Project 1 Writing
Our first assignment was to create an interesting composition from clippings we gathered from various magazines. I spent a lot of hours drawing several templates from pictures of food to come up with the perfect composition and decided to settle on one that I based off of a photo of pie. This composition and/or work for lack of a better word definitely has a focal point. I think the focal point is where a tasty slice of pie used to be. The space is different from the rest of the composition in the sense that the lines and shapes are both unique and distinct and really stand out from the rest of the drawing which consists of circles and curvy lines. It also has a lot of visual flow because the lines and circles lead your eye all over the composition and help to convey an interesting, abstract image. I think that the most successful aspect of the design is it’s simplicity. I think the best way I can describe it is that it’s one of those compositions where less is more. Like it could be better but it’s not bad the way it is. The most unsuccessful aspect of the composition I think is the circles themselves. While contradictory to what I’ve just said, I think if I had made the line a tad more bolder the circles would have stood out more. Overall I’m happy with the work but it could always be tweaked.
Project 1 Dynamic Compositions
Project 3 Writing
For this assignment we had to work on a non-objective composition that consisted of a variation of lines like spirals, twisties, and bubbly for lack of a better word. There was also an actual or implied line that is basically an imaginary line that is created by that existing lines on the paper. I had a little trouble with this one but it was overall fun. I had fun experimenting with variety of line, see what kinds of interesting compositions can be made from them. It was also funny to present the work to my family and friends and get their different reactions to the work. As you could imagine, it became a though provoking, stimulating activity for everyone. Also in one of my sketchbook thumbnails I experimented with lines while I was on the bus to see how the bumpy ride could affect the drawing. If I could change anything about this piece it would be for me to make the bottom half lighter so that people could see the other lines mixed in.
Project 4 writing
During this project we practiced using line variation and/or cross hatching to make various gradations from black to white. At first it was kind of hard and I think I could have made a much stronger composition than the one I submitted for this assignment. But it was good practice and I read up on the subject on how comic book artists use this technique to liven up their illustrations and saw some pretty impressive compositions in class that helped me get a better idea of how to crosshatch properly. Definitely something I’m going to continue practicing and incorporate into my own work. But getting back to the subject of the assignment some of the project’s goals was to cleverly use the cross hatching technique and the gradations created from using it to create nonobjective/abstract shapes from implied lines. This is definitely not an assignment that could be rushed as cross hatching takes a lot of time, requires a steady hand, and quite a bit of patience master if you want to get a good composition. The focal point of the composition was defiantly the snake although it was not supposed to be representational. And I think there was directional dominance because there were lines going in various directions upon closer look at the drawing. The overall creative value of the drawing I think was ok at most.
Project 5 writing
During this project we made black and white shape compositions. The purpose of the project as previously stated was to create an interesting composition of black and white shapes, however in addition to that the shapes also had to create interesting negative and positive space. The shapes had to fit seamlessly into one design and/or appear to be a black and white reflection of each other. And there had to be a balanced black to white ratio on the paper. This was a fun, interesting project that I felt had endless possibilities and would like to experiment with this further in my free time using different mediums. I saw really interesting examples of the project online and I think that I could have done a better composition but I’m not dissatisfied with this piece. But I’d definitely work on making an improved version of it in the future.
Project 6 Writing
This assignment much like the previous compositions before it required us to make an interesting composition but this one had a unique twist. We had to create the composition using textures that could be in nature and use them to make an abstract image. I’m really glad my professor gave us a project like this one because I used to have trouble drawing things outside of animals, people, and clothes. While I always think I can do better and that it will only come with more practice the exercise made me come out of my comfort zone and practice drawing other organic and nonorganic shapes and objects like cars, super close-ups of leaves, and feathers with exact detail and accuracy. While drawing two also does this I enjoyed 2D design’s approach to this more for some reason. To help myself get in the right direction, I also asked my folks at home to critique my work and when they were able to recognize the drawing for what they were I felt like I was finally starting to get it somewhat. Of course I did have to draw it a few times until I got it right, especially the close-up of the leaf. And I also think that improving use of implied lines and gradations will increase my characters and their outfit and what they interact with tenfold.
Project 7 Writing
This project is about one and two point perspective drawing. This is the type of drawing most commonly used by comic book artists and architects to draw background/environments and building projects. It’s a type of precision drawing that allows the artist to accurately draw objects in relation to each other to create the illusion of depth of space. For example one might draw a tree really large and you would perceive it as being very close and if they drew the image really small you would think it was further away. There are various ways to make perspective in art but the one and two point perspective method is when you draw/make a horizon line with a point at either the center or far ends of the picture plain and use a ruler to create guide lines to help with object placement. If I remember correctly objects placed above the horizon line are farther away and objects placed below it are closer. Perspective is one of the hardest things at least for me to master in art but with a little practice I’m sure to get better at it and I think I did better on this assignment than I initially thought I would. I really want to mater this skill because it’s essential to comic book art /layout and will make my future compositions stronger. One of my admired pre-college professors Mr. Lines said that it’s tough to get at first but if you keep practicing you’ll get so good at it that you’ll be able to do it off the top of your head with no problem. This was one of my favorite assignments in 2D design by far.
Prospective drawing city scape Prospective drawing house and Letters
Project 8 Writing
This assignment much like the other ones was fun and unique. What helped this project stand out from the other past assignments is the fact that we practically played artistic Russian roulette with this one. We had to grab at random, four different color number that meant which shapes, theme, materials, and design tool we had at our disposal to complete the given task. Luckily I got three out of four of the numbers I was hoping for. Anyway the method behind the madness was that by doing this everyone would have to come up with a crazy, unique design using the unconventional material associated with the respective number and our pitt pens. I wasn’t sure at first which composition I wanted to go with or what kind I’d even make for that matter but after a trip to the MoMA, I had a better idea of where to go with my work. My composition was composed of string and tread, triangles, and Pitt pen marks. Its theme was aggressive and the design tool was repetition.
Project 9 Writing
This project was about more or less about understanding and properly using gray scales. Or to be more precise to successfully use the gray scale along with black and white create an accurate composition of our face and/or a self-portrait. Process involved to allow us to achieve this was first we had to carefully mix various amounts of black and white paint to different intensities of gray that are between black and white and get them to seamlessly fade into each other like a scale. Then we cut up the paper into various shapes and use them to make a fairly accurate collage of our face. We had to avoid creating an outline or lines that defined our faces kind of similar to the thick lines you see in cartoon characters. Instead our facial features had to be both refined and defined by gradual changes in value. And I have to admit, this was by far the hardest project for me to in 2d design. While I liked the concept behind the project I never was a fan of self-portraits. The overall composition of my image could have been better and after seeing what my fellow classmates came up with I now see that could done a lot more with values and even done something cool with the background. I suppose it’s something to keep in mind for future projects and I simply have learn from my mistakes. But on the bright side it gave me a really cool Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator idea that I think will make an awesome screensaver or desktop background for my computer.
Project 10 writing
This project was about utilizing color schemes which I found one of the fun assignments to date in this class. I enjoy working with color and my friends are usually very fond of my color choices for my character designs so I felt very comfortable moving into this. Though I used to be very nervous about using paints, the painting classes I took prior to this assignment and the assignment itself made me more comfortable with working with paints. And it helped me decide on what type of paint in particular that I’d like to use. Now in addition to coloring my characters on the computer and/or with colored pencil, marker, and inks I now include watercolor paint in my arsenal. And since I like using all of my preferred mediums I make mixed medium artwork so I get to all of my favorite tools. Getting back to this assignment, it helped me to better understand and use color schemes by having me complete a monochromatic painting(different shades of one color/hue), Analogous(various colors of one hue on their respective side of the color wheel, and complementary( colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel and/or look nice together. I liked all of them but out of the three I was the most interested in the monochromatic painting because it gave me a really cool idea to try in adobe Photoshop and illustrator. My Analogous painting I think was my weakest of the three paintings because it just didn’t seem as attractive as the other ones and I could have pushed the colors further but I guess the monochromatic and complementary paintings both balanced it out due to being overall stronger compositions. All in all I still enjoyed this assignment a lot and event set aside a space in my room just for painting.
Final Project
The design elements used to create this painting was circles, repetition, and monotone color (colors from the same hue). I believe that the composition activates space in an interesting way and is asymmetrical since the two sides of the composition isn’t the same. The visual flow of the design is in an S curve because your eye is led by a path of circles of various sizes from the top left corner to the bottom of the paper. I also think that the painting creates the illusion of scale because the larger bubbles appear closer while the smaller ones feel or look farther away. And the painting has an overall cool atmosphere.
The concept behind the painting was combine some of the thing that I’m fond of or that seemed to best represent me. I really like the color blue and water is one of my favorite elements so naturally I had to go with blue. And as previously stated the blue monotone creates a cool atmosphere which I feel is calming or relaxing like a refreshing swim. And I chose bubbly as my word of choice since I come off as bubbly to people I’m comfortable around and I guess because I was thinking somewhat literally about the word I figured that nothing could represent the word bubbly better than circles. And I thought that with repetition I could create an interesting pattern.
Overall I think this was by far the best project I’ve ever made in 2d-design. The design is a good example of repetition as the pattern is consistent throughout the composition. I think it has good harmony and balance as everything just feels like it belongs there. Though I am proud of it I do acknowledge its faults. The painting lacks a focal point and I could have went a lot farther with the colors. Also my circles could have been neater and I certainly could’ve added more design elements but at the same time the composition’s simplicity is one of its charms. But I’m still happy with the overall design and this project like the ones before it gave me tons of design ideas to try out.
Tasina Tweedy WCC Student Work 