EDAM week 8: Orthographic Drawing and 3D Model Making

 Week  8 of EDAM with new tutor Ute Kreyman  and a very different approach to drawing from the expressive  approaches of previous weeks.  The theme  for the 3 week project was  looking at different types of  analytical,  orthographic drawing techniques (paraline, axonometric)  and making maquettes  as a support for drawing/ photography.  

 We  were particularly looking at the concept of ' crating'  looking  at how artists like Chris Burden  had used this in 'small Skyscraper ' (above)  to play with sense of scale  and in work by Oliver Zwink ( below) 

  Looking  to see how a pot or vessel for instance could be simplified into a series of stacked boxes or crates , adding the curves a later point once dimensions established rather than building the volume  up in for instance a series of spirals  ( as I did  in week 6) 

Or comparing the spiral form of Antony Gormley's  ' Feeling Material'   with the  use of cylinders/ boxes to simplify the shape in the human form ( below) 

After a demonstration by Ute of   freehand axonometric drawing using 45 degree angles  we developed templates  on which we placed sheets of tracing paper to build up  shapes ( circles, spheres, cyclinders etc ). I was thrilled to learn how to draw an arch !

We then built up imaginary compositions of buildings such as town square, using this as a starting point. 

Definately  out of my comfort zone tho' I  have used   accurate drawing techniques before , particularly when I was drawing up patchwork piecing patterns  or preparing draft illustrations for Phil Seaton to draw properly  in our book ' Growing Orchids from Seed' 

Mainly when  I do  drawing/ painting./sewing  I think  of the skills  I learnt from my mum  but   with  this technique it was my  dad I  was grateful to. He was  a design engineer  with a keen interest in woodworking, building all kinds of useful and decorative items (His father was a pattern-maker on  the Glasgow shipyards involved with refit of Queen Mary  and my great, great grandfather was a cooper!) . I've still got and use some of his tools including the carpenter's  t- square, a lovely thing in hardwood and brass  made by 'I & H  Sorby'  and have a large stock of pencils used for drawing on drafting film. 

  But I digress !  The last hour  of the   class was building  spaceships out of household packaging materials we'd brought from home.  I was running out of steam  ( still suffering  from   cold)  so I was grateful when Sandy  suggested we  pool resources and  join forces   with Shabana,  

 This was our collaborative effort   ( which was used as an example of how we might use lighting  next week to emphasise different aspects)

  We then produced models of our own:( Sandy's above, Shabana's , below)

 

 Mine ( above) was definately minimalist   in comparison to  some of the imaginative structures produced. 

  They look rather forlorn stored safely above the cupboard until the next session !

  I've been too busy to do any drawing  this week but I have been thinking  of applying axonometric
 ' crating'  to the photo  of my charcoally hand  and to the  coffee filter cone that was the inspiration behind this ' spaceship'

When  getting the Xmas decorations out of the garage , I found  the pumpkin sweetie  box we use with a LED  bike light in at Halloween  and  am thinking spaceship interiors.  

Tomorrow I'll be drawing  at the Science  Museum -  will it be rockets rather than  irons  this time I wonder?  Better take some graph paper and a ruler!