Using Reference

"Sybaritic Energy"

The 50s, from a visual perspective, were a time when a trend in innovative and inventive abstract design took hold and became mainstream. Bright colour and pattern combinations in textiles and wallpapers from top designers became popular. Patterns were fundamental and sometimes rudimentary, commonly taken from the natural world. Skeletal leaves and seed pods, "fluid organic forms" crystal shapes to microbiological imprints.
Clothes became bolder and brighter became both fitted, at the bust and hips, and voluminous. Stiletto shoes and lavish hats. As with furnishing, textile designs incorporated a whole paint box of colour variations. Clothes were becoming a means of individual expression a symbol of identity; easy care fabrics and new systems of mass production made this possible for a new type of customer it appears to me to have been a very glamerous decade.
Furniture became brighter in finish and lighter in construction. Lines were cleaner with less embellishment aside from a contrast of finishes. Kitchens became more "fitted" with worktops and high-level cupboards.
Cars, Speedboats and Aircraft started to lose their blunt boxiness in favour of the sweeping aerodynamic lines of the aerofoil,a throw back from the 30s really, but one that appeared to stall in Britain during the 40s. The aerofoil shape even found its way incorporated into furniture design and other everyday objects.

Architecture too was changing, it could still be classical but also other worldly. However with the need for housing after the war the prevalent look was for the concrete high-rise block associated with "brutalism"
But there were perhaps glimpses of what might be possible in the designs of the future.

The fifties today. Good design and style never go out of fashion.
In a way it is difficult to separate a design influence from nostalgia. There are plenty of examples of companies selling 'retro' styled products, Transistor radios, telephones, costume, home accessories. Does this fulfil a faddish need in the customer or is it the natural progression of an enduring style?

Or perhaps a new younger customer who is re-discovering the style of the 50s but in a sense for the first time.
There are certainly new designers whose style could be said to have roots in the 50s, or be influenced by them. If there is a more tangible reflection of the 50s now, maybe the link is cultural perhaps the influence is a climate of innovation.


My Catalogue of reference images I created my catalogue of images from the 1950s in excel, each category is contained in a separate worksheet. I then created a PDF of the catalogue as it stands at present.
Link to My catalogue of 1950s reference material

My 50's artefacts illustration
Preliminary sketch

Having sourced an image of a seated person, that I thought would suit the composition I had in mind together with some items typical of the era. I didn't do much in the way of preliminary sketching after the sketch above. Mostly just light sketches in what would be the final piece. Rubbing out and re sketching as required resulting in the illustration below.

Illustration 1

I used water colour over the finished composition.
Am I happy with the piece? not really it doesn't have any impact and the overall effect looks rushed, which in part it probably was.
On reflection afterwards I asked myself does if fulfil the requirement of the exercise? I came to the conclusion that there wasn't enough about the content to convey a contrast with today with the fifties.
I felt it worth having another attempt. This time I would limit the content and pay more attention to detail. I will also choose something that was more obviously in the style of the 50s as a key.
I came across the Decca DM4 TV; such a typically 50s design. Intending it to appear prominently and in front of the sitter. I found a large image of it on an internet site, so traced an outline off the laptop screen using transparent 'layout paper'

Decca DM4 1956 - a rough outline

Dancette Major 1950s

I already had an image of a Dancette Major portable record player on file so also traced an out line directly off the computer screen. I have to confess the primary reason for tackling these images in this way was because my printer has run out of ink. I will add them to the composition by drawing them freehand to the required scale.

Another way I thought that I could create the feel of the fifties was to incorporate one of the iconic fifties dresses with the voluminous skirts.
On investigating this I found a Carolyn Schnurer design; I added my version of her strapless party dress direct to the composition.
Having kept faith with the image of the sitter from the previous illustration; my last but one element to include was a pair of stiletto shoes. I found a pair of original 50s shoes on a well known auction site and sketched them from the large image on the screen. This was by way of both practice and reference for when I added them to the piece to the scale required.
My last two nods to the era were to be the chequered floor pattern and a Mark Rothko art work.
To achieve an accurate chequered pattern I found some information on creating the pattern.
Putting it all together I couldn't make my mind up as to what medium to use. I opted for colour pencils and although not convinced by the effect, I am pleased with the composition.

The finished illustration

Other items that I thought about including were; an Upright vacuum cleaner first appeared in the 50s but still familiar now and a washing machine in the interest of not becoming too cluttered I discounted this.

Mark Making

Pencils..Pencils..Pencils, for me, pencils have always been a means to an end, solely a way of creating an outline to be hidden in the end piece, a guide for another medium.
Concentrating, as I have in the past on pen and ink and then painting in acrylics, I have had a tendency to stick to what I know. In this respect it has been very easy to become accustomed to only viewing and handling pencils in this temporary, transitional way. Thus ignoring the potential of this medium.
I find that to be asked to experiment is both alien and challenging.

Pencils at the ready...
My initial foray is to take a piece of heavy handmade water colour paper made at the Moulin de Pombie, France.

Using 3B, 6B, 2H pencils and charcoal to make samples of variations of cross hatch and stippled shapes.
My observations; the 'weave' of the paper has a definite direction which makes the line quality of the opposing angles of the cross hatch strokes appear different. The roughness of this particular paper and therefore the friction of the medium against the surface 'draws out' more medium with less pressure. This makes it particularly tricky to handle the charcoal as there is a lot of surplus 'dust' which makes the image more prone to fill in.
With the harder 2H pencil the reverse seems to be the case, it was difficult to make a viable impression particularly with a pointed pencil the surface was scratched by it. More pressure was needed to make a mark.

Moving On..For my next sampler I use a wider range of pencils from soft to hard, each used in the same way to show a direct comparison between the grades. The paper is 100gms Soft sketchbook

An example of stippling with a technical pen is the centre piece.

You old smoothy The next marks are to experiment with changing the media. I first chose a smooth white card, I believe it is inkjet photocard.

If anything this shows that pencils are best suited to this smooth surface. The surface has less direct physical influence on the line drawn; therefore it gives more scope to the artist for showing technique and tonal effects.
An observation that I made during this part of the exercise.
When cross hatching the tendency is to alter the way the pencil is held in the hand, to make the change in direction, this can by default lead to an unintentional change in the quality of the drawn line.
Whereas by turning the piece and using the same hold on the pencil uniformity is maintained. Of course the variation described may be what is required for effect, by the artist. I find that even with charcoal there is more control, potentially more scope to experiment with this medium.

Just to diversify, I decided to look around for something else to add to the mark making experimentation.

These marks are made using a japanese bamboo pen and an FC PITT Art Pen (B) on 240gm2 textured watercolour paper. I found that the bamboo pen was quite versatile with the potential for some pleasing effects but was labour intensive as the ink was transferred quite quickly. The Art pen, being quite free flowing, was difficult to stipple with on a small scale. This brief experiment introduced the element of absorption of the paper as an extra consideration.

My last group was achieved using a smooth copier type paper and I found that using the pencils on this surface reinforces what I found with the card the end product isn't as heavily influenced as it is with textured papers.

And Finally three examples one each of Stippling, Dry brush and Cross hatch.

Introducing Lepus arcticus - The Arctic Hare

...and in dry brush..

Neglected from earlier experimentation. I wasn't sure of the technique.

An Ugg-ly boot showing some cross hatch tones.