Drawing Sounds

Our task was to create marks that would represent, in our minds, the different sounds that could be heard in and around Ravensbourne College. We would then use these marks to create an abstract piece of work. After listening to these sounds I found it quite interesting, how even when there wasn't any loud noises to be heard, there was still the buzz of the air conditioning, or light rustling of the leaves in or falling from the trees. After noticing this I wanted to incorporate it in my work. To do this I stuck tracing paper over all my drawings of the 'main' sounds, and on the tracing paper drew what I thought represented the background noise that I believe is always there.

To begin with I found it quite difficult to accurately represent something that was being heard, into a drawing or symbol. I began to differentiate the sounds into a system that would make it easier for me to create individual unique symbols for each noise. First of all I began to make larger symbols for the louder sounds, and smaller symbols for the quieter sounds that I could hear whilst walking in and around Ravensbourne. I then decided to further the separation of the sounds, by using the pencil harder on the paper for the sounds that are considerably louder.

I found producing marks and symbols for the louder noises to be easier than doing the same for quieter noises. I think this was because naturally we associate louder noises to be sharp and big and it is then easier to do this then to produce different softer symbols representing quieter noises.

This task was very challenging for me, and for that reason I really enjoyed it and thought that it was good. I learnt that its good to challenge myself. For the sections of this piece of work that I found easier, for example representing the loud sounds of the plane that I heard just outside of Ravensbourne, I decided that instead of finishing, I should focus more into this area and make it the focal point of the piece of work. I think this worked well, and added to the layering that I had already started with the tracing paper. I displayed this on brown paper so it would stand out against the white even more.