Self Distortion studies

For today's critique, I shared my process of where I am with my body of work and where I think I am heading at this point in time. I now know that I will pursue the concept of distortion and see where this takes me. I was asked (by a tutor), to come up with ten different ways to distort my face and body. So far I have come up with: Acrylic mirrors, using the photocopier and the scanner and using distortion apps for ipods, ect.

After critique, I experiemented using the photocopier method, which means you photocopy an image running the photo the length of the photocopier. This came up with some interesting results which I found were rather effective and possibly a path I would consider in my approach towards distortion. Here are some of the studies I have been left with:

Ink pen on paper, distorted with photocopier, 2013

Ink pen on paper, distorted by photocopier,2013

Ink pen on paper, distortion by photocopier,2013

Photograph distorted by photocopier, 2013

Photograph distorted by photocopier, 2013

Photograph distorted by photocopier, 2013

Photograph distorted by photocopier, 2013

 

So these were the results I was left with today, I was left with more but I found these to be the most effective. I can definitely see myself using this technique in my body of work. I was thinking of perhaps using this technique and then overlaying another distorted self portrait on top and running this through the photocopier yet again.

 

This week I will continue with different ways of using distortion and also keep experimenting with this technique and see where this takes me.

Life Drawing Studies for printmaking

Recently I have been doing some life drawing studies to improve my drawing skills (both tonal as well as line work, proportion, ect), particularly with the anatomy of the body to understand how I can distort the body. I feel I need to understand where particular muscle groups are, how certain features look, before I can then begin to distort the body itself, otherwise it will not work out quite as well.

Life drawing study, 20 mins, 2013

Life drawing study, 20 mins, 2013

Life drawing study, 20 mins, 2013

Life drawing study, 20 mins, 2013

My style of drawing is very tonal, which allows the body to look more robust and life like. I enjoy this style of drawing, as I mentioned before that I find it hard to draw lightly or uses light washes of color. I prefer strong contrasts and heavy line work over softer lines, act. I feel it adds to the atmosphere of an artwork, usually my works are moody and at times dark. I naturally gravitate towards darker works, perhaps because I feel it evokes an emotion from myself that I value deeply, I don't know. This is what I am experimenting with in my current body of work. 

These are only studies towards my final body of work. They are not grotesque in any way, they allow me to understand how body parts relate to one another. After doing these studies, I will now begin some print making using facial features and begin to distort them. 

Watercolour and Print

Watercolour and Print.

Today has been a day of experimenting and trialling with materials and subject matter. Basically, I have been testing my watercolour paints ("Simply by Daler Rowney) as a background for my dry point prints. I want to create a vivid amount of colour and perhaps experiment with light washes of colour also. 

I have been using only images of my cat as subject matter to understand better how to use them appropriately and it is harder than it looks. I made the mistake of using black with the colours and it resulted in a muddy colour, which ruins the point of watercolour (I am aiming for bright, vivid colour.) It is very interesting how the colours mix and the patterns which can arise from a mistake. I like to call them "Happy mistakes", so as to make it look like it is purposeful. 

Initially, I was looking at incorporating watercolour with printmaking, either harmoniously or juxtaposing the two, which is why I was going to experiment further with how to do this. I have mentioned in previous posts an artist model named Shannon Williamson who creates beautiful yet distorted watercolour drawings and I have been attempting to only use light washes of colour, however I find this incredibly hard as I am so used to working with darker more moody colours, like myself I suppose. 

Shannon Williamson

What I like about Williamson's body of work, is her use of line work which she overlaps using watercolour and the way by continuously overlapping bodies and faces, she begins to distort the human body and face creating unsettling subject matter.  

Grotesque Realism and The Codex Seraphinianus

Grotesque Realism and The Codex Seraphinianus

So before, I was contemplating the Grotesque and how it relates to the body of work I will be creating. I like the concept of distorting the face and body, however I do not want it to fall into the category of self confidence and body image (horrible ideas of advertising and peer pressure etc. come to mind...) but more about relating the grotesque with self discovery and journey, particularly self metamorphosis and change.

Indeed I have been looking at ways in which I can take my ideas from second year into third and evolve them from there, the only thing is how. I have been doing a few studies of hands, faces, distortion, however I still do not find them physically unsettling or grotesque:

Dry point print,2013

Self portrait sketch,2013

Hand study,2013

Dry point study,2013

Dry point study, 2013

Skull study, Drypoint, 2013

Self portrait distortion, sketch, 2013 (Looks like Chewbacca.)

Dry point studies, 2013

 

 

So basically I have been experimenting with different ways of portraying grotesque and self portraiture, however I do want to introduce different subject matter to emphasis some of the ideas I have. I have mainly been looking at dry point printmaking and sketches, I have also in previous weeks been experimenting with using watercolour paints to introduce some colour into my prints (some of the dry point studies I have done have a light watercolour in the background) however I do not know how effective this is or if it detracts from the subject matter itself. I did have the same issue in second year with my Paradox series and ended up using tea stains as a way of adding subtle colour to the print.

 

Recently, I have been looking to more artist models to look at different ways of portraying grotesque realism, but more recently I have discovered the world's strangest book, which happens to be the "Codex Seraphinianus." Originally published in 1981 (author is Luigi Serafini), this book is known for its outlandish, bizarre yet beautiful illustrations of creatures which do not exist and a particular language created by the author himself. I find this hugely fascinating and relates completely to what I am doing due to the grotesque subject matter (one of the pages shows skeletons being fit into bodies.) I definitely think I will be using this book for future reference, here is a link on more of the Codex Seraphinianus, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Seraphinianus.

 

Of course, Jason Greig will be having an exhibition at 241 Chambers on Moorhouse Ave this Tuesday which definitely be worth looking at, as I mention his work quite a bit. Maybe I might some ideas out of it!