Leaf Portfolio

This is the negative of a gelatin print that I made using two leaves, on top of which I drew a tree in pen. The assignment for this project was to create a gelatin print and to extend it using another material.

To create this piece I first created the print using a gelatin slab. I rolled ink onto the slab and then placed the leaves on top of the ink and placed a piece of paper over them. The piece of paper absorbed all the ink in the negative space and thus created a negative. I was able to make positives by removing the leaves and pressing a piece of paper onto the gelatin which retained the ink left under the leaves and bore their intricate designs. For this specific print mixed red and orange ink to give a range of color and value. Given these elements apparent in the negative, I wanted to draw something more simplistic in the foreground for stylistic contrast. I drew a bare tree in pen, using very deliberate strokes. This contrasts the color and movement of the colors around the tree and gives the piece a satisfying focal point. I used formal balance for my composition in that the tree is centered on the print. This piece evolved in that I was originally planning to extend one of my positive prints by drawing the leaves outside the box, but I liked the idea on drawing something other than leaves specifically on the print.

I chose to use this print because I liked the range of color I had created and because the negative provided empty space to draw in. I drew a bare tree to represent the leaves (outlined by the negative) having fallen off. This piece relates to my life in that I live in Maine where the foliage is particularly colorful in the fall and the leaves turn colors as bright as those in my print. I think this piece could be stronger if the print was a little bit more clean, but otherwise I am satisfied with the way it looks. The most challenging part was choosing a print to extend or to add to out of the many different positives and negatives I made. I am most proud of the tree I drew in the middle because I think it looks very clean and aesthetic. This piece illustrates my strength as an artist in my ability to work in multiple media to create an effective work. It illustrates my weakness in lack of experience with printing.

This is an observational drawing I did of some leaves that I arranged in this composition. I used colored pencil for my medium.

To draw these leaves I first sketched all of the outlines in graphite as well as some of the more prominent veins. I then added color to each of them in turn. The piece evolved in that I started by shading the leaves more lightly but later resorted to burnishing in order to attain more vibrant colors. Color and texture were the most important elements to this piece. Through burnishing with the colored pencils I think I was able to duplicate the colors well, although the texture is not as strong or realistic. I chose blue for the background in order to provide some contrast as well as to bring out some of the accent colors in the leaves. In creating this composition I used grouping by clustering all the included leaves near the middle, with the brightest at the center to give a focal point.

I chose these leaves for my composition because of their bright and varying colors, which make for a more interesting work. This piece relates to my life in that I live in Maine where the foliage is particularly colorful in the fall and leaves of bright color such as these can be found all around. I think this piece could be stronger if the textures were more realistic and if there was more intricate detail throughout. Adding detail was the most challenging part because it was difficult to keep track of where every different coloration was on each leaf. I am most proud of my depictions of the red and yellow leaves because I think they look the most colorful and realistic. This piece illustrates strength in observational drawing and composition and weakness in attention to detail.