This exercise is designed to push the artist through a deliberate process of stylisation.  I will begin by drawing a dog, using a photo as a reference.  I will do a second drawing using no more than five lines and then make a collage introducing surreal elements and deliberately distorting the image.  Lastly, I will produce a draw version of the collage and refine the image.

Step 1 – A realistic dog drawing

I enjoy drawing from a photo or real life.  I used a photo as a reference for practical reasons.  I wanted to capture the dog’s beauty in a moment of time.  My idea at this point was to use “I am beautiful” as a narrative and see where the distortion would take me.

Step 2 – Making a line drawing

Using a pencil and then a brush pen, I did a line drawing of the same image using no more than five lines.

Step 3 – Creating a collage

I then made a collage with magazine cuttings using a picture of a folded towel and a ruffled shirt’s sleeve for the ears. I used elements that I would not otherwise think of, such as a horse nose from a statue, curly ferns, pop art lettering, a sponge, fabric, graphic pattern designs, embossed makeup, watch faces, shoes, socks, flowers and eyelashes.  The collage was a liberating experience and a great way of generating new ideas.

Step 4 – Drawn version of my collage

While making a new drawing and using the collage as a reference, I refined the image and manipulated the image.  The dog thinks she is beautiful and as a result she is a snob, so I want to attract attention to her nose and keep the nostrils big.  

A new narrative developed while creating this drawing. “New money” or “Money can’t buy you beauty” or “Gucci’s new money”.  I have recently watched the film House of Gucci, and this image reminds me of the fashion in the film, which was extravagant and expensive. 

At this stage I felt that the drawing is complete, and I am happy with the distortion and the narrative it communicates.  Still, in step 5, I refined the image even further and feel I have lost the essence of the drawing.

Step 5 – Further refinement

I have included the image even though I feel it is not successful.  I lifted the dog’s chin and removed the sunglasses to give her a snobbish look.  I exaggerated the entire snout instead of just the nostrils.  

I also included Art Nouveau elements like the detail around the chest and the shape of the tail.  I used a black outline similar to Alphonse Mucha’s (1860 – 1939) style and created a black and white headcloth to draw attention to her face.  

What have I learned, and what will I do differently?

I have learned you can generate new ideas for some aspects of your drawing by making a collage and creating distortion to tell a story.  

I am happy with figure 4 as my finished image, but if I had to refine even further, I would not introduce Art Nouveau elements or other elements, for that matter.

However, I will lift the dog’s chin to add more expression to the narrative and more green ferns to create a ball-tail.  This will give the image even more of an extravagant and exotic look. 

Nevertheless, this was a great learning experience, and I am excited to do a similar project in the future.