3D Design
Organic Shapes
New Crop
Bean Stalk
Digital Portfolio Reflection:
Jillian Wight
Medsker
3D Design
10 June 2021
This semester, I ventured into 3D design for the first time, and as I look back on the pieces that I have produced this year, clear artistic development is apparent. I am so proud of the commitment I have put into my work, and I can’t wait to see how my style as a sculptor grows and solidifies in the future. However, these last few months, a few of my strengths and weaknesses in relation to 3D design have shown themselves. One area which I believe I have excelled in is producing art that I am passionate about. I think that my work with 2D design last semester helped me to discover who I am as an artist, and how the social and personal issues I care about fuel my pieces. A lot of these themes, including the human body and body positivity, as well as the relationship between humans and our environment, have carried over into my 3D work, and are visible especially in pieces such as All Natural Baby, Organic Shapes, and my sustained investigation as a whole. I believe that all artists must be inspired by something. They must have an idea, concept, or theme that acts as a furnace for creativity and exploration. It is clear that during this course, I have begun to develop such an identity as an artist, and this has contributed to the production of more successful artwork. Another strength I have demonstrated is stepping out of my comfort zone. Each project I’ve created this semester illustrates the use of a wide variety of materials, from fabric to encaustic and clay to potatoes and apples. Even during my sustained investigation, when I was fairly limited in the materials I could use to accomplish my goal, I pushed myself to explore new textures, patterns, and colors, and even experimented with unconventional materials like rice bags and wire. I pushed my personal boundaries when it came to form and space as well, allowing my mind to expand my thinking process off a flat surface and into a new level of creativity. I am so happy with how far I have come! Even so, it is undeniable that I have demonstrated some weaknesses as I explore my identity as an artist. For example, I have often overestimated myself at the beginning of a project, and attempted to create an overly complicated and vastly technical piece, even though I lacked the skills and time necessary to complete it. As a result, some of my work felt rushed, and I don’t think I was able to critically consider my artistic decisions enough to take full advantage of each opportunity. In addition, I am guilty of linking the value and quality of my work directly to the grade that I receive. This semester, I think I’ve worried a lot more about my score for each project, which has restricted and corrupted the creative process rather than letting my artwork flourish and change as I feel necessary. In fact, I have often scrapped pieces I liked and attempted to create a more ambitious piece simply because I thought the first was not artistic enough. Going forward, I will be more accepting of minimalistic designs, and remember to let my art influence my grade, rather than my grade influencing my art.
In a number of ways, my work over the course of the semester illustrates improvement as an artist. In my earlier pieces, especially Unfixed and Organic Shapes, the concept and the creativity is there. I love these pieces, but I also recognize that my use of space is not entirely effective and the composition isn’t as fluent and seamless as I would like. However, in pieces such as New Crop and Bean Stalk, I was able to manipulate my space and my subject in a much more engaging manner. Additionally, these pieces appear clean, finished, and professional, and there are much fewer continuity errors or mishaps in the use of the elements of design, which distract the viewer’s eyes from the beauty of the work itself. I think that the technical excellence and unique forms of my later pieces demonstrate how much I have learned and improved since the beginning of the semester. I am ecstatic to see how I continue to grow going forward.
I think the most challenging project this semester was Rouge. While I faced many technical, logistical and personal difficulties creating projects such as Bean Stalk and Funky Froggy, Rouge challenged me in very different ways. Going into the project, I had a very clear vision. I planned out beautiful details, and sketched a final design that I truly loved. However, I found that some elements of the pieces clashed with others, such as the limitations in stretch of the lacy fabric, and the shape of each pant leg when it came to maneuvering the sewing machine and attaching layers of materials. I was forced to separate the creation process of this piece from the final appearance, and I don’t think this served me well. Overall, I would say that my excessive planning going into this assignment ended up stifling the influence of my creativity and artistic adjustments on my work. While the concept of this project was so cool, I wish I could go back and create it once more. Rather than battling the lack of stretch in the lace, I would use it to my advantage. I would let my materials and my artistic instincts drive the creation, and in the end, my piece would end up appearing more cohesive and effective to the viewer.
It is difficult to choose the piece I am most proud of. I am so happy with my use of lines to manipulate the human body in Bean Stalk, and I love the incorporation of Victorian design into Rouge. The sculpture All Natural Baby resonates with me strongly, and I think my use of space is very creative. My personal style as an artist is most apparent in Funky Froggy, and my passion for the beauty and acceptance of the human body shows itself in such a cool way in my piece Organic Shapes. However, I am most proud of the first project I produced during my sustained investigation, New Crop. I have always been passionate about fashion design, and I am so moved by the unique intersection of design and canvas that fashion embodies. I think that my piece engages the organic forms of the model’s body very well, and the cutouts and overall silhouette I designed are based not only on the shape of my body, but on the natural shape of all human bodies. This makes the piece valuable to a wide range of audiences. I am also so happy with my use of materials, because there is such contrast between the stiff front and the mesh back. However, this difference ends up enforcing the structural integrity of the design, and simultaneously is very effective from an artistic standpoint. In addition, I think that my use of elements of design in the piece is concentrated towards the front, where there is unique manipulation of space and color, as well as texture and form. I think the concentration of design in the center of my piece is bold enough that it projects confidence, and is subtle enough that the artwork still appears balanced. For these reasons, I’m really proud of my creation!
As I go forward, I really want to experiment more with fashion design. I truly love this form of art, and I feel that my pieces have not yet reached a level that I am completely happy with. This, of course, is natural as my sustained investigation was my first ever exploration of fashion design. However, I am so excited about the opportunity for further learning and growth it provided. I hope to finesse my technical skills, and expand my horizons to finer use of details such as beads, seams, lace, and layers. I hope to research more deeply the history and future of fashion, and I’m so excited to find my place in that timeline one day. In general, this semester taught me so much about who I am as an artist. While my 2D style is very apparent, I think I have yet to develop a 3D style. I am so excited to watch it materialize as I further explore the world of 3 dimensional creativity!