Drawing Style Development

Up until my final project in my second year at university, my style and choice in medias were always traditional - working with pens, inks, fine-liners and particularly watercolours was always to my strengths. With the pandemic beginning towards the end of year two, I was made to really focus on the materials I had available to me, all whilst ensuring I was using and practicing different techniques and materials - this is where I began exploring the digital world of art, through Procreate on my iPad. Experimenting and developing an initially apprehensive love for working digitally, I began to incorporate it within my final second year project. At this point I was still 'sketchy', but practiced over the summer completing portraits for friends and family. Coming into third year and developing a project to design a series of installations, working both physically and digitally worked the best as this was the most appropriate process where producing intricate, repetitive images. From there onto now, my second project of third year, I evidently considered working digitally. Completing extensive research into the Orangutan Foundation and what they stand for, I recognised how strong their messages are and wanted to consider the ways I could represent them visually. I went into the project thinking I needed to portray and include multiple different messages - now being familiar with layers on Procreate, I knew I could illustrate multiple different things, to then edit, change and rearrange as I please, which I thought was the best option.

Before finalising this project, I want to question myself whether working in more traditional methods is the most appropriate for this project, or in turn, develop my digital skills where working intricately.

Below are a series of drawings I completed using coloured pencils. Initially testing different colours and tones, I replicated the appearance of fur through quick, thin, curved lines. I began with orange as the base tone and built it up with light to dark browns, but this soon proved too dark and not a true representation of an orangutan. The drawing to the right and then below I layered starting with yellow tones, building with oranges and reds - a truer reflection of the beautiful orangutan orange.

Coloured pencils have always been a preferred technique of mine as the detail that can be achieved is enormous - however it is a time consuming process, and I dont think they bring the brightness I was aiming for. The drawings below were completed in a mix of marker pens with fine-liner details on top - again a once preferred method, as I love the contemporary appearance. A solid aim I have had since the start of this project is to honour orangutans as they are, as much as possible. I found this very achievable working digitally, as the textures to be explored are extensive. The images below provide the vibrance, but for me, lack in the detailed appearance - something hard to achieve with marker pens.

The attempt below I completed in watercolour - where I love the final outcomes that can be completed in watercolour paints, I was already apprehensive about its suitability where producing the pieces I had in mind. This method can be extremely effective and beautiful, however also very skilful and intricate - approaches I am not confident in with watercolour for this type of project, mostly due to the compact time frame.

As a result of these experimentations, I was almost convinced to direct and create my visuals using coloured pencils, as the outcomes for these most represented the appearance I have been aiming for since the beginning of this project. However, I feel a lot more depth, detail and beauty in visual appearance can still be taken mostly from my practice in digital drawings...Where I also plan on creating different backgrounds with varied elements, I feel being able to use layers on Procreate will be the most efficient and effective technique for my aimed outcomes.