Addison Thomas
Cohort2
Drawing Lab
The drawing is unified by the patchwork style and differences in value fairly evenly throughout. The main focus point is the black object to the right, and some minor focal points are the blotches of black with the eye in the center. The light shading in the back helps unify the objects in front of it. Some of the smaller details that didn't add to the piece were distracting, so I made them lighter.
If I had longer to work on this, I would add more shading in the background and make the shading darker.
Project 1
The scissors and the ribbon represents cutting people off that are no longer a positive influence on you. The red ribbon tying two people together, intertwining their futures, cut by one side making the decision for the better. I used charcoal, india ink, pencil, and sharpie. I focused on the scissors rather than the ribbon, because while the ribbon is clearly important, the act of cutting through and severing the ribbon is the point; the act of putting yourself first in that way can be something divine.
Project 2
Here are my four preparatory drawings and my list of ideas with thumbnails. My idea was to do something with conformity and unconventionality, such as a man wearing lipstick or a businessman with a mow-hawk and piercings.
I have three work in progress pictures and lastly my final drawing. I've titled it "Mr. Armstrong" referencing Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, a huge figure in the punk movement in the 90's, and combining that with the formal element of using only his last name and using "Mr." like you would in an office. While this isn't Billie Joe Armstrong, he is who I think of when I think punk, so I'm happy to name the piece after him.
The materials I used are pencils and charcoal. Charcoal was a little hard to work with at first, but after a while of using it and switching back and forth from it and a pencil, it was actually a little freeing because there were less details to worry about that eventually would have crowded the piece.
The point of this piece was to convey the problem that people often have to look a certain way to get a secure job, regardless of their skill set. The hair going outside the box is a hint to the idea of not fitting inside a box or a label. Many people have to change themselves and lose who they are, causing them to eventually forget themselves and fall into conformity for the remainder of their lives. Not only do people deal with this in the workplace, but in everyday life as well. If you look different from someone, there's a good chance you're going to be treated worse for it. Because of this, many people who would otherwise thrive being different are shoved into conventionality and lead subpar lives. I try to fight this issue in my own life by refusing to change myself just because of some rude things strangers say to me or workplace harassment. I think that as time goes on, peoples differences will be more accepted, and maybe at some point in time this particular issue wont exist anymore.
Project 3
The point of this painting is to show the idea that society hates the individual and the way that people dress themselves and behave. I show this through painting different people on a subway, with traces of death or the individual around them, they remain.
Project 4
In this piece, I used acrylic paint and strips of paper to make a collage of a late night scene at a stop light after rain. I think it would have been better without the fog; the photo on the right shows that.
Project 5
This is a drawing of a sea slug if my brother was a human sea slug hybrid. I really enjoyed this assignment and i'm glad I got to do it digitally. He's playing games because my brother loves to play games. I wanted to stray from what I usually tend to do, attempting realism, and just have fun with this piece.
Class Reflection
Think back to the first day of class and consider the description of this class that was discussed. Has the course met your expectations? Why or why not? If you can’t remember the description, go back and look over your syllabus before you respond.
Yes, this course met my expectations and went above and beyond in the uniqueness and variations of the projects we did.
How has this course challenged you this semester? Said another way, how has this course helped you to grow and learn? Please be specific. Are there materials or techniques that have been a challenge? Why? Have you been challenged to think in different ways than you have before? Did you find any projects to assignments not challenging enough? If so, please describe that experience.
I learned new techniques and used different materials for the first time.
Make a list of all of the new technical skills you have learned or refined up to this point.
-charcoal
Were the course materials (syllabus, lectures, notes, assignments, rubrics) clear and easy to access? If not, what changes would help improve your experience?
- Yes, everything was accessible and easy to understand.
How would you rate/describe your participation and engagement in this course throughout the semester? What did you do well? What could you do better/differently as we head into the spring semester?
- I need to set aside more time for assignments, but I did everything that I completed well.