The following images are all from my A5 sketchbook. I have started with a small sea snail shell that I photographed and then sketched. I will be looking at living corals as well as empty shells and coral skeletons as I progress through the diploma.
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| Page 4 |
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| Page 5 |
I looked at the outline and opening, sketched it and blocked out the shape with charcoal.
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| Page 6 |
Here I sketched the top shape with a black pen, end on, and then copied it twice on to acetate, using 2 different thicknesses of felt tip pen.
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| Page 7 |
I drew the shell on acetate from different angles.
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| Page 7 |
I drew the shell several times, looking at light and shade. I made my drawings in a separate sketchbook, practising until I was happy with the result. I then cut and pasted them into my A5 sketchbook.
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Page 9
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I have not done a great deal of painting, but equipped with my new gouache paint box I was full of optimism! I found it very difficult trying to get the colour right but will persevere.
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| Page 10 |
Much more in my comfort zone here, working with Inktense pencils and experimenting with colours.
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| Page 11 |
This is another photo from my collection. The organ pipe coral has a wonderful structure and is one of the few corals that does not lose its colour when it is no longer growing.
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| Page 11 |
I found it a difficult subject to sketch, but tracing my drawing helped me to observe the shapes.
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| Page 13 |
A larger sketch than the previous one, done directly into the A5 sketchbook.
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| Page 14 |
I took the sketch and manipulated it with Photoshop Elements to see if anything new appeared. It just helped to emphasise the lines and ridges.
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| Page 15 |
Trying to make everything simple.
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| Page 16 |
I sketched it from a different angle and then made a tracing of it, to observe all the different layers. I used Inktense pencils to colour it. It ended up looking like a rather delicious cupcake!
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| Page 18 |
A close-up of the coral.
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| Page 18 |
I'm very pleased with this sketch. It took me a long time but I can see that I'm improving. I'm also beginning to enjoy the process.
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| Page 19 |
Back to my coral collection, a photo of the staghorn coral.
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| Page 20 |
I found this very hard to sketch, as there were so many different layers and it was difficult so see where one ended and the next one began.
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| Page 21 |
Lots of potential to explore in this photo.
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| Page 22 |
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| Page 23 |
Back in my comfort zone, using Inktense pencils.
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| Page 24 |
I found the sketches on page 24 and 25 in an old sketchbook, so I pasted them into my new one.
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| Page 25 |
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| Page 26 |
The undulating nature of the clam shell is beautiful.
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| Page 27 |
