I chose to draw the correction tape because of its details. By revealing the object's inner parts, I could observe and represent components that may be unfamiliar to us.

I wanted to highlight that we often use everyday objects without fully understanding their inner mechanical workings, which ties back to the theme.

The contrast between the background of the correction tape and the cogs highlights and adds focus to the makings of the correction tape itself. The techniques I used to create this artwork are blending and smudging. I drew the artwork using charcoal pens, sticks, and erasers to create the highlights. I prepared beforehand by watching YouTube tutorials and attempting the medium as I already had unused charcoal at home.

My goal is to show the importance of the little things in our lives that often go unnoticed. By adding minor details like the highlights, I was able to closely replicate the object, although there's always room for improvement. I could have blended further for smoother lines and rendering. Nonetheless, I trusted the process and the artwork turned out better than I expected.

My interpretation of the theme ‘(Un)familiar objects’ is that while an object may appear common to others, it may hold a more significant meaning to us.

The object I chose is a glass cup that I use to hold my drinks. I took a simple close-up shot so that the details of the cup could be seen. It may seem like a simple cup to others, but this cup is significant to me as I use it often to hold my favourite drinks, such as Milo, as it allows me to see if the drink is properly mixed. 

The reference photo was taken after I used the cup to make Milo and then washed it, so only I know its recent use. This hidden context isn’t visible in the image, which adds a personal layer of significance.

This cup also reminds me of the cover for one of my favourite books, ‘The Glass Girl’, with its cover page showing a glass cup. Every time I see a glass cup, I am reminded of the book and the sad story behind it.

There are two meanings behind a glass cup that I like. One, is ''A broken cup can never be fixed''. A broken cup cannot be easily glued or taped together, it will still eventually collapse no matter how strong the glue is. This refers to one's actions affecting others greatly and the affected might never forget it, which is why we should put ourselves in other's shoes before we unintentionally 'break' them. Another one is ''Be a glass cup, when someone breaks you, cut them back", which means one must stand up for themselves and be confident even when someone tries to harm them.

I was inspired by the artist we learnt, Tang Ling Nah. The shadows and lighting of her drawings create a heavy contrast, which I attempted by making the shadows and lighting more exaggerated to emphasise contrast. I also placed the reflective and bright cup in a dark background (against the wooden door and floor), creating the contrast I wanted to make. I used charcoal pencils to add finer details and the eraser and blending sticks to lightly lift off the charcoal from the paper for the highlights. The blender sticks also helped me smoothen out the drawing, making it look more resolved as individual strokes are not visible.

Through this experience, I learnt that I do not have to make everything detailed and ‘perfect’, as charcoal is hard to neaten and can be easily smudged. I also learnt to persevere and not give up easily, even when I doubted myself along the way.

Overall, this was a new experience for me and I am glad to have the opportunity to explore this medium. 

My artwork is a charcoal drawing of the inside of a sharpener. The topic is 'un[familiar]' objects, which I interpreted as something we see in our everyday lives but holds a side that we do not usually see. For the artwork, I wanted to portray the inside of a sharpener because we do not usually view it beyond the outer form when we sharpen something. The inside of the sharpener is complex and has mechanics that help the sharpener work properly, and I wanted to show and draw that.

I intentionally focused on the shiny parts and shadows on the metal of the sharpener. I used charcoal sticks and charcoal pencils to create the artwork. The charcoal sticks were used for the outline and shading while the charcoal pencils were used to create the tiny details. I used a small eraser to create the highlights and reflections on the sharpener. I wanted to draw something metallic because making it look shiny by darkening the areas around it seemed fun to attempt.

Through this drawing process, I learnt how to manipulate charcoal and how to persevere. Charcoal smudges easily, and I had to redraw or touch up my drawing many times, but it taught me to not give up. I felt that the proportions of the drawing could be better, and the shading of the shadows could be improved. Nonetheless, the final piece turned out better than I imagined, and I feel satisfied that I managed to draw all the details.

This is a drawing of brand-new black Converse shoes that is placed deliberately at an angle that shows its details. I chose this picture as my interpretation of the theme "(Un)familiar Objects" because, although it's seen as a common everyday item, it plays an important role in protecting our feet. It allows us to walk anywhere we want to.

I used charcoal sticks and pencils, paper blenders, erasers, and pencils for this artwork.

I prepared myself by watching videos on tips on how to do a charcoal drawing beforehand and remembering to bring my PLD and pencil case for art lessons. I've learnt how to use charcoal and its techniques like smudging and methods to create shading. However, there were some challenges I faced along the way. I could not shade the metallic parts or outline them as accurately and struggled especially with the details of the shoes, such as the bottom and side of the Converse.

Art takes lots of patience. I adopted a growth mindset and persevered when I felt like giving up. My friends were encouraging and contributed to this process. I find that it is important to have good time management and practice shading techniques. I felt that I could have paid more attention to the proportions. Although it didn’t turn out as I had expected, it reflects hours of hard work. I am content that I was able to make the drawing realistic and believe that I have developed my skills along the way.

I chose to draw a stapler for my "unfamiliar object" as it is something we use daily but do not pay much attention to. However, it is really important to me as without it, I might lose all my worksheets.

I wanted to capture the stapler uniquely by showing its details. I learnt charcoal art practices from Tang Ling Nah and tried to implement similar techniques, like applying more pressure to shade in certain parts to emphasise its form and shadows. I also used it to darken the shadows and use a blending tool to blend. I experimented with charcoal pencil to create different textures and dotting.

Charcoal can be difficult, especially with the charcoal breaking at times causing a mess. Overall, I enjoyed experimenting with charcoal and learnt to persevere when I struggled. I believe one should not stop trying and eventually, anyone can do it.

My artwork is a charcoal drawing of a keychain. Keychain is an item we don't notice every day, therefore it was interesting to observe and draw.

I used a charcoal pencil to darken and an eraser to highlight the shiny parts of the metal reflection. I realised the highlights and shadows emphasise the form and dimension of the object. I believe that there is always room for improvement, like accentuating the shadows and blending for a smooth finish, but I am satisfied with the outcome.

The key is familiar because it unlocks my house. It's the first thing I think of when I see the door and essential for getting inside. The unfamiliarity comes when I keep it instantly without a thought. It is something I use but only take notice when needed.

This project allowed me to explore different ways of using the charcoal; to either shade darker or lighter or even thinner or thicker, and also helped me to pay more attention to details like the highlights on the object.

My artwork shows my house key as the main subject with a dolphin key chain latched onto it. I can recognise the key immediately from the dolphin key chain dangling. It reminds me to be mindful and protect my belongings. The dolphin is captured in a darker shade than the key as the key is supposed to 'shine brighter' to suggest its significance. I first mapped out grid lines for the proportion of the object. I used a pencil to outline the key and mainly used a charcoal stick to shade. I took note of the highlights and used an eraser to obtain them. I also used a blending stick to create some shades and tones to make some parts lighter with grey tones. Additionally, I used charcoal powder, a roller, and a rubber sheet with holes to make the middle part of my house key. I held the charcoal stick in many different ways as the tip became more and more blunt after some time. My teacher also made sure that I used a suitable tool for the drawing.

I was close to giving up when I could not obtain the highlights, but I managed by using a different, thinner eraser to tackle the finer details. I managed to complete it in time by planning my process by first deciding quickly on my object and plan for the drawing.

Through this experience, I learnt to create different tones and highlights by using different charcoal shading techniques. I hope I can implement more shading techniques and explore other ways of using the medium in the future. I had prepped by experimenting with the charcoal medium. I scribbled on a blank paper and referenced the way my teacher held on to the charcoal. I've familiarised myself with the medium and become more comfortable with attempting it. I ensured I was equipped by remembering to bring my PLD and pencil case for all the art lessons. I wished I had asked how to capture the keychains in a better way.

I had chosen two objects for my drawing. My interpretation of the theme un[familiar] object focuses on items I use frequently, like my camera and musical instruments. 

I chose a close-up angle of a camera to focus on the details of the camera. 

I placed the camera in a way that showed the lens and body, which helped create a strong and balanced composition. 

I used techniques like blending with the bending tool and a charcoal pencil to make certain parts darker to contrast the highlights. I enjoyed the process and learned a lot about using charcoal but it was not an easy task as charcoal smudges. Even though it was very tough for me to render in the beginning I didn't give up and continued trying. After a few more attempts, I managed to render better. I believe there is room for improvement, especially in adding contrast and details.

I chose to draw a close-up of a sharpener as I felt that it is known by many yet not a lot of people prepare one, making it "(Un)Familiar". 

I mainly used the blending and erasing techniques to create the sharp contrasts of highlights and shadows from metal to plastic surfaces.

My goal for this artwork was to create a very similar "copy" of the photo.

Even though it has its differences, such as tones being different and some proportions and shapes being off, at first glance it looks pretty similar, so I take that as an accomplishment. Overall, I am pretty proud of it, as I enjoyed drawing the highlights the most. Even though I had my share of struggles and difficulties, I felt that it was a fun artwork to make.Before starting, I doubted myself as I had never done art with charcoal as my medium before. I adopted a growth mindset by thinking I could do it and try my best. While doing so, I realised that I was fixated on the small details. I had to revisit a lot of areas and touch them up. In the end, I learnt how to focus on the bigger picture first before focusing on small details, and I’m overall proud of myself.