Donna Crawshaw is a UK born artist based in Wales who specializes in capturing creatures in as natural setting as possible. She has portrayed many different types of animals found in and around the UK whether wild or domestic.
Her paintings are realistic and the subjects appear to be posed rather than caught in a specific moment.
Jan Adgie & Yvonne Lamden Cooper are both UK based, self taught artists who are members of many wild life conservations. They both produce art in similar ways with identical mediums (pastel and pastel pencils on velour paper). They have sold work up and down the UK as well as abroad.
Their work is soft, warm and realistic.
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Animals - Week Two
After drawing for a full week its time to start thinking about designing and completing my final pieces for the module.
We are tasked with completing five sketchbooks (all containing the animal studies we've been working on) as well as four A3 finished pieces. (This amount was negotiable, so long as the total paper size amounted to 4xA3. In my case I have decided to do 1xA2 and 2xA3.)
The completed works have to depict a mythical creature we have designed. This is easier said that done as throughout history, every possible weird and wonderful combination of the animal kingdom seems to have been done.
Still onward and upwards.
This feathered Monkey was the first idea I had. I loved drawing the Baboons back in week one, so it made sense to incorporate a primate into my finished work. I'm very fond of the smaller monkey breeds, those often found jumping through the tree tops, their aerobatics are quite spectacular to watch.
Many smaller creatures (like the flying fox) likely evolved into their ability to glide by starting out as jumpers, with this in mind, I decided to give this monkey feathers, bright a colourful as the parrots they share their jungle home with.
This is the completed design. Its A3 and painted using Gouache.
For my second piece I wanted to create something very large. I love owls and I adore how regal a stag can appear with that crown of antlers. So I endeavored to put the two together.
And this was the result. It took a phenomenal amount of time to complete, the antlers alone taking two hours to shade, to give the effect that they are so large, that they are more like colossal trees reaching out towards the sky. I added two normal size trees at its feet upon the cliff its perched on, in the hopes it would better communicate its actual size in comparison to the world around it.
We are tasked with completing five sketchbooks (all containing the animal studies we've been working on) as well as four A3 finished pieces. (This amount was negotiable, so long as the total paper size amounted to 4xA3. In my case I have decided to do 1xA2 and 2xA3.)
The completed works have to depict a mythical creature we have designed. This is easier said that done as throughout history, every possible weird and wonderful combination of the animal kingdom seems to have been done.
Still onward and upwards.
This feathered Monkey was the first idea I had. I loved drawing the Baboons back in week one, so it made sense to incorporate a primate into my finished work. I'm very fond of the smaller monkey breeds, those often found jumping through the tree tops, their aerobatics are quite spectacular to watch.
Many smaller creatures (like the flying fox) likely evolved into their ability to glide by starting out as jumpers, with this in mind, I decided to give this monkey feathers, bright a colourful as the parrots they share their jungle home with.
This is the completed design. Its A3 and painted using Gouache.
For my second piece I wanted to create something very large. I love owls and I adore how regal a stag can appear with that crown of antlers. So I endeavored to put the two together.
And this was the result. It took a phenomenal amount of time to complete, the antlers alone taking two hours to shade, to give the effect that they are so large, that they are more like colossal trees reaching out towards the sky. I added two normal size trees at its feet upon the cliff its perched on, in the hopes it would better communicate its actual size in comparison to the world around it.
Animals
Our next task for weeks three and four are to study and draw a variety of animals, some of which may or may not be real. Animals and creatures have been documented throughout the ages, many by artists who worked to create an image of a creature with nothing but eye-witnessed reports. The results were less than realistic but always interesting.
Above are the sketches when some of the animals paid a visit to our studio. The baby Meerkats while very cute, turned out to be the most difficult to draw, simply because they moved so fast. Luckily all the practice doing Reportage the weeks before came in handy and I was able to create some very nice images, that I think have captured the form and motion of the critter.
Flamingo Land zoo was a lot of fun which a lot of wonderful animals on display. Most of which where inside their enclosures but some (like the Peacock and Squirrels) freely roamed the park grounds. Others were part of shows that ran every few hours and I was able to watch at least one of those featuring some amazing birds. The Barn Owl was especially cute and a lot smaller than I ever imagined.
My favorite drawings from that day had to be of the Baboons. They are a wonderful animal with so much character and an adorable facial expression. I was lucky enough to witness a female carry one of the troops younger members and parade right by where I sat.
The rest of my research came in the form of books and images found on the internet as well as some family pets.
This is what those in medieval England thought a Crocodile looked like.
During the two weeks we had trips to Flamingo land zoo where we were able to view some of the more exotic breeds in their enclosures. We also had a trained handler visit the studio with some of his fury and not so fury friends.
These were some of my favourite days as I adore all animals great and small, even the eight-legged whopper I plucked up the courage to hold. Strike one off the bucket-list! Though I am still terrified of the smaller, scurrying buggers that continue to invade my house... Oh well.
Above are the sketches when some of the animals paid a visit to our studio. The baby Meerkats while very cute, turned out to be the most difficult to draw, simply because they moved so fast. Luckily all the practice doing Reportage the weeks before came in handy and I was able to create some very nice images, that I think have captured the form and motion of the critter.
Flamingo Land zoo was a lot of fun which a lot of wonderful animals on display. Most of which where inside their enclosures but some (like the Peacock and Squirrels) freely roamed the park grounds. Others were part of shows that ran every few hours and I was able to watch at least one of those featuring some amazing birds. The Barn Owl was especially cute and a lot smaller than I ever imagined.
My favorite drawings from that day had to be of the Baboons. They are a wonderful animal with so much character and an adorable facial expression. I was lucky enough to witness a female carry one of the troops younger members and parade right by where I sat.
The rest of my research came in the form of books and images found on the internet as well as some family pets.
Reportage Artists
I've posted this a little late, really I should have done the research before doing any of the work, but I was eager to get the work done and considering I only had two weeks to fill ten sketchbooks, research was the furthest thing from my mind.
I'd like to start this blog with some information on an artist I recently discovered during the course of my Reportage work. So I guess that means I've been doing the research while doing the work.
Greg Betza is a talented Illustrator from New Jersey in America and is quite versatile, producing work that caters to his clients requirements. He has worked for NBC Sports, E&J Gallo Winery and The Wall Street Journal.
He also has a wonderful Reportage section on his blog which displays work he done in the middle of Times Square on a traffic free day. The work is beautiful, full of motion and life in a memorable, colourful setting.
He seems to draw just about everything and every where he goes, his interest stretching into live music performances and sporting events.
Eddie Pena is a storyboard and comic book artist who also specializes in Reportage. His work is bold and flowing, capturing everyday occurrences with ease. His use of colour is subtle, leaving much of the scene black and white.
Mr Pena has worked for Jib Jab Media, E&J Gallo Winery and has exhibited art in the London Regional Art Gallery and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Mercy Kagia is a devoted Reportage artist who was born in Kenya but who is now based in London, England. She had a love of drawing since being a girl and that love took her through her Degree.
She is an avid people watcher and takes great pleasure in drawing the often unnoticed everyday life. In 2013 she took her passion for drawing and started to research, gaining her a practice based PhD as a reflection on Contemporary Reportage Drawing. Her thesis Documenting Daily Life Through Reportage Drawing went hand in hand with an exhibition of her work 'Drawings of Kisumu'.
Rob Conway is an artist based in London who specializes in Editorial and Reportage illustration, utilizing a variety of mediums including acrylic, water colour, photography and digital manipulation.
His Reportage is impressive and the motion and lively nature of the scenes is present in the application of the colour as well as the initial drawing.
Rob has an extensive client list which includes BBC Wildlife Magazine, E3 Productions and the Health Service Journal.
Anna Cattermole is a UK based Reportage artist with dreams of travelling the world to document the world in the form of her Reportage work. She has worked as a freelance illustrator and has completed work for WH Smiths, Marks and Spencer, Smythsons, Boots and many more.
She never works from secondary sources, insisting on being able to see the subject of her work first hand.
I'd like to start this blog with some information on an artist I recently discovered during the course of my Reportage work. So I guess that means I've been doing the research while doing the work.
Greg Betza is a talented Illustrator from New Jersey in America and is quite versatile, producing work that caters to his clients requirements. He has worked for NBC Sports, E&J Gallo Winery and The Wall Street Journal.
He also has a wonderful Reportage section on his blog which displays work he done in the middle of Times Square on a traffic free day. The work is beautiful, full of motion and life in a memorable, colourful setting.
He seems to draw just about everything and every where he goes, his interest stretching into live music performances and sporting events.
Eddie Pena is a storyboard and comic book artist who also specializes in Reportage. His work is bold and flowing, capturing everyday occurrences with ease. His use of colour is subtle, leaving much of the scene black and white.
Mr Pena has worked for Jib Jab Media, E&J Gallo Winery and has exhibited art in the London Regional Art Gallery and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Mercy Kagia is a devoted Reportage artist who was born in Kenya but who is now based in London, England. She had a love of drawing since being a girl and that love took her through her Degree.
She is an avid people watcher and takes great pleasure in drawing the often unnoticed everyday life. In 2013 she took her passion for drawing and started to research, gaining her a practice based PhD as a reflection on Contemporary Reportage Drawing. Her thesis Documenting Daily Life Through Reportage Drawing went hand in hand with an exhibition of her work 'Drawings of Kisumu'.
Rob Conway is an artist based in London who specializes in Editorial and Reportage illustration, utilizing a variety of mediums including acrylic, water colour, photography and digital manipulation.
His Reportage is impressive and the motion and lively nature of the scenes is present in the application of the colour as well as the initial drawing.
Rob has an extensive client list which includes BBC Wildlife Magazine, E3 Productions and the Health Service Journal.
Anna Cattermole is a UK based Reportage artist with dreams of travelling the world to document the world in the form of her Reportage work. She has worked as a freelance illustrator and has completed work for WH Smiths, Marks and Spencer, Smythsons, Boots and many more.
She never works from secondary sources, insisting on being able to see the subject of her work first hand.
Sunday 12 October 2014
Reportage - Week Two
Week two and everything seems to have just clicked into place. I realize now that what I need to do is just draw and not to think to much about it. I have stuck mostly with the fine liner as my primary tool but have added some colour to my work.
The fine liner I feel works very well with the water colours. I've tried to keep the addition of colour as subtle as possible, so they compliment the monochrome of the black ink which has also been washed lightly with water to blend it. The result is a much softer line and subtle midtones that blend into the shadows.
Times Square by Greg Betza
The above picture comes from Greg Betza who captured this scene during a traffic free day in Times Square. I adore the way he's used the colour to highlight the part of the scene where the colour is at its brightest, in this case it is the posters and lights that adorn the square. (I'm fairly sure that one of the posters is for Wicked and Phantom of the Opera, and to be able to pick that out just shows the skill of the artist and the level of detail he was able to capture.)
The rest of the picture is the simplicity of the black ink on white paper. He's captured the motion of the scene very well and it gives a sensation of being a busy, living, breathing street. The piece is quite simply brilliant.
It was hard going, but I got the full ten sketch books filled! I really feel this exercise has helped me tremendously with my drawing. Even though this particular module is now technically over, I find myself looking around for interesting places to sit and sketch.
Reportage became some-what tedious and I won't lie, I'm glad its over! But I look at my work and I feel very proud of (some) of the pieces. Almost all of the subjects and settings are things I would have never considered as material for my work, but I now realize that all these things and places are part of a world I may one day be asked to capture in a drawing.
Above are some examples from my sketch books. Below are work from the Still life workshops we've had during these first two weeks also.
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