Mount board scenes and Acetate:

After speaking with my tutor, they suggested that instead of cardboard I could use mount board to create the scenes that I wanted with more ease, What I needed to do was score into the black mount board with a scalpel or craft knife and then peel away specific sections to create a monochrome scene. To do this I chose 6 images from my photography work earlier in the project and printed them out so I have a bigger reference image to look at. I used A4 mount board to create these images.

 1

This first image was the one that I found the hardest. It was of a photograph of a barn so there were lots of straight, geometric lines that could be seen. However, I keep getting confused about which sections I was supposed to be peeling off and which ones I was leaving so I accidentally peeling off sections I hadn't planned to. Although this was annoying for me at the time I don't think that it had much of a negative effect on the final outcome of the work. Within this work there are many straight lines present, everything seems geometric and there are no curves or waves that can be seem in this images. I believe that these lines create an aspect of uniformity to the image, this paired with the black and white tones create a geometric structure and rhythm to the work as well as providing a clear contrast. I believe that this piece is abstract and takes inspiration from movements such as cubism, some of the smaller shapes have a fracture element to them. This is where I have tried to capture and portray light within the piece, however, I think that the outcome is far to bract for the viewer to be able to tell that it is supposed to be light. I think that the straight lines in this work invoke a feeling of strength, this is an old barn that has been standing fro many years and has yet to fall down, it is standing tall and proud. For me, when I look at this piece I feel a sense of familiarity, not only because this is a barn that I have grown up seeing but the straight lines within the piece are repetitive and the viewer becomes more and more used to them the longer they look at the work. 

 2

 3

These two images are of birch trees, both works share qualities such as the black and white tones and the black backgrounds. I like that the background of the images is dark, it makes it seem as if it is set at night time which I believe creates an unnerving atmosphere. Anything could be lurking in the darkness. I have tried to create as many sections of dark peeling wood as I can in both images and they all and in a sharp point. I think that this not only allows there to be a contrast within the tree itself but also adds an edge to the overall work, I think that having sharper points within the piece creates a an intensity and slight viscousness to the image as if these points have sliced into the tree. The composition of the second piece is much more spread out compared to the third, the trees are a mixture of slanted and upright and they take up most of the image. The gaps in between each tree allow dark background to be seen and there seems to be enough space for the viewer to wind in and out of the trees if they wanted to. In both images there is a slight curve to the trees as I drew them freehand however, I have tried to make the lines as intentional and strong as possible. I believe that this choice has allowed the trees to invoke this sense of strength, they are sturdy and robust, they have endured throughout the years. In the third piece I decided to add some thinner winding branches that weave behind the tree trunks. I wanted to contrast the strength that the trees showcase and and add an element of fragility to the work. The curves of these branches are smooth and and neat, which I think adds a calm flow to the work. I think that with the way they seem to wander around the image they create a sense of curiosity and exploration. They extend past the confines of the work and create the illusion that there is more that the viewer cannot see. 

 4

The fourth image is my favourite out of all of them, as well as the photograph that it was based on. When I look at this piece the thing that I notice immediately is the composition, I have centred the tree so that it is the clear subject of the work and takes up the majority of the space within the image. I think that this helps the subject of the work to feel as if it is bigger that it is, the image is on an A4 piece of mount board but because the tree spreads out so much it seems as if the viewer is looking at something large and imposing. The tree trunk and most of the branches are wide, with and curves and lines being smooth, I think that this allows the work to have a sense of strength and endurance and the image to seem solid. Originally, I was going to leave the tree black but when I looked at it I thought that it was too black and boring. To remedy this I decided to try and recreate some of the textures that could be seen in the back of the reference photograph. I did this by cutting out small sections that curved around the form of the tree. I really liked the result of this and I believe that it defiantly added not only an element of texture to the work, but also in terms of composition it I think that it makes the work far more interesting as these sections stand out and contrast the rest of the tree which is black. I also think that adding these textured sections has completely changes the overall atmosphere of the work, before it looked like a nice tree but the more I look at it now the more it starts to look like a within monster with too many eyes and limbs. The curved branches transform into wiggling tendrils creating movement and life within the work. 

 5

 6

These last two images are my least favourite out of all of the pieces, however, I do still believe that they are successful. They both feature dark branches with minimal detail and texture against a white background, and in each image the branches are winding and snaking across the work. The curves that can be are smooth like my previous work, however I would say that there are far more twists and turns present in these two works. When I look at this is think that it causes the pieces to feel more sporadic and slightly chaotic compared to the others. The previous work seems more structured whereas the curved branches in the final two images seem to slither in all directions creating a sense of uncertainty within the work, like there is no way to tell which direction the branches will twist next. I definitely prefer the sixth image compared to the fifth. The fifth work seems particularly bare and barren and I think that this might be because of white background. With the black backgrounds I found that although they were left plain, the dark tones added an aspect of mystery and depth within the works. However, the white tones don't seem to allow for that, and there is nothing left to the imagination and the image seems barren. I tried to remedy this in the sixth and final work by adding two reeds to fill in a particularly large gap in the composition of the image which I believe has worked quite nicely, it provides a new element to the image with all the leaves being the same, uniform shape reaching upwards instead of down to contrast the rest of the image. Looking at these two works I am reminded of veins spreading across and arm and these works feel organic and natural to me. 

I believe that all of these pieces have been successful and I'm happy with the way that they have turned out. I think that the simple black and white tones of the pieces are effective, they allow the details of the scenes to stand out and for the shapes and forms to be the main focus. One issue the I found with my works was that there were lots of pencil lines left over from the original drawing and were visible and distracting. This was easily fixed and I carefully used a rubber to take away any lingering marks. One things that I would do differently next time is this I would use a sharper blade to score into the mount board. I found that some areas were difficult to peel off leaving a slightly messier finish than I would have liked but I was able to tidy them up. 

Moving forward I would like to turn my pieces into cyanotypes, I think that this would be an interesting development and and effective way of combining these pieces with a process that I am skilled at. I am looking forward to seeing how the tones and colours of the cyanotypes change and affect the atmosphere and language of the scenes. To start off this development I used photoshop to invert my images and printed them out onto acetate to use as a stencil for my cyanotypes. I made sure to properly adjust the shadows and contrast to allow the images to be dark enough and work well.