November 2019 archive

Progress, Feedback from Open Studio 11/22, Notes from Lauren 11/26 ,

Feedback From Open studio 11/22

  • Some of the crosshatching feels lazy, and it might be more visually interesting to add an abstract texture. Or really commit to crosshatching/rendering realistically.
  • More classically composed pieces would be great
  • Draw more faces.  It looks like I am intentionally not drawing them.
  • Consider making band posters/introducing typography (for future works)
  • This work is more suited for gallery spaces than kids books

Overall, I don’t have a very positive opinion of the the event.  I wish that we could have had actual class with our actual teacher, rather than brief intermittent interactions with adults experiencing sensory overload.

Notes from Lauren 11/26

Lauren countered most of the feedback that i was given at the open studio.

  • does the craft support the idea? Does the work surprise/engage? Then it doesn’t matter if it’s anatomically accurate/photo-realistic.
  • Successful art makes the viewer see what you want them to see
  • Growth as an artist = the growth of ideas
  • The imperfections add warmth and a human touch, ultimately making the work more interesting

The open studio feedback “This work is more suited for gallery spaces than kids books” is troublesome.  It was mostly the condescending tone in which it was delivered, as if i were not privy to the fact that kids books generally don’t feature nudity, adults, or the macabre. Oh really?

I plan to make 3 pieces over break that are more suited for kids books. From a purely practical standpoint, I need some new portfolio pieces for the SCBWI conference I’m attending in February. For petty reasons, fuck that feedback.

Lauren suggested doing a take on Aesop’s Fables, Greek myths, or some other well-known story reinterpreted. To address the issue of “avoiding drawing faces” I could create pieces that are more “portraity.”  Lauren also suggested the addition of color: two tone or tints still count as color!

 

Here’s the art:

 

I printed out some copies of the abstract pieces to play around with. Here’s a general idea of what I settled on. This is by no means a completely formed idea, but because the pointillism takes so long, I wanted to get started on whatever I could.

 

 

Notes From Chang 10/25 and 11/1

Notes From Chang 10/25/2019

  • We discussed how the project might expand next semester. One possible route could be to silkscreen the images. Over winter break I can try and play around with ideas for color, and present these ideas in January. Chang also suggested scanning and printing (or phone pic and printing) the images to explore different solutions for markmaking/patterning/etc.
  • Assess art as a pattern. See what elements need more push/pull.
  • Go back through with one more pass of refinements.

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“Duck, Duck and Cover”

Chang said:

“play around with overlapping images.”

Here are two ideas I came up with.  I prefer the first one, as i think the work lacks visual density and needs more dark areas. The patterning would be small and dense around the border, rather than large swoops as shown (but this was just a quick exploration. )  I’d like to collage some dahlias as well.

Xerox test 1

Xerox Test

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“Adam and Eve, once over”

Chang said:

“Fill the negative space with obsessive organic shapes.” (ie. dots as seen below)

Old drawings of hands

Old drawing of a delicious potsticker

This is the result:

The obsessive/malleable marks contrast with the formal elements (ie. the posing of the figures, the architectural composition).  This process is incredibly time-consuming, but the texture is worth it. I’m not nearly done with it.  With this piece, I can definitely see the the possibility of adding an additional tint (ink wash) to allow for the push/pull of value. Currently, everything blends together,.

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3 boxes (untitled for now):

Chang said:

“Experiment with the push and pull of the pictoral plane. Try only dealing with pattern and the purely abstract. Experiment with markmaking/rhythm, and figure out the systems/rules for each type of mark.  Differentiate each set of markmaking, create a sustained practice. create something that is purely abstract. For this piece, push the sense of composition and space. Do not support a narrative. Play with foreground/background. What is solid? Transparent? Translucent?”

I tried experimenting with having more representational images, but didn’t like the result. I don’t often make abstract art, so creating a purely abstract piece could be a fun challenge.

Holding off on this one for now though.

Xerox test

 

The current state of the art.  I have inked borders.

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Notes From Chang 11/1

 

“Apple > God”

Notes from Chang:

“Consider the background as a visual contrast to the other elements. Ie. try markmaking with a straightedge rather than having organic, fluid lines. The rigid lines would provide contrast and separate the visual planes.”

Xerox test

 

Below is the design implemented.  The brown areas are cut out with darker paper pasted behind it. I’ve also gone through multiple times to refine the squiggle lines.

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Cell Phone Mandala:

I will finish it (mostly) by next week.

 

Chang said:

“Sustain the integrity of the markmaking from the center, and pull the designs to the edges. Make the marks small and dense.”

I’ve worked on this all weekend, and it’s taking forever.  The background is almost done.  I still need to go back through to the figures in the center and refine them some more.

 

Xerox test

It is beginning to have a mind of it’s own.

 

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“Plastics Mandala”

Chang said:

“Be conscious of the push and pull of the different layers. Hold off on this one at the moment.”

 

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Cerberus piece:

Will have finished-ish for next week.  Last week I inked in the background and cut out some areas to allow for the brown paper to show through.

 

Xerox test

 

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Chang said:

“Hold off on this one.”

I did add some Asian carp to the background, as well as adding more squiggly lines.  I’m not super convinced by this piece. The anatomy is weird. I might collage it.  I might set it aside.  I’m creating some distance before making a decision.

Xerox test

 

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Architectural/Fragmented Reality:

Chang said:

“Refine the drawing before going into the inking. All spaces should be defined by minimal tangential relationships Ie. solid black and white, with some representational drawings. Focus less on pattern though. Each shape is an object with DENSITY. What is the edge? What is the line? Make it graphic and minimalist.”

This is just a Xerox test image.  The actual drawing hasn’t changed in the last week. Chang disliked like the idea of re-introducing characters from other drawings, and I agree. In this test  it feels like a collage of unconnected characters and textures. The addition of too many patterns/textures makes it chaotic.  While I think that creating a little visual chaos might add to the narrative, I don’t think this is the way to do it.

I’m also holding off on this one for now.  I need to make more printouts and play with the composition before committing.

Xerox test