Colour Palette

As part of an exercise we were asked to create a colour palette from one of our own photographs. I chose a photograph of a web I took in Shropshire last year. I used photoshop to pick a palette from this image, and to look at the spectrum of colours in a specific section of the image. The results and my final colour palette can be seen below:

Creepy Crawlies ...

As my work progresses I find myself again returning to the idea of assembling insects into patterns. Therefore it was necessary to draw more pen drawings suitable for screen and digital development. Some examples are below, I also began to draw bugs and insects as well as spiders, expanding my studies to the creatures which become trapped in webs.

Airy Citadel ...

'It appears to me that almost any man may like the spider spin from his own inwards his own airy citadel.' - John Keats

The above quote inspired me down the path of studying spider webs. I wanted to capture the beauty and technical perfection of a web in my visual studies, so I experimented with different media and techniques, including collage, watercolours, biro and cutting. Below are some of my favourite studies:

Pattern concepts

As my drawings developed I began considering my work on screen and how I wanted to involve spiders and webs within my designs. I manipulated an early drawing of a spider on photoshop to create the circular design below. I put this design and some variations onto a craft screen to begin testing printing techniques and possible ideas to be carried forward. I specifically made the screen to assess how the image would appear as a Devore print. As a technique new to me I felt that observing how line qualities worked was essential.

Come into my parlour ...

As my 'Fine cobwebs' project gets under way I have begun my visual studies for the project. I felt that logically it would be apt to begin with the spider itself, not webs. My drawings (and choice of topic) has received mixed reactions thus far. My thinking behind the project revolves around irrational fears and phobias, and how we seem uncomfortable with the sight or thought of a spider (not me personally of course) and I have been reading several books concerning arachnophobia and attitudes to spiders.
Anyway, here are some of my early visual studies:

Frosty webs

As I begin my new project I am looking everywhere possible for inspiration, and after a particularly frosty spell I stumbled across spider webs covered in hoar frost, they were the perfect oppertunity for me to build up images of webs, here are a select few photographs:

Araneus diadematus ...

A suitable starting point for my project seemed to be collecting together all my existing photographs of spiders, webs and insects. As an amateur Nature photographer, these were in abundance. I feel that using my own images to draw from and take inspiration from is an important part of my work. Here are a select few photographs:

End of the first semester

Today I collected the results of my semester one assessment; and the grades I would receive for both of my projects and all visual studies and practical work for year two so far. I was very pleased to receive an A in both areas, and receive positive and constructive feedback. My work was also retained to be moderated.
This also marks the start of my new project, and with a vast array of topics to choose from I have chosen something which holds a personal interest to me; 'Fine Cobwebs'. From a young age I have been fascinated by spiders and their webs, so this is something I am eager to explore artistically.

Here's one of my photos of a Garden Spider from a year or two ago: