Sustained Investigation #4

Body Temp

Oil pastel, graphite

9 x 12 in

This is my sustained investigation #4, I began this work by just drawing the body and then creating a fade of colors coming away from it. I wanted to put black around the body to show the darkness the person feels around her and then all the colors that are around that she hasn't felt yet. This doesn't really relate to my life but I thought it would be a cool idea to have the dark colors surrounding a headless and undetailed body.

I drew the person in graphite and I shaded it then blended with a tortillon. I used oil pastel for the background which is a new material to me that I haven't used in a long time. I definitely think I have some improving to do with the oil pastels and blending specifically but I like how bold the colors are and the way the black looks around the body.

As my sustained investigation states, I am trying to focus on contrast in this series of work and I've been trying especially to push it because I don't think it is highlighted enough in my past works. This is why I decided to work with oil pastels, I knew they would give a bold and consistent color that I couldn't get from other materials. My project didn't evolve a ton as I went, it turned out a lot like I had originally planned but if I were to go back I would make the gray in the space between the arm and the body black because I tried to and it didn't work.