Foundations of Art

Reflection

Over the course of this year, my art skills have significantly improved, from just drawing in general, or learning how to use scratchboard materials. These are things that I was not very well at in the past or didn't even know what they were. As you can see in my artwork above, I have learned many new skills over the year, at the beginning I didn't really put all of my effort into my artwork, I just rushed and hoped it came out somewhat "good" but I have learned that it takes time in order to make something look how you want it to.  These are skills and lessons that I can not only apply to art but they will help me further in my life.

One of the most challenging projects that I faced this year was the graphite self-portrait, at first I had thought it wouldn't have been as hard as it was, but I completely underestimated it. When we first began I had a very hard time following the boxes, which I quickly learned was one of my weaker skills. I discovered when I got closer to the center of the face that I had completely skipped a row of boxes, and at that point, it was too late to go back and restart and there was no way to fix it. Although this piece of artwork became a big joke around the school when Mrs.Medsker put it up in the hallway, this was one piece of art I could reflect back on and learn from, for future projects.   

The project I'd say that I'm the most proud of would have to be my pure contour project. Even though it seems very basic and boring it was one that I really enjoyed doing, I also just really enjoy how realistic the hands and shoes look. I enjoyed creating the shoes because it was a lot easier when having a reference directly in front of you, that you can touch and feel. I made sure to make this artwork very detailed which paid off in the end, because it is one that I am proud of.

My strengths and weaknesses as a learner are portrayed throughout every piece of my artwork, something I struggle with is taking my time as I mentioned earlier. I usually rush things to get them over with when I don't want to do things, but this causes my artwork to be sloppy, and not at its full potential. Some of my strengths that are shown in my artwork would be my planning ahead and steps made in preparation for the final art piece, like my idea sketches and just making sure I have everything I need before beginning the project. Some of my artistic goals for the future is to pick up drawing as a hobby because I think this will give me a good distraction from real life. This year I have learned many different skills that will carry on and be an essential factor in my life later on, and I am grateful to have had such an amazing experience in art this school year.