CONCEPT: For my final project, I propose to create a photo montage that would describe how a student feels when they are burdened by deadlines, all of them back to back at the same time. I decided to work on this topic because this is a feeling that every student can relate to and lately, with finals and every deadline approaching me I feel this piece would be a good way to express some thoughts on how it feels to be in the situation. I decided to complete this piece with an analog, digital and 3D materials to maximize the experience. I hung pieces such as ‘research paper, finals and pieces of junk food’ to show that when students get stressed it leads to a process of complex thinking, time running and binge eating.

MATERIALS: I created a drawing of a man (student) using colour pencils and made adjustments to it on adobe photoshop followed by a melting clock and deconstructed clock in the background digitally on illustrator. I also used a metal wire to hang a research paper, a ‘finals’ notice and junk food wrappers to show nearing deadlines and binge eating.

SKETCH

Colour pencil: I wanted to make a drawing that would show a student stressing and freaking out about nearing finals which is leading him to feel like he wants to just hide and get over procrastination to finish his work. 
Illustrator: I drew a deconstructed clock digitally to show the complex thinking and process one goes through while planning to complete each deadline and still maintain grades. I chose this kind of clock because all the gears of the clock function in a certain way to make the clock work, the same way a human specifically a student’s brain functions like those gears to make everything come together so they can plan out a timeline to finish each project.

REFRENCE IMAGES: I used my hand as a reference image to draw hands digitally on the piece. I used a photo of the deconstructed clock and melting clock from the internet as references for making my digital drawings.

PROCESS

I started by making the colour pencil drawing of the man in a certain expression to fulfil my purpose of making him look terrified and stressed. I scanned and made some adjustments to the image on photoshop. Then, I made the deconstructed clock to signify the complex thinking process one goes through which was followed by melting clocks to show how time keeps running because completing work for finals includes a lot of procrastination and procrastination means wasting time which I tried to show by the melting part of the clock. I drew hands and thread digitally to show that one is obviously in control of their life on how and when they can complete a project and even though you are free, you are really tied to procrastination, work completion,  stress and binge eating. I wanted to emphasise on stressing over and binge eating which I think I achieved by hanging physical pieces of paper from my seminar research paper and pieces of food covers I ate while completing each final this semester. I used shades of red  for the background to show terror, to signify that deadlines = danger, stress and time management which are also major signs and also dangerous if not completed at the right time.

FINAL PIECE