3D

My classwork this year has shown improvement in three dimensional artwork, one of my biggest challenges when it comes to artwork. More specifically, several issues I've had with three dimensional art are structural stability, composition, compensating for three dimensions when deciding the scale of my artwork, movement, and light. Normally, one of my strengths in art is my use of composition, movement, and light reflection. I'm still not exactly sure how to use composition rules with three dimensions, but I feel that I have improved with it this year. Movement in three dimensional art in many ways comes back to the issue of structural stability. For example, I originally intended to make one of my concentrations of an ocean wave, but after some experimenting, I decided that the wave design I had came up with wouldn't be printable. As a result, I stuck to forms this year that were not supposed to look like they are moving. Light reflection is often my favorite part of my artwork because it adds interest and depth - this is why I enjoy painting and drawing water. I had difficulty applying this to three dimensional forms, but when I tried using highlights on my fifth concentration, I was pretty content with how that aspect came out. Given these obstacles, I was surprised the work that I could make when I put in time and effort throughout the year, and I was surprised with how I improved. In the second sculpture, I created a piece too large to have time to do a good job with texture, and it was not very interesting - at least in terms of composition. By the end of the year, I significantly improved with composition. This can be seen in my last project of the year because I focused on the way it would be displayed. Additionally, I was happy with the composition in my fourth concentration, even though I am not very happy with the color.

In addition to the challenges discussed in the previous paragraph (structural stability, composition, compensating for three dimensions when deciding the scale of my artwork, movement, and light), the most challenging aspect of this class has been the time constraints. I always wish that I had another month to polish - and in some cases restart - my art piece I have to turn in. Throughout this year, I have spent hours out of class finishing projects. One positive aspect of choosing 3D printing for my concentration was that it was very easy to bring my project back and forth between school and home, but I didn't always have the time available to work on it. Overall, I feel that I improved from last semester in turning assignments in on time. Side note: a challenging aspect of art this year, specifically regarding my concentration, was the process of 3D printing itself; it took me a long time to figure out how to use the 3D printers, and in several cases, it took me the entire advisory to get the project to start printing. I learned a lot from trying out various programs, such as SketchUp and MeshMixer, and learning how to use them. In addition to making significant improvements with composition and light, I made improvements in work ethic in and out of class and my approach to problem solving.

I am the most proud of the overall creation of my sgraffito animal, hand, and 5th concentration. I am proud of my sgraffito animal because when I was starting out with clay, I had to start over four times before I got the body right - I was really worried about how it was going to come out - and I was able to improve while doing, and I created a sculpture with a well thought and executed out design, composition, and details. I am proud of the hand I created because I was able to draw inspiration from the round holes air bubbles made on the fingers of my hand, and I was happy with my use of color. It was probably the most enjoyable sculpture to make. I am proud of the idea which I used for my 1st and 4th concentration, but I am not particularly proud of my execution. And, I am glad that I was able to go out of my comfort zone and take this class.

One of my strengths as a learner is perseverance: it takes a lot for me to give up on a specific artwork piece. This can be seen in my penguin sculpture, as it took me over four times to get the pinch-pot-body right, but I kept trying until I got the result I was looking for. Another strength is problem solving. This can be seen in my hand sculpture because I was able to make the air bubbles into a beautiful opps of sorts. One of my weaknesses as a learner is my tendency to avoid things that I think I would be bad at rather than confronting the issue head on. Part of the reason I choose 3D printing for my concentration was to avoid having the same issues with structural stability that I encountered last year in the wire project and my second sculpture this year. Another weakness as a learner is my lack of good ideas (granted sometimes I get original ideas, but I don't really have control over when I get inspiration). This can be seen in my first paper sculpture of the year, my second concentration, and my fifth concentration. In each case, I had no good ideas, so I had to settle for a mediocre one (after in some cases spending a whole class period brainstorming ideas).

Even though I don't have any particular interest in focusing on 3D art next year, 3D design has been really enjoyable, and I have learned and improved a lot from it.