Drawing

Ember Dykstra Base Line To Finish Line

4x10, color pencil on board, 2025

I see improvement from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester in my base line. I can see that I grew out of my comfort zone and tried to make the cow colorful and imaginary. My goal for the future is to try more color pencil drawings. I want my color pencil drawings to look realistic. I learned that little goes a long way. So when I colored the littlest spot it still showed improvement and it brought the work together. I improved on going out of my comfort zone because my first project was with graphite pencil. In seventh grade I swore to myself I would never use graphite again. I am still working on using my imagination and going with the flow. My goal for the future is to draw something just from my imagination. Like making something with all my favorite things or things I do in the summer.

Ember Dykstra “Bull”

4x10, pencil on board,2025

My idea was to draw a bull I saw in Texas. I got this idea because I love animals and bulls look like highland cows. I wanted to show the bulls round looking body. They are really strong but also fat. When I saw it in real life I knew I wanted to draw it for fun. I started by sketching the outline of the bull then I added more details in the background. Then, I shaded in the bull. I tried to make details but this was my first time drawing a bull. The tools I used were paper and pencil.The art of my bull shows excitement and nature. I want people to look at it and think how beautiful nature is and how wild animals live. The picture can remind people of nature, their favorite animals, and Texas. The most difficult part was the head and body. I have never drawn a bull but it looks a lot like a highland cow which I have drawn. So I used the highland cow’s body to make the bull’s body just add more details. If I got to start over I would add more detail by the neck and maybe have one eye peeking out for fun. This is a realistic drawing of a bull in Texas. This shows my personal style because I love shading and trying to make things look real. I love that I added texture to my bull by giving it a bit of fur because before in the picture it was shown just not as well as the fur looked like in real life.

Ember Dykstra “Grandpa Dykstra”

9x12, graphite on paper, 2025

My idea was a portrait of my grandpa in the navy. I got this idea because I draw him something every year for Christmas and I have drawn him objects and our favorite things but this year I wanted to draw something that was really related to him and what he put his life to. So I chose his navy picture. I have been connected to many family stories but my grandpa’s navy stories are my favorite. First, I got a paper and started to sketch my drawing. Then, once I was done sketching I went in with a graphite pencil and shaded the dixie cup (navy hat). When I was shading I started at the top and worked my way to the bottom. Lastly, I shaded the background. Some tools I used were graphite pencil, shading sticks, paper, and pencil. I shaded the background black so my grandpa would pop out and he would be the first thing you saw. This art work means a lot to me because my grandpa plays a big role in my life and knowing he has served in the navy is such a great feeling. When people look at my work I want them to feel happy and honor who my grandpa is. I also want the people to think about their families and who has served in them. I wanted to show a little part of his uniform because it symbolises courage, bravery, and dedication. I think drawing him is a great way to show that he matters and what he has done for our country has helped many.The most difficult part would be his face. I wanted to show a lot of detail to make it look real and 3d. I overcame this struggle by trying new things. I looked at it from a distance, slowly added layers to the dark spots, and shaded outward to make his face look 3d. If I had to start over I would change how his mouth looks. I think his lips look really good but I think the teeth are too big and don't look like his teeth very much. This is a realistic portrait of my grandpa in the navy. This drawing is really unique because I learned new skills and worked hard to get better so I could give it to my grandpa. This is also unique because no one in my family has drawn him before. I love the way his face turned out. His face looks very identical to the reference picture. I struggled a lot but overcame those struggles and that's what makes his face my favorite.

Ember Dykstra “zen”

10x14, Water color pencil on paper, 2025

This water color painting is of Lake Michigan. I don't know the specific beach but the beach was lined with flat rockets that easily stacked on top of each other. I got the idea after I stacked the first couple of rocks. This was a great memory and Lake Michigan is our family vacation every summer.

I used water color pencils and paper. I also used the grid method. I first drew the grid on my paper and started drawing. Once I was done with the sketch I collected the water color pencil colors and started to color. Once I colored the lake I went in with water and a paint brush. I blended the colors and I did all through the painting. I painted the sand then the rocks.

This art work means a lot to me because this is our yearly vacation and my grandma and I got a lot of bonding time. I want my audience to look at this water color painting and see how much effort and time I put into it.

The most difficult part was trying to use the watercolor pencils for the first time. I should have practiced using them before I started. I overcame this struggle after I found out little goes a long way and that I could always layer if I want the colors to be darker. If I got to start over I would change my mindset going into painting. I never used water color pencils before and I thought it was going to be easy but I found out the hard way and hated my painting until I found out how to layer them.

This is a realist painting of Lake Michigan. My painting shows the lake, sky, and land in a realistic way. I tried hard to make it look like the real Lake Michigan. This artwork is special to me because I visit Lake Michigan every year. Not many people get to experience that. The lake means a lot to me and my family. That is why I wanted to paint it. At first, I did not like how my painting looked. I felt a little frustrated when it was not turning out right. I had to keep working on it again and again. I changed colors and fixed mistakes. It took a lot of time and patience. Slowly, the painting started to look better.In the end, I was happy with how it came together. I love how the colors blend together. I like how calm the lake looks. This painting reminds me of good memories. I feel proud of myself for not giving up. This artwork shows my hard work and creativity.

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