Mixed Media

The setting of my Mixed Media drawing is a photo I took over the summer of a ocean sunset. The work was made using the gridding technique, this made it easier to make it more proportional. I used pencil to make the original sketch and then charcoal and ink to color the picture. In this picture I used balance between the amount of charcoal and ink, I also used contrast amongst the charcoal blending.

Some composition rules/techniques I used were low key and high key lighting. I used these in thee charcoal areas where I had to vary the gray colors. I also used selective focus. The black parts of the photo, more towards the center are more focused on than the other parts. The project evolved by starting out as just having mostly charcoal however I then added more ink to the middle and more towards the bottom. I also changed the shape of one of the trees in the middle to look more realistic to the photo.

The meaning behind this piece of artwork is it’s a reminder of a fun vacation that I had one time. The black and white also adds more meaning because it is the past and it’s like looking back at an old memory. This project relates to my life because it is a reminder of the time when I was actually in this place and it brings back memories. One part of my artwork that I would make stronger if I could is the bottom around the water/sand transition. I would like the make the black to gray transition smoother than what it is now, as the lines are very obvious.