Observational Paintstick Portrait

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

AP Art and Design

28 September 2021

The main purpose of this assignment was to practice making work on a larger, more stylistic scale. I was given a huge piece of paper and a limited amount of colors, with little opportunity for detail or precision. I was tasked with drawing what I saw before me. As an artist, I tend to gravitate towards producing a ton of small details. I saw this piece as an opportunity to move away from that and practice making large, loose strokes that still portrayed my subject. I chose to draw my classmate, Mia, because I am really inspired by the human form, especially faces. She was moving a lot, so I had to pin down specific angles really quickly. I am so happy with how this came out. I think that it was an excellent opportunity to develop some valuable skills, and I’m proud of my ability to embrace the lack of excessive control I had over the piece.

I used oil paint sticks on large paper to create this work. These sticks were very thick, so, as I stated before, there was not much opportunity for precision. The paper was smooth, so I was able to move the paint easily across. I decided to take advantage of these factors and used the texture of the paints to create a really cool, thick effect to my work. I also tried to focus more on basic suggestions of features rather than the features themselves.

I really didn’t revise this piece much, as it was more about acting quickly and maintaining an almost careless attitude in a way that set an image free. However, as I shaded, took steps back, and then came back, I noticed a few things that seemed off about the piece and corrected them. I darkened the shadows around the lips and eyes quite a bit, and also connected the bursts of color under the collarbone because I found that when there were two small spots they looked kind of funky, and one large one flowed much better. More than revision, this piece was about experimentation. I tried a new technique and used materials I had never previously encountered. It was my responsibility to make these materials work, and I think I was successful! I was able to adjust the ideas I had to accommodate the unique circumstances, and I love the outcome.

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