Drawing I Art Portfolio

Miles Manatt “Simple Times”

9x12, Graphite Pencils, 2023

My idea for this drawing was to find an old picture of me and draw it and bring it to life once more. The idea started when me and my mom were looking at old pictures on her phone and it brought out good memories. After looking at these pictures I thought it would be a great idea to draw it. I also got inspiration from Mc Escher and his hyper realistic drawings which brought things to life such as his “Drawing Hands” piece.

I started by drawing a grid on the printed picture and the paper which I was drawing the final piece on. This grid helped my focus on one area at a time to make it look exactly like I wanted it to. After I finished the rough outline of the upper body I started shading with different graphite pencils to bring the drawing to life. Once I finished shading I added the facial features and darkened up the darkest areas. Finally, I finished shading the background to make it pop.

To me this drawing means memories, when I look at this drawing I think of how I was when I was younger and how simple life was. When people look at this drawing I want them to think of when they were younger and innocent not knowing what the world was to bring them. This shows that there is true symbolism in this drawing because when I look at it it reminds me of simple times and happy times when life was easy.

The part that was most difficult to me was using different gradients of graphite when shading. I have never really used more than one pencil when drawing so it was something I had to adapt to for sure. I overcame these struggles by asking advice from the teacher to help me know when and where to use each type of pencil. If I would start over I would have made it more dark in general to make the features pop so they were not as light.

This type of art is a realistic piece. What makes it unique to me was that I did it and it is a drawing of me. This makes it personal yet people are still able to connect with it. I love that it reminds me of halloween when I was younger when there was not a worry in the world.

My Sketches:

Miles Manatt "What the Dunk"

12x8, Colored Pencils, Micron Pen, 2023

My idea for this drawing was to draw something that interests or inspires me. As I was thinking of something that interested me I remembered this shoe that had caught my attention while watching Youtube. I remember thinking to myself when I saw this shoe called the “What the Dunk”, “That would be a really cool shoe to draw.” This is how the idea for this drawing evolved and I decided that I would draw this shoe for my colored drawing.

First I began with a sketch of the shoe with a graphite pencil. Next I outlined the sketch with a black micron pen to make the sketch pop and show where I needed to add the color to the shoe. After I finished the outline I went to the shelf of colored pencils and matched the colors on my reference photo with the colored pencils. Following this I began coloring the shoe section by section. Finally I added the final details by shading the edges of each section with darker and lighter shades.

To me this artwork means inspiration. I am very inspired by shoes and their unique designs. I want the audience to think about the intricate designs of the shoe. I also want the shoe to inspire other artists to test their limits like I did with this drawing. The symbolic imagery in this drawing is pop culture and the growth of the nike shoe industry. Nike shoes have become very popular in recent years, especially Jordans and Nike Dunks. These shoes are Nike dunks and they are my favorite dunk.

The part that was most difficult for me was the medium that I chose to use for this drawing. I have never really made a good drawing with colored pencil and I had to experiment with it to get the colors and shading I wanted. I also had to just go through trial and error to overcome my struggles and get my drawing to the level I wanted to. If I started over I would work on the color matching and shading. I wish I would have added more shading to the different panels of the shoe.

This drawing was a realistic piece meant to look like the “what the dunk” nike shoe. What makes this piece unique to me is that it is my dream shoe and no one can change that. I love that I was brave enough to go away from my normal black and white graphite style. I also loved how it turned out and I how I grew in my artistic ability from this drawing.

My Figge Art Museum

T-Shirt Contest Prints:

Miles Manatt "Love Art"

8.5x11, Ink on Paper, 2023

My idea first came when I was thinking of a simple drawing I could free hand yet also represented my love for art. Then the idea came to me and I envisioned a heart shaped paint pallet. Then I got the idea to put a paint brush through it. I also got inspiration from some other artwork I had seen online which really motivated me to do this for my print.

The first step to the process of making this was to first draw out the sketch of my print with a graphite pencil. This took a couple of tries because I wanted it to look perfect. Then I had to get a plate of styrofoam to make the print on. I also had a magazine under the styrofoam so it would make a good print. Then once I finished this I went back in the inking room and rolled the ink on my styrofoam print. Next I press the piece of paper on the styrofoam with ink on it and it creates the print. I repeated this process until I got three good prints then I put it on the drying rack to dry. When it dried I cut the excess paper off and signed my name on it.

To me this print means my love of art. Before this class I had not done art in a while and this class really brought back my love for art. I have new inspirations to grow in my artistic skills. When others look at my piece I want them to think about what they love about art and what made them want to be an artist. The symbol imagery of this piece the love for art shared by all artists around the world.

The part that was most difficult for me was the actual printing process. I had never done it and I had to go through trial and error. It took me a few tries but I ended up getting my 3 good prints. If I were to restart this drawing I would have pushed harder when making the print on the styrofoam.

This print is an abstract piece, and what makes it unique to my style is that I created the idea and it was nothing like anyone else's print. I love that I got to try something new when making this piece. I also love that it s a style of art I never have thought about doing and it made me go out of my comfort zone. I am proud of myself for doing this and I love my overall idea for this peice.

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