2D Art

Automated Drawing Project

"I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own." - Jackson Pollock

"The most creative people are willing to work in the shadow of uncertainty." - Ed Catmull (Pixar)

"The main thing in making art is often letting go of your expectation and your idea." - Agnes Martin

Theory

Around 1915, Jean Arp made collages by dropping pieces of paper on to a horizontal support and then gluing them in the places where they landed. Thirty years later, Jackson Pollock made paintings by dripping and drizzling paint on to canvases lying flat on the floor. Even though they were separated by a generation, these two artists systematized art-making by allowing gravity to play a crucial role in the creative process. Gravity is a force that lies beyond the artist's control. In other words, the artist relinquishes control over her medium once the paper leaves the hand or the paint falls from the brush; it's an approach to art-making that we may loosely call "automation".

The reason for automating some part of an artwork is quite simple: when the artist relinquishes a bit of control over her work, "room" is created for unexpected things to happen. In some ways, automation mimics the situation in which an artist loses control over her medium, without intention, and "happy accidents" occur (interesting phenomena that the artist didn't anticipate). Mistakes are usually undesirable, but such things do happen from time to time despite the artist's best efforts. When an artist willingly gives up some control, she invites such surprises ON PURPOSE. One might describe this process as a mindful collaboration between the artist, her materials and the forces that act upon them, resulting in a powerful tool for discovering unique imagery and new techniques; such are the ingredients for a creative breakthrough (click here to learn more about the Theory of Automation in Art).

NOTE: Pollock denied the characterization of his process as a quest for "happy accidents" by stating, "I don't use the accident, I deny the accident". (source: Interview With William Wright - Jackson Pollock, 1950)

Video of an Automated Drawing Process

Automated Drawing Demonstration by Terry Reynoldson on Vimeo.

Images of an Automated Drawing Process

The YouTube links below (which open in new windows) will show you some fascinating examples of automated artworks. I've broken them into two sections:

Fully Automated

Partially Automated

NOTE: "Ebru" (a traditional Turkish art-form) is only minimally automated in the hands of a skilled artist, whose training allows her to control the medium to a very high degree.

Project Description

PROCEDURE: Use any of the examples above to inspire you in choosing a method of making marks. Your method could be fully automated or partially automated or a combination of both. Once you've decided on a mark-making method (you may have to do several experiments before you decide), obtain materials and a support that are appropriate to the method you've chosen. As a general rule, the more destructive the method, the tougher your materials and support will need to be. Watercolour paper, for instance, would work nicely with a technique that involves water whereas cover stock or cartridge paper would probably disintegrate.

The sequence of images (at top) are from my own experiments. They show the automation of a drawing, beginning with a fully-automated process, but IT DOESN'T END THERE! The drawing is then augmented with additional marks using semi-automated processes: the rectangle that the toys created is emphasized by surrounding it with brown shoe polish; the paper is moistened with water to make it warp; ink is added and allowed to collect in the low spots to create darker values; multi-coloured crayons are used with a drill to add more line, texture and variety; blue shoe polish is added for emphasis and variety and to increase the sense of depth in the image.

It might help to think of this project as a CONVERSATION between the artist and her materials: automation starts the conversation by suggesting a topic; the artist responds by making observations that move the conversation in a particular direction; semi-automated processes help to advance the conversation until the artist makes her final point and the conversation ends.

The end is a somewhat arbitrary decision because there's always more that the artist can do to the work. Push your artwork as far as you can by continually asking, "What would happen if I ... to the work?" After a while you will reach a point where it seems that additional marks would add nothing more to the piece and could possibly ruin the effect of what's already been achieved. Personally, I believe that an artwork is finished when it becomes fascinating (from the Latin word "fascinare" which means to bewitch or enchant). If you go too far and the work implodes, don't sweat it, just take what you've learned and begin a new piece. Always remember: EXPERIMENTATION is an important part of the artist's job!

Examples of Student Work

Important

AESTHETIC: As your work progresses, be aware of the Principles of emphasis, variety, movement, balance, unity and rhythm. Also try to ensure that your work contains several of the Elements of Art. In other words, if your drawing has only monochromatic lines, you will need to introduce some shapes, texture and value. If, on the other hand, your work has mostly colours and textured shapes, you will need to create some lines and different values. Representation is not essential (like a Pollack painting), but may be used if you feel it's important in establishing a particular type of imagery.

TECHNICAL: Your drawing must be stable and free of smudges, wrinkles and creases. A bit of mess is acceptable, if your automated process involves an inherently messy technique, but please make an effort to keep your support as clean and as free of defects as possible. Fixative must be applied when using soft, drawing materials (like compressed charcoal or Conté). Use the spay-booth (across from the Woodshop) and allow your work to off-gas (inside of the booth) before moving it.

Further Research

I would recommend these excellent videos about art:

Do Machines Make Art? (Art Assignment, Season 3 Episode 50 | 9m 31s)
The Case for Jackson Pollock (Art Assignment, Season 4 Episode 2 | 10m 30s)
Cai Guo-Qiang, in "Power"(Art in the Twenty-First Century, Season 3 | 13m 03s).
Flow: Happiness in Super Focus (The Nerdwriter, 2014 | 5m 38s)
Kintsugi: The Art of Embracing Damage (The Nerdwriter, 2014 | 4m 33s)