Week 4 Assignment: Constructing Volumes

Week 4 Assignment : Constructing Volumes

Still Life Set-up: This week I selected books on a topic close to my heart—my Italian cookbook collection. I chose for sentimental reasons, Maria Louisa Tagliente’s, Italian Cookbook (1955). The second is a small cookbook containing recipes from Sicily. The final book is Lorenza De’ Medici’s, Florentines, which contains recipes from Florence’s  Renaissance and beautiful period illustrations. To accompany this visual gastronomic feast there is a Corzetti recipe booklet and the top half of a Corzetti pasta stamp. 

FYI: I have a permanent injury to the wrist my dominate hand and my line quality often deteriorates over a studio session.

Image #1: Initial Drawing 

I enjoyed doing the drawing and found that focusing on point-to-point lines and relationship of volumes to one another to be helpful. The perspective is not quite right, but I decided that my pleasure in using these books as my subject should not be spoiled. I think that the books on the right should have been drawn larger, and the Corzetti stamp is too large in relationship to the books—oh well, next time.

Week 4 Assignment Image # 1:
Initial sketch using water-soluble graphite pencil on Aquabee Super Deluxe paper

Image #2: Addition of watercolor to the initial drawing 

I’m struggling with adding watercolor paint, I’m out of practice. However, I did switch to an Isabey #8 sable brush which has a lightly stiffer flex and works better for painting smaller areas. It definitely gave me better control when applying the paint. On further reflection I found  that the lighting of the books by a fluorescent work lamp is inadequate and should have been elevated to give better shadows. But I was  in a rush to complete the assignment and flubbed that nicety.

Week 4 Assignment: Image #2
Addition of watercolor to initial sketch
Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbook paper
Daniel Smith watercolor, Isabey #8 sable brush

Image #3: Drawing a chair’s volumes (pending)

Time constraints this week meant that I have to stay close to home. So I plan to draw my desk chair whose sleek Danish lines I’ve always admired.