Independent Project #4

For my fourth independent project I drew a human spinal column with nerves within the stippled outline of a human back on a topographical map. I used colored pencil and pen for my media.

To create this piece I first sketched the vertebrae in graphite and went over them in pen. I then used anatomical drawings as references to sketch the nerves of the spinal column. At this point I stippled the outlines of the back, before going over the nerves in two different shades of blue pen. I then wanted to connect my foreground to the background. To do this I shaded the whole thing in light green (excluding the bones to put emphasis on them specifically), and added topographical lines to the background in green pen. I drew the rivers on the topographical map in the same two shades of blue that I used for the nerves to serve as an obvious visual connection between the two. Finally, I darkened the outlines and contours of the vertebrae and darkened the stippling of the back to create a more absolute dark color and a greater level of contrast. This piece evolved in that I didn't initially anticipate color being such an important element. I thought that maybe I would color the nerves to make them stand out, but the rest was going to be black and white. Although I don't particularly like the shade of green in the background, I think it works well in this piece and is effective in connecting the background and foreground. It also goes well with the blue of the rivers and nerves.

Before I thought to create a map as the background, I didn't have a specific meaning for the piece. However, adding a map as the background—a man made representation of nature—made me think about the piece more. I think the map seems very appropriate because it indirectly connects the human body to nature, which it is considered to be a part of in some ways, and to be separate from in others. I think I captured both of these ideas in that the body I drew is directly connected to something man made: a map of a landscape, and therefore indirectly connected to nature. This project relates to my life because I like being outside and have an appreciation for the relationship that humans share with their environment. I think this piece could be stronger if the stippling was a little bit darker to bring the outline to life more. The most challenging part of this project was getting started by drawing the vertebrae. This was very time consuming and technical. I am most proud of the way the nerves look and the way they connect to the rivers. I also think that the contrast between the nerves, the background, and the vertebrae make the piece very strong. This piece shows my strength as an artist in my ability to draw accurately and draw connections between concepts. It shows weakness in a lack of absolute dark in the outlines of the back.