Deskilled drawing using gravity

Here I'm using stenciling to create traditional-looking representational drawings that are actually arrived at very differently.  The images look as if they could have been drawn using pencil or charcoal, but are created by the objects as they deflect iron ore particles. 

Heather Lewis, Folded Lace, 2013, (detail)
granular ilmenite, acrylic medium, paper, 17.75 x 15 inches 

This is nearer to industrial stenciling processes than the overhead projector drawing, in that it does not involve any hands on adjustments... but it doesn't mean that no skill is involved.  For example Balinese craftsmen deskill the creation of repeat patterns in batik fabric by using preformed stamps, but this is in itself quite a skilled operation. Their process is part of the evolution of unique images into the mass production of fabric lengths. (Note, I'm not interested in replicating images - we already have that in the bag. I'm interested in exploring what non-traditional approaches have to offer drawing itself.) 

Traditional drawings usually need to be "wrestled" into completion. They progress by being continually observed, evaluated and adjusted. Re position certain lines and sections. Make it darker here, add detail there, remove that section completely because it is redundant etc. So, I also had to evaluate the results of my gravity stenciling. Like proofing an artist print I guess. 

Heather Lewis, Brush, granular ilmenite, acrylic medium, paper, 9 x 7.25 inches

In the first few stenciled drawings of each item (not shown here), the image was found to be lacking - it was too pale, not enough contrast and therefore definition of the object. Or it was not composed satisfyingly, etc. As the stenciled drawing is a "one shot" affair, each time I adjusted the process itself I created a new drawing until it met my criteria of worthiness. One difference to the traditional drawing evolution is that the layout of the stenciled drawing is always "correct" - it is directly derived from the object and cannot be otherwise. 

So, the deskilled stenciling process is effective as a means to collect information, and, directed by very traditional decisions, produces what could be seen as a drawing in traditional terms.