3D Design

This class was something completely new to me, as I had never really focused on three-dimensional artwork before. Going into it, I didn't know what to expect, but I knew I would come out of it a stronger artist. The first two projects were still well within the realm of what I was used to, paper and drawing, with one extra step, cutting out. These two pieces I still think are very strong, but I had yet to perfect a good technique with hiding the glue I used and as a result, a lot of dust accumulated and stuck on these two works. The third and fourth projects, the Clay Sgraffito and Hands Sculpture were definitely more challenging for me, as I struggled to even come up with an image of what I wanted the final product to be even in my head. These projects really pushed my creative thinking skills and problem-solving, while at the same time providing a lot of frustration. My hand's sculpture was my first ever foray into carving, and considering how much of a learning curve there was I think I did a really good job. Even between my two clay pieces, artistic growth is evident, and I was able to create a much technically sound and visually interesting second piece in Flew the Coop, then in Moonman, my first clay piece. Between my first few pieces and my sustained investigation I definitely became more confident in trying new things, something very important in art. This led me to try working with wire, and while I do not think my first wire piece was incredibly sound artistically speaking, I think it showed amazing growth in my willingness to take risks when it came to materials. However, between my first and last sustained investigation, there is clear evidence of my improvement with wire.

As I mentioned above, three-dimensional design is not something that comes incredibly easy to me, and so many of the first projects were a struggle for me. I think that the Hands Sculpture project was the most difficult for me because I didn't have a clear plan, and when I finally made a decision on what I wanted to do, the steps I had taken already only hindered the project. I also constantly compared myself to others when it came to this project, which can never lead to a positive outcome.

The project I am most proud of is my clay sgraffito design, titled Flew the Coop which I feel has an actual message behind it, while also being artistically sound and something that I, personally think is cool to look at. This project made me understand that I don't really have the same control over a three-dimensional piece as I do with a two-dimensional one.

In conclusion, this class was really interesting to take and helped me develop as an artist. I think that because of material restraints I won't be able to continue making three-dimensional artworks as often, but I definitely think now have the confidence to try again. Going forward, I want to improve my sculpting skills, because I think clay has a lot of potentials and can be used in so many different ways. I want to also focus on my ability to plan out all aspects of the design ahead of time, so that I can feel as confident as possible when starting the project. Overall, I did have fun in this class, though my teacher may not have been able to tell, and I would like to continue to work three-dimensionally.