Visual Distortion

This exercise requires me to draw a cat or a dog using different methods and styles. The first drawing must be ‘realistic’ in some way, describing some aspect of the animal’s appearance or personality. For the second drawing, I must use 5 lines or less. This technique can be tackled in many different ways; for example, I could overlap long continuous lines, or perhaps carefully position five short lines to represent the subject. The third method is collage. I must use images from magazines or printouts to create my subject, seeing how far I can bend reality. From the collage I must create a drawing, selecting aspects that I think are successful. Finally, I must create a larger version of my collage-inspired piece, adding one extra feature that introduces or develops a narrative.

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I chose to draw my cat, Sunny. At first I wanted to draw him from real life, but as I expected, he refused to sit still! I took several photos of him as he wondered around the room, using the images as reference for my drawings. For many of my illustrations, I allowed myself two attempts. 

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I used pencil and pen to create the realistic drawings. My first drawing is quite spontaneous and messy, whereas the second one is slightly more refined and thoughtful. They are ‘realistic’ due to their accurate proportions. The loose, energetic use of line show his strong character.

To create my limited lined drawings, I utilised thick paint pens. To create the first piece, I used quite long, messy continuous lines, adding as much detail as I could within the limitations. I used a much more simplified approach with the second piece, applying only the most necessary lines. I like the way some of the lines swirl around each other. I collaged a piece of textured paper underneath the lines, purely because I thought it would look interesting and work well with the uncomplicated lines.

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I looked through some of the leaflets and brochures I had collected during my trip to Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery (see exercise: Museum Posters), as well as an Ikea catalogue. The first collage contains pictures of teddy bears, duvets, pillows and shoes. I chose to use a picture of a bed due to the vivid yellow background, as well as connotations of being soft, warm and fluffy. Furthermore, the bed represents an aspect of Sunny’s personality: I’m sure he would spend all of his time on beds if he could. The teddy bear images seemed appropriate too, due to their fluffy textures and adorable faces. The colour and patterns created by the shoes complement the surreal, comforting imagery previously used. To create the second collage, I used images of hills, trees and crystals. I found two images of hills that comprise of similar colours and striped patterns as my cat. One of the images was curved in the perfect way; I used it for the cats back, without cutting or editing it.

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Next, I created drawn versions of the two collages. I used very simple lines and shapes, allowing me to focus more on the concepts of the pieces. The first illustration involves a dreamlike, patchwork cat. The cats body consists of pillow cases, fluffy fabric and buttons, sewn together. The tail is made of shoes. Surrounding the cat are small gold birds amongst a light blue background, perhaps showing the large scale of the cat. The second illustration shows a ‘mountain cat,’ consisting of rocky textures, crystals, shrubs and trees. Again, the birds surrounding the cat suggest that the cat is very large.

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I chose to develop my second collage-inspired illustration further. I enlarged my drawing and traced it onto an A3 sheet of cartridge paper. I found a couple of images to influence my drawing (see fig. 1 – 2). I added additional details such as a tent, as well as a girl sitting on the cat. I outlined the design with waterproof ink, before applying watercolours. I chose autumnal colours to match my cat’s ginger coat.

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  Fig. 1. A Ravine

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  Fig. 2. Planare sulle cose dall’alto

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I am happy with my choice of colours, though if I were to do the exercise again, I would possibly make the orange foliage complement the rocky hills more, perhaps by mixing yellow ochre and brown with the orange shades. I am particularly pleased with the face of the cat; I think the way I have built the features of the face with natural elements such as crystals, branches and geodes is creative and oddly satisfying. I like the concept of the piece; perhaps a more realistic style would have brought it to life further. The design reminds me of the magical, surreal characters and subject matter within Studio Ghibli films. As a fan of their work, this satisfies me!

My least favoured areas of the piece include the tent and the berries/flowers on the hedge. I have photoshopped these aspects out of the picture, and much prefer the piece without them. Furthermore, I think the paws could have been drawn better, and the texture of the rocky hill could have also been worked on further. Some of the shadowed areas are inconsistent. Overall, the piece could have been drawn more successfully.

The piece could be developed further. It would have been interesting to have spent more time adding many intricate details. For example, creating ivy or vines that climb the cat’s body, or more crevasses where geode crystals shine through. At one point, I thought about engraving houses into the rocky surface, perhaps incorporating steps down the cat’s legs. Adding a background would make the piece appear complete and add context. The cat could be standing atop a hill, with a vast landscape in the background, for example.

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Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this project; it was fun to draw using a variety of techniques and styles. The end result was out of my comfort zone, but I’m pleased with the surreal concepts.

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Sources

• Fig. 1. Da Vinci, L. (1482-5) A Ravine [Pen and ink] Available at: URL (Accessed on 18 April 2019)
• Fig. 2. Gottardi, C. Planare sulle cose dall’alto [photography] Available at: URL (Accessed on 18 April 2019)