Day Eighteen

I know what I need to do now. I've made a To Do List. I need to spend at least 20 hours on each project at home, at least! I need to compare my work with that of other artists and analyse what I've done right and wrong. Do not describe the work, if I have used charcoal they already know that, they have been doing this a long time, also it's kinda obvious, even I could tell if charcoal was used. Don't write like you're talking to your mates down the pub, simply make notes.

A part of me is worried that I'm not going to be able to cope, the rest of me is thinking this is going to be just fine. I suspect we will know for sure on Sunday 30th October. The day before we have to hand in our work for assessment.

Bring on the coffee!

Day Seventeen

My stomach was doing cartwheels. I have been dreading today as it's my 3D pre-assessment. She came over and sat with me and looked through my scrapbook, which didn't take long because I hadn't done any of it. We talked about the project a little and she gave me a suggestion which I am more than happy to be getting on with. My stomach has calmed down and I'm feeling reasonably confident again, still a little worried...

Again, it's my own fault. I have not been putting in the hours, and now I see how badly that can affect me. If I had done the work when I was supposed to most of this would be done and I wouldn't be lacking a half term off. I really hope I learn from this exercise.

In the afternoon we had life drawing again. I really wasn't looking forward to this after the cock up of last time. I just couldn't draw to save my life and I felt like a right prat, but today was different. Today I was permitted to use charcoal! I much prefer to do life drawing with charcoal. It's forgiving and makes every line better. So I came away with some really good work and our tutor even pointed out my work for the others to note. I do not feel like a prat anymore.

Day Sixteen

It's pre-assessment week. Pre-assessment is so that our tutors can look over our work and give us a grade, we can then decide if that's ok or if we would rather work over the half term holiday on making the grade better.

Monday is 2d day, where we are mark making and doing a self portrait and learning how to paint. I believe my overall work is reasonable, but my scrapbook was awful. I'm going to need to rip everything out and start again as there is no way I can salvage what I have done so far. To be honest with you, I knew this was coming. I have not been putting in the hours after college. I needed this slap in the face to wake me up, and now I need to listen to what I'm being told and fix the problem. This can not continue.

So, over the next week I'm going to finish my paintings and re-do my scrapbook. I'm still a little worried but reasonably confident.

Day Fifteen

Ah, today is much better. Car is, supposedly, fixed and it was a good session. Firstly we did photography, I forgot to bring in my laptop and so just did some research into lighting techniques. Then the afternoon session was basically a catch-up, some decided to get more of their acrylic painting done, but I opted to finish my pencil drawings, as I only had two unfinished ones and we need about five finished.

A fun day all round, in my honest opinion.

Day Fourteen

3D day... I was up for a portion of last night trying, desperately, to make sense of it all. I haven't even started my sketchbook yet... shit... Pre-assessment next week, must have it done by then...

To be honest with you, today was a non-starter for me as my car broke down, again, and I had to be towed to a garage where they fiddled, did a diagnostic to figure out what was wrong, told me it would cost over £200 to fix...
They lied, but charged me £48 for the diagnostic, bastards.

So this particular blog is just not going to happen. 3D happened, I went home, worked on it some more, then watched an episode of Jeckyl, then hung out with freinds.

Job done.

Day Thirteen

Today was all about painting. We had boards we painted white and then cut them to size, then out came the acrylics. We mixed our paints and made notes of what we did, then we began the painting. Some of the class found it hard to do but I thought it was brilliant. I still need to do a lot of work before they are finished but I am happy with the progress.

Here are three stages of the painting for one of my pieces. Like I said, it still needs some work, but I'm happy with what I've done so far.

And here is my second painting. We need to have two done for our final assessment so as one dried we got on with the other.

And here are some of the equipment used, The black lid was for mixing the paint, and then it gets put into the white tray, and a large tub of water to clean the brushes with, and finally, but most importantly, a full mug of coffee.

Day Twelve

This morning was all about photography. Gavin wanted to see our scrapbooks so far, and I think he was a little troubled by mine. I am proving I understand the lessons, and I seem to know what is expected of me, but I'm not really showing it very well. I have stuck a few things in my scrapbook, but not any writing, I'm not showing in a permanent format that all can look at and see that I understand what I'm doing. I need to work on that. It was also pointed out that I should use the photos I took at Arnos Vale for a later 'Location' project, so I need to get a load more photos done for this project.

I'm going to be doing a lot of work this weekend.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave early. The rest of the day was supposed to be a continuation of photography or going into the main room and doing some more work on one of our other projects, which I will have to do from home. Sorry guys.

Day Eleven

Had a chat with my tutor about my 3D project and we have agreed that it would probably be best to go a different route. So now I have a lot of catch-up work to do, but at least I'm a little happier about being able to finish it.

Then came life drawing. I had mentioned that I had taken life drawing classes before, and although I'm not the best at life drawing, I still know the basics. Gavin said I could just get on with it then while he taught the rest of the class who had never been to a life drawing class. So the lesson started and he was showing us how to measure the body using the end of a pencil, and how to map out the drawing, and I jumped straight in and started drawing, and got it very very wrong. I feel like an idiot. I haven't done any life drawing since the Burlesque class in August, but that is no excuse for the crap I produced today. Back to the drawing board and learning how to draw from scratch.

All in all, not the best day.

Day Ten

More Historical Arts, and a half hour video to boot. We had to make notes on what was being said and about what paintings, etc. Actually very interesting and I'd like to find the video so I can watch the whole thing, as it was about 3 hours long in total.
Then back to our self portraits. I left the fiery one alone and went a little crazy on the other, horrid, floating green head in the middle of icky brown, one. It looks much better now...

Not brilliant, in my opinion, but better.
I then had to do a few more as we need to have 4 or 5 of these done.

I let one dry while I started on the other, then when that was done went back to the first and working into it, etc, etc.

They still need a bit more work. I also discovered something today, if you should happen to use a wax based crayon to work into your picture, make sure you are completely done with the painting 'cos there is no way it's going on after... Luckily, this is the kind of course where mistakes can still be used in the scrapbooks as we can learn from them.
Now comes the hard part. The browny/red one with the green background, Rachel has recommended to put writing in the empty space and it was also pointed out that I'm looking down and a little sad, so I think I know what needs to be written and it's going to be hard to write. Vincent Van Gogh put his feelings onto canvas, as did Edvard Munch, I'm simply following in the footsteps of the great's, and the mentally deranged, let's face it Van Gogh cut his ear off and I'm not at that stage yet.

Oh crap, we have 3D tomorrow and I have no idea what I'm doing. Every time I sit down to think it out I get sidetracked. I think all I need to do is design a vehicle's function and not worry about what it looks like. Maybe focus on an integral part of the vehicle, like the engine, rather than the whole vehicle. Or scrap the whole idea and with just two weeks left come up with a whole new idea. I quite like Emma's idea of boxes.

I reasonable confident I can, at the very least, pass the 2D and photography modules, but the 3D one is going to be a thorn in my portfolio.