[Sketchbook] Project 01 Progress 1

 Reflection

I use water color+oil pastels+ fork scratch and photoshop to try to make my first drawing of the project 01. I'm als try to experiment the method from the artist Todd Hido of arranging different layers into simple and strong narratives about showing the features of the filed.(More layers will be added after my research of the geographic study of the site) 

1. Firstly extract the simple colors of the site and paint on the sketchbook, and coated with black oil pastels to represent the dark color of soil.

Use folk to scratch on the oil pastels to get the texture of the field. This is how it looks like when it's done

 I also find that it actually can better represent the texture by watching from the back of the paper when you place it in front of the yellow light. It looks like below:

And then Use digital tool to combine and rearrange this picture with my second site observation sketch.

 

[Sketchbook] Site Observation 02

Every time I go to the sugar mill, I will pass the agricultural space first, so for this site visit I'm gonna focus on the fields that surround the cinclare sugar mill. In this agricultural space,  the chimney stack still looks pretty high in the sky while you can also see other part of the industrial complex that sets down quietly asides the fields. In the agricultural space, there’s almost nothing here in the field of this season, soil are uncovered, most of the plants are still not turn to green, the color tone of the place is pale yellow.

The field is about 1 feet high, compare to the industrial complex especially the chimney stack, it’s a really flat and large open space.

[Sketchbook] invention 01

I saw this photo in a magazine last year, the color tone, details of view and the way of showing the elements with different features, making them in contrast with the background but are also able to integrate them in order to show a strong emotion to audience attract me. 

These art works are from Todd Hido, an American artist. His work spans multiple genres including night scenes, landscapes and portraiture. 

What I love about his works is the rich, syntactical layers that he expertly sequences into simple, powerful narratives about relationships of many kinds. Also, the photographs he produces have large, highly detailed and luminous color that I am pretty interested in learning how to gather these elements into my ownproject.  

You can see more of his selected works on his website if you are interested :) → http://www.toddhido.com/

There are part of his work I love in the genre of landscape. 

[Sketchbook] Idea of the first project

Site Observation :

The Cinclare Sugar Mill Historic District is of statewide significance in the areas of agriculture and industry because it is one of relatively few resources remaining to directly represent Louisiana's very important sugar industry. 

When people first came into the industrial complex of the site, you can barely find any trace of people that once working here, all that remained here are only some of the structure of the architecture, color fading signs, rusty surface and the weed etc. The complex features wood frame, brick, and metal construction with building heights ranging from one story structures to a chimney stack which towers above the mill and differentiate the flat agricultural space aside it. 

During my observation, the relationship of the sugar mill complex and surrounding area draws my attention. As a deserted place, you can barely find any valuable landscape on the site except the only pathway that planted with trees on both sides that lead people to pass through the district to the neighborhood from boulevard. All the weed and some other unknown trees that already took over the place, vines and dead branches that twined up the rusty frame, it looks like the aged, pale skin of medal surface.

Another interesting contrast of the site is the nearby agricultural zone in the district right next to the sugar mill, all the elements and resources in the Cinclare Sugar Mill Historic District illustrate the appearance of a historic agricultural/industrial complex.

My drawing of the first project will be focus on the relationship between the sugar mill and its surroundings(Mainly about the agricultural space) in the historic district. From the perspective of horizontal, vertical  to the color, texture differences,  how the features of the industrial and agricultural space and how they in contrast with each other.