looking through a monochromatic window

I got a bit ahead of myself and forgot to post this assignment...

Going back to greyscale, here is the assignment attached to the greyscale assessment (the one with the greyscale tool):

The brief was to create a neutral collage, with only black white and grey.

It was harder than I thought!

White is not really white!

I used:

• dictionary pages
• white pages pages
• an old add for whitening face cream (yes, it's a real add!), 
• more of my spotted ribbon
• I cropped a photo and printed it onto canvas
• printed acetate
• chipboard window frame (2 stuck together for dimension with the acetate sandwiched in between),
• graphite
• gouache
• sharpie
• rub-ons

ummm.... I can't think of anything else.... I very much enjoyed making this collage -I continued in my desire to create it using only what I had on hand (mostly recycled and discarded stuff). I was happy with it when it was done. Once again, mine was completely different from everyone else's! I'm sure most people feel this way - when I put my work up with everyone else's and mine is way out of the box by comparison it makes me feel a little nervous. I asked myself questions like this: "Did I miss something in the brief?" "Am I way off base?" I got great feedback, though, so even though I felt a little concerned at first I walked away feeling good about it again. Makes me realise that even though I like to think that I am happy with my work because I did it, because I am true to myself etc etc blah blah, approval from my teachers is still really important to me.

On reflection, I do think that the add needs a black frame around it, to give it better balance...

more monochromatic goodness, only this time with colour!

Continuing work on the monochromatic, we had to create colour scales of each of the optimal colours in the colour wheel. OK, so that's not true. To satisfy requirements we had to process 3 of the optimal colours by doing tints and shades of them. I processed all of them because I'm a little obsessive compulsive and I wanted to see all the pretty colours in my portfolio. We then had to take one of those scales and mount it with a picture that reflected the scale. The above is my ultramarine blue scale with tints and shades. It's a shame the computer screen doesn't quite do the colours justice - it really is a beautiful colour.

Then we had to create monochromatic scales again with 3 of the optimal colours, this time with their tonally equal grey. Then to choose one and mount it with a picture reflecting the colour changes. I chose this picture because I love the patina of rust on pretty much everything.

seeing things in shades of grey

Assessment #2 involved creating a grey scale from white to black with 5 equal steps in between, again by eye.

After about 20 paint chips painted this is my mounted grey scale tool:

This tool was created to assist us in judging tonal level in colour.

When we created this tool, we mounted it on white card with a white strip covering the messy ends of the chips. For the remainder of the assessment we were told to create a protective cover for the tool.

Here it is separated from the protective cover:

At home I used rub-ons to number the scale.

I wanted to be frugal so I set  myself the challenge of creating the protective covering for my scale with things I had at home.

The cover I made out of an old acetate cover that once covered a manual. I then put a rub on, on the inside of the acetate and held it in place with a funky clip that I was given as part of an info pack (not pictured).

I also created a pouch to hold my tool:

This is the front side: it is really hard to tell by this photo, but here is what I did:

1. First I ironed some tissue that I pulled out of a shoe box, then photocopied the black, white and grey pages of the white pages onto it. 
2. Next I glued that onto some damask tissue paper that was left over from a gift - this left me with a double layer of tissue paper. 
3. On the front I collaged it with an old slide mount, a dress form cut out and some text paper. I also printed a wing pattern onto a piece of vellum. The word 'Greyscale' is rub-ons on a scrap of card stock, the back and white spotty ribbon was left over from another project.
4. I then took my collaged tissue paper and sandwiched it between to pieces of plastic that I cut from some sheet packaging.
5. I then created the back pieces:

I used the same method to create the back pieces, with the exception of the flap, which is a single piece of plastic. I assembled it as follows:

1. First I ran bias binding (that I had inherited from my nan) around the flap and the curve of the pocket
2. Then I layered the front and back pieces and ran bias binding around the two pieces, beginning at the top, down one side, along the bottom and up the other side, with mitred corners.
3. Next I positioned the flap and ran the bias binding along the top edge.

So there you have it: Assessment 2! To my delight my greyscale matched the guide, which meant that I got brilliant feedback. My protective cover and pouch were unique to everyone else's - in fact, no one else had actually created a pouch. As I progressed through the course I became known for my unique and quirky style. I hadn't really known that my style was so unique. I have to admit that at times it caused me some concern - I figured that it could either be a good thing or a bad thing... At the end of the day, my decision has and always should be to be true to myself and not try to mimic someone else's style. There's a bit of a life lesson in that!

Anyway, if you are reading this now it means that you have got to the end and deserve a reward for bearing with me while I ramble on! Contact me and let me know and I will get a reward to you!!!

REALLY!

That was a mammoth read about lots of (potentially) boring stuff! 

Thanks for bearing with me,

Renee xxooxx

my excuse is that i've been studying!

I haven't posted anything in ages, and it's not for lack of want.

This year has been crazy in so many ways, and has been so full of events including (but not limited to) deaths, sickness,  broken bones,  more sickness, and quite a bit of grief.

I've been hiding under a rock!

I think that I'm done now.

I wanted to catalogue some of the work that I've done these past months, so here goes!

The first major assessment we had was to create one of these:

Bauhaus colour wheel

The colour translation is not brilliant, but, anyway...

... it is a Bauhaus based colour wheel, and we had to create it by eye. We were provided the primary colours in gouache (2 blues 2 reds and 2 yellows). We then had to mix the optimal colours at exact increments, totally by eye. About one hundred paint chips later, I presented this. It took hours! Fortunately I received full credit for it!

I am not offended if anyone finds this completely uninspiring! I would not have found it interesting in my pre ISCD days!