Final 2D Design Reflection

Time Capsule Drawings, September 2017

Friends in Color, October 2017

Amsterdam Word Graphic, November 2017

Self Portrait, January 2018

Inclusion, January 2018

This 2D design class has been such a key component in the latest development of my artistic style. Thanks to last year’s studio art class and the art program I attended this summer, it has been so much easier to create piece based off of given prompts and assignments. I have used this class as a way to explore areas of art that have either remained untouched or behind the scenes. I have continued trying to develop my skills in painting, paper and classic pen and pencil, with attempts at making every piece different from the last. 

Looking at the first pencil drawing of the class this year; the ‘Whatchamadrawit’ piece; and then looking at my final self portrait drawing, it amazes me how far I have come in so little time. And how much more in love I have fallen with illustration as I venture into college applications to do just that. Any pieces within my portfolio that were done with plain pen or graphite were my favorite to create and I believe had the most rewarding outcome. My favorite pieces have been the “Beautiful Oops”, the ‘dot project’ and my latest self portrait, which was a new experience for me with the gridding technique as well as attempting as close to exact reality as I possibly could.

The thing I have always struggled with and continue to struggle with constantly is my time management. Being a perfectionist, I can’t help but take a little longer on every piece so the final product is more appealing to myself. It is a blessing and a curse, for I always take more time to complete something, but the outcome is always more rewarding than if I had spent a realistic amount of time on something. There have been pieces that have clearly had hours of work put into it and some that were pretty obviously rushed; such as the stars and stripes project, which I still wish I had spent a little more time on or had added some more detail to add to the message I was trying to get across.

The ease of conjuring ideas for each assignment has given me some confidence as an artist and future illustrator and has been a big help from the start when it came to generating ideas. Some assignments were more difficult than others, depending on the amount of freedom given within a prompt; the more structure to an assignment, the easier it is to find the right message, but more difficulty when it comes to representing that message in an artwork. For example, in our last project of the class for our midterm, we were asked to create a piece representing full inclusion of all people for the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council. I knew the imagery had to be fun, happy and intriguing to pull the right kind of attention, but the representation of those who live with disabilities had to be in a way that doesn’t make it seem like a negative. Using a more geometric style with lots of color, I hope the final product evokes a positive and welcoming feeling that will inspire some to join community groups and activities. This was one of the more difficult pieces to find ideas for, but once something sparks in my head, the rest follows with ease.

This class has inspired me to continue exploring the vast opportunities of art and trying to improve my skills within the areas I have focused on these past few months. I am beyond excited for our incoming 3D design class and look forward to having a few less assignments, giving me more time to create art that I want to create for myself and my portfolio. I see myself working towards improving my skills in classic illustration, both with graphite and moving into using pen and marker in more developed pieces. In addition, I want to continue trying my hand at realistic depictions; like my self portrait; and incorporating that into my more conceptual work, to find a common ground that I think could become my personal go-to style.