1. Which project was your most successful? Describe the theme and or topic and the process you went through to complete the project. Were the choices you made regarding material, size, technique, etc beneficial to enhancing this project. Please explain.
For me, I feel that my most successful project was my Colored Pencil drawing completed with Prisma Color. This was the colored pencil project where we were supposed to draw an object but in a really close/zoomed-in perspective. So since we were drawing in colored pencil, it gave me the idea to draw colored pencils and try to show the wood-grain texture along with all the bright pops of the colored lead. I took multiple pictures of a bunch of colored pencils and chose one that incorporated lots of different colors, different pencil sizes and different pencil-tip shapes to draw. To really make the colors pop and to show the perspective of the pencils, I chose to align my drawing portrait/vertically and to use black paper. When I finally started drawing, I found it difficult to get the colors I wanted. But then I realized that to get great colors, I had to layer different colors on top of one another to get those complex and realistic colors I wanted. So the constant layering technique was the ticket to really making my piece look realistic and is the main reason why I feel that this piece is my most successful one.
For me, I feel that my most successful project was my Colored Pencil drawing completed with Prisma Color. This was the colored pencil project where we were supposed to draw an object but in a really close/zoomed-in perspective. So since we were drawing in colored pencil, it gave me the idea to draw colored pencils and try to show the wood-grain texture along with all the bright pops of the colored lead. I took multiple pictures of a bunch of colored pencils and chose one that incorporated lots of different colors, different pencil sizes and different pencil-tip shapes to draw. To really make the colors pop and to show the perspective of the pencils, I chose to align my drawing portrait/vertically and to use black paper. When I finally started drawing, I found it difficult to get the colors I wanted. But then I realized that to get great colors, I had to layer different colors on top of one another to get those complex and realistic colors I wanted. So the constant layering technique was the ticket to really making my piece look realistic and is the main reason why I feel that this piece is my most successful one.
2. Look at your body of work over the semester and choose 2 pieces that show your growth as an artist. Discuss each piece and how you grew in the following areas: application of materials, techniques and skills, artistic vision, use of the principles and elements, creativity, intuition and subject matter.
I think the transition from my Still Life Pencil Drawing to my Fruit Still Life Drawing really shows my improvement as an artist, and especially in drawing objects. The very first project of the semester was the Still Life Pencil Drawing of the glass bottles and jars. It was tough for me right off the bat to start with a realistic drawing because drawing was not my strong suit. It was also tough for me to visualize the area and detail in the area I was trying to draw. Additionally, I found it difficult to get all of the proportions of the many bottles and jar realistic to what they looked like in the display. Overall, I was pleased with how the still life came out but it was definitely not my best work.
Then by the time we had to draw the Fruit Still Life, I knew how to approach the project. This time around we had to do the project in color, which created another challenge, but I knew to focus more on one object of the display at a time. I was able to make the smooth, spherical shapes a little better and more realistically. Plus, the Fruit Still Life drawing had fewer objects which allowed me to focus on the positioning of the objects in the paper. By the second time around, I was more pleased with how my drawing turned out and I feel that these two projects show my growth as an artist.
I think the transition from my Still Life Pencil Drawing to my Fruit Still Life Drawing really shows my improvement as an artist, and especially in drawing objects. The very first project of the semester was the Still Life Pencil Drawing of the glass bottles and jars. It was tough for me right off the bat to start with a realistic drawing because drawing was not my strong suit. It was also tough for me to visualize the area and detail in the area I was trying to draw. Additionally, I found it difficult to get all of the proportions of the many bottles and jar realistic to what they looked like in the display. Overall, I was pleased with how the still life came out but it was definitely not my best work.
Then by the time we had to draw the Fruit Still Life, I knew how to approach the project. This time around we had to do the project in color, which created another challenge, but I knew to focus more on one object of the display at a time. I was able to make the smooth, spherical shapes a little better and more realistically. Plus, the Fruit Still Life drawing had fewer objects which allowed me to focus on the positioning of the objects in the paper. By the second time around, I was more pleased with how my drawing turned out and I feel that these two projects show my growth as an artist.
3. Choose 2 mini lessons that you felt were the most beneficial in your learning for that particular project. Include photos of these and explain thoroughly. Do you feel you needed more instruction for success? Explain or did you feel that the instruction given was enough to ensure success? Explain. (if you do not have a photo for this just answer the question without one)
I feel that the perspective practice drawings, the pen & ink value chart, and the pen & ink shape drawings were very helpful in learning how to use both perspective and pen & ink in our final Pen & Ink Perspective drawing. The practice drawings of all of the types of perspective, 2 point, bird's eye, etc., were very helpful in my understanding of space and angles of objects in real life. These helped me make my final piece of my room more realistic. Also, the value chart and practice pen & ink drawings were helpful in gauging value on objects with pen. The value chart especially helped me get a basic understanding of how to transition in pressure and value with pen & ink. And the practice drawings helped me understand where shadows and light fall on objects and how to show that with value. In the end I was pleased with how my final pen and ink drawing turned out. I chose to do the corner of my room with a stippling pen & ink technique and all of these exercises helped me a great amount. Overall, because of those practice lessons, I am proud of how my final drawing turned out.
I feel that the perspective practice drawings, the pen & ink value chart, and the pen & ink shape drawings were very helpful in learning how to use both perspective and pen & ink in our final Pen & Ink Perspective drawing. The practice drawings of all of the types of perspective, 2 point, bird's eye, etc., were very helpful in my understanding of space and angles of objects in real life. These helped me make my final piece of my room more realistic. Also, the value chart and practice pen & ink drawings were helpful in gauging value on objects with pen. The value chart especially helped me get a basic understanding of how to transition in pressure and value with pen & ink. And the practice drawings helped me understand where shadows and light fall on objects and how to show that with value. In the end I was pleased with how my final pen and ink drawing turned out. I chose to do the corner of my room with a stippling pen & ink technique and all of these exercises helped me a great amount. Overall, because of those practice lessons, I am proud of how my final drawing turned out.