Mattie's Drawing & Painting Portfolio

Final Thoughts

Some important concepts I learned during this semester are shading and using different values of colors to create depth in your artwork. Some examples of using this concept are when drawing my landscape picture, when watercoloring a landscape and during my unsung hero project. I used different values to create detail that brings the art to life to create a realistic creation. Another important concept I learned was taking time to step back and look at my artwork intermittently. This trick especially helped during my watercolor paintings because stepping back showed me what I needed to make pop so they could be seen from far away. Taking a break during art is very important because I can help you think of new ideas for your work. Sometimes getting other people to glance at your work during these breaks can also help perspective on what you still need to work on.

I am proudest of my realistic self-portrait. I feel that I improved greatly between my pre-instructional and my final portrait. Before this assignment, I thought that I could never draw a person well. Through this project, I learned how important shading and highlighting are to a realistic picture. My final portrait looks a lot like me and every time I see it I’m even more impressed with the level of detail I managed to create with my work. This project really pushed me out of my comfort zone and while it was challenging and took up a lot of time, it was worth it in the end. The difference between my pre-instructional and final portrait proves how much I learned throughout this unit. All the skills I gained from drawing myself will help me in the future to draw other people too.

I expect that I will sign up for advanced drawing and painting class and maybe even AP. Fun fact, I never even meant to sign up for this class but I am so glad that I did. I gained an appreciation for drawing and painting through this class and I plan to continue learning new skills throughout high school. I’m so glad that I got to spend an entire semester with my class because they are some of the funniest people I’ve ever met. If I had a penny for every time I’ve laughed in this class I’d be a very rich woman. I’m sad to see this class end, but I’m also excited for all the future experiences I will go through and I plan to take with me the memories I made during this class.

First Thoughts, Goals for this semester

I make art to show the things I see around me. I love drawing the trees from my backyard and the flowers in my garden. Looking back on my artwork is a great way to track how my surroundings have changed. During this class, I want to improve on finishing long-term projects. Usually, I'll get bored after the first hour of drawing, but in this class, I want to create habits of perseverance and working towards an end goal.

Page updated

Report abuse