Sue Arrowsmith

Sue Arrowsmith images are projected and then recorded and traced in pencil, creating a mass of lines that flicker and undulate across the paper. The compositions reveal the linear structure of the landscape, poised between intensely detailed abstract lines and shapes and the more recognizable forms of the land. 

Arrowsmith works without colour, preferring the sheen of graphite on paper, exploring the different tones and shades that can be achieved through this method. These large scale designs can take many weeks to complete but by using a photographic template Arrowsmith ensures the drawing is loose and free. 

I decided to look at Arrowsmith for my final major project because I like the way she works in negative and positive on the nature also that she projects the image on the sheet so she can draw the nature. 

It stands out and is different because I have never seen this technique before, I think i would like to experiment with this process for my final major project. 

Van Gogh's hand drawings.

Van Gogh’s hands that he has drawn using pencil and black chalk in 1885. 

I have used his drawings as inspiration in one of my college projects ‘Homage’ when I was doing sign language. His drawings of hands made me think about the way hands look as they are doing symbols and hand gestures.  Gogh’s drawings are very sketchy and linier as they look like they have been done quickly but they are well drawn. It also shows movement in the drawings.  I like the way he has over lapped some of his drawings as it makes it look like the hands are busy and don’t stop moving all the time.  I quite like that the drawings go from quick linier drawings to more detailed that look more life like. 

Evaluation for Homage.

I looked at Homage to sign language and braille for this project. To start off this project I went on a trip to oxford with the college and I looked at symbols, other languages and hieroglyphics. I quite liked the symbols and I decided to look at hands and sign language.
I researched two artists that used hands in their work which was Van Gogh and Albrecht Durer. I liked the way they worked quite differently as Gogh’s work was sketchy and liner while Durer’s work was more detailed and more life like with colour. I used both Gogh and Durer for inspiration in this project as I looked at how they drew the hands and how they looked like when they were symbolising something. When I was drawing the hands I was guided more towards Van Gogh’s drawings as I preferred the sketchy, liner drawings as they suited me best because I used my drawing skill which I learnt in life drawing.
The drawing materials I used mostly for drawing my hands for sign language was pen and brown ink mixed with water to create a ground colour that looked like skin coloured. I think this was very effective as it made my drawings come to life and made it more eye catching.
I made little books out of envelopes and coloured paper inside I experimented and looked at the braille and sign language alphabet. I collected braille from different packaging and stuck them in my book and used them for inspiration to create my graphics book outcome.
For my graphics book outcome I put my photos, drawings and my research of braille into Photoshop and I experimented by overlapping my drawings and photo’s and using different effects to see what looked good and what worked with each other. I stuck to my chosen colours black, white and brown throughout my design development of my graphic outcomes. I decided to create a book full of final outcomes because I wanted to make a book out come also I could not chose what one I wanted as a final outcome.
I experimented with different drawing materials such as ink, pen, pencil and fine liner.
I did an outcome on one of my sheets which I used as photography. I took photos of my own hands doing sign language. I used white paper as the background to make it look more professionally and I used the skills I learnt in photography for this outcome.
My favourite drawing material I liked to use in this project would be drawing with pen and brown ink, which was mixed with water. I liked the effect it makes with each other, I learnt this skill in life drawing and I carried it on in other areas in Art and Design.
I liked creating the sheets for this project as it was on a large scale.
I have used different materials such as envelopes and other paper.
I stuck to my chosen colours black, while and brown on my sheets that did limit me but I overcome this to finish my sheets.
I enjoyed this project has I had the freedom to do what I wanted to do within my own specialist area.