Identity Collage
At the start of the year, we dove into making this identity collage. After pairing up with a partner and taking photos of each other, we selected the photo we liked best. Ms. Martin printed our photos out while we looked through magazines, and I tried to find photos in greens and blues. Once I had my portrait printed, it was a bit of a struggle trying to decide on how to arrange my collage. I knew I wanted to use an ombre effect and somehow incorporate the cows and the halo of bubbles, but had a hard time figuring it out. Through this process, I got a feel for what colors work well together and learned how to assemble images together to create a coherent work of art.
Value Chart and Sphere
We explored 2H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, and 6B pencils and learned how to use each effectively to shade 3D objects. We started by filling in the Value Chart on the left, and slowly worked our way up to the darkest box by using darker pencils and more pressure. We then moved on to shading the sphere. I used the 2H pencil to do very light shading around the top left, and kept working down with darker pencils until I felt it was smooth enough to blend. I used the kneadable eraser to add a light reflection at the bottom of the sphere, and finished it off with a dark shadow below and light shading all around. Creating the reflection of light at the bottom of the sphere was hard for me, as I couldn't get the kneadable eraser in the right shape and I would keep erasing too much. However, I've now learned how to not only shade but also highlight, and I better understand what to use each pencil for.
Pyramid Shading
For this project, we used 6B, 2B, and B pencils to create the illusion of 3D pyramids on the paper. Using a ruler, we drew horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines to create all the different triangles. Then, we shaded by using 6B pencils on the darkest face of the pyramid, 2B pencils on the sides, and B on the top side. I then blended it all out and used the kneadable eraser to add highlights and reflections. Adding reflections around the base of each pyramid was a challenge and I had trouble erasing in a straight line, but I now better understand how to shade consistently and use the eraser.
Fractured Values Drawing
We started this project by using rulers and other shape templates to make lines and different sections across the paper. Then, we used the shading skills we learned from previous projects to shade in our own style. I chose to only shade using the 6B and B pencils, as well as the kneaded eraser and multiple sizes of blending sticks. To create the fractured effect, I shaded the shapes in different directions. One of the hardest parts for me was creating the small and precise erased lines between shapes, as well as keeping shading consistent across some of my really large sections. However, by the end I was able to develop my own shading style and got more comfortable shading large sections.
Skull Drawing
Before starting this drawing, we eased into learning how to use different charcoal pencils and charcoal sticks. Then, we got to work on the skull using regular charcoal pencils, blending sticks, and kneadable erasers. I decided to shade from left to right so that I didn't accidentally smudge the charcoal, but that also made it hard for me to see the whole picture. I struggled with figuring out how light or dark I should make certain parts, and sometimes erasing the charcoal was hard. I'm happy with how textured it looks though, and I was able to make the shading more dramatic than the original.
Mixed Media Realistic Drawing
After choosing an image we wanted to draw, we split it into three parts. I both freehanded and traced different parts of the frog's outline with a 2H pencil, then started to shade the middle section with a 6B pencil. Once I finished the pencil section, I worked on the charcoal part on the left and got the charcoal sprayed after finishing so that it wouldn't smudge. Then, I transferred my sketch onto black paper for the section on the right and drew in the white parts of the image with a white colored pencil. Making the charcoal smooth and blended, as well as giving the frog the right texture, was a challenge for me. However, I think I got much more comfortable with all three mediums, especially the white on black.
Succulent Drawing
Using white colored pencils, we traced the outline of a succulent onto black paper. We then found colored pencils to match the colors of our reference image and tested the colors on a small paper. Using those colors, we then shaded using negative color and filled in our succulent outlines. For me, this piece was one of the harder ones and I had a difficult time figuring out how to shade each leaf. However, I think I now have a better understanding of how to use color on a black background, and I've figured out how to blend color pencils.
Hilma af Klint Inspired Abstract Art
Before starting to draw, we were introduced to the work of Hilma af Klint, a pioneer in abstract art. We observed several of her art pieces and sketched our own artworks inspired by hers. I was inspired by her painting of swans with their beaks together, but decided to add a twist by having my swans facing opposite directions. Hilma's swans were the opposite beak colors and they represented two genders, but I switched the beak colors up as well. Overall, this short project came generally naturally, but the short amount of time led me to overlook some small details and made the coloring messy. Still, I think it helped me explore freer coloring and taught me about a new artist.
Monochromatic Shading
We started this painting by using rulers to measure and trace out the triangles and make them all even. Then, we chose a base color and mixed it into a tint, a tone, and a shade. We then painted the triangles, alternating between the three colors. It was hard to make the paint look clean, and figuring out which triangle should be painted a certain color was also hard. However, I think it was fun to experiment with mixing colors and I learned a lot about paints.
Monochromatic Portrait
We took photos outside and then used Photoshop to turn the photo into a grayscale image with only a select number of values (I chose to use 6 values). After that, we printed the photos out and used tracing paper to transfer the outlines of the photo onto the canvas. We labeled each value section and mixed the colors we wanted to use. Then, we started painting from dark to light. Painting all the details was a struggle, since most of the brushes I used weren't stiff enough and I couldn't make the painting very clean. Also, when I started painting the three lightest shades, I realized I didn't make them light enough, and the orange turned out a lot more saturated than I liked. Still, it was too late to paint a lighter color over it as the darker color would show underneath, like how the pencil marks show underneath some of my light colors (which was another thing that bothered me). I didn't have time to paint the background and I'm not thrilled with how it turned out, but overall I think this project definitely taught me a lot about choosing color values as well as how to use Photoshop!
Laser Cut Geometric Pattern
Taking inspiration from other geometric patterns, we traced and drew our own in Adobe Illustrator. I drew two different shapes and pasted them to form a pattern that interlocks. I had extra time, so I wanted to make the pattern kind of fade or slowly disappear starting from the bottom right corner to make it more interesting. Once it was finalized, we sent it to Ms. Martin, who sent our designs to the Maker Space to be laser cut. This little project taught me a lot about how to use Illustrator as well as how different patterns connect.
Printmaking
After looking at inspiration, we drew templates for our prints. When I tried to transfer my template from the paper to the rubber, though, it didn't transfer very well and I ended up just drawing it onto the block itself. Then, I used two kinds of gouges to carve out the stamp and add details to the leaf. I also used an x-acto knife to carve out excess parts of the rubber block. Once it was carved, we chose ink and put it onto clear panels, spreading the ink with brayers. I used black and gold, as I liked the contrast and I also thought it fit the ginkgo leaves well. Using the brayers, we then rolled ink onto our stamps and pressed the stamps onto paper. I tried out multiple arrangements, but I liked this simple repeating pattern best. Printmaking was very satisfying and hands-on, and I liked the process a lot!