Basic shapes and fundamental form - Group of objects

Firstly I chose the objects, making sketches before I made my final decision, as per the guidance for the exercise. I did some research on how to make a balanced composition pleasing to the eye using ArtTutor.com and The Ten Steps to Pastel Drawing, and you can see my preliminary sketches 1 and 2.

Secondly I chose pencil pastel as my medium, and thirdly the support for the medium, and as all the objects were basic shapes I wanted an unusual support, something not associated with the objects but one that would make the drawing more challenging and interesting.

For ideas my husband and I went to B&Q to get some wallpaper samples to experiment with texture, and I found some monochrome brick-wall-patterned wallpaper which reminded me of ‘Pause’, a mixed media work by Mick Moon RA that I saw at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art on the 9th July - the day after I enrolled for this course. That work looked like a collage on a wooden patterned support, and I chose this wallpaper as my support and did some sketches to confirm that the wallpaper would hold the pastel.

I set up my composition on a small table with the objects below to my horizon line and when I did my first sketches I used a fluorescent light but it was very difficult to see the shadows of the objects. I therefore changed to a yellow lamp, which helped me to see the shadows more clearly, and I also placed a white board on the table to avoid any distraction from the shapes and shadows.

The objects:

1) A large hardback book – (Drawing Now: eight propositions, if anyone recognises it), upon which I placed other objects. The surface of the book was glossy but there weren’t many reflections on it, and there were some small pictures on the cover, which I have suggested in my drawing. The book made nice crispy shadows on the white card.

2) A petanque ball - a very heavy silver (coloured) metal ball, which was very reflective, though for this exercise I did not attempt to portray all the reflections as I was focusing on shapes and shadows. The ball had some lines engraved into it which I have suggested in my drawing,

I felt calm and relaxed drawing the ball, turning the paper to get the curves symmetrical, and showing the lines and the shadows, which I think portrays the calm mood I was in.

3) A can of soft pastel fixative: glossy white metal with a plastic top.

4) A corner protector for a picture frame: white, mate triangular

5) A Whittard tea box: brown cardboard

6) A plastic soup container: green glossy

8) A black glossy stone

7) A sandpaper block, which I included because I wanted something flat and long on the composition, though I knew it would be a challenge to do. In fact, it was very difficult to draw from life, being at the front of the composition and below my horizon line - the perspective was complicated and I had several attempts before finally taking a photo which helped me to understand the angles.

Updated 14.04.2018