- Shock and Awe II
- 10 July 05
- Drawing
- 9 Comments
When I first flagged this project a couple of weeks ago I inferred that there would only be more entry on this drawing, so here it is.
Letís start with the conceptual part and composition of the drawing. Readers will know that I spend a lot of time thinking (perhaps overly so) about the compositional aspects of a drawing. While an idea might easily come into my head, ensuring that it looks right on paper and having the various elements ìsayî what I want them to say is always time-consuming.
This drawing is one that took me longer than anticipated to get the layout right. Iím using a panorama (cinemascope I hear you say) landscape orientation and this added to the headache with respect to balancing the composition. However, after a lot of mental gymnastics and the odd very, very rough sketch to assist me I settled on something which was workable. The only thing that remained as is was the foreground containing a three quarter ringmaster figure.
That obviously meant that the middle ground and background changed. The detailed drawing bits are in the foreground and middle ground. The background is darkish, but to convey a message I included an eponymous city skyline silhouetted on the horizon line.
The middle ground contains high divers (sourced from an old circus poster), a ladder, and a barrel into which one of the divers will land/splash/splat. Iím happy with the divers (theyíve turned out better than I thought they would) and the placement of the divers vis-‡-vis the ladder (which is just off centre) works really well from a compositional aspect.
It is way too early to tell whether the flickering film effect has worked. If it hasn't worked then not all is lost because the effect most certainly gives a feeling movement to the composition. To achieve the said effect, prior to drawing, I cut long pieces of magic tape into very thin strips and randomly placed and stuck them on the paper. The strips acted as a mask so I could draw and rub over them ñ once the drawing was completed I pulled back the strips to reveal crisp white lines which hopefully give that flicker effect which I was seeking. In addition to this I used a thin strip of eraser to impart even softer lines and splotches to complement the magic tape lines.
However to do this successfully required me not to spray the drawing with fixative in between drawing sessions, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to erase at a later stage. Also the longer I kept the magic tape on, the harder it was to remove and the greater the chance of tearing the paper. So this was a real test of my paper management skills ñ working with a large piece of paper, dark background, and fiddly middle ground and foreground, all the time trying to not smudge anything (Iíve given up on trying to keep my clothes clean when I draw)!
So it's finished and has been added to the gallery. I might get around to entering it for a few competitions, and let the judges decide whether it is shock and awe or crock and crap.
Medium: Pencil and charcoal
Dimensions: 510mm x 940mm
comments
Wow! Fantastic work Detlef. The composition is spot on and the time you put into thinking about the piece really shows. I love the detail in the ringmaster. Especially how you place him in front of the “scratches”. He really draws you into the piece and captures you!
In all honestly I didn’t get the lines as being the old film effect but I still really like them. You are right about them giving the piece more energy. I thought they might be streamers. The whole piece is exciting and mysterious. Thankyou for sharing another fantastic drawing!!
Posted by Katherine on 10.07.05 at 04.45pm
Sublime - I’m in shock and awe same order and it’s a good feeling:) Composition perfect! You get sucked in after making it around the rink. Must be great in actual size.
The film scratches are ‘cutting edge’ - it is difficult to see the build up of coal and lead between scratch and paper due to this thumbnail ... but imagine in real life it would carry the effect like fingernails on a blackboard backwards and inside out.
Let us know if being shown around Sydney ... or when there is a larger image online - I’m missing details and would like to see them.
Posted by Anonymous on 10.07.05 at 08.12pm
I love the picture. My dad was a clown in the circus for a while when I was young and of course that was a most magical place for me. I do like the lines in the picture but they remind me of how the spot light would revolve quickly around the room and would “catch” glimmers of metal, sequines, rhinestones, etc. That’s just my interretation of your picture…and I like it very much. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by Susan Miller on 10.07.05 at 10.12pm
I’m clawing at my monitor screen, trying to dive in and see this up close and in real life. This is excellent, Detlef. I like the frieze-like composition and I find the ladder and its shadow to be especially beautifully drawn.
Posted by Laura on 10.07.05 at 10.24pm
This drawing has certainly worked out very well. There is a great depth to it, both in the execution and in the subject matter. I hope that you do very well with it in the competitions.
Posted by Robyn on 11.07.05 at 08.26pm
I can’t say anything beyond wow so “wow”. It really reminds me a Twilight Zone version of Cirque. He’s inviting us in to that dark circle. I don’t know if you meant it but it’s a great subtext. And you know 1/2 the fun of your drawings are how you write about them. It’s such a gift to share that process.
Posted by janey on 12.07.05 at 12.46pm
Thank you one and all. Because people have asked I’ll try show some more of the detail in a future post - it’ll have to wait until it comes back from the framer. I agree that I don’t think I hit the right note with the flickering film effect, but I’m not unhappy (pardon the double negative) with the end result. It’s growing on me more and more. The subtext was intended, it’s an allegorical statement on contemporary events.
Posted by Detlef on 12.07.05 at 08.35pm
This is soooooooo mind blowing. Your work is like nothing I see. I admire your patience on a piece like this.
I know it requires a slow, steady hand with great focus. My hat’s off to your sir!!!
Posted by Big Harry H on 13.07.05 at 11.09am
sorry so late in the commenting ! I must say your site confused me a bit, I’m so used to posts running one after the other on other blogs that i forget i need to click “previous” to see what you’ve been up to
anyway this is one of my favorites of all your work I’ve seen so far ! love the long horizontal layout, the composition is terrific, and while I likewise didn’t read the white marks as old film scratches I don’t think that matters a bit (at least not to me !) I interpreted them as rope or strings hanging from the canvas top, not being exactly sure they added mystery to the piece which I think is perfect for the kind of creepy atmosphere I think of for the circus nowadays because of interpretations like that t.v. show “carnival” etc.
glad though that you didn’t veer explicitly in that direction, a bit of old time circus poster quality with just the right touch of you’ve entered a different world folks step right up and be amazed !
great job !
Posted by Cin on 22.07.05 at 12.28am