Fall 2024
Orvieto, Italy
Charcoal and Conte on toned paper, 36”x 48”
I went back and forth on whether to create two or three drawings but chose the latter due to the significance of the number three and it’s subject matter; three is repeated multiple times in the Bible and is direclty related to the Trinity. I also thought that three seperate drawings completed the composition as a whole. Each piece was 36” by 48”, which challenged me to emphasize which sections of the peices I should focus on. The hands and the faces are more detailed because those are the focal points, compared to the more abstract fabric. I completed all three drawings in the span of two weeks, which were then displayed in the studio to celebrate the end of the class.
At the end of the semester, the triptychs were exhibited at the final show called the Mostra, which displayed all the work the students created during the semester. After the show, I was graciously offered the opportunity to sell my pieces to the program, which were then exhibited in the GIO gallery, in Orvieto, Italy.
I began my pieces by drawing thumbnails of possible compositions that could be harmoneous with one another. I ultimately landed on a close-up of Jesus and Mary’s faces, both of their hands, and a full-body composition of the two figures. I proceeded to stain my paper with coffee to enable me to push the values and highlights later on.
I then roughly blocked in the lights and shadows of each composition, checking that the proportions were accurate and adjusting if off. I primarily worked in vine charcoal then added black conté for the darkest values in the drawing and white conté for the highlights.
To date, this triptych is the largest drawing assignment I have worked on. This series pushed me in both of my knowledge of technical skills and formal qualities as well as the confidence in my ability to draw and complete the triptych.