AP Drawing

Final Reflection

As the year progressed, I improved my work in a few ways. Through my sustained investigation, I was able to refine my material synthesis and incorporate fun outside materials. I used rocks, cinnamon, corn starch, fish food (spices), string, birchbark, beeswax, old music sheets, and pine needles in my artwork throughout the year. All of these pieces were intentionally used and connected to the theme of the art. Because this class allows you to explore a theme and an inquiry question, I was able to work on my experimentation within this area. I focused on the idea of home, childhood, and family, and improved my exploration and experimentation with this theme over the 15 pieces I created. I explored different aspects of my family, including my twin sister, brothers, and parents, who appear in many of my works. I tried to capture noteworthy moments over the years that displayed the deep influence this environment and people have had on my life. 

My artwork illustrates my strengths and weaknesses as a learner through the successes and obstacles I faced over the year. My art displays my strengths as a learner through my ability to commit to a piece and put the time in to produce a somewhat successful outcome. I made sure to manage my time to allow for the necessary hours that I needed to work on a piece and not be rushing through it. Through my documentation on this site and in my notebook, I have shown the process behind the work. After creating works, as a class and individually, we evaluate and assess our pieces and whether they fit in our theme or if they fit in the direction we want to go with our exploration. Through this process, I improved my skills of persistence, adaptability, and dedication to overcome various barriers. I improved as a learner with my ability to explore and experiment with this topic and a variety of mediums. My artwork also displays my weaknesses as a learner. While I often managed my time well to create art, I also struggled with this at times. Art requires hours and hours of work. I didn't always manage my time well. So, a few pieces were rushed and lacked the time and effort I should have put in. One of those pieces (#5) I revised later and worked to improve through the details, color, and overall scene. 

Some of the most challenging pieces I created this year were probably the more realistic ones (Duck Stamp, #7, #12, #14) because these pieces needed more time and commitment. While they were challenging, they were also some of the most enjoyable to create. It was difficult to produce a piece that matched what I visualized in my mind or from photos, but it was also the most rewarding once the pieces were complete. I think the ones that were the most challenging were also what I am most proud of. These required the most effort and precision and led to more realistic outcomes. When creating these pieces, I love sketching out a general outline and going from there. I enjoy blending the colored pencils or paint, or watercolor, trying to achieve the right color. I also had a lot of fun playing with light and contrast. For pieces like #12 and #14, I strengthened the darks and lights and played with the light source. I worked on the perspective of a lot of my pieces, as well. In pieces like #7, #10, #12, and #14, I tried to create a scene with a unique perspective, avoiding straight-on angles. 

As I now go into summer, I look forward to creating art or simply being creative as much as I can. I plan to make art pieces like watercolors or sketches of the natural world. At the beach, on an island, or on a mountain, I will try to make art and enjoy capturing the outer world in fun pieces. I may try to experiment with materials and try out oil paint. I haven't used it before, and the summer would be a great time to explore various mediums!