Scratchboard

SELF EVALUATION

1. Describe the subject matter and meaning of your artwork.

 The meaning behind this piece of artwork is to represent my love for the beach. I thought it would be fun to do a scratchboard image of turtles running into the ocean to start their lives. 

2. How did you use textures to enhance your picture?
I used textures to enhance my picture by creating streaks coming from the direction of the turtles movements. This shows the viewer what direction they are moving which leads to the ocean. Waves most of the time have foam from the impact of them crashing into the shore so I made sure to add texture to that area. 

3. How did you balance your artwork and create a well-organized composition?
I balanced my artwork by not adding to much distractions to the image and by that I mean having a main focus where the eye would go when they first see the picture. The two turtles are spaced out well and the streaks don't cross into one another because if they did it wouldn't make sense due to the fact that they aren't walking the same paths. 

4. How did you imply movement in your drawing?
I implied movement by creating the streaks coming from the turtles feet to show which way they're moving. They are going towards the ocean overall. 

5. How could you improve your artwork?
I could improve my artwork by adding more detail. If you were to look at the scratchboard you can tell what it is but I think if I added more detail it would have a stronger visual appeal. 

6. How did you demonstrate a wide range of shading values?
A demonstrated a wide range of shading values by making the "footprints" of the turtle light in some areas. I did this by pressing down lightly on the scratchboard so that it didn't take away a lot of the black. Then in other areas I pressed down harder so that it added more value. The turtle shells were created with bold white lines. I did this because I want that to be the first thing that stands out to the viewer. Overall I think I succeeded in making my vision come to life. 

Self Portrait Drawing

                                                                                                

1. Discuss your drawing.  Use your own words to describe, analyze, interpret and judge your artwork.  Add art vocabulary to make your critique better.  There are a few questions to guide you so you need to be as in depth as possible. 

The title of this drawing is "Growth" by Zari Wilson (me). I created this in my drawing class over a period of time. In order to do this drawing I used pencil and a manila piece of paper. The meaning behind this picture is that I wanted to show the difference between the way I used to look, to now. As you can see I wore piggy tails as a little girl to now wearing my hair out. Also you can just see how the face matured as a whole. I didn't truly capture the image I wanted to because I don't feel as if the image resembles me. I will need a lot more work in this area. 

1. Discuss how you accomplished depth and value in your drawing. Why did you choose the portrait style that you did? What is the most important aesthetic quality of your drawing? How were you able to give the viewer and interesting experience with your choice of medium and techniques? If you are unsure what aesthetic means then look up the meaning and write it with your critique.  

I accomplished using depth and value in my drawing by trying to focus on areas that would usually have shadows around them. With the eyes I put some value beneath them because I wanted to show how I am getting older and my sleeping schedule isn't nearly as nice as it used to be which causes bags. Also, with the noses you can see that I added value beneath them because it typical to see a shadow there. I chose this portrait style because it allows me more space to draw. If I drew this image vertically instead of horizontal I would have trouble fitting everything onto the paper. The most important aesthetic quality of my image was to get the proportions correct. By having the heads connect to each other I was able to give the viewer an interesting experience. 

1. Does your drawing evoke feeling and expression? How did you accomplish this?   

My drawing evokes a feeling of seriousness because the expression is flat. I didn't necessarily want to add an expression because I wanted the viewer to focus mainly on the physical traits of the person changing. When I look at the drawing it makes me think about life and how time flys by. We should cherish every moment that we have on this earth because it could either be taken away from you in a blink of an eye or one day you'll wake up and realize you're an old woman. You'll never be as young as you are today. 

Candy Blog (Snickers Bar)

This snickers bar drawing was slightly a challenge for me because I had to figure out how to make it look realistic. I wouldn't consider myself someone who is comfortable with using colored pencils for creating an image. The reason for this is because I didn't necessarily know where to place certain colors to add depth. But overall I think it turned out okay and I'm looking forward to taking my experience with this drawing into consideration next time I have to do something similar to this.

Dum Dum Blog

I really enjoyed creating this Dum Dum lollipop drawing. One of the things I found with doing this is that black paper allows certain colors to stand out really well. I had fun using the white colored pencil on this paper because it made the image pop.

Smarties Blog

During the process of this Smarties drawing I had to learn how to put a stronger color in sections I wanted to stand out. In the middle section of the actual smarties I made sure to press down harder on the chalk and not blend it too much because if I did the boldness of the color would fade away. Also, I put white in certain sections of the drawing to make the viewer aware that the candy is in a plastic wrapper. Overall I had a good time creating this and glad I learned these skills.

Facial Features (All)

Eyes:
When we did the eye drawings I really learned how to make them look realistic. Little details I never payed attention to before make a big difference, like the eyelashes on the bottom part of your eye and the eye creases. Another thing that I learned to pay attention to is how long the top eyelashes are in certain parts compared to others.

Nose:
With doing the nose drawing I tried to focus on adding the right amount of value to the right sections.  If you don't the image can end up looking flat and cartoon-like which is what I didn't want.

Mouth:
The mouth drawing gave me the most trouble due to the fact that I don't completely know how to shade them to create a realistic look. I feel as if I got somewhat better than I used to be at drawing them though and that is what's most important.

Ear:
The ear drawing was something that I enjoyed doing because I felt like I knew just where to add value. Due to this it allowed my drawing to come out good and realistic-like.

Skull Drawing

With this skull drawing I had to practice getting the proportions of the face to look right. I wanted to focus mainly on the proportion of the head as a whole because if that isn't quite right then the rest of the facial features may appear off.

Colored Pencil/ Pastel Opacity Project

1. Describe the craftsmanship of your drawing. (Is it neat and well executed?) The drawing was neat and well executed because of the crisp lines and different colors used. 

2. Describe how your background choices help unify the three artworks and tie them together as one piece of art. The background allows the colors to mesh well together. If I would have used another background I don't think this would've turned out as well as it did.

3. Describe your choice of colors/color harmonies and how you used them throughout the artwork. I chose to use a bright pink colored pencil for the outside portion of the barbie box because it brings attention to what's actually inside of the packaging. The different colors used for the outfit of the basketball player draws attention to her because it stands out from the rest of the colors used. The grey is to show the shelf the barbie box is standing on.

4. How did you create contrast in your drawing? I created contrast in my drawing by using multiple different colors. This allows the eyes to be able to first focus on the pink on the box and then the eyes will move to what's actually inside of it. 

5. How did you use textures, highlights and shadows to enhance your artwork? I used texture in the grey shelf by putting down mini diamond shapes because that's how a lot of shelves look in stores. The highlights are shown inside of the box to add a realistic effect as if there was plastic actually there. Shadows were used behind the box to also show where the lightening is coming from.

6. Why did you choose a particular background color to mount your artwork? I chose manila paper because I felt as if it would allow me to use all of the different colors that I did. To me it seemed to be a neutral color and that's what I wanted.

7. Discuss the importance of understanding the media (prisma or pastels) and acquiring the skills necessary to create a successful project. It is really important to understand how prisma colors are used in order to create a successful project. If you don't know how to blend certain colors to add a realistic affect then the drawing may not come out as successful as you would've hoped, assuming you want it to look realistic. 

8. Describe any difficulties you had creating your drawing and what you could do to improve your drawing? I had trouble making the drawing look completely realistic. I feel like it somewhat looks like a cartoon. The reason for this in my opinion is because I should've added more value to certain parts of the drawing. To improve this I just need more practice in this area. 

Colored Pencil Practice

In these colored pencil sketches I was practicing how to blend and add value to the obstacles. This played a big part in my lollipop sketch and the waterslide sketch. If I had not practiced they probably wouldn't of turned out the way they did and that is why I find this important.

Progression Drawing

1. Explain how value is important in this drawing. Value is very important in this drawing because you have to add depth to the lollipop considering the fact that the perspective you are looking at it isn't one dimensional. 
2. Describe several challenges that you faced while creating this drawing.  What did you do to overcome these obstacles? I had trouble recreating the text on the lollipop wrapper and making it fit the way it should've. To overcome these obstacles I just made sure to take my time and to draw small. 
3. How important was it to have clean crisp edges to your wrapper? It is crucial to have clean crisp edges to your wrapper. It brings out the lollipop and makes it look realistic. Without that you can't really see it from the perspective that you are trying to imitate. 
4. Explain how your interpretation of texture is essential in capturing the look of the object. The interpretation of texture is definitely an essential in capturing the look of the object. In order to make it look the way you actually saw the obstacle in real life you have to add every detail and with that comes texture. It makes it look realistic. 
5. Name three things you would draw differently if you were to do this project again.  What did you learn from this drawing? I would draw the lettering different, the shadows, and the edges. I learned that detail is extremely important and no matter what I should take my time. 

Look At That View

1. Describe how you created an interesting point of view? Was it successful? Why or why not? I created an interesting point of view by showing what it looks like to go down a water slide in first person perspective. I think the actual look of the waterslide was successful because it transitioned from dark to light which is actually what its like in a water slide. 
2. Why is it important to understand perspective and how to draw it? It is important because if you don't understand perspective then it is hard to recreate it on paper and make it look realistic. 
3. How were the colored pencil exercises important in the success of your piece? They were important because if I had not practiced and experimented with using the colored pencils then I don't think I would fully know how to use them and blend them together. 
4. Describe the craftsmanship of your colored pencil. What techniques were used? (How well the project is technically crafted). As I got deeper into the water slide I made sure it the image got lighter because realistically that is how water slides are. I wanted to drown out whatever would be a background image so I made it black. Last but least with the legs they transition into disappearing because I wanted to show that they are under water.
5. Were you able to achieve depth by showing a foreground, middle ground and back- ground? Explain. I think I was able to achieve depth in these ways. The way the water is moving and the curve further down the waterslide really bring out the middle ground and back-ground. Also, the way the legs are positions help add to the depth. 
6. Explain your experience with colored pencil and the project in general. What were the obstacles and advantages? The obstacles with this project would definitely be the ability to add value with the color pencils. I still don't think I have that down but if I continue to practice I will be able to get there. The advantage would be that you can bring the images to life with color.
7. Looking back on the progression of this project what skills, techniques or other information would you like to have been taught? Do you feel you were prepared for this project? I would've liked to have been taught more about how to blend and add depth using the colored pencil. Other than that I feel as if I was prepared for this project. The perspective practices that we did helped out with this project.

Value Studies

In these value studies I practiced shading and saw which techniques brought me the most success when trying to make them look realistic. I found it important that you really define where the light source is coming from. If you don't really have a light source than the chance of the drawing looking realistic is slim. Also, it is a great addition to a picture if you add a shadow effect. 

Still Life Composition

These four compositions helped me decide which drawing I was going to pursue in the final still life project. It really helped to put my ideas down in a quick sketch so that I knew what I was sort of doing when I tried to actually draw it. I would recommend doing composition drawings before starting any big pieces.

Final Still Life

1.       Describe the craftsmanship of your drawing.  (Is it clear, clean edges, blended well, smudges, defined space, etc.) The picture is very soft. I did not add a lot of dark spots which caused the whole feel of it to be light. Although it was light, I feel like it was well blended, especially the bottles.

2.      Are your values and shadows realistic? How many values did you include? How and why are values important? The values and shadows are realistic. I didn’t use as many values as I probably should have and it is something I regret because I think I could've made it darker

3.      Is there a clear source of lighting? Yes, I clearly show where the light is coming from because of the highlight on the glasses.

4.      How important were the compositional sketches? Explain. The compositional sketches were extremely important. If it weren’t for those, I wouldn't truly know how I was going to set up each picture, whichever I chose to draw.

5.      How is your final drawing successful? It is successful in the sense that I got the proportions correct. I feel that that is a major component when trying to recreate a real life look. I could've made the image darker with more variations of value but besides that I think I successfully did this project.

6.      Are the proportions, structure and perspective of the subject correct? Yes, the proportions, structure and perspective are correct. The glasses are well rounded and you can see through them, just like you can in real life. The perspective in my opinion is correct because behind everything you can see the faint image of cabinets and that is how I saw it from my own perspective.

7.      Does the placement & grouping of objects create a pleasing arrangement (composition)?

Yes, the placement and grouping of objects create a pleasing arrangement. If it doesn't appeal to the eye then it isn't exactly pleasing. You have to make sure things are too clustered on the page.

8.     Is there a center of interest and is it well located? The center of interest is in the heart of where all the objects are mainly located. This is where the eye is most drawn to because of the fact that it has a lot of things to look at. You have the medium size mason jar, the leaves that come out of the mason jar, the larger bottle, and the bucket that is off to the far right.

9.      How well did you manage your time and resources throughout the process of creating this drawing?  Do you see where you could improve in this area? I think I managed my time really well but at the same time I think I finished the project too fast. The fact that I could have added way more values and I had enough time to do so but I didn’t tells me that I finished too fast.

10.  What challenges did you encounter during this project and how did you overcome them? The main challenge that I came across was adding value. I didn't want to make the objects too dark because I have a tendency of going too dark and then regretting it and having to erase a lot. I wanted to avoid that but in doing so I failed to add a great amount of value.

11.   What have you learned drawing a still life? I learned that the three most important things to do when drawing a still life is that you have to make sure the proportions are right, there are a lot of values, and the perspective has to be correct.    

Fabric Studies

In these two images I attempted to draw the fabric sheet that was hanging up in the room. I learned that around the curves you have to make it darker so it really brings out the fabric. Also, you hear to make sure to blend in the cone because if you don't it looks choppy.

Value Chart with Shapes

In class we had to draw a value chart and then shapes so that we could try out the values. The triangle shape is the best in my opinion.

Ribbon

I used a white prisma colored pencil to create this image. Where the light touches I made sure it was fully white and for the darker spots I left them black. I think I did a good job making the image look realistic.

Final Fabric Drawing

1. Yes, I used a wide range of values. It's evident through the different shades of charcoal I used. As you can see some parts are lighter and then darker than others.

2. My practice studies with values really contributed to the outcome of my final piece. Learning what does and doesn't look right when it comes to shading played a major part. If I hadn't practiced shading in my practice drawings then it wouldn't have came out like this in my opinion.

3. When it comes to the blending and transitions of the fabric it varies. In some sections (the curves) I had to put more pressure on the charcoal pencil I was using. In other parts I had to lighten up so that you could see where the light was hitting.

4. Interpretation of texture is an essential to capturing the look of the object because if you don't pay attention to the light and dark spots then you can't fully create the image you want to. You have to look at every single detail.

5. If I could go back and do something differently I wouldn't have pressed down on my charcoal pencil originally. I had to go back and erase a lot because I realized it was too dark. Next time I will gradually build the values in the picture.

Contour Room

Practice Contour Room:

Final Contour Room: Self Evaluation Questions

1. Did you use a fluid line? Explain how is this evident?
In the beginning I did not use a fluid line because I forgot that that was supposed to be what we were doing but then I started to use it later on.

2. Describe the difference in your contour line drawing to an outline drawing.
With my contour drawing I tried to add depth to the picture. Outline drawings don't have depth to them. It's usually just the outline of the image one is trying to make come to life. Also, with a contour drawing you do not lift your pencil. 

3. Explain how your interpretation of line is essential in capturing the look of the room.
When trying to add depth to a drawing, I feel it is important to make the line thicker where you need to. Also, when trying to make the picture look realistic you need to have it at an angel so that it looks like you're actually there. It isn't something easy to do but it all comes with paying attention to detail.

4. What did you learn from completing this drawing? If you could recreate your piece what would you do differently to enhance the final outcome?
From completing this drawing, I learned that everything takes patience and detail. In order to create a picture similar to the what you see in real life you have to look closely into the little things. If I could recreate the piece to enhance the final outcome I would look at the view differently. I would sit at a different angle than the one I did so that I could create more of a in depth type of picture. Also, I would be more patient with certain things so it would come out more realistically. 

Backpack Contour

I really enjoyed making this contour drawing. I did my best to pay attention to the details the bag had and overall I'm content with the way it turned out. Usually, I don't like to do big drawings because of proportion reasons but I think I did well with this drawing and will try doing more big ones in the future.