Level 5 & 6 - Mega Summer Sketchbook Crit

It was really inspiring to see the sketchbook works of level 5 & 6. The variety of approaches and styles was impressive, and not just throughout the group, but also within each individual sketchbook. It was good to see the amount of experimentation still present and active in the later years, people constantly trying new drawing techniques and media from page to page. It was really encouraging to see how loose and imperfect a lot of the work was too, the sketchbooks existing as they should as works in progress, a space for idea creation and development and general brain dump, not finished, polished pieces.
These very simple line drawings caught my eye mainly for the element of humour this student has portrayed, exaggerating and simplifying human forms to create cartoon like caricatures of people exercising, depicted in the most basic way. I like the fact that they have not worried about the anatomical accuracy of the figures but instead built them up using basic shapes and very few lines, prioritising the comedic aspect.

I would be keen to see some variations of the top figure, in different yoga positions, but perhaps executed in a more refined and clean way, without compromising the simple nature of the line work.

Another way of creating a simple form is through the use of shape and colour. The lack of outline gives this dog a very graphic look, along with the limited colour palette. The basic tone used for the shade gives it depth but without compromising simplicity; had more tones and details been added it would have lost this quality. I also like the shape the silhouette of the image makes, its exaggerated features such as the ears give it character as well as a subtle element of humour.

These loose observation architectural drawings appeal to me mainly as similar subjects are a common theme in my own work, and these examples are very nicely executed. They act as studies of certain elements of the urban landscapes, fading off and remaining unfinished. This makes them feel very natural and shows the student's aim of prioritising the most important parts, capturing the overall gist of the subject. They are both full of energy, the use of line in a confident but free way takes something structured and harsh i.e. angles on a building, and makes them expressive and almost human. Perspective is important on both especially on the railway line on the top drawing, creating a dynamic composition cutting through the page and portraying the arches on the left in a more interesting and thoughtful way. The viewer can imagine themselves stood on the platform and those strong angles of line add movement and could suggest a journey; the lines metaphorically pointing the way.


The use of exaggeration in these too pages is prevalent, creating so much character in the figure and animals depicted. In the case of the cyclist, it looks as though this is the build up of a story board or comic strip, where narrative is clearly important. By elongating the figure, making his legs thin and body long, he is almost compared to the mountain he presumably has to climb. Despite his height he is still overshadowed by the challenge ahead, to which his scraggly legs do not look a match. It is interesting how exaggerating certain features of the human figure can really suggest the personality of that character. This is similar to the giraffe on the right, the slightly amplified characteristics of that animal give it a personality. What is most interesting about this image however is the build up of colour. Although not true to life, the layers of greens and reds and blues create beautiful tones and portray an almost elegant portrait of the animal.