I am recreating the art depicting Locusta migratoria and Locusta dux in plate 35, which appears in The Naturalist’s Library: An Introduction to Entomology, Vol. 1 by Sir William Jardine. The original images for the two insects were drawn by the artist James Duncan but later etched onto a metal plate by the engraver William Lizars. This volume’s intended audience is students and scholars wishing to achieve a better understanding of entomology and zoology. Aspects of physiology and anatomy about the insects discussed in this volume are included, in addition to images of the etches made by William Lizars. Modern technology documents the appearance of these insects more accurately, however, these images represent the history of natural science education and record-keeping.
To recreate the etching made by the engraver Lizars, there are a variety of tools that are required. These tools include engraving gravers and a copper plate. Other tools, including power tools, are also able to be used but are more complicated than a graver. I am unable to obtain these tools and I am not knowledgeable on the techniques used to create a proper engraving. Instead, I am recreating the piece through drawing as the artist James Duncan originally did. An engraving is more likely to withstand the elements and last longer, in comparison to paper drawing, due to the more solid nature of the copper plate. Paper drawing can accurately represent an engraving due to the ability to shade and color in the drawing. It can create a similar level of depth. I believe that my artistic abilities are best suited for shading in comparison to a shading and color combination.
I will be freehanding the drawing on sketch paper using only a pencil and eraser. The recreation will not be an exact copy of the original art piece due to the lack of copying, however, it will remain as true as possible to the original piece. This will also include some personal alterations simply due to the nature of freehand drawing.
FIELD NOTE 1 OF 3
Date: Feb 8, 2022
People Involved: Me
Location: Duncan Suite 5D Common Room
Reconstruction conditions:
Around an hour before lunchtime, no one else is in the common room, calming music is playing in the background. The sun is high and the weather is chilly outside.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
around 40 minutes from 11:00am-12:15pm
Equipment and tools used:
paper mechanical pencil, muji black plastic eraser, strathmore sketch journal, laptop, iPad for timelapse, soundcore headset, iphone
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
I just bought the sketch journal from the student store which had 100 fresh and clean pages of sketch paper ready for me to fill in. I had a new mechanical pencil from my supply box which was full of lead and had a brand new eraser on the top. Coloratura by Coldplay, a very deep and relaxing song, was playing through my soundcore noise-canceling headphones. The suite room was cool and felt comfortable spending time drawing. The blinds were closed so that too much light wouldn’t enter the room. It was also empty, giving me an environment to fully concentrate on my art. As I kept on drawing, some lines were erased and redrawn multiple times to satisfy my artistic freehand interpretation of the original drawing. I was feeling my hand move more smoothly as I was getting into the flow of drawing, the image of what I wanted was in my mind. The table was full of eraser shavings, I was getting more involved in my drawing. At 12:15 am, my suite-mates wanted to get lunch. I felt satisfied with my progress and stopped for the time being. I had a basic outline to continue my drawing process and to relearn some of my drawing knowledge.
Prior knowledge that you have:
I took three art courses in high school, an introductory course, and two specialized in drawing. I was taught how to better draw still-life and shade, which are techniques that I implemented into my freehand drawing interpretations of the artist. I originally considered using tracing paper and tracing the drawing, but given my previous skills in freehand drawing, I decided it would be better to forego the tracing and draw directly onto the paper. Insects are familiar to me as I have spent some time studying different insects while I was a boy scout. I spent time analyzing the different common insects which are found in Texas outdoors. While on camping trips, I spent lots of time staring at the woods and the wildlife, including insects. I did not specifically see the Locusta migratoria or the Locusta dux, but I have witnessed similar appearing insects. I have also studied insects in some of my biology classes here at Rice, specifically from an evolutionary perspective.
Reflection on your practice:
Early on, I knew I did not have the materials to make an etching as on the plate. I, however, do have drawing materials and experience so this method is best for me to use for my art. I realized that I kept erasing the lines I was drawing, attempting to reach perfection in my drawing. My goal was to perfectly recreate the drawing from James Duncan, however, after I started drawing I discovered that would likely not be possible, so I decided to do the best I could and implement my interpretations. The pencil I was using was very comfortable in my hand and felt very smooth when sketching on the sketch paper. The pencil eraser, in contrast, was uncomfortable to use so I got a Japanese black eraser to use instead. My shading techniques felt rough in this first drawing session, the lack of drawing in the past couple of years was evident. It has been years since my last drawing session, it is a great therapeutic sensation that allowed me to forget everything else around me.
Photos/video documenting process:
Questions that arise:
I have noticed that my shading has been kind of spotty when trying to shade certain aspects of my drawing. I feel like I am being too rigid when attempting to shade. What can I do to improve my shading in my next drawing session to add more depth to my drawing? I am noticing that I am erasing and redrawing lots of the aspects of the image striving for perfect ratios and even lines. How can I better scale the different components of the insect in the drawing to reach a more realistic rendition? In asking this question, I am reminded of “The Noblest of Senses” by Martin Jay, in which “normal” or “correct” viewpoints are discussed. Is it best to make a drawing as close as possible to the original or to add my perspectives? Since human senses are subjective to each individual, should I add my lines and shading that I believe to make the art more unique and beautiful?
FIELD NOTE 2 OF 3
Date: Feb 8, 2022
People Involved: Me
Location: Fondren Library Basement
Reconstruction conditions:
There are a couple of people at the tables surrounding the mine in the library basement, everyone is having conversations. I am working with my friend Saksham, who is also in the course: History of Sensation. He was also working on his project.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
2 hours. From 4-6 pm
Equipment and tools used:
paper mechanical pencil, muji black plastic eraser, strathmore sketch journal, laptop, ipad for timelapse, soundcore headset, iphone
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
I just finished class, SOCI 231, and was about to head back to Duncan, however, Saksham texted me and told me to come to the library and work with him. I arrived and got everything ready to work, I had a huge table to spread everything out and be comfortable while drawing. My sketchbook already smelled of pencil lead because of my time spent drawing earlier in the day. I opened up my sketchbook and saw the outline I had drawn, it had lots of empty white space. I spent the first thirty minutes finishing up the final parts of the outline of the drawing. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my time shading and filling in the drawing. I started shading by simply using my pencil in an attempt to shade in a more clean or refined manner. The appearance of the shading was not how I wanted it to look. It did not look smooth, it looked blocky. It wasn’t a gradient, it was distinct layers of gray. I began to use my finger, which I typically use for shading, and began achieving the results I envisioned in my art. I could visualize where I wanted there to be shade. I knew how much I should add in each area, I was in a trance in which I knew what I wanted in this artistic recreation of the insect. My hands were covered in lead, my fingertips and palm were gray. I felt like every single line was perfect. My hand was a little bit tired after finishing the drawing. This drawing session was really fun since I had my friend beside me and we joked around while we were drawing or when taking breaks.
Prior knowledge that you have:
I would often use this finger shading technique in high school. I was taught the typical shading technique, maybe some shade layers, and then round them out by moving your pencil in circular motion in-between the layers. This never got me the results I wanted. I found out through experimentation that finger shading was the best method in my situation. I previously said in my first field note, I am knowledgeable on bugs due to learning from experiences in boy scouts & biology classes at Rice. I made a little mistake in my previous drawing session, in which I drew a little hard in some lines in the face, which made erasing and shading more difficult and less smooth. I will make sure to not make this mistake again.
Reflection on your practice:
I was still erasing and redrawing lots of lines in this drawing session, especially the legs. I was more accepting of the process this time because of seeing how beautiful my progress was in the first session. I felt like my pencil was moving faster and more efficiently since I had a good idea of what I wanted to create. I was more relaxed due to there being no immediate time constraint, last time I had to get lunch. I am noticing my hands getting sweaty while I draw, which I am used to, but in combination with pencil shavings and lead leads to my table being very dirty after drawing. I think it is kind of funny, a sort of artist’s room in which everything is just a mess to inspire the artist. I am noticing I am no longer trying to solely recreate the drawing. Instead, I add a little bit of my flare.
Photos/video documenting process:
Questions that arise:
I tend to see that when people try to recreate a form of art, they try their hardest to copy the original. However, every artist has a different style, touch, and interpretation of what art should be, the original may be objective, but the recreation can be subjective. I recall from Voxels in the Brain, the concept of the “average brain” is discussed. There is, in fact, no average brain. If everyone perceives things in slightly different ways, why do people always try their best to not be subjective in their art? I have noticed I do this often, too. In related fashion, is freehand drawing a poor method of accurately recreating a drawing objectively? From my experience, tracing is more accurate for an objective copy in comparison to freehand, which often draws upon some artistic input from the drawer. Since this was made in the year 1840, before modern media capture methods, is this image of the insect taken scientifically accurate? How has the validity of these images changed over the years after more objective media capture technology, such as cameras, has been developed
FIELD NOTE 3 OF 3
Date: Feb 11, 2022
People Involved: Me
Location: Duncan Suite 5D Common Room
Reconstruction conditions:
Late at night, everything is dark outside except for the lights from the construction of the building right beside Duncan College. I am in the common room with my suitemate Irpan, who is playing guitar throughout the entire time I am drawing. He is teaching himself how to play a Turkish song. The TV in our suite is turned on, with a video of a car driving through an animated landscape.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
12:00am. The reconstruction lasts until 2 am. 2 hours
Equipment and tools used:
paper mechanical pencil, muji black plastic eraser, strathmore sketch journal, laptop, ipad for timelapse, soundcore headset, iphone
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
I had worked on this drawing earlier in the day, so there was already an outline. There was beautiful guitar music playing in the background while I was finishing up my drawing. It was late at night but I did not feel tired at all. I felt energized and motivated to finish up the final portion of my drawing. I felt a sense of nostalgia while I was drawing in the suite room, perhaps because I had drawn there just a couple of days before. I started to feel hungry as I was filling in the wings, which could be seen through the pauses in my time-lapse. I made a protein shake which was delicious and satiating. I felt like I was drawing without any restrictions, there was no lingering feeling of what I should have done. Nothing was holding me back. My shading felt smooth and true to myself and the artist’s original rendition. The wings had very complex patterns which would have taken me much longer to draw a couple of days earlier. I felt like I was drawing them without any hesitation, it was all coming out of my hand quickly and perfectly. I finished much faster than I anticipated, I was surprised but also proud of myself for relearning some of my artistic abilities. The art was just as I envisioned it, it looked beautiful. My hands felt a little tired and my fingertips looked gray with lead. I could smell the lead in the room and the table was full of eraser shavings. My friend was still playing guitar even after all that time had passed, I heard the music playing as I finished and it was peaceful.
Prior knowledge that you have:
All the time spent drawing these past few days have shown me how to shade better, especially with the use of my fingers. I was drawing lines very smoothly, and I learned to draw multiple rough lines and to use an eraser to isolate the best-looking lines. As I have said, I know drawing still-life from high school. I recall having drawn animals at some point, including wolves and dogs, but never insects. My drawing was too large to fit into one piece of paper, and I previously knew that I could combine multiple pieces of art to create a larger piece.
Reflection on your practice:
I knew this would be my last drawing session spent on this project, I wanted to do my best to enjoy the final steps. I was feeling good when drawing and when shading, I could tell that the drawing the last couple of days primed my skills. I was calm when drawing. It was a very therapeutic experience, I plan to continue drawing in my free time to relieve stress from academic and personal manners.
Photos/video documenting process:
Questions that arise:
How can I continue to improve my shading skills from what they already are? Would it be useful to color the drawing in the future? I am still not sure about this. The original drawing is in color, but I feel that I can add more depth with only shading.