Blog Entry #1 – Self Analysis of 4 Drawings
My approach to this assignment was to convey highlights and shadows in a way that was realistic to the actual objects I was observing and to make the objects not blend into each other by displaying clear edges. I went into this assignment trying to have a more traditional approach to a still life, drawing objects exactly as I see them. I considered applying a more stylized approach to my pieces, however, I thought the traditional style would fit the objects more as I perceived them in my head, since they were fairly geometric and the only organic object was the fabric. I found it difficult figuring out how to use the materials in a way that would benefit my drawing style as well as working out problems I encountered working with specific materials, like the vine charcoal. I was surprised by how well the materials tended to work together and blend when using the blending stump, as well as how good the vine charcoal was when used for blocking out objects and initial sketches due to how easily erasable it was. Some problems I encountered was trying to avoid stray marks and fingerprints and I was able to resolve this issue by placing the materials intentionally and keeping track of where my hands and materials were at all times. I did not enjoy using the soft compressed charcoal because it would produce black dust when it was pressed down on the paper to create a dark black for shadows and if smeared, it would affect the white or gray parts of the piece and could not be erased completely. A material that I did like using on my 4 drawings was the black conte because I felt that it had a versatile range of values available and, because of its shape, I could create interesting lines within the medium and use this to my benefit to create value and emphasize shadows and highlights. I also liked using the blending stump because it allowed me to create both smooth and stark transitions between shades. I think my fourth drawing, the one on the bottom left, was the most successful because it employed the strategies I had learned from in the other three pieces, as well as trying a new method and experimenting by using sharpie for the fabric and hatching/cross-hatching to create depth for the folds in the fabric; I was also the most comfortable with my materials in the fourth piece and was able to make sure that each of the objects I focused on did not blend into each other and had clear edges. In my opinion, my first drawing, the one on the top left, was the least successful because, while I did employ the positive-negative method as we had to in the assignment, I felt that I could’ve been more creative in my methods and added more depth instead of doing exclusively positive-negative in my piece; I could have also attempted to be more abstract in this piece, rather than taking a completely accurate approach to the objects. In the future, I would like to try the subtraction method again, like I attempted in my third piece (bottom right), by laying down a layer of gray or black across the entire surface and using the eraser to take away value and create highlights. I would like to attempt this process again to see if I can make a piece using this technique that is more successful in my eyes, as I believe that, in my third piece, it did not turn out as I had hoped.
Blog Entry #2 – Self Analysis of Texture/Mid-term Piece
My approach to this project was to convey the textures accurately and descriptively, as well as making sure that each object stands out and none of them blend into each other. In my final product, I feel as if I did this well. I decided that I wanted to use objects from nature in my project because the objects I noticed around campus were very interesting, both texturally and compositionally, and because objects in nature tend to be organic shapes. The hardest part of the project was deciding the composition of my piece, given that I had several objects and I could realistically arrange them any way. I went through many different compositions, taking pictures of the arrangements I liked the most, and had to decide through these photos whether to have my piece be horizontal or vertical. I ultimately decided on a horizontal work with a composition which guides the eye across my piece using leading lines because of the visual interest it creates for the viewer. By placing the mulch piece vertically towards the branch and the long branch across the paper horizontally, I was able to guide the eye up the mulch and across the branch to the other textured objects: the leaves, the acorns, and the seed pod. A difficulty I encountered in my piece was figuring out how to convey the leaves’ textures as shiny and soft, while also conveying the lines and stems present in the leaves that I was observing. Another difficulty was accurately portraying the fine lines of the wood while keeping the different shades present and emphasizing the different layers and sides of the wood, however, through my experimentation and texture study of the wood, I was able to imitate its texture in a way that differentiated it from the other textures present. A surprise I encountered was the amount of white space left after I had drawn the main objects, of which I had to make a creative decision about. I decided to enlarge the textures present in the seed pod and large leaf and place them in the background to emphasize the details in them and also to make the main objects stand out more. Overall, I am very pleased with my piece and feel that, even though I had to change some concepts from my original idea, it turned out very well in terms of my main goals and conveyed the textures of my objects accurately and uniquely.
Blog Entry #3 – Self Analysis of Mixed Media Piece
My approach when it came to this assignment was to focus on and emphasize the lights and shadows present in the reference photo I picked; my reference photo featured a large window which led to vast differences between light and dark areas, which I perceived as much of the interest of the reference photo. I picked this specific reference photo because it featured both leading lines and golden ratio composition, which would make my piece very interesting to the viewer. I chose to do my piece using a warm palette, as I thought it would convey the light coming from the window better. When I started my process, my plan was to create gradients and layer paint to make darker colors on separate sheets of paper, which I would then cut to fit the sections of my piece which had these colors. I decided not to collage the windows near the top of my piece because I felt as if they were one cohesive unit in the reference photo and it would have took away interest from the lights and shadows present on the stairs, as well as taking away the contrast between the almost 3-D collage of the stairs and flat windows. I originally planned to include the railings in my piece, but made the decision to not include them because when I placed them on, I thought they took away from the lights and shadows of the stairs and looked out of place. A difficulty I encountered while working was getting the darks to be dark enough; even by doing layers and waiting for each of them to dry, I felt I wasn’t able to get dark enough colors for the shadows, at least to stand out against the lighter colors for the highlights. My resolution to this problem was to add some black to my brown color I was using for the stairs. This helped me because I could create a darker color using less layers. I am very happy with how the final piece turned out, despite having to overcome this difficulty.
Blog Entry #4 – Progress Post
My plan for these three pieces are to focus mainly on the person present in all of them and make them the main focal point by blending out and not emphasizing the background. I want to do this so that it puts the viewer in the same position as the malicious person who is stalking the person present in these pieces, focusing only on them and nothing else. This is why I want to draw the person first in all of the pieces before continuing onto the background instead of finishing them one at a time; it will also help me prioritize my time better by focusing on the sections which require the most time and waiting to do the spots that require less time. I also chose to do interesting perspectives for two reasons: to offset the perhaps boring composition of choosing to focus on one person, and to put the viewer in the shoes of the stalker. By choosing to draw strange perspectives, it brings interest to the pieces without having to do a complicated composition. By putting the viewer in the shoes of the stalker, it gives them an eerie feeling that they can’t explain, like they’re seeing something they shouldn’t, making them feel uncomfortable, just like the person that they are observing; this makes the viewer feel like they are the victim.
Blog Entry #5 – Self Analysis of Final Project
My chosen theme was what happens at night. My interpretation of this theme was the evil and tragedy that specifically happens at night and how this affects me, as well as how my perception of night might differ from others of different identities. Since I am a woman, I realized that I viewed night very differently than a man might because of our contrasting experiences and I wanted to emphasize this in my pieces; the woman’s worst nightmare. However, I wanted to subvert expectations by placing the viewer in the eyes of the predator, a view that will make them anxious or wary without fully understanding why. This will put the viewer in the shoes of the subject of the pieces so, even if someone has not experienced a fear of being out at night themself, they will understand what it is like to experience it. Since, compositionally, I thought that the three pieces were not very interesting with only one subject in all of them, I wanted to create reference photos which drew the viewers’ interest through perspectives. For my first reference photo, I decided to use a picture from the view below the subject’s shoe, making the bottom of the shoe very large and the head the smallest part of the body, creating interest. For the second reference picture, I chose to use the opposite perspective, an aerial view of the subject like a security camera would see, where the head is the biggest part of the body and the shoes the smallest. For the third reference photo, I chose to do a view from a bush, where leaves cover much of the subject, which is the piece which puts the most emphasis on the viewer as the stalker, so it is the most interesting to myself; This is why I chose for it to be the last piece in my series. I decided that based on the content of my three pieces, I would use charcoal to convey the deep darkness of the night and contrast this with the light shining on the person coming from streetlights. I also wanted to emphasize the person in all of my pieces because they are from the point of view of a stalker by blurring out the darkness of the background, juxtaposing the very sharp lines and shadows of the person in the works. Another decision I made was to draw and finish the subject of all the pieces first, instead of finishing each piece one at a time, so that I could focus on the details and prioritize my time better, since I knew that the backgrounds would take the least amount of time.One difficulty I encountered while creating these pieces was differentiating the person and the background to make the subject stand out. I wanted to make the person much lighter than the surrounding area, but it was hard to do this without compromising the details, also with the added difficulty of making sure that the person didn’t become too light. I overcame this by drawing the values darker than I wanted in the areas that had shadows and then going over everything with the kneaded eraser, creating the lightness I wanted without losing the details, as well as using the white Conté to create brighter highlights. Another difficulty I came across was creating values too dark when mapping out the shapes and shadows of the subjects, which I was not able to erase. I overcame this by using the vine charcoal to map out the shapes and this worked well because I could erase it easily and go over it with the compressed charcoal and black Conté for a darker color. If I could start this project over, I would not do much differently since I am happy with my results, but I might have managed my time better. I spent a lot of time focusing on the subjects of the first two pieces and getting the details right, but didn’t spend as much time on the subject of the third piece. If I could start over, I would spend more time on the third piece in class and focus on tedious details when I was finished with all three pieces and could have a look at them with a fresh pair of eyes. Overall, however, I am extremely happy with my process and execution, and I feel like my final pieces came out the way I had planned.
