Mental Illness #2

The Reality of Anxiety

Colored Pencils, Sharpies, Oil Pastels, & Fine-Liner Pens

8 1/2" x 11"

For this project, my inquiry question that will be guiding my work for our sustain investigations is, "how can I bring awareness to what specific mental illnesses can feel like?" The mental illness I am displaying in my artwork is anxiety.

The materials I used were colored pencils, sharpies, oil pastels, and fine-liner pens. I used/experimented with oil pastels to create the hair on the girl, fine-liner pens to outline my work, colored pencils to add color, and sharpies to write out all the words so they would be more "bold."

I wanted to display how anxiety can feel on a day-to-day basis. The overwhelming thoughts that just end up consuming you to the point it feels unbearable; which I represented with the words surrounding the girl who looks as she is in distress from the constant feeling. I chose to write words in black and colors, the black words represent the annoying overthinking thoughts, while the words in color represent the thoughts that go along with the annoying ones that try to calm yourself down; which altogether represents the never-ending chaos of the back-to-back thoughts one may have. Once again, the more minimalistic drawings are easier for people, especially my age, to relate to. I also changed my idea from doing the girl covering her face with her hands because I didn't like how her hands kept coming out, so instead of getting frustrated I chose a different route which I ended up liking better. I experimented with oil pastels because I rarely use them to try and blend her hair which I thought would be easier than using colored pencils, and it was.