Final Portfolio

Leaf Portfolio

OCTOBER 16, 2017

I had a lot of fun this year during art. Unlike last year (where the prompts were pretty strict and I admittedly had a difficult time getting motivated to do them), we had more freedom with our content. I enjoyed being able to pick what I wanted to draw and in what material, which overall made my experience this year more enjoyable.

The highlight of this year was probably my exploration in digital art. Although I had heard of and seen digital illustrations prior to this year, this was the first time that I had the chance to try it out for myself, and I’m glad that I did. I love the process of adding lots of small details, which is made a lot easier by being able to draw digitally, and I also like the ease with which I can add shadows or erase the parts that I don't like. Through the use of this media, I created some of my favorite pieces of the year (such as Mosquitos and In the Woods Somewhere) and I was also able to delve into the creation of stickers, which has been a lot of fun for me. It's gratifying when my friends ask if they can have stickers, or get excited when I make new ones, so I think that I'll probably continue to make them in the future. One thing that I’ve struggled with this year, however, is branching out. Once I get into a certain media or a certain style of drawing, it’s difficult for me to get out of it—luckily, though, I was forced to at some points. Projects such as the Expressionistic Self Portrait and the Sgraffito Nameplate forced me out of my comfort zone by making me try different styles and different techniques, which I guess was good in the aspect. However, those pieces are also some of the ones that I like the least—I enjoy having clean lines, but with materials like those, it's nearly impossible.

I definitely think that I've improved as an artist this year. Not only have I solidified my style more (although there are some areas where I would like to change), but I've become more comfortable talking in front of people. Especially since last year, I've come a long way in being able to talk more about my art and the process that I used to create it, which is a big improvement and one that I'm happy to see. Although I still have a hard time voicing my opinions on other people's art during critiques, that's something that I've been trying to work on, so hopefully I will be able to participate more in that respect in the future.

In the end, I think that I've had a good year in art. It's interesting to find that the more art classes I take, the more appreciative I become of the art that I see around me—whether it be on the walls of the school or on some billboard in a city. With my last year in an art class approaching, I hope to continue to expand my understanding of art and to continue to develop my own unique style.