2D Design

Semester 1 Reflection:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

2D Design

20 January 2020

This semester, I have learned so much from my 2D Design course. I have been able to build upon the skills I learned last year, and overall I’ve noticed that I have started to develop a distinct style to my artwork. I find this extremely exciting, and I strongly believe that the experimentation I have been encouraged to do regarding materials, subjects, compositions, and themes has helped me get here. This is especially true for the sustained investigation projects we worked on towards the end of this semester. My inquiry question was “how can I explore the human body in relation to our sense of self?” I found that by exploring an issue I was passionate about, my ideas really exploded and I was able to improve my skills as an artist. In general, I found 2D Design challenging, but I am all the better for it.

I would say that in 2D Design, I have consistently produced pieces that I am very proud of. This is a success that I have not achieved in previous art courses for numerous reasons. Predominantly, I have been much more willing to take risks this semester than I have been in the past. I have challenged myself to use mediums such as acrylic paint, Adobe Photoshop, or linoleum printing, which in the past I have avoided out of apprehension. I think that by embracing my fear of these materials, I have grown a lot as an artist. I now have the freedom to express my ideas in a number of ways, and I am no longer constrained by an inability to successfully use mediums that I am not familiar with. This attitude has led me to produce art that I am more passionate about, more engaged in, and overall, art I simply enjoy more. Another skill that I have developed this year is the ability to make compromises. I have less time this year than I have had in the past to produce a work of art, and so I often find myself rushing. Last year, this usually resulted in a piece I was unhappy with, or a decision that I regretted. However, this year, I think I have learned how to effectively make compromises such as switching materials to increase speed (i.e from paint to pen or marker). I have also learned how to compromise by adjusting my final goal, instead of rushing to reach it. To do so, I take a step back, assess what I have done and what I realistically will be able to do, and then develop a solution (usually involving incorporating a pattern of some sort or some trippy line work). Finally, I think that all of these successes have contributed to the development of a specific style— detailed, line-focused, cartoony, psychedelic types of artwork. This artistic trait has been influenced by the compromises I’ve had to make, the experiments I have had to conduct, and the risks I’ve taken.

While this course has benefited me in many ways, I have also faced numerous struggles. As I touched on previously, meeting deadlines is difficult for me. I tend to be very ambitious with my atwork, and I create pieces that are very detail oriented without realistically judging my timeline. As a result, I often find myself the night before the project is due or even the morning before class, rushing to finish up what I started. Recently, I have been getting better at managing my time and working on projects gradually throughout the week. However, it is a habit that is hard to break! Going forward, I plan on overcoming this struggle by continuing to plan out the realistic timeframe that I have to complete a project, and then considering the level of detail that I should commit to. I think this will benefit me not only in my time management skills, but also by pushing me to explore styles of art that are more subject driven and a little more simple. Though this type of piece is out of my comfort zone, I am open to learn. Another area in which I have struggled is with composition. While I think that my pieces are developing in a way I’m proud of, I have noticed that arranging a foreground, background, and a subject is difficult for me. This is illustrated especially in my piece Sedona in a Circle, which is a unique concept that simply wasn’t executed correctly. Similarly, I think my piece :) is one of my all-time favorites that I’ve produced. However, I feel that with both these artworks, I could have experimented with the page a bit more and really engaged the space. In order to improve my understanding of this element of art going forward, I plan to look a little bit into the basic elements of an effective composition. With this background knowledge, I will be able to expand my horizons and create more cohesive, intentional pieces.

Moving forward, I want to challenge myself to continue experimenting with materials styles, etc. as I did during my sustained investigation. Being pushed out of my comfort zone really helped me grow as an artist, and most of the styles of artwork I created during this portion of the course came out really cool! I definitely would be excited to keep exploring my artistic limitations and skills. Another goal of mine is to find unique ways to translate some of the specific styles I have developed into 3D work. Next semester, I really want to experiment with creating fashion and ceramics, and I hope I have the opportunity to do so! Finally, I plan on improving my ability to create instinct-based pieces. Rather than considering my choices as I complete a project, I want to attempt to make spur of the moment decisions and see where they take me. I think that this way, I will have more fun creating the piece, and it will be fun and funky as a final product. Overall, I am so excited to see how the things I’ve learned this semester carry over into next semester and influence my art even beyond then.

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