Observational Still Life Drawing AP

In this project, we were asked to chose an object, and draw it as we see it in as much detail as possible. I just used my sketchbook and used pencil like I usually do. Then, after drawing it out, I inked the piece to make it stand out more. This project was pretty fun, and while I never do still life- and don't particularly enjoy them- it was fun drawing a section of my keyboard. I am not used to doing this style of art, so I don't think it came out terribly for what I did, however it lacks a major sense of reality that a lot of people have, and I think this is due to my inexperience with realistic art. When it comes to still life and detailed pieces, the principles and elements of art are incredibly important to create a strong, realistic look. I used value, texture, and balance. Value and balance are super important for shading. From my understanding of hyper realism, shading is the most important piece, and is what really makes a piece good. My shading is incredibly below average, and I could have done so much more to create a texture that is more realistic. I really need to work on my realistic approach to art. There is not too much free space in this piece, so that's where the balance comes in. And of course texture is important, as you want to be able to know what materials it is just by looking at it. Since the laptop keyboard is smooth, it is difficult to create a realistic smooth texture. It is something that I will have to work on in the future. This project never really evolved, since I was just looking at an object and drawing it. If I were to continue or change something about this piece, I would try to work on my shading a ton, and really understand how to shade and create a realistic look, as it is something I have never really tried to do before.