Artist Statement

For this assignment, we were tasked with creating a piece of artwork that follows the scholastic prompt of "One Earth". Addressing the effects and significance of global warming on earth, or finished pieces were supposed to convey this message. Starting out with a basic sketch, I then went over my final lines with ink. Using different pen tips, besides the values of white, gray, and black, with these different lines of thickness I wanted to show a more noticeable layering effect. After finishing my ink lines, I went back in with a pencil to give the piece some more value. Originally I was planning on leaving the background and pipes white, but after concluding that this looked too plain, I decided to instead add some more depth with the graphite; something that I think really improves the piece.

Following the prompt, my inspiration became the greenhouse gases that are heating up the earth's atmosphere. Smokestacks and the CO2 being expelled from them one of the contributors to rising greenhouse gas levels, I decided to combine these and create an image where the earth has huge smokestacks coming out of it. CO2 billowing up into space, I also included an abstract layer of greenhouse gases around the earth itself; layering the lines before I transitioned in graphite.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this piece came out. I wasn't to psyched with the prompt, struggling to come up with ideas, but I think lines and graphite really improved this piece and made me appreciate it more. If I was to revise this piece in the future, the only thing I would think about changing would be filling in the earth with graphite. Though the plain white is fine, I feel like I could create a lot more texture and depth with the graphite and really push the sphere of the earth; making it match with the pipes that are already included.