Post-Election Visual Prompt

The assignment for this project was to think about the most important roles of the President of the U.S. and to create a work that completes the prompt "Mr. President-Elect, please..." Using colored pencil on paper and visual references from the internet, I created this depiction of Barack Obama handing the props of the statue of liberty to Donald Trump: our president-elect.

To create this piece I first sketched the podium of the statue of liberty, using an image from the internet for reference. I then drew Obama and Trump, also using reference photos, and sketched the garb, crown, tablet, and torch of the statue of liberty. Finally, I added the horizon and tree lines. At this point I went over all my outlines in pen to distinguish the lines and basically create a pure contour version of the piece. I then went over everything in colored pencil and adding the text in pen. I did the background last because I was undecided as to what to do with it. After receiving peer feedback I decided on a blue sky with light around the torch to create emphasis on it. This project evolved in that originally I was going to make a sort of cartoon negatively depicting Trump because I disagree with many of his values and political views. However, I decided that a positive message such as this would be more effective and send a stronger and better message.

I chose the statue of liberty as my vehicle for a message because it is a powerful symbol representing liberty enlightening the world with the torch being an important symbol of guidance on the path to liberty. I depicted Obama sitting on the podium to show that he had been acting as this symbol of a leader to liberty and Trump standing at the bottom receiving the props because he is to take Obama's role as president and leader. The torch is the most symbolic and emphasized part of the piece partially because it is an important American symbol and partially because it provides a visual to my text, "Carry the Torch," a phrase that is often used figuratively meaning taking on a role of carrying on a tradition and here I have represented the meaning both figuratively and literally. Obama is passing the torch of the statue of liberty to Trump so that he can "carry the torch," or lead our country as Obama has. This piece relates to my life in that these two men are leaders of my country and therefore their decisions have an impact on my individual life. This piece could be stronger If the background was a more solid color and if the value transition was smoother.

In this piece I am most proud of my depiction of Obama's face which I think is recognizable and somewhat realistic even with minimal detail. This piece illustrates my strength as an artist in my ability to convey a message relevant to modern society through graphics and effective use of text. It illustrates my weakness as an artist in the background which should be more soft and solid.