Beautiful Oops Drawing

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

AP Art and Design

8 September 2022

I was inspired both by the shape of my ink blotch and by an old drawing I saw when I was flipping through my sketchbook. I thought the blotch looked like a wing, and I decided to turn it into a more final version of some sketches I’d done of angels on their way to heaven. I think this concept is really cool, because there are so many different ways it could be interpreted by different audiences. I added some small elements, such as the ribcage on the old man where the rest of the splotch ran over his body, because I felt it would add to the number of small details that viewers could give significance to. This piece relates to me because in times of stress and pressure (which I’m definitely feeling now), I think a lot about relief in terms of being old and having little to do all day. I think it’s a comforting thought. I’m also really interested in the different manners in which specific cultures view older individuals!

I used sharpie felt-tip pens to add most of the details to this piece. I liked the ability of the pens to capture detail in the forms I drew. Then, to transform the ink blotch and add further highlights I used white gel pen. Finally, I used Conté crayons to create a harsh, vast, foreboding background that contrasted with the sort of wholesome view in the foreground. I went back over with a gel pen to add highlights around the halos.

I wanted to experiment with new materials for this project, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and use Conté crayons, which offer less control to the artist. I tend to prefer pens, so this was a big difference! But I’m so happy with the result, and it’s definitely a technique I’ll use more in the future. Finally, I decided not to use color in this piece. I really wanted to lean into the duality of this image: it’s both ominous and dark and wholesome and sweet. I thought color was a little too suggestive of one mood or the other, and I really didn’t want to define the setting in that way. I’m really happy with how this came out!

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