Hannah Cummings- ‘Talking Colour’
For these drawings I observed what was instantly right in front of me- my own body. I painted my palm and fingers and handprinted on to the coloured paper. I chose yellow as a base colour for my skin, but drew in with blues (veins and arteries), whites, pinks and gold. I emphasised light areas of my hand with white, and played into exaggerating all of the colours- defining the drawing with a biro pen. I experimented with the same for my foot.
Bowls of fruit at Shepherds Bush Market
Rows of ribbon rolls at Shepherds Bush Market.
Biro and oil pastel to draw the buildings on Liverpool Street.
For these drawings, because they were focused on experimenting, sketching, and colour, I wanted to use mixed media. I used glitter pens, oil pastels, acrylic paints, coloured paper- the brighter the better! I sketched without constraint. I was focused on the colour and media- not just portraying the image as it is to an everyday, complacent eye. Emphasising colours that may only be subtle at first look- such as blue and green veins in the hands and feet- made sure that these drawings stuck to the initial brief of ‘Talking Colour’. Shepherds Bush Market was also abundant for this. Vibrant bowls of fruit, rolls of different coloured and sized ribbon, and chilli peppers became inspiration for me. Even though I photographed interesting architecture around London, such as Liverpool street- there were first-hand sources right in front of me. My desk had become a chaotic array of colour. There were oil pastels everywhere, coloured pencils out, green scissors, cotton thread, and materials all over. I started drawing this, the spontaneous, colourful mess that was right in front of me.