Scholastic #3

This is an observational drawing of a skull from two different angles. I merged the two images into one to form this composition. I started by sketching the major contours of the skull from the front angle in graphite. I then did the same for the offset view and proceeded to go over the contours in pen. I then used charcoal to shade the two merged skulls, beginning with the frontal view and changing the position of the reference model midway through. Finally, I used charcoal to create a fade in the background to provide a sense of space and enhance the contrast in the piece. I chose to draw two merged skulls as a continuation of my concentration from last year. I wanted to experiment spatially with the skulls and I thought that merging two perspectives would be a good way to do that. My piece started as pure contour with just lines, but I added texture and value to give more detail and form. The highlights and shadows are important to the form because they display the shapes and concavities of the skulls.

When I first drew the two skulls, they were at the top left of my frame. However, I wanted a simple formal balance so that the skulls would be centered and the overlapping part—which I think is the most interesting—would be the focal point. For this reason I adjusted and cropped my frame to center the merged skulls in a formal balance. The piece evolved in that I was originally going to use pen to make an abstracted drawing, but decided to use charcoal and ended up creating a very detailed and realistic piece.

I chose to merge two skulls for this project because I wanted to create an abstract design to build on the organic and relatively abstract shape of the bones of the skull. The merge is an extension of this organic shape that also incorporates multiple perspectives of the skull. The shading is precise and the piece has detail to represent the fine details and specificity of structure in bones. This piece relates to my life through my concentration and interest in the human anatomy. I think this piece could be stronger if the value transition around the edges was smoother and if the skull on the right had lighter values to match the highlights on the skull to the left.