After some sketchbook studies of my chosen objects I did two A2 preliminary studies. I found it difficult to fit the objects on the page in a way that I was happy with. I also needed something in the background because the composition appears to be floating. The composition generally needed rethinking. So for my third preliminary study I flipped the paper 90degrees so that I had a landscape page. I also sat the objects on an old leather suitcase with interesting texture. The drawing then had vertical and horizontal lines running through it. It wasn't a great drawing really, just a quick sketch, but I was happier with this new composition than with the first idea. I then did another drawing of the same compositon and messed about with colour and mark making ideas. Finally I did a small scale colour pencil study for the final drawing on brown paper. I very much liked working on brown paper as it kind of crinkles as you work on it, but I wanted much bolder colour - the pencils didn't cut it.
The final drawing of natural objects was succesful in that the objects are pretty well represented - I tried as well as I could to get the tones and shapes right, as well as the sizes in relation to one another. I really wanted the objects to look right together, to look natural together as it were. With one exception, I think i managed this. The avocado was the most troublesome part of the composition. I wanted it to be an interesting drawing, and I knew I wanted to use mixed media, but I did not do enough preliminary studies for the avocado itself so it ended up looking strange and sloppy next to the other objects. I don't think it looks like it belongs in the drawing. It also should have been closer to the driftwood, like it had been in all my studies - at some point it was moved by accident. So this is one thing I would change in terms of compositional changes, but also I would like to have seen less background space and perhaps zoomed in on the objects so that the driftwood goes off the page. I really like the frottage effect of the leather, and I really enjoyed trying to make so much mixed media work together. Overall, I am reasonably happy with the final piece.
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