For this assignment, we were to create a self-portrait series of three drawings using objects that represent us in some way in an exploration of non-representational portraiture and unfamiliar styles of art.
To begin, I picked four objects from my home that I felt reflected myself at the time (September 2016). Earbuds, to block out the noise of the world with sounds of my choice; an umbrella, as a shield from risk; my glasses, necessary for survival; an empty jar of salt, because I was salty (in slang, angry, agitated, upset).
We then went to the Met to find another object relating to our backgrounds. Though I am ethnically Chinese, I know little about Chinese history or culture and I know much more about that of the Western world. I feel guilty about this, so I chose this sculpture of a female dancer from the Western Han dynasty. It has an interesting pose and many small chipped, eroded details that made drawing more interesting.
-
- Image of the sculpture from the Met website.
-
- Image of the sculpture that I took at the Met.
-
- Sketch of sculpture.
The first drawing was a contour drawing. I had never done a contour drawing because before this year, I hated drawing, because I wrongfully looked down on the wobbly lines so common in the contour style, and because I was scared of ink. Since shading was not allowed, we had to create different compositions to choose from.
I chose the middle left one to draw.
Link to pdf of final contour drawing:
Once I drew everything out with pencil, I just had to trace over with pens and markers which was much more difficult than I thought it was. I was so nervous that I would mess up and ruin the whole thing, but the piece looks pretty good for my first time. I am more used to ink, now.
The second drawing was a positive/negative space drawing using Illustrator. I used a vertical orientation for the first piece, so I wanted to change things up and try a horizontal one this time. I also tried to make them simpler so that I, a beginner, would have an easier experience using Illustrator, but Illustrator was still very difficult to use.
The third drawing used the shape-making pathfinder tool on Illustrator as well as value and collage to create a mixed media piece. Because my art style is typically curvy and abstract, I tried to use angular shapes in order to challenge myself.
Links to pdfs of images:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-tkrjsQMOs6ekhVbjA3Sm82NW8 – the preliminary hand-drawn version.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-tkrjsQMOs6R1ZVbzlUVi1qMzA – the traced-over version in Illustrator with added value tones and overlapping shapes.
After putting the drawing into Illustrator, I realized that I did not like the umbrella in the corner, so I covered it with the textured paper from class. I took a lot of the textured paper and glued and taped it in various places on the drawing, particularly in places that I thought were too empty in the bad way. Even though the piece had some texture at that point, it still felt flat; adding globs of black acrylic paint helped. The end product is not the prettiest project, but it has some feeling in it, and it looks like my style.
On Critique Day, we put all of our work on display, including finished pieces, outlines, thumbnails, personal objects, museum objects, and materials used. We were able to voice our opinions on each others’ work for the first time in a professional environment, and while it seemed daunting at first, examining the differences in everyone’s stories, subjects, and styles was enjoyable. I went second and did not get much feedback as a result. I do know now that I should practice more with Illustrator and with different line weights, and that I should challenge myself with busier compositions in the future.
Overall, my drawing skills have improved. I have learned not to lean so heavily on colors and brushstrokes as I have done in the past with my painting. I have more knowledge of how to use lines, shapes, line weights, and composition than I did before. I tried out new mediums like ink, Illustrator, and collage. I learned a lot through this project about myself in dealing with unfamiliarity and frustration. Through each part of the assignment was deeply uncomfortable for me, that sort of discomfort is how I know that I am trying new things and gaining access to more methods of expression, which is learning, essentially. I tried my best and learned along the way, and I think that is much more important than any grade letter.
