AP 2D Art

Semester 1 Reflection

This semester, I have created a significant amount of art that I am proud of. Looking back at my artwork, I can see so much improvement. I was particularly happy with the lighting in my sustained investigation #8 artwork. I was able to make use of a technique used in a youtube video that I watched--something that I tried last year without success. I found that the thought I put into my artwork significantly improved the result. For example, in my blind contour digital painting, I was able to use compositional ideas to bring out the important aspects of the painting, and it gave me a result I was proud of. The biggest successes I have had this year have been a result of the thought that I put into the art before I started: sketching composition ideas, figuring out the message I wanted to send, and using references where I need them.

Although I created some of my favorite artwork that I have ever created this semester, I made several pieces that I was disappointed with. For example, the beautiful oops piece, which I do every year. I tried something new, but it didn't work. This same experimentation occurred with the waves painting. When I created it initially, I was messing around with charcoal, but when I tried to form it into a complete drawing, I couldn't put it together in a compelling way. Each of these was less thought through, and these all led to my current pieces in my sustained investigation lacking cohesion.

I am hoping that going into the next semester, I can focus on the ideas and that cohesion between all of my pieces--making it about technology and nature so as to stick to my concentration. Additionally, I hope to continue learning new techniques through videos (I recommend Marco Bucci's channel). Although some of my experimentation hasn't worked, it has led to my favorite works, so I hope to continue experimenting with new ideas next semester. Recently, I have been doing quick paintings and drawings for breaks, and I have noticed how much I enjoy traditional mediums, so I'm hoping to incorporate this in my future works.