This exercise was fun, but I’m not sure that I fully understood the exact instructions, so I was quite loose in what I did.
First I used brown paper and charcoal and ink and wax and played about with lines and patterns, in a way which depicted texture in a stylised manner.
I then tried to show the texture of some surfaces, but mostly from natural objects.
Compositional sketches of man-made objects.
I find it hard to know how to “create meaning” in the choice of objects for a still life, even after all the research I have done. I am not keen on using objects to symbolise something directly. If meaning can be attributed simply because an object belongs to me, then it is easy, but I think this is too simple.
In the end I chose to draw a glass ornament with interesting and challenging tonal variations and inclusions within the glass, and as a foil, some sweets wrapped in cellophane.
The strength of the light source is important and difficult for me to acheive in my situation, but would help if I wish to enlarge the drawings.
In another series of sketches of a different selection of objects, chosen for their old-fashioned nature, I also needed stronger light. I made a sketch of the glass on its own to try to capture the reflections.
I realise that as the obects do not overlap, the composition is dull, and they all have the same vertical structure and similar shape. This is a bit like Modriani, but he always has very significant and important overlaps in his works.
In retrospect, I feel very critical of these sketches.
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