Covid #6 challenge: More fabrics

Good morning again. A couple of really strong and interesting fabric works were submitted yesterday. Both are uniquely individual to the artist and reflect their particular style of drawing.

JMcG loves fabrics. She also enjoys using strong darks and has been working on the technique of building up to darks with successive layers rather than excessive pressure. Using layers creates tonal gradient without the shine or paper distortion that pressing gives - and JMcG had done a really nice job with this work developing this. Using Derwent Graphic pencils ranging from F, HB, 2B, 4B, 7B and a touch of 9B this work is an excellent study in fabric folds. It is not overworked or heavy handed in the darks but has good dark shadow/valley recession, tonal range/gradients and highlighted peaks. I think the tassels need more study, but we will look at negative drawing in an upcoming challenge for this.

 This is good work JMcG - J says she hasn't tried the yellow task yet... why not draw this scarf in yellow as well?

'Scarf in Graphite' by JMcG

𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋

GW had drawn her linen scarf, and she has taken a very different approach in technique. Using a linear style rather than tonal gradient GW had concentrated on the form, shape and texture of the scarf. Bold linework of thick/thin marks accent the folds and delineate how the fabric is twisted. Close attention to the linen texture is created with hatching and cross hatching, carefully worked out in dark and lighter pencil.

Although this is not strictly a tonal piece, it is an excellent observational study with strong graphic sensibilities. I like this one a lot.

'Linen Scarf in Graphite' by GW

𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋𑁋

Artist of the Week: Helen Edwards

If you have not come across Australian artist Helen Edwards' work, I encourage you to visit her online exhibition HERE. A particular interest to her is the study of fabrics - have a look at her Scarf series:

'The fabric or veiling motifs allow a level of freedom and freehand in the expression and depiction of self. In the Scarf series (2016), Edwards depicts herself in various states of movement but the scarf provides protection, an obscuring – mirrored by the drawing Homage (2016) where, head down, hair acts as the veiling.