Formative feedback

Student name Jennifer Bavington Student number 515903

Course/Unit Assignment number 5

Type of tutorial (written)

Overall CommentsMany thanks for sending me your 5th assignment. My delay in replying was caused by there being no indication on the parcel as to who it was from and there was no name written on the back of the two artworks enclosed. However with a bit of judicious detective work I managed to track down whom it belonged too.

Feedback on assignmentDemonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

Assignment five is the personal project and you have chosen to extend your works and research on the figure and I think that was a good idea . When presenting work for assessment the assessors will expect to see beside your written element of the project and research sketches showing your initial idea for the composition , development work on a slightly bigger scale showing how your visual ideas might take shape

and finally the finished work. The one area of investigation that is missing is the development work. If you are going to put this work in for assessment I would recommend that you do some investigative work on the background as this is the weakest part of your picture. Looking at the photograph I agree with you that your painting of the figure stands on its own and is not a slavish copy of the photograph. The problem might stem from the brightly coloured children’s play items in the background. On one hand they are realistic to the backgarden scene and the subject matter of the picture. On the other hand they demand attention because of their primary colours and in so doing possibly take away from the main figure. This is where development work would have been useful and it would have shown you wrestling with the problem. There are however a number of positives in the background.

1. the toned down greens of the trees create a dark and foreboding feeling the contrasts with the ethereal white of the figure.

2. The lighting effects on the washing line and pinkish paddling pool gives an atmospheric effect.

The negative effects tend to be 1. the crude painting of the climbing frame and the whitish bath.

Possibilities would be to try and tone down the yellows and white of the bath or take it out completely or else have something else in its place. Development work allows you to try out different possibilities even combining different background photographs before you make that final decision.The painting of the figure itself is well done with an effective skin tone that matches the colour scheme of the picture. The white dress is well done and in good contrast to the orange /red hair. Looking at the photograph perhaps you could have merged or softened the effects of the hair in places and also lightened the rose in her hair which looks a bit flat and tends to disappear. The background in the self portrait of Peter Blake with Badges is worth looking at as it is an example of a looser painting style

Petrer Blake

Interestingly he was at one time part of a group of painters called the Brotherhood of Ruralists who had taken to the country to paint their pictures. There was a William Morris ,Pre-Raphaelite, English Idle back to the countryside intention to the group and it lasted about ten years in the 1970s and your painting has a certain feel to it . This is Ophelia by Annie Ovenden

Annie Ovenden

Peter Blake

SketchbooksDemonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity

There was no sketchbooks submitted at this assignment but remember that sketchbooks are important foe assessments and you should have them ready to send when required.

Research Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

A painting that would be useful for research is Whistlers ‘Symphony in white no 1 The White Girl ‘ which is a painting of his mistress who had red hair.There is also quite a number of paintings of women in white dresses appearing in garden paintings probably because it set them off well against green grass and flowers. Again an idea that could be followed up in research even just researching the use of white in a painting would ne interesting.

Monet

Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essaysContext, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

Making connections to other artists work is important at this stage and this can be seen overall in your learning log along with reflective thinking. Some more analysis of other paintings would be useful. Suggested reading/viewingContext The National Portrait gallery have on at the moment their annual BP Portrait award which is always worth a visit. The portraits often are very reliant on photographs and of course photography is a useful resource but it can be contentious if the painting too slavishly imitates photographic effects. This years winner is Mirriam Escofet with this tour de force of tonal painting.

EscofetPointers for the next assignment

● Reflect on this feedback in your learning log.● Carefully selecting work for assessment and if you follow the instructions carefully

have the sketchbooks and backup work of research and development ready and the learning log completed then you will be ready to go.

Well done I have enjoyed looking at your work and wish you every success at assessment

Tutor name James Cowan

Date 8.9.18

Next assignment due Completed.