A reportage case study
I started by looking at Veronica Lawlors website, I couldn.t
find out much about her biography it was all what she was doing at
the moment, not what she had done in the past, or where she came
from, what school or college or university she went to, did she
complete an art degree etc. I did then found some more of her work
on Pintrest, it gave a better variation of her work, but I started
by looking at her reportage work first.
I really enjoyed her work, I found the way she sketches to be
free, quick and quite frantic, I don’t know if this is something
that happens or whether she draws in a calm easy way? It may be
just the subjects that make it look and feel that way.
I really enjoyed this picture; I found the use of the black fine
liner pen and the colour in part of the sketch really great. I like
the use of primary colours; I think this makes it look really bold
and bright. It’s hard to tell if she uses traditional ways of
sketching, or on an IPad, it’s hard to tell with this picture,
that’s why I wanted to find out more about her process and early
days of drawing.
It could be that she sketches in pencil when she’s out and about
and then finishes the piece off on the IPad, by overlaying the
black pen and colour. I have looked close up at the picture and it
does seem that maybe that’s what she does?!
I think some of her sketching is also using continuous line
work, as some bits I can’t see where the line ends; this gives the
picture a flowing feeling as it merges into one.
I love the textures in the colours too, some look like crayon,
some look even like air brushing, which also makes me think it is
used on the IPad.
I like this picture and the way she has used different writing
styles to represent the words on the placards, again it’s a very
easy and free way of sketching, she’s not sketching really any of
the actual boards of the placards, but you just assume they are
there, because of the wording and the way it’s placed. It’s very
clever and not something you would think of, but works brilliantly
and wondered why you don’t think like that too?!
Also the sketching of the people is again just a shape, there’s
no real detail as it’s just the back of the person and yet you know
it’s a person, there’s a hint of a head or a hat. I like the use of
what looks like watercolour also in the background of a lamp post
and a wash of black on some of the people, its gives the feeling of
loose freeness.
This one is just a black and white sketch, again very loose and
free in style and drawing. I really like the way she hasn’t drawn
every photographer, but has drawn more cameras than people, yet it
still suggests many people are there. I’m really enjoying looking
into her work and finding out styles and looseness and how to bring
this into my sketching. I find I’m very stiff which my sketching
and would love to be able to draw in this way.
This picture is gorgeous, it’s one of my favourites, I love the
use of the pink colour and the yellow, they both look neon in tone,
which I think adds a real vibrancy and difference to the piece.
This picture feels as though it has more detail within it, but I’m
not sure if it really does, or whether it’s just the different
colours that make it look busy. I’m definitely more drawn to this
picture because of the colours, for me the colours make the
piece.
This picture is great in that it only uses four colours, blue,
red, brown and purple, this I feel really makes the picture
striking, also the strokes and the way she has put down the colour
and the shapes they make, really give the feeling of movement. I
like the way the black is used over the top of the colour to give
some of the outlines of the people and the shape of the base.
I wanted to pick another picture that Veronica has painted that
wasn’t a reportage piece, just to compare them together. Would she
use the same media? Would it be as drawn as quick as the
others?
This picture is of a face and although she has used a different
technique with the colour in this piece, again this looks air
brushed or could be pastels? The black line and the way she has
drawn the face looks like the same style, its looks as though it
was drawn quickly and has the lack of detail like her other pieces.
This piece looks more contemporary than the others though, maybe
this is to do with the simple subject?
Overall I found this research exercise really interesting once I
got into and looked deeply at the style of drawing. This has given
me some really good techniques and tips on how to become more loose
and to try and be more free and flowing with my sketching.
