Art History Background

For my Art history background, I chose the 2B pencil, 6B pencil, chalk pencils, colored pencils, and a Tortillion. I used the 2B for sketching the leaves, the chalk pencils to draw mostly everything that was darkest. The colored pencils helped me make highlights and blend colors together. I used the tortillion to blend the chalk pencils together. This time, instead of making a just portrait drawing we had to create the background for it. we researched famous artists and drew backgrounds inspired by them. I chose Frida Kahlo. I experimented using the chalk pencils and being inspired by Frida. My project evolved from a black and white plain portrait to a colorful, fun background-filled drawing.

I used lines, shapes texture and movement to create the tropical leaves. I used value, space, and unity by including all the details of the leaves and the trees behind the subject. Color helped bring the spirit of Frida be shown.

For me, the idea of this piece is drawing all the colorful, mexican style that is in this picture. The bright, tropical leaves are very much inspired by Kahlo and so is the snake. She used lots of symbolism and a frightening factor in most of her pieces, and although my background does not have a message, it has the mysterious elements that her paintings have. I'm proudest of drawing the leaves over my face, I think I did a pretty good job making them look realistic and the shading proportional. I struggled with making some leaves look real, then I researched them and figured out what they are supposed to look like.