2D Design

Semester 1 Reflection

In my first few drawings, there is little variation of line thickness. This is especially evident in the Watchamadrawit, Circle Project, and Stars and Stripes. These drawings feel very flat. In my Sustained Investigation #2, the line thickness changed where there are shadows, and I also started to use value with the pen. In my previously referenced drawings, there is none of that value done with pen. In this way my art has improved greatly over the semester.

The most difficult thing about this class was finishing projects on time. I tend to think of really intricate ideas, like the backgrounds in both of my Sustained Investigations. I dont like doing work outside of school, so it was hard to turn things in on time. I often had late assignments that I had to make up in order to fix my grades. Another challenging thing was having to be okay with projects not turning out the way I expected. I was not happy with the outcomes of the Inclusion Project and Stars and Stripes. I felt like they didn't properly show off my skill in art, and I had to train myself with not being okay with everything I create.

I am most proud of my improvement in line art and my experimentation with color. As previously stated, I felt that my line work in Whatchamadrawit and Stars and Stripes was really weak. In comparison, the line work in Sustained Investigation #2 was much more intriguing. My experimentation with color started out with the Circle Project, coming from a lack of inspiration. The two previous projects, Watchamadrawit and Beautiful Oops had little to no color variation. The drawings Finding Your Voice, Donate Life, and Sustained Investigation #3 really show how I started to use color for emphasis. The concepts of line variation and color emphasis have really enhanced my artwork over the semester and I'm really proud of it.

Altogether, my work in this class shows that a weakness I have in learning is timeliness. Many of these projects got turned in late because when coming up with ideas I was too focused on the details. I didn't budget my time well at all and would often spend too much time planning, so I'd always have to find time outside of class and end up turning things in late. A strength that I have in learning is taking advantage of available materials. Before this class, I barely colored any of my drawings and never used watercolor, and never used line art either. In the Circle Project I used both line art and watercolor for the first time, and throughout the year continued to experiment with those materials. I don't have them at home, so it was good to start exploring my style more. I felt I definitely took advantage of those materials being available to me.

Moving forward, I hope to continue my experimentation with color and using it as emphasis in my art. I created lots of beautiful art doing this, and I hope to continue that. I also hope to improve my line art and explore different ways to add value with pen. Last but not least, I want to start completing more art, since many of my sketches at home never get finished. I'd like to see what I can create if I step out of my comfort zone at home like I did in class.