Mechanical Paradox

The assignment description for this project was to create a mechanical paradox. I did this by drawing a skull, something natural, made of mechanical parts. I used graphite as my medium.

To create this piece I first drew the outlines and major contours of the skull from observation of a model. I then drew in the clockwork-esc machinery using reference photos from online. This was the most time consuming, as I wanted to maintain the shapes and contours of the skull through the machinery. I sketched everything in hard graphite first and then went over my lines in softer graphite. At this point I shaded and blended the values of the different components of the skull itself. After that I sketched and solidified the contours of the machinery coming out of the skull. I left these void of color to create a slight contrast between the parts on the skull and the parts representing the brain. Finally, I moved on to the background. I decided on a single gear with light shading because I wanted to connect the foreground to the background but I had to be aware of the complexity of the foreground. I wanted to contrast this with simplicity in the background so that the piece wouldn't be too busy. Line and value are the most important elements in this piece. The lines provide complexity and the values distinguish different components, although I think there could be a fuller range of value. This project evolved in that I initially planned to use a range of different machinery to craft the skull but ended up focusing solely on clockwork. Looking at reference photos, clockwork had the clean and orderly appeal that I was looking for and I think it lends itself to the efficiency, structure, and aesthetic qualities of the processes of the human body.

I have been looking at human bones for my work and to incorporate that into this project felt appropriate. The idea of a mechanical paradox definitely applies to this piece but I also like the idea that the human body is a very structured and efficiently operating machine, which is why I think this mechanical representation of it is fitting. This project relates to my life in that I have an interest in the human anatomy and because it allowed me to apply the detail oriented aspect of my artistic style. I think this piece could be stronger if it had a wider range of value. I don't think I provided enough contrast in the piece overall as it is all a sort of uniform grey. I also should have made the outlines of the gear in the background lighter because they are supposed to be farther away. I am most proud of the detail and precision of this piece because it was the most challenging and time consuming aspect. This work illustrates my strength as an artist in my creativity and precision, while it shows weakness in the lack of a full range of value.