Sustained Investigation #6

Colored pencils on paper, 7x9

How can I show what I have learned about keeping a long distance friendship using composition/subject

Reflection on Work:

To synthesize my materials, processes, and ideas, I decided first on my composition. The idea I had was to show how connected my friend and I are despite living 1,000 miles away. Unfortunately, we only see each other basically one week out of the whole year but we are really close. I decided to do this by showing a side of our rooms, the left being hers and the right being mine. Each would have different objects but the middle would be the same, having a picture of us. I liked this idea because I thought it would best show that despite us living in different places and having different hobbies, we are really connected. I also knew that color would be important to emphasize the differences between us. I thought colored pencils would be a good medium because they felt manageable to create the color difference and slightly blended colors and I knew that I felt comfortable drawing objects with them which was a big part of my piece.

In my question, I specifically noted the color and subject. I think the color was important in emphasizing our differences in place, time, our interests, etc. I also wanted the colors to show how we are connected too, so I decided to make a few objects on my friend’s side be the color of my wall and vice versa. The subject, being my friend and I and a few objects, was the driving point in how I might show that distance. I decided on a clock on both our sides to concretely show where we were/our time difference. I also thought linking us in some other way would be good so I decided on adding friendship bracelets in sort of corresponding colors. I think friendship bracelets are also very summery which was in an attempt to emphasize our summer friendship. 

My next piece will be my New York piece so I can’t take too much from this piece idea wise, I don’t think at least. I do think I can obviously learn from my mistakes and things I wish I had done differently. I hope for my next (and last!!) piece I will plan things out more. I never have planned my colors super well before and I kind of just go for it, but I always wish I wouldn’t do that. I also know that for my NY piece, color will play a big part so I think really planning that out will be good. I also started on the faces of this piece before finishing the basic sketch of the objects so I definitely should have had my finalized sketch before going in with color. (I think I was just very antsy about getting some color on, but still stands).