Section 1: Finished Artwork
Embedded Files
Title: Dept.
Size: 11.7 x 16.5 in
Date of Completion: 10/12/22
Ideas: Creating a piece where it shows the hardship of money for education and the reality of the economy as of now.
Materials: Newspaper, Green-colored paper, pencil, pen/ink, and pastel chalk
Processes: Ripped newspaper for decoration, Ripped green-colored paper for an aesthetic look, pencil on the base paper, pen/ink on the newspaper, and pastel chalk on the green-colored paper.
Section 2: Planning & Practice
After getting the fundamentals down, we were assigned to take 10 different pictures to decide the final shot we want our project to be based on. I wanted my project to have a bit more serious topic, compared to my last art piece. This gave me an idea of the economy.
Before this project, everyone has learned and practiced how to do different types of contour drawing. I practiced my contour skills with a pencil. Practicing contour skills helped me to draw physical objects as they are shaped, rather than what I think they are shaped like.
Finally, we utilized our contour drawing skills to practice drawing out our photos. This was able to help us grasp what the process would be like and give us a better understanding of what the objects in the picture are actually shaped like. We also traced out the outline of the details we are going to draw. I used a gold pen to determine which lines were important or not.
Section 3: Experimentation
I also tested out the whiteness of some materials because I wanted to add white highlights to emphasis the shine. The while color pencil and white pastel chalk was barely visible on the pencil. The only material that showed some mark on the pencil was the while gel pen. I was able to use the white gel pen to put slight highlights and shines onto my final piece.
I tested different types of art tools on different paper materials. I wanted to check if I really did like how it would turn out and if it was visible on different papers.
On the newspaper, I tried pencil and ink. The reason I didn't test out other tools was that I didn't want to add color to a newspaper. The pencil did work on the newspaper, but I thought the pencil was barely visible compared to ink. So in the end, I chose ink for the newspaper.
For the green-colored paper, I tested out ink, pencil, and pastel chalk. I thought having color on the green paper would fit the style/aesthetic, hence I tried out pastel chalk. I'm already using ink for newspaper, so that was out of the option. The pencil did function on the green paper, but similarly to the newspaper, the pencil was hard to use and show visibility on the green paper. I tried out pastel chalk, and thankfully the colors were very vibrant. The pastel chalk was able to smoothen and blend when mixed with other colors. I also liked the texture the pastel chalk can show, so I chose pastel chalk for the green paper.
The base paper was the final paper material I had to test out. I wanted the green-colored paper to be the only one in color, so I didn't test out colored material for the base paper. I tried out pen and pencil for the base paper. I know that I'm already using a pen for the newspaper, so I ultimately chose a pencil for the base paper. I was already planning and liked using pencils on the base paper.
Overall, I was satisfied with my choice.
Section 4: Process
Day 1:
We were assigned to take 10 different pictures of our liking and I was able to take some pictures which would incorporate economy. During class, we were grouped up and were to show the 10 photos we took. We gave each other critiques such as lighting, color, proportion, angle, etc. By listening to each critique I've received, I've figured to choose the 1st photo as my final photo. The reason I chose that picture was that the overall objects I chose were to create a pleasing aesthetic and the objects were not too separated, making it easier for me to be able to match the proportion onto my final canvas. I wanted to practice some contour drawing of my photo, but if my objects were all far apart, I wouldn't be able to fully create a similar scenery.
Day 3:
The next step I did was to choose different paper materials to add to the project. I definitely thought to use newspaper, because I really liked the texture and how aesthetic it would look when added onto the paper. It may not be noticeable, but I chose the part where it mentions money and the economy in the newspaper so that it can match the theme I had decided upon. I also used green-colored paper because I thought the green could symbolize money, and it would later come in as an effect to enhance a section. The green-colored paper had a surprisingly rough texture, but it didn't affect my process.
Day 5:
On this day, I was able to color a section of the rocks with pastel chalk. I had some experience using pastel chalk due to my last project, and I really enjoyed how simple and easy pastel chalk can be used. I really wanted to create a somewhat clean edge, even though I was using pastel chalk. Trying to keep the section not smudged was more difficult than I had imagined. But rather than doing the process quickly and getting it over with, I really wanted to take my time to be able to create a close representation of the colors and shadings of the rocks. I used multiple shades of warm colors in order to create the colors for the rocks. I had to use many shades of brown to create natural color. The pastel chalk shadows are mixed with the color of the rocks that they are creating a shadow for. For example, the red rock's shadow has a tint of red unlike the yellow rock's shadow (which has a yellow tint).
Day 2:
After we chose our final paper size, we were to lightly sketch our photo onto the photo. It took a couple of trials and errors for me to get a similar representation of the image. In the beginning, I did not think of proportion and tried to sketch by only utilizing contouring skills (mostly modified and pure contouring). However, that plan backfired and the sketch looked distorted. But thankfully, due to some helpful feedback, I was able to compare proportion size and was able to convert the picture size onto the paper. To be honest, it was a bit difficult to have a matching proportion because the proportion in the picture is different from the proportion of the paper.
Day 4:
I thought the pen would best fit on the newspaper since the black inks on the newspaper can blend with the inking I would add onto the newspaper. I used cross-hatching on the inking part because I wanted to create a rough sketch vibe on top of a neat newspaper paragraph. I wanted to make it seem like those old documents where people would jot down notes over already written text or newspaper. I colored areas in all black and thin cross-hatched for the really dark part while using very light and wide cross-hatching for the lighter areas. Looking from afar, I think I was able to successfully portray a somewhat realistic look on the glass bottle.
Day 6:
This is when we are trying to finish up the overall project. I began with shading the basic object and then gradually put more and more value until the shaded area become similar to the reference picture. I mainly used a soft pencil because I thought that the hard pencil would create too much of a harsh outline. The soft pencil was more easier to blend with my fingers. The glass bottle in the reference picture had a very blended-out effect. But on the section where I had to color in dark, I used a hard pencil. I had to shade and then erase many areas just to create the right amount of shading on the paper.
Day 6:
For the final day, I decided that I wanted to work on emphasizing the highlights, shaded area, and overall make the object "pop out". I continued to add more layers of pencil, while also erasing areas to create a clear white shine. Having to emphasize the features of the pictures makes the art piece seem more realistic than the previous day. I am also glad that I was able to show some roughness onto the paper to create an overall sketched/not printed look. I'm mostly satisfied with how the end result came out.
Section 5: Artist Statement
This project was also more enjoyable than I have imagined. As much as I know that realistic drawing is important, I've never practiced much since I thought I would never be good at realistic drawing. But surprisingly, my skills have improved compared to the last time my realistic drawing, and I think practicing contour drawing really opened a new method for me to draw. I practiced a few times drawing some realistic aspects; especially clothes' folds. This project also allowed me to practice my inking and pencil skills. I usually enjoy using pen and pencil, so I mainly enjoyed working on this project. The most difficult part was being able to create a proportional scene--especially the glass bottle.
Why do people have jobs? Well, it could be to help people with their expertise; but most likely, people have jobs because of money.
My intention for this project was trying to deal with a realistic aspect: Money. I chose a realistic topic because we are technically drawing something realistic. I just wanted to add that interesting connection. But most importantly, I wanted to go for this approach because it's an issue that I'm constantly thinking of; for example, when I go to college, I'm always wondering how I'm able to support myself with a limited amount of money. I always thought about how financial aid and the economy can get complicated. Money is a serious issue that many people often struggle with. I tried to symbolize rocks as money/coins and the glass bottle as a money bank. "Your bank is spilling money", is what it's saying in the picture. Basically, we're losing money. What I'm trying to portray is that every day we have to spend a lot of money just for a stable living and it can cause many people to be in "dept" (hence the title of this piece).
Overall, I want people to think how much money affects people's lives, and most of the time, money causes people to fall into dept. This is an issue many people experience, causing stress, mental health problems, etc. This isn't a message of how the economy should be completely changed, but more like how reality isn't all that blissful and something that people have in the back of their minds all the time.
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