In this exercise, I was given an extract from a book.  I had to explore the described scene by collecting content, exploring references, brainstorming, and experimenting with colours and textures.

If this were to be made into a film what would the main character be like?

The main character will be a man who has become worn out by his job but stays to help the victims. He’s been doing this job for 15 years, but it feels like 50 years because it takes its toll on his life.  He has seen a lot of sadness and has become angry, but he got used to not getting emotionally involved.  Nothing shocks him anymore.  His work has changed him into what he is today, and it is also a world war on top of it all.

What clothes will the character be wearing?

The time is the mid-twentieth century, and he is working from New Scotland Yard.  He is a detective and not a policeman, so he will be wearing a suit.  He has probably chosen a grey or brown suit and practicality above fashion.

What furniture is in the main area in which the action takes place?

There is a large wooden desk with a few chairs, a blackboard to write on, a large desk lamp and lots of walking space around the desk.  The chairs are comfortable for the long hours at the office.

I am reflecting my vision of the story in a visual notebook.

The mood I would like to convey is “Emergent”.  The key phrase is: “Everything else must wait.” Each minute can be the difference between life and death.  As a result, this detective doesn’t have much of a personal life.  I have collected and created the colours and textures that will be appropriate to reflect this mood.  I did not want to use red because that will detract from the mundaneness of this job.  Dull colours will be ideal for illustrating this mood.

I first started with a few sketches in my sketchbook to try out different compositions, colours and textures.  I also collected more references as I needed them.

I collected references to find out what the offices looked like in the 1940s.  I researched what type of telephones, window dressings, lamps and clocks were used.  I also looked at the clothing of that time, hairstyles, and the expression of someone under pressure.

I used watercolour paint, black ink, coloured wax pencils and hot-pressed watercolour paper in the finished piece.  I deliberately used white in the background to express the carnival area’s lightheartedness versus the diagonal line textures in the foreground to accentuate the man’s stress and add to the emergent mood.  The dark shadows and high contrast reflect the dramatic scene I want to create.  I kept the colours muted with lots of whites to mirror a mundane and washed-out feeling.

In conclusion, I have learned to use a watercolour brush to apply Indian ink, which worked well to get a solid black ink look.  It was interesting to find all the references to put this piece together, and it makes sense to work this way.