Drawings for Drypoint experiments

Over the past few weeks i have been drawing some images from the photos of my friends skateboarding. I chose to use these images because skateboarding is one of those many activities people do to get an adrenaline rush, or 'get some air' with tricks and stuff they do. Other activities may be snowboarding or skiing, bungy jumping, skydiving, trampolining, trapeze artists, parachuting, hot air ballooning etc. Ive tried skateboarding, and im amazed by how much persistance and how much control you need over your body to get good at it. This idea i am interested in.

I have chosen to create pattern on the skateboarding images. I have been inspired by some of Gustav Klimpt's paintings where he creates movement in some gowns his figures wear by creating mosaic like pattern and colour. I have chosen to use black and white checks, because this seems to be a very popular and predictable pattern in fashion these days - think of sweatbands or cuffs or vans shoes etc. I have played with varying the basic check pattern all over the bodies to try and create these feelings of structure, routine, repetition, predictability etc. I have tried to create alot of diagonal lines as well to make movement.

There is violent movement in the contrast of the black and white. They fight against each other. The white appears to come forward and the black tends to recede into the darkness. The contrast of black and white on the persons body is interesting in terms of more spiritual contrasts of light vs dark or good vs evil. Or in general it seems to represent any battle that is constantly going on in a person between two opposites. And there always is one. This in itself represents alot for me, it represents alot of the ideas im exploring at the moment. Ideas of earth vs sky, earthly vs spiritual freedom, freedom vs security, fluid gestural art making vs more tight controlled processes.

I also started experimenting with some colour in some drawings. Contrasting red against blue. In this case movement is created because the blue is a cool colour and recedes, and the red is a warm colour and comes towards you. The contrast of the red against the blue is very very harsh on your eyes, even more so than the black and white. I used coloured felts to colour in the images. I like felts because they are more brighter and bolder than coloured pencil, and it is easier to 'stay within the line'. In one image i started playing with adding a blue background with pastel...which is more gestural. I am starting to play with the contrast between the neat images of the figures against a quite loose and gestural sky. A contrast between the figure and the person it is moving in. Its like a strange new territory

I created some drypoint plates of these images. It took so long and my hands are very sore. I had to concentrate alot and be very persistant to get them finished, and with all the tiny detail of the image it was a mission. I think just the making itself is appropriate to the concept.
The figures are going to be in mid air, and are holding onto strings that go out of the image. I think it is interesting that you cant see what is on the other side of the strings, you cant see what is carrying the person. This idea of an unseen carrier creates a feeling of trust and also a feeling of excitement because it looks like the figure is going somewhere, but you dont know where!