Advanced Studio Art

Semester 1 Reflection

Using a variety of materials when it was out of my comfort zone was something I was successful at. Art class is the class I experiment with getting out of my comfort zone the most. There are so many paths to explore, such as different techniques, styles, and colors. By exploring these different paths I was able to discover more about myself as an artist. My favorite material I have worked with this semester is acrylic paint. I've used acrylic paint on my scholastics #2 and duck stamp art pieces. Acrylic paint is easier to add detail with a small brush compared to other materials. By using tiny strokes and a variety of colors, I am capable of adding in a lot of detail. Acrylic paint also works well with other materials. For example, if acrylic paint is mixed with water it will become thinner and much easier to manipulate. Another thing I thought I was successful with this semester was pacing myself. I was able to plan out my art and the time I had to create my art. This planning made it so I was able to take my time and complete a piece I was proud of.

One thing I had struggled with this semester was experimenting and brainstorming materials to use with my nature concentration. I always ended up finding some material to use but this season, Winter, made it harder to obtain the materials I needed. Another struggle is when I've obtained a new material I want to create a piece I enjoy. For example, when I had to work with leaves, they were harder to arrange and manipulate how I wanted them. This made my art process longer and more difficult. I have also struggled with the choice of what parts of nature I want to focus on. I always lean more towards water and leaves. But I believe this second semester I want to focus more on landscapes, including water and flowers similar to my current pieces. This way each piece appears as though they relate. By having a clear concentration I would feel more organized and as though I improved my art skills.

One of my artist goals for the second semester is to create art that is either more realistic or more abstract. (To choose just one path) I want each piece to look like they match with my concentration. I have a hard time choosing whether I want my art realistic (takes longer) or abstract (harder for me to portray my message). Another artist goal I have is to create art pieces that vary in size. I usually create my art as the typical size of paper. I want to start creating pieces that are much larger or I want to create pieces that are super tiny with great detail. From experimenting with the size I may discover a new skill of mine. I may end up staying with small art pieces. I may even end up staying with larger art pieces. My last goal is to experiment with color. I want to use a variety of colors whether they are super pastel or super dark. This includes improving my skill using shadows and highlights, such as in my duck stamp piece. I believe by adding shadows and highlights it can make art look more realistic if I choose this path.

Final Reflection

I was most successful with exploring my material options and pushing myself to have a better understanding of the new materials. By using different materials I am able to discover my likes and dislikes. I've learned recently that I work well with digital art. My last assignment was my first time using digital art and my last time creating art for this class. I was also successful with acrylic paint. I learned how to manipulate it to match my needs in my paintings. At times when the paint seemed too thick I would easily water it down and it would be the watercolor consistency. I was successful with adding tiny details in my work that you'd only see if you took a closer look. Before I advanced my art skills, I didn't bother adding super tiny details because I thought only larger ones mattered. Then after years of art and this awesome art class, I learned the importance of detail, shadows, highlights, and perspective. In my forest images, I had the greatest amount of detail and a variety of contrast and colors. My work towards the end of this year was work I never knew I was capable of creating. Now I know I can create art as beautiful as I want if I give myself more time to work on it. This class also made me have stronger time management and create beautiful art in shorter time periods.

Although I have had many successes and growth in this art class, struggling was a part of my development. At times, it felt like there wasn't enough time in the world to create my art how I wanted. Sometimes I had an image of what I wanted my art to look like in my head, but once I put it on paper it didn't turn out the way I wanted. I've learned that sometimes I don't like my art simply because there isn't enough highlights or shadows. I go through a checklist in my head and say, is there a strong composition, perspective, highlights, shadows, and clean border. Sometimes after I go through this checklist I like my art more afterwards. In the beginning of quarantine I struggled with choosing a strong placement of the trees in my artwork. I wanted my work to appear more natural so I knew I had to start using reference photos to obtain that natural forest look I desired. So instead of looking online, I went outside behind my house and down to the river to take tons of photos. I then sorted through the photos and that's the point when my artwork started to turn out how I imagined. It took practice and trial and error before I overcame my struggles. Eventually, I developed a routine to avoid certain repetitive mistakes i had made in the past. Now, I'm creating work with the time quarantine has provided me, creating work I'm proud of.

Once I discovered the new quarantine senior project requirements, I knew I wanted to focus on the art section of my original project. I decided I am going to continue to build up my art skills that I have just recently started thriving with. For my senior project I plan to create a book of art (either digital or paintings) that is full of places people found comfort in during quarantine. I originally wanted to focus on using acrylic paint while creating my paintings, but now I am not sure. I am not sure because after creating my last piece of art, which was digital art, I may want to stick with that style. I'm thinking that by creating digital art instead and then printing the images out to be the same size, I will be able to create a cleaner more realistic type of book style. I may even decide to create two books, one digital art version, and one of paintings. But I also want to build up my painting skills so I will definitely create paintings over the summer. I recently bought a black canvas this year and I plan to create a huge detailed forest image that I can hang on my wall. This canvas will represent and hold all of the skills I have built up throughout high school.