March 2014

[Jane Noakes]

I took some time away from drawing this month to work on “The Butterfly Collector” for the Penny Dreadful project. I used the concept of negative space and structured the composition around silhouettes and shadows. The aim was to create an eerie atmosphere and allow the viewer to add their own narrative. “The Butterfly Collector” is an exploration of light, expressed through the horror genre. Influences are German Expressionism and Pop Art. The two drawings above, "In the Garden" and "Homeward Bound", further develop this idea.

My artists book “The Twelfth House” starts its tour of the USA and Canada today, 14 March, as part of The Sketchbook Project 2014 Tour. It launches in Brooklyn, NYC before heading West. Influences on my work for this project are Gothic horror fiction and non-linear texts. You can view it at The Brooklyn Sketchbook Project

I extended my tonal range this month through using 4B and 6B pencils in addition to 2B. This has created more contrast in my compositions and a wider tonal range, enabling a fuller exploitation of negative space. In addition the softer mark of the 6B pencil begins the transition from drawing to painting and some of the challenges offered by backgrounds now look soluble.