I chose to draw a close-up of a hole puncher because I find it visually appealing, especially the details like its shadows. I observed by looking at the shadows and using blending techniques with charcoal. The most challenging part was making the shadows because it was difficult to make more areas darker than others to make the drawing more detailed and dramatic. I learned that creating contrast by enhancing the shadows is crucial. I feel proud because, even though it was a difficult process, I managed to finish it in the end.

I chose to draw a close-up of a wallet keyring because I use it daily. I observed it carefully by looking at the highlights and dark areas of the object. I used blending and erasing techniques with charcoal.

The most challenging part was adding the texture of the wallet because it has lots of lines and highlights. I learnt that highlights are important as they make the drawing look more realistic. I feel proud of my final work because I put a lot of effort into it and it turned out great. 

For "Un[familiar] Objects", I drew the acrylic clip. From the theme, I refer to the word 'familiar' as something that we use often and encounter in our everyday lives, while 'unfamiliar' refers to something we barely notice. I chose to focus on the details of the acrylic clip, such as the parts that allow it to open and close. We’re familiar with how a clip generally functions, but we rarely take the time to examine what enables its opening and closing mechanism to work.

I used a charcoal stick, charcoal pencil, eraser, paper blender and pencil for this artwork. A pencil was first used to mark the proportions of the clip. I then used the charcoal pencil and stick to create varying tones and values, adding depth and dimension to the artwork. Afterward, I used the paper blending tool to blend out and lighten the shades. I finally used the eraser to clean up and erase some accidents.

Tang Ling Nah's art inspired some of my goals for this artwork. I like how realistic her artworks look with the rich, dark values and strong contrast that make certain areas stand out and naturally draw the viewer's eye. It inspired me to confidently use deep, dark values in my work too. My goal is to show the details of the clip that may be easily missed by everyone. To make the viewers notice the parts they may have been unfamiliar with before.

To me, Unfamiliar objects means exploring objects that are often overlooked. I chose the heart keychain clasp as I had initially found it cute, but eventually paid no attention to it.

Capturing the heart charm as the focal point, I intentionally took it from an angle that shows its details. I used willow charcoal and techniques such as blending, feathering, and smudging. I used an eraser towards the end to lift the shadows and emphasise the highlights.

This project has allowed me to explore charcoal as a medium, apply varying shades and tones, and relook at the details carefully when drawing. One thing I struggled with was managing my time, as I was fixated on the small details. I initially doubted myself as charcoal is a new medium for me. Nonetheless, I am satisfied with the outcome as I believe I have been consistent with my progress.

For this artwork, I created a close-up charcoal drawing of a hole puncher. I used charcoal, a tortillon, an eraser, and a pencil to bring out the details and textures of the object. 

My goal was to make the drawing as realistic as possible and replicate it as closely as possible to the appearance of the hole puncher. 

At first, working with charcoal was challenging. I found it difficult to control the pressure needed to achieve the right level of darkness.

Too much pressure would cause small bits of charcoal to break off, sometimes smudging the paper and making the drawing feel messy. This was frustrating, and I considered giving up. I initially wanted to go with the flow and did not want to expect much from my artwork. However, I gradually learned how to control the medium. I also realised that the tiny pieces of charcoal are a normal part of the process and don't necessarily ruin the drawing. Ultimately, I think this artwork turned out pretty well.

I remembered to bring art materials needed for art lessons and completed SLS assignments on charcoal drawing to help me understand the charcoal medium better. I practised drawing 3D objects by using simple shapes on another worksheet given by the teachers. I stayed calm when drawing as it was frustrating when small bits of the charcoal kept breaking off– which caused some smudges on my drawing. I think I can add more texture to my artwork to improve.

This is a drawing of a pen and a hairpin layered on top of a white marker.

For the theme, I understood the definition of "unfamiliar", which suggests something we are not often exposed to or a side of someone that we usually do not see or witness. 

I connect the idea of another person's personality possibly being overlooked by others to the theme.

I intentionally revealed the inner part of the pen, to symbolise the concept of being open to ideas. The interior of the pen reveals a contrast of colour (the black ink and the white reflection) emphasising the importance of perspective. It suggests that people can be seen in different ways, each having a bright and a dark side. I drew using a charcoal pencil, willow charcoal stick, and paper stump blender. The use of contrast in my work was inspired by the artworks of Tang Ling Nah. I prepared myself mentally by watching videos and completing the SLS lessons provided.

I believed that if I persevered, I would find momentum and adapt to the challenges faced whilst drawing with charcoal. I came to understand that our mindset guides our actions. For example, if you think something is hard and you are not willing to try, you will never be able to succeed in the task. With more attention towards rendering and obtaining stronger contrast, I could achieve a more polished work, though the overall outcome had turned out better than I expected.

I chose to draw a close-up of a keychain because it is very eye-catching. I observed carefully by looking at the shadows and hard blending techniques with charcoal. The most challenging part was drawing it out because it was very difficult to make it very precise. I feel proud because even though it was difficult, I still persevered through and did it. I learned how to manage my time well and control the amount of strength I placed on the charcoal to get the results I wanted. This drawing made me realise to be patient and trust the process.

(Un)familiar objects infers that an object at first is not familiar to the eye but as you use it more often it becomes familiar. It gives a sense of nostalgia, very liminal. I chose my water bottle because it is like a carrier of life. This is because water is a symbol of life. Water represents purity and Innocence. Every living being requires water. It reminds me of my childhood and gives me nostalgia. Thus, being my object choice. I chose to use the top angle because this is what I see when I drink water and this is an interesting and hard angle to draw in.

I learnt from Tang Ling Nah and my art teacher Ms Lynn that contrast is important. If you want something to be light there needs to be something darker. I used smudging, blending and erasing for highlights. I learnt that contrast is very important in order to make a more realistic photo. A point for improvement is perspective. Overall, I liked the overall drawing experience. It was very enriching.

I chose to draw a close-up of a key because it is something most of us use in our daily lives despite not paying much attention to the details. 

I was also intrigued by the texture and unique shape of the key.

 I pay close attention to the shadows and lighting while shading the key so that I could create contrast and make certain parts pop out.

The most challenging part was to create contrast, like trying to make the background darker so that the subject matter would stand out. It was difficult to do so as the charcoal kept smudging and I was worried that I made the background and shadows too dark, as charcoal is not easy to erase.

One thing I've learnt is to be more open-minded and bold when making choices. Trying hard to create light and shadow taught me that I needed to be more confident in my work, as I aimed to achieve a strong contrast. Overall, this artwork has taught me to slow down despite the hecticness of our lives to take a close look and appreciate these little beautiful things in life.

My interpretation of the theme “Unfamiliar Objects” is that it refers to everyday items that are used frequently but often go unnoticed or are taken for granted. 

These things are used in our daily tasks but play a big part in our lives. 

The hangers were deliberately spread out to create a range of light, medium, and dark shades for me to explore different tones. It shows a certain level of darkness, how to preserve the white areas for highlights, and which shading techniques to use.

I have explored many different angles, such as the top view, and side view, and tried other angles like leaning the hangers against the wall. I finally chose a slightly slanted top view for the picture and it turned out great. For this drawing, I used willow charcoal, charcoal pencil, blender, pencil, ruler and erasers. Willow charcoal was mostly used when I needed to cover large surface areas while the charcoal pencil was used for details or to outline the highlights of the object. I also used the blender to blend both the willow charcoal and charcoal pencil, as the latter is darker than the other. I used the eraser to clean up and maintain the highlights of the drawing as there were remnants of charcoal from the willow sticks. Using rulers helped me obtain straight lines, though sometimes it would smudge, which was one of the challenges I faced.

I learnt that drawing with charcoal is time-consuming. While it's a manageable medium, it requires precision, accuracy, and patience. I believe my work could be better if I had drawn straighter lines and maintained more consistent shading. This project has allowed me to play with a different medium and step out of my comfort zone. Overall, I truly enjoyed the process of making the charcoal drawing.