Process Pages
March 17th 2008 13:18
Throughout my tedious art classes, my teachers always went on about 'process pages'. It wasnt good enough to have an IDEA you had to PLAN it. You had to do a whole page on WHAT you were going to do and HOW you were going to do it. If the artwork was going to take a long time, you had to do 'update' pages. Once the work was done, you had to do a page, refrerring to your first process page - did you complete the work as you planned? If not, why not? Did you change mediums, why? Did you change your original idea, and why?
Being a fly by the seat kinda gal, I rebelled terribly against process pages. I preferred to leap into an idea with no preparation. However, I am now doing process pages sort of instinctually. The visual verbal poems and doodles no, but for bigger things Im actually brainstorming them out and planning them.
And I honestly believe, that whatever they were trying to teach me has finally sunk in. I thought they were just torturing us - the process pages themselves had to be artistic and therefore I thought it was just to force us to 'practise'. But I must admit, my long fought over final Major Artwork would never have come to fruition without process pages. Heres the process to 'Embodiment'.
Before even this, there were screaming arguments and tons of process pages. You see, I wanted to do dragons, something dragon. I was not allowed to draw, I had to sculpt. Understand, I thought it pretty harsh at the time - I mean, Ive gotta work on this artwork for over a year, I'll want to like it! But the teachers KNEW from years of experience that my drawing could not gain the mark I deserved. A sculpture could, particularly if it was wacky enough. Earlier in this class Id produced some snakes - sculpted from wire, paper mache and fabric - that the teacher found rather cool. So, the strangely sculpted dragon became, in my teachers mind, a 'wearable'. I resisted - I hated sewing! But the idea formed and I found myself working hard on it.
Ideas got thrown around as I had a few wire 'skeletons' but in the end it all came down to one - The Black Dragon. In the Graham Edwards 'dragon' series there are two black dragons, one Wraith, the scourge of the world, and Wyrm, the saviour. I encompassed this and every other black dragon I could find into my work, I was determined that it would look like a snazzy dress that a dragon had just scampered up to settle around your shoulders like a shawl...
Around here somewhere Ive got a picture of him....My beloved black dragon. I came to know him so well - I created his every cell. The dress was a shiny, scaled fabric, a very short t shirt dress. Along the bottom I stitched random lengths of ragged cut tule and lace to make it look like he had torn apart the length in his climb. There was a long zipper up the centre you could step into, settle him on your shoulders, then zip up. The man himself had a skeleton of wire, jointed at all the bending spots, was encased in lengths of cotton wool, then sewn or stuck with every scrap of black fabric I could find. On each talon he wore a black glove. I made his long claws and teeth and eyes out of bread dough cooked in the microwave to hardness then painted shiny with nail polish. The tail was a hard one and I think I used newspaper to give to a bit of hardness. His wings were small wire frames strung with a gorgeous black lace - his wings could be folded in any position you liked without damaging them. He was so easy to pack - thank god I hadnt used ceramics! Everyone else was having fits they're artwork wouldnt even survive the trip to be marked!
I dont remember exactly when I threw him out - I know I detatched the dress soon after school and kept him on my bed, but then I started to move house numerous times and lots of things Ive regretted throwing out are gone forever. I know I didnt do it, couldnt bring myself to, but somewhere along the line I gave permission.
Sorry old, Wraith/Wyrm. You got me 84% on my art exam and you deserved better than the scrap heap. Wish Id kept you.
Being a fly by the seat kinda gal, I rebelled terribly against process pages. I preferred to leap into an idea with no preparation. However, I am now doing process pages sort of instinctually. The visual verbal poems and doodles no, but for bigger things Im actually brainstorming them out and planning them.
And I honestly believe, that whatever they were trying to teach me has finally sunk in. I thought they were just torturing us - the process pages themselves had to be artistic and therefore I thought it was just to force us to 'practise'. But I must admit, my long fought over final Major Artwork would never have come to fruition without process pages. Heres the process to 'Embodiment'.
Before even this, there were screaming arguments and tons of process pages. You see, I wanted to do dragons, something dragon. I was not allowed to draw, I had to sculpt. Understand, I thought it pretty harsh at the time - I mean, Ive gotta work on this artwork for over a year, I'll want to like it! But the teachers KNEW from years of experience that my drawing could not gain the mark I deserved. A sculpture could, particularly if it was wacky enough. Earlier in this class Id produced some snakes - sculpted from wire, paper mache and fabric - that the teacher found rather cool. So, the strangely sculpted dragon became, in my teachers mind, a 'wearable'. I resisted - I hated sewing! But the idea formed and I found myself working hard on it.
Ideas got thrown around as I had a few wire 'skeletons' but in the end it all came down to one - The Black Dragon. In the Graham Edwards 'dragon' series there are two black dragons, one Wraith, the scourge of the world, and Wyrm, the saviour. I encompassed this and every other black dragon I could find into my work, I was determined that it would look like a snazzy dress that a dragon had just scampered up to settle around your shoulders like a shawl...
Around here somewhere Ive got a picture of him....My beloved black dragon. I came to know him so well - I created his every cell. The dress was a shiny, scaled fabric, a very short t shirt dress. Along the bottom I stitched random lengths of ragged cut tule and lace to make it look like he had torn apart the length in his climb. There was a long zipper up the centre you could step into, settle him on your shoulders, then zip up. The man himself had a skeleton of wire, jointed at all the bending spots, was encased in lengths of cotton wool, then sewn or stuck with every scrap of black fabric I could find. On each talon he wore a black glove. I made his long claws and teeth and eyes out of bread dough cooked in the microwave to hardness then painted shiny with nail polish. The tail was a hard one and I think I used newspaper to give to a bit of hardness. His wings were small wire frames strung with a gorgeous black lace - his wings could be folded in any position you liked without damaging them. He was so easy to pack - thank god I hadnt used ceramics! Everyone else was having fits they're artwork wouldnt even survive the trip to be marked!
I dont remember exactly when I threw him out - I know I detatched the dress soon after school and kept him on my bed, but then I started to move house numerous times and lots of things Ive regretted throwing out are gone forever. I know I didnt do it, couldnt bring myself to, but somewhere along the line I gave permission.
Sorry old, Wraith/Wyrm. You got me 84% on my art exam and you deserved better than the scrap heap. Wish Id kept you.
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Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I HATED having to make a plan for anything! I still do, though I do see the wisdom in at least SOME preparation now!
Mich
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
I still have my art notes, and every last english paper, some even from year 10. I just had to get brutal, I had no where to put stuff anymore!
I still dont see the wisdom in planning.....Its too hard! Once you plan it it becomes boring!