We spent this session at a local museum. we were given a kind of “bingo sheet” of items to find and draw in various ways before our time ran out (though unfortunately I did need to improvise in the case of the Himalayan sloth bear head and swordfish snout as the collection had changed; instead I drew an old taxidermy tiger head and ichthyosaur remains respectively). First I used charcoal, then soft pastels, watercolour pencils, multi-coloured biro pen, tonal pastels, and then charcoal again. I wanted the solidity of charcoal to quickly capture the rough contours of the sturgeon and the dark silhouette of the large mammoth-shaped blackboard--the medium continues to be versatile and helpful. The striking colours of the pastels were ideal for differentiating between the dress’ folds and detailing with flowing, confident lines. I chose the pencils for the opposite of that--a softer medium for quieter colours; I used different lines to create different textures like the fur or knitted coat. The biro I used for striking, eye-catching marks, as well as imaginative colouring and shading. It made sense to use the tonal pastels for the skeleton both in terms of the natural dark and light of shadow and bone they possess, but also to create a murky, ghostly atmosphere reminiscent of the species itself; the medium allowed for the smooth shading and the accurate juxtaposition of the shades and highlights. The new setting was unconventional, but I appreciated the variety of subjects within it and change of pace.
