Still Life
Title: Pheasant in Flight
Size:
Medium: Charcoal (vine, hard, and white), eraser
Completion: August
Size:
Medium: Charcoal (vine, hard, and white), eraser
Completion: August
Exhibition Text
Even in death, creatures retain elements of life. They are frozen in time, until the day they are discarded and thrown away. Much like many artworks, deemed incompetent or worthless by the artist or critics. But there is value in retaining these things. "Pheasant in Flight" was a way for me to experiment in bringing a piece to life with an unfamiliar process and material; a charcoal study of a taxidermy subject. I have no experience in charcoal, so I had to work hard to create the impression of life that I desired.
Process
Stage 2The next stage of the process was to begin adding in more depth and shape to the picture. In this, I began by creating a more accurate and finalized outline of the figure (keeping in mind that this outline would eventually disappear as I continued to add onto it). I started with the head, where the feathers were a mix of deep blues and greens. I used compressed charcoal, lightly at first, to make sure that I had time to get used to the new material, then more confidently as I got used to it. I did the best that I could to remain in the same spot in my seat in order to make the drawing as accurate and consistent as possible. I added more details to the bird's face, such as the eye, brow, and beak, and used my fingers to smear/lighten parts of the face and next. I also added light shading to the back, belly, and legs of the bird, keeping things light and slowly adding more layers as I went on.
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Stage 1The first step in my process was to choose the orientation of my piece and the pose of the reference. I thought about positioning and how I could create a more dynamic pose. I played around with the arrangement, turning the pheasant on its stand and alternating between different views (below/sitting and above/standing). I finally decided on a side view that also showed some of the back, as if it were flying at or slightly below the eye's line of sight, because I felt that it showed a good perspective of the bird and its details. Finally, I gathered supplies and mentally went through the rest of the process. The second step of my process, as directed, was to quickly draw a light layer of vine charcoal over the entirety of the paper, then to even it out and smear it with my hands/fingers. I felt that the first layer was not dark enough, so I added a second of the vine charcoal. I also added other sheets of paper beneath the first, as the textures of the wooden table were showing through on the piece. The added padding and additional layer created a nice gray base to use. The third step of my process was to use the vine charcoal to create a rough outline of the subject. It was done quickly and with lower accuracy, as the point was to get the general shape of the subject.
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Stage 4The final stage of the process was strictly fine details. I altered the appearance to the feathers on the pheasant's belly, as I realized that they were more rectangular than I'd originally thought. With the white pencil, charcoal pencil, and eraser, I attempted to replicate the sheen and texture of the feathers, using quick, short, and light strokes. Next, I moved onto the feathers of the right wing. I used the vine charcoal to establish areas of shadow underneath, then went over it with the other two pencils to add the fine details. I paid attention to the specific highlights on the top of the wings and the shading on the underside of the wing. I began to work on the basic shape of the left wing. Eventually, however, the time for working on the piece ended, leaving the feet, tail, and left wing.
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Stage 3Once I established more of a base, I began to add more value to areas of dark and light, making it so shadows and highlights were more prominent. I adjusted the placement of the eye and shape of the beak, using my finger to smudge and re-do the spots that required modification and alteration. I also furthered the complexity of the work by including the beginning stages of the feathers. I used a combination of the eraser, white pencil, and charcoal pencil for this aspect of the piece, doing my best to make it match as well as I could to the reference. The bird at this point is beginning to take a more intricate design and is coming to life.
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Reflection
Pheasant in Flight was made using vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, charcoal pencil, white pencil, and an eraser on paper. I began with a light base of smeared vine charcoal, which created a foundation for the rest of the piece. Following this, I used a taxidermy of a pheasant as a reference and began sketching an outline of the simple shapes of the bird. I slowly began to add more and more detail and shading/highlights, which made it more realistic. One od the constraints had was time; the piece was not finished by the end of the designated time. The unfamiliarity with the material made my process slower than if I had worked with something that I was more routine to me. I also struggled with drawing the perspective of the wing and back of the pheasant, since it was almost straight-on. This led to me having to redo the section multiple times before I finally was able to be satisfied with how it looked. the underside of the right wing was also a little difficult because of the shading and how the feathers were positioned. I also had to erase/smudge this section multiple times, taking away time I could have used on the other wing, tail, and feet. The charcoal, while quick to work with and easy to fix, also is a negative. Because it is so easily cleared away, it is also easy to accidentally wipe away satisfactory work. Furthermore, the charcoal didn't stay perfectly, and I had to keep going back over things. Additionally, it is very messy and slightly difficult to draw with at times. The thing that I like most about the work is the feathers. I found them to be a bit of a challenge, but I'm mostly happy with how they turned out. I also think it looks at least semi-realistic, which was a goal I had when I started drawing it. Some aspects that I dislike about the product is that it is unfinished, both with major and minor aspects. One wing, the tail, and feet are obviously incomplete, and I feel as though I could have added more final details to other parts as well if I had worked faster. I have learned more about how to handle charcoal and the effects it produces, as well as practicing my ability to draw still-life. Overall, I am okay with how it turned out and I enjoyed trying out a new medium. This experience has made me want to continue to work on my ability to draw with charcoal with different subject matters.