Please see below the full, original tutor report for Assignment 1. My thoughts and reflections regarding the comments made here can be found at Part 1 – What paint can do> Part 1 Assignment – Painting 1.
Overall Comments
Well done Joanne, you have made a good start under very challenging circumstances!
Understandably this first part is a little sparse, but do try and have a go at all the exercises in Part 2 if you can. You have shown that you have a good grasp of composition and form, and how light and shade can enhance a painting, and your experimental sketchbook work with paint texture is promising – keep up the good work!
I have set you a date of 12 weeks for your next assignment, but don’t worry if that’s not possible, just let me know.
Assessment potential (after Assignment 1)
You may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment 2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment requirements.”
Project: Basic paint application
You have been experimental with surface and texture – I particularly like the inclusion of gold on the textural work in your sketchbook. This form of exploration is really important and should form a essential part of your work as a painting student – finding out first hand the properties of various mediums and types of paint will inform your choices as you go along and enable you to find your creative voice.
I couldn’t find any evidence of the painting with pastels exercise – if you haven’t had chance yet, do make sure you experiment with this medium, too. Pastels can be used in quite a ‘painterly’ way, and are really worth exploring.
Project: Working on Different Coloured Grounds
Both your tonal studies have worked well – you have observed and achieved a good range of tonal variations and have clearly got the right idea of working light onto dark and vice versa. The paint application could be a bit thicker in places, and try using a larger, perhaps flatter brush to achieve coverage in larger areas. A flatter brush with thicker paint will also enable you to create a more painterly, impressionistic feel. Experiment with how different brushes feel. A painting can and should have you reaching for a number of different brushes – think about the shape you are trying to describe, and the best brush for the job.
Compositionally the objects are arranged well, although it would have been a better idea to leave the background plain in both cases – too much background detail can be distracting in a still life, and less is (usually) more; you don’t have to include something just because it is there – you are the artist and can leave out whatever you want!
Feedback on assignment Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
You have clearly thought about the compositional elements of this piece, and made a number of thumbnail sketches to help you choose the positioning – this is good practice. However, I think the piece might have benefited from coming in closer and leaving out some of the background details you have included such as the side of the building, as elements like this can detract from the main focus and do little to add to the harmony of the picture.
I’m afraid I disagree about the suncatchers – although they might make a lovely picture in their own right, I would have been tempted to leave them out for the same reason – there is enough going on without them and they distract from the flowers somewhat.
I like the way you have painted the sky in an impressionistic way, and the addition of yellow, as well as the green background, has worked well. I’m really pleased that you didn’t attempt to start the painting on a white background, I would always recommend starting from a background wash, usually in a complementary colour.
I would like to see you painting a little more thickly and texturally. If you are using oils or acrylics you can really experiment with application and bring to bear some of the experimentation you have done (and hopefully will continue to do) in your sketchbook. Bold, impasto strokes can be used to describe flower petals, for example. Keep experimenting – if you are working in acrylics you could try some of the mediums that can be mixed with them to prolong drying time or make them thicker, or you could try oils (although not very family friendly if you are pushed for space to work).
You are obviously thinking about light and shadow and how this can affect a scene – this is good. Strong lights and shadows can make for a more dramatic and interesting work, so keep developing this aspect.
Sketchbooks Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
Your sketchbooks should include preparation for the exercises you have done from the course, but ideally also your own experimentation, as you have begun to do. This can be anything – get playful! The assessor will want to see evidence of a visual journey, what you are thinking about and are interested in, things you might have seen and collected, etc. that might be relevant to the course, even just in a roundabout way. Leaves, feathers, photos, pictures from magazines – anything you might find inspiring or visually interesting.
I am pleased you are making brief notes in there – this is important for each sketch, experiment or item you include and can point the examiner to what you are thinking and how you are reflecting on what you see.
Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essays Context
Your observations on the assignment piece were interesting to read; it’s important to be self reflective and think about what works and what we found challenging.
Although I don’t think you had much time for research this time, keep looking, browsing, watching out for art and artists, particularly those recommended in the course, even if you only get chance for a quick Google search. Try and understand what they were trying to do and relate it to your own work, for example, how did they tackle things like light and shade, colour, backgrounds, composition, etc? Your notes don’t have to be very long, but as a guideline, try thinking about:
Who? Who were they in relation to other artists / movements? Were they groundbreaking?
What? What did they paint?
Where? Were their surroundings important?
When? What era or movement did they belong to, if any?
And the final, most important questions:
How? How did they achieve their effects? How can that help inform your own practice?
Why? Why did they paint what they did, and why is their work worth looking at?
Suggested reading/viewing Context
This assignment also focuses on with interiors and still life, so take a look at artists who have focused on these subjects, for example Mary Cassatt, Gwen John and some of the 17th and 18th century Dutch old masters. Also try and look at how contemporary artists are approaching interiors and still life – googling ‘contemporary still life’ should give you a good selection, and just generally keep an eye out for this subject and how it has been handled.
Pointers for the next assignment
Exploration of colour is the key here, so this is what you need to concentrate on in your sketchbook.
Also, make a viewfinder and use it look around interiors to get an idea for what makes a good composition. Keep shifting position to see how that creates a different composition.
When preparing a still life, think carefully about the background. Does it enhance or compete with the subject? If in doubt, leave it out. Think also about shadows – what colour are they? Avoid using black (or even Payne’s grey) but try and mix your darks chromatically (using complementary colours such as purple and yellow).
Fabric: this can be the downfall of an otherwise competent still life if it is rushed or overworked. Practice describing cloth by doing some preparatory work – try drawing or painting a white handkerchief (squinting helps) and just really look at all the areas of tone – light, mediums, dark etc. Think of the fabric as a landscape and really try and look at its shape.
My BA (Hons) Creative Arts Journey with the OCA 