In this piece, I used painting techniques and ideas that I learned in class to portray a multiple myeloma cancer ribbon on a multicolor grid background. Using twelve colors, and three shades, and three tints for each I created a piece containing 84 main color boxes and another 15 or 20 colors to fill in extra space. I decided to paint a multiple myeloma ribbon in this piece because someone very, very close to me was diagnosed with the disease about a year ago. I want to bring support and recognition to other, more rare, and often more dangerous diseases and cancers like multiple myeloma.

For this project, I used 12 different colors, the three primary, and 9 other secondary and tertiary colors. For each of these colors, I mixed three shades(plus black) and three tints(plus white) to make a grand total of 84 different shades and tints. I had some leftover space on the canvas and decided to experiment and make some more colors to fill in those spaces. The ribbon is a burgundy, just as pink symbolizes breast cancer, burgundy symbolizes multiple myeloma.

To create this project, I used techniques I learned in class such as brushstroke techniques and mixing techniques. To create each square I would use anywhere between two, and 20 layers. I would start light then gradually add more paint to the canvas with each layer. To mix I had to teach myself how much of either white or black to add not to overdo it. Black was harder to control, some of the squares look identical to each other despite them being different colors, and some even ended up looking black. While this project took a very long time, the process was generally steady. the project took roughly 25-30 hours, but there were no major hiccups along the way. I started with my idea, this came to me pretty easily since I have been wanting to do a multiple myeloma-related project for a while now. On my canvas I first sketched out the design I wanted, Each box is approximately 1.25 inches apart to get the most out of the canvas. I started the project at a relatively low pace but picked it up later on in the process. It was pretty slow and simple, going through I would mix and paint and mix and paint until eventually, I had painted all the boxes. Though on a few of the boxes at the end I ran out of paint and they're quite sloppy. Once all the boxes were filled and I was ready to start the ribbon itself I sketched it back out onto the canvas and started to paint. I already had the paint ready because when I was making paint for the extra boxes I made the color I needed accidentally. I painted the whole thing over with a few layers until it was flat and looked good, next to add some depth and to show that it was, in fact, a ribbon I added some complimentary white strokes at the cross-sections. Though in the middle one I made them a bit too big and had to make a replica paint but it was too dark so it is a little ugly there. If I was to continue this project, I would start by fixing some of the boxes where I ran out of paint on. I think that they only require a couple more layers and it would add a lot to this piece. Second, I would fix the paint next to the middle cross-section of the ribbon where it is too dark. Other than those two things, though, I think that this piece came out pretty good, and though it took an eternity to complete it was worth it.