Lost in Wonderland

3.22.22 - 4.18.22

Project Proposition:

Now that I have finished my March project a bit earlier than I was expecting, I can't wait half a month and not work on a big project haha. This idea has been stuck in my head for almost two months now, so I really need to get it out! For this month's theme, we are back onto the negative themes of Individuality. This piece may be my most challenging one yet, as I am really trying to capture a certain look with this larger canvas size.


The composition of this piece is going to include a lot of details, with a fully planned background, foreground, and main figure. I want to create a distorted and tilted area that can look like a past "wonderland," that once contained life and happiness. The environment is going to look apocalyptic and burnt down, with the main figure in the middle of the scene sitting calmly. This sort of eerie vibe to the figure is going to help show the theme of self-destructiveness, as there is no resistance or mental reaction to this disaster. I plan on making this piece really detailed, and making sure there is no empty space within the scene. I hope to vary my brushes that I will use on this piece, to create a lot of unique textures. I find myself in the habit of never changing the brushes that I am using, but I would like to create a unique and "clashing" scene. I hope to make this piece appear chaotic but also serene at the same time.

Here are some references that have inspired this piece:

@ahirupoi on Twitter

@RDJlock on Twitter

With this large and challenging piece, I still hope to share the negative aspects of Individuality through the composition of this piece. The specific emotion I am trying to get across with Lost in Wonderland, is the feeling of being so detached from reality and yourself that you are led into a destructive mindset. You can begin to get so lost in your head and feelings that it can be hard to feel present in reality. I hope to take my time on Lost in Wonderland and to make this as detailed as I want it to be.


I hope you enjoy the progression of me making this piece, as I feel that it will be my most challenging but extravagant piece yet!

Sketch:

Here is the current rough sketch of this piece's composition. I am liking the general color scheme and layout, but I definitely need to refine more of the buildings and scenery. I have not even planned out the design of the figure yet, but I will let that come to me later. Either way, I am liking the general idea I have laid out right now.

Rendering Progression:

I am very behind haha, but I need to continue cleaning up the right side, and add some more details to the left before I move on. I'm liking the figure, because they are sticking out really well right now.

I think I am getting close to cleaning up and adding the final details to this piece. I plan on adding some flowers and a garden behind the figure. I also will refine the river bed some more and add some depth, colors, and little details.

Final Thoughts:

Here is the finished product of this month's piece, Lost in Wonderland. I will be completely honest when I say I have mixed feelings about this piece, but I am proud that I was able to finish this project!


There are some things that I enjoyed making in this piece! I enjoyed creating a piece where I had to lay out the composition of the scenery and the figure, and change up some details as I went around. I think I really love the concept of this piece the most. I really enjoyed the color scheme that I used, especially the bright colors in the fire. This concept was something that really hit me at a time of inspiration, but sadly right now I was not able to put my full heart and effort into the piece.


I feel that there are some things that I could have done better on, even right now. I liked that I made the figure a lot less detailed so that it would stand out more, but I could have definitely added some light reflections and color to the body. I also was really lazy with the background architecture, as I did not create a scenery that “flowed” or made sense. I think I just did not have the effort and right mindset to create a nice value and way to lead the eye through the piece. The details aren’t flowing as much as I would have liked, as things feel a bit choppy and blurry. I tried out a new brush for this piece, which I think really contrasts my normal style of not blending colors very evenly. I do really like the brush I used, but maybe I should experiment more with the brushes that I enjoy using.


I really do love the main meaning behind this piece, as it really became a relatable and vent piece by the time I actually finished Lost in Wonderland. I have personally been struggling this month with dealing with a large workload and keeping myself sane. I have been distracting myself through selfless pleasures and I have really lost my passion and feeling of what I really want. Sadly I had to drop a lot of passion projects this month just to keep up with the school work thrown at me this month, so that has kind of set aflame to many feelings in my head. I have felt myself slowly burning away and losing my motivation this month, and I have done nothing about it. This piece has really reflected this mental struggle I have felt this month, and that I have been sitting in a fantasy world to distract myself from these struggles. I hope to be able to get back on the right track for myself and to follow my passions once I get out of school, or once I finally have enough time to take a break and self reflect. This has become one of my most relatable pieces yet, that really hits a certain feeling in my heart, despite me not putting the most effort I could into this month’s piece.


I hope you all have enjoyed the progression of me making Lost in Wonderland! I wish the best for people who are in a slump during this last month of school, keep pushing through this difficult month and take the time to rest up whenever you get the chance. Take care of yourself, and follow your happiness.