Still Life

This image shows a 1 hour drawing of a still life set-up for which graphite was used. The session was focused on practicing general still life drawing techniques such as composition, shading and materials.

The composition is an asymmetrical and visually pleasing one, with various areas of interest for the viewer, and a focal point which seems to rest on the rule of thirds - the glove. The arrangement is successful because all the objects interact in a natural way, there is a clear sense of depth and the viewer's attention is carried evenly across the page.

There is a sense of diversity of materials in this scene - from leather and wax to cloth drapery - and this is emphasized by shading. There is a certain depth of tonal value on the left side of the still life drawing however, which lacks on the right side. This contrast makes part of the drawing seem unfinished, creating an unpleasant effect for the eye. Shading also hints the location of the light source, somewhere to the right side of the scene, and it also offers shape and volume to the objects. The technique of following the form of the object through shading is most evident on the glove.

There are obvious mistakes of observation in this drawing, especially when it comes to perspective and construction of the objects, and an obvious example is the candle. This could have been avoided with better measuring and use of construction lines in the sketching phase.