Review: The Big Icon Challenge - Episode 4

Episode 4 of The Big Painting Challenge was a actually serious challenge for whatever artist. I tin intend of a seat out of professional person artists who would have got struggled amongst this one.  The argue why is:
  1. they were drawing as well as paradigm the human form
  2. two of the challenges involved a moving human cast - as well as non inwards an piece of cake way!
For those who missed it y'all tin straight off see it on BBC iPlayer - as well as run into if y'all tin do whatever better

At the halt of this postal service I provide:
  • some tips for aspiring artists who desire to describe people including those who don't simply pose for you!
  • links to interviews amongst some of the artists
  • a regime annotation of a Live Sketch Off Competition taking house at 7pm tomorrow nighttime (Tuesday 17th March)
GOOD NEWS for those living exterior the U.K. - Episode 3 has been posted on YouTube.
BAD NEWS The BBC sells its programmes overseas as well as this link may move defunct inwards the real close future! It's hence minor it made me intend somebody has been videoing their iPad!

BBC iPlayer - The Big Painting Challenge - Epidsode 4

This calendar week the programme was based at Tate Britain - which is also where the winner volition acquire their best paradigm hung for a brace of weeks starting xxx Apr (basically 2 weeks either side of Easter) .

Episode 4: the human cast as well as displace challenges


Challenge 1: To create a static life drawing of a semi-nude manful soul life model assuming real classical poses (3 hours) 

Life model clip The links to clips from the programme won't run unless y'all alive inwards the UK.
The judges were looking for:
  • anatomically right figures
  • accurate proportions
  • realistic flesh tones 
(Presenter)

Contestants had to create a real life-like paradigm exhibit of the model inwards front end of them from top to toe, using whatever materials they chose. They were dissever into 2 groups working from 2 different professional person models. The challenge was mostly about
  • measuring to acquire the scale as well as proportion right for the trunk equally a whole 
  • sizing their drawing of the soul relative to the size of paper
  • getting the feet on the newspaper equally this enables an creative soul to bring a sense of residuum as well as weight. 
"Drawing or paradigm from the human figure proves that the creative soul has telephone substitution skills inwards price of assessing proportion as well as shape - as well as nosotros demand to run into that they have got those skills"
Daphne Todd
Interestingly none of the artists got unloose remarks at the end.  Daphne Todd was disappointed inwards them as well as wondered whether they had constitute the context (Tate Britain) real daunting.

One agency or some other they all managed to err inwards some agency or some other eg
  • not leaving plenty room to acquire the feet on the paper/canvas; (Claire, Paul as well as Anne)
  • getting some role of the model out of proportion amongst the relaxation (eg Anthea's caput was likewise big; the thigh on the right of Claire's model was far likewise big; Amy struggled generally)
  • drawing likewise minor as well as leaving likewise much infinite around the model (Richard)
  • not thinking close how the paradigm could live on cropped to deliver a ameliorate composition (Richard)
  • legs non doing what they were doing inwards reality (Anne as well as somebody else who I forget - I'll move as well as check!)
  • flesh tones which resembled a permatan rather than natural tones (Amy's had a permatan)
It's becoming clear that Paul, the ex-architectural illustrator, is much ameliorate at paradigm buildings than he is at drawing as well as paradigm people. His quick describe inwards calendar week 2 was weak as well as I idea his run this calendar week was non equally potent when compared to some of his other run during the challenge.

Challenge 2: Quick Draw Exercise (30 minutes - using coloured pencils) - Capture a sense of the human cast inwards displace - using pastels to describe a rhythmic gymnast performing a uncomplicated routine


The judges were looking for an paradigm which capture the displace of the gymnast together amongst anatomical accuracy.

That's surely some challenge given most amateur artists would have got a major difficulty getting anatomical accuracy amongst a static pose for xxx minutes!

The gymnast repeated sure gestures all the time. The challenge for the creative soul was to detect where the repetitions were as well as to select i that they wanted to describe - as well as and hence tape it.
"It's non plenty simply to do automatic drawing"
Lachlan Goudie - commenting on Amy's work
Lachlan Goudie's "how to" this calendar week was real skillful at tips for conveying displace as well as unloose energy inwards a drawing but he said zippo close how best to tape displace when that is what y'all are presented with. Personally I idea Lachlan "bottled out" past times providing a demonstration involving a maquette rather than a moving model! :)

I idea all the artists did actually good considering they exclusively had xxx minutes available.

Claire inwards special did an fantabulous drawing through her work of niggling marks as well as proposition which conveyed both the model as well as the displace good as well as Daphne emphasised this as well as explained why. Claire was beaming afterwards.  Paul also did a skillful drawing as well as used the orangish as well as blueish coloured pencils intelligently.

This quick describe exercise is actually skillful at exposing those who loathe working at speed!

Challenge 3: (two parts)
Using pastels - brand studies of alive flamenco dancers dancing (30 minutes).
Create a paradigm exhibit based on the studies (3 hours)


This is a real tricky challenge. It combines all the precision of life drawing amongst mightiness to capture movement... they have got to convince me that these are human forms moving around inwards a dance
Lachlan Goudie
Another ways of looking at this is that this special challenge involved showing what the artists have got learned from the critique from the 2 previous challenges as well as demonstrating that they tin brand some progress as well as improve on what they have got produced hence far
The judges were looking for pictures that have got captured the passion, vibrancy as well as drama of the flamenco surgery
(Presenter)
I know I surely would non have got enjoyed this challenge. It's a VERY "big ask" start to live on able to acquire decent studies downwards inwards the real brusk fourth dimension allowed as well as and hence to work what you've got to create a decent drawing. It seemed to me that this was the start i where a fair flake of imagination would have got to come upwards into play.

The effectiveness of pastels also tends to depend on the character of pastels as well as the back upwards used. I'd have got absolutely hated having to work newspaper rather than an abrasive support! I also didn't recognise the pastels but I gauge they have got to endeavour as well as anonymise them?

The 2 men ducked out from doing to a greater extent than than i figure - there's a give-and-take for that! ;) At to the lowest degree all the women had a move at including at to the lowest degree 2 people as well as equally such fulfilled the brief better.  Anthea went i ameliorate as well as included 3 - but that didn't run to her advantage!

The Judges comments


I hold seeing lots of people complaining close the comments the Judges brand - including the artists.
"Well this is very different It's on the path to somewhere.....I have got to wonder if it's non a niggling bit self-indulgent. There's a lot of displace inwards it. Whether it describes the displace of that dancer today I'm non sure it does."
Daphne Todd
"I wasn't happy amongst her comment close it beingness self-indulgent because I'm simply making the fine art that I dearest to brand as well as I simply idea that was actually unfair... I don't actually intend that they acquire what I'm about"
Amy - after the Quick Draw Challenge
I do intend people demand to hold inwards heed that:
  • this is an fine art contest - non a paradigm vacation or an fine art degree - artwork is beingness JUDGED! 
  • on the whole judgements are beingness made close the artwork as well as non the artists. Artwork doesn't have got feelings! (That said Daphne's remark close 'self-indulgent' was close Amy although prompted past times the nature of her artwork)
  • the feedback the judges furnish is hopefully beingness heard past times a lot of other amateur artists who desire to detect out as well as larn how to pigment better. In my opinion, the comments nosotros hear furnish valid, relevant as well as precise feedback of the type non many volition hear.
  • what nosotros run into is non wholly representative of everything that happened. We are non watching inwards existent fourth dimension - nosotros exclusively run into the edits. Thus nosotros exclusively hear what the Editors select nosotros hear. That doesn't hateful to tell at that topographic point haven't been to a greater extent than positive comments.  In principle, the best people to brand a sentence on the comments of the Judges are the participants.
  • the comments are coming from 2 people who are experienced as well as professional person artists. In my view their comments (as edited down) are beingness honest non savage - albeit mayhap inwards the trend of Simon Callow as well as Paul Hollywood! Frankly this makes for ameliorate as well as to a greater extent than memorable telly as well as I intend it real unlikely that this exercise volition change. 
To my heed what's actually savage is tutors who never tell anything negative close the run of their students. The "feel skillful factor" approach to fine art critique equally ever struck me equally beingness a smart marketing displace past times those who desire to ensure their students come upwards dorsum for to a greater extent than tuition. It says zippo whatsoever close what their existent skills as well as abilities are.

The exit


Last calendar week I didn't brand a prediction equally to who would move - but highlighted Amy, Anthea as well as Anne equally beingness 3 people who were all possibles.  The programme makers agreed this calendar week as well as paid a lot of attending to them - as well as Richard, who I intend struggles amongst creating pictures from other people inwards a brusk fourth dimension frame. It's a mutual job for real many amateur artists hence no surprises there.

To my heed Amy pulled herself dorsum from the brink amongst her finally drawing - where she stopped as well as started over again amongst non much fourth dimension left.  It was a real brave displace as well as undoubtedly the right i as well as she created an effective drawing inwards the time.

Anthea was selected to move abode this week. The words "illustration" as well as "wooden" were used a lot inwards relation to her portrayal of people. As she herself admits, drawing as well as paradigm people is non her forte.

I'm convinced Paul as well as Claire volition brand the concluding but I'm non sure who volition bring together them.

Next calendar week is Cityscapes as well as the challenges continue! Paul is natural springtime to do well. Who goes? It could live on anybody....

Tips for those thinking close applying for the side past times side series


It's challenges similar Episode 4 which discover simply how skilled people are at drawing as well as paradigm other people.

First off, drawing the human cast from life has traditionally been regarded equally a telephone substitution science that an creative soul needs to have got - as well as also i of the best ways of learning how to describe simply close anything.  It was surely the advice I got when I came dorsum to drawing after a intermission of some fifteen years. I promptly went as well as enrolled inwards an eve life degree at Central St Martins as well as watched equally my mightiness to describe the human figure began to improve slow over the months as well as years

That bottom job is the message from this week's programme for aspiring artists. If y'all exclusively describe the human figure from photos them y'all should non minor fry yourself that y'all have got learned how to describe the figure. I'm guessing that's why Anne was hence upset inwards this week's programme equally I intend she idea she could describe as well as pigment people - as well as I would have got agreed amongst her having seen her paintings. However she wasn't relying on observation as well as drawing from life, she had largely relied on photographic references for her paintings - equally I gauge real many painters do.

TIPS FOR THE FUTURE


Things people tin do to assist them if they create upwards one's heed to move into - or simply if they desire to improve their art
  • Take a life drawing class - inwards fact, have got several! Drawing people good benefits enormously from regular practice.  Make it role of your routine for keeping your eye constantly attuned to measurement as well as sizing as well as beingness able to describe right shapes as well as volumes as well as tones. 
  • Draw from photos exclusively after y'all have got learned how to describe from life.  Those who are non practiced inwards drawing from life cope inwards the challenges where the models are existent as well as non photos.
  • Use a sketchbook as well as describe people everywhere y'all go - I create total my sketchbooks amongst drawings of people inwards places I visit. Below is i from finally calendar week when I sketched Irish Gaelic Illustrator PJ Lynch spell he did a paradigm demonstration.
  • Practice using dry out media - dry out media is invariably used for the quick describe exercises as well as artists demand to live on familiar amongst the properties of each media as well as also how they tin live on used intelligently to create quick drawings
  • Learn to describe fast - drawing fast takes lots of exercise but the faster y'all describe the to a greater extent than exercise y'all get!
  • Review my spider web log postal service 10 Tips for How to Sketch People - this  provides 10 real practical tips that I work as well as which assist me to describe people better 
  • (I'd also add together that I have got 8 pages of tips close drawing people inwards my mass - although none close how to describe flamenco dancers!- run into pages 78-87 of Sketching 365 a.k.a. Drawing 365 in the USA and 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching in Asia)
Irish Illustrator PJ Lynch giving a paradigm demo
at the Ulster Festival of Art as well as Design inwards Belfast 11.03.15.
I kept updating the portrait equally he painted!

For comparing amongst the existent thing, this is a real brusk video of PJ Lynch paradigm from the life model - as well as at the halt y'all tin run into my sketchbook on my knee



The side past times side twenty-four hours I was on a Panel Discussion - as well as drew the audience spell I listened to the other contributors as well as waited my plow ( run into below). One of the points I emphasised was the do goodness of carrying a sketchbook everywhere as well as have got every chance to describe from life.

View of the audience - without faces - at the Panel Discussion on "Drawing Together"
a fifteen infinitesimal sketch at the Ulster Festival of Art as well as Design inwards Belfast 12.03.15.

The Big Painting Challenge: An Exclusive Interview with....

The WH Smith spider web log has interviews amongst some of the artists.  I tin detect 2 hence far.

Little Painting Challenge


You tin see some 'examples' of postcards re. the Little Painting Challenge on the Big Painting Challenge website

Live Sketch Off Competition


Think y'all tin do ameliorate than the participants on The Big Painting Challenge?

Why non endeavour the WHSmith / Derwent Pencils Live SketchOff tomorrow night? See the WHJ Smith spider web log for to a greater extent than details - but basically you've got xc minutes from 7pm tomorrow night. Clear the decks! :)
On Tuesday 17th March, bring together us on Facebook or Twitter at 7pm equally nosotros discover the land of written report that nosotros desire y'all to sketch. Just similar on The Big Painting Challenge, we’ll live on setting a fourth dimension restrain of xc minutes, during which y'all volition demand to demonstrate your sketching skills past times drawing a mystery land of written report that we’ll postal service on the night. You’ll as well as hence have got until 8.30pm to upload the finished results to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram using the hashtags #WHSArt as well as #SketchOffYour artwork volition live on reviewed past times Derwent i time all your entries are inwards as well as a winner volition live on announced the side past times side day. The winner volition have a ready of 72 Derwent sketching pencils, all presented inwards a beautiful box

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