Sailing - Transport Visual Language

Images used for reference.

Initially I was very interested in using a horse as the focus of my transport images, I also looked into bicycles.

Below are some of the more successful practice sketches:

I really like the effect  and the aesthetics of the of the stock, it suits the drawing. 

Thumbnail and composition tests:

Some further development sketches:

Resolutions 

One more finished resolution, it has the most clarity, and with regards to tone and colouring it is probably the most successful, but it is not my favourite, as there is nothing interesting at all to its composition. Although arguably none of them are interesting, or good enough compositionally at all.

A displayed resolution on the wall, it still needed trimming in this image.

Resolution number two, if the boat was of a better quality of line work this perhaps would be my favourite. I like the effect of the size of the piece. It doesn't quite manage it successfully, but I think that it begins to lend to the very vast feeling of the ocean, and the contrast of dinghy. But flaws of it are that; if this is really the ocean, then why is it so smooth? There ought to be more waves or movement to it. And the contrast could have been made to be much greater between the different sizes to really achieve effectiveness that way. 

A third resolution, there are nice elements to this one, but as a whole it has no impact or clarity. It is hard to distinguish the boat from the sea and sky, and even if it isn't the only focus of the piece it should be clear, identifiable, and a little more impressive to get close to being successful. 

To Conclude:

I forgot the brief. I'm disappointed and annoyed at myself for this, but essentially I forgot the requirements of the brief, that is was to be monochrome, and it was really aiming to have a strong line of sight. My current resolutions certainly aren't in black and white, and there is no dynamic composition to this piece that leads your eye around the picture.

What is worse is that for once I was pleased with where I was going with this image. I felt like I was achieving work slightly more improved than usual, due to the larger format, and slightly more resolved feeling line work, combined with the using the process of drawing the same image several times to improve it. I had put thought into the media, as I wanted the image to have a delicate sort of feel and aesthetic to it, which the very fine pen lines perhaps begin to achieve, as well as the choice of stock, and the varying colours of the sea. Even then there is still lots to fault, the boat has very little impact when this piece as a whole, and the colouring is a little to patchy, particularly in the last shown image, with the pink sky. The resolution above that one may have stronger and more effective colours, but the dinghy has been clumsily drawn here.