Unconventional Materials

For the unconventional materials challenges my material was brown paper bags. Paper bags often make me think of the movement of going green and recycling. With this idea i decided to use the bags in the same way you use brown paper bags but put them in a different form, as a bookbag. This piece is intended to say the idea of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Some issues i ran into during my work was figuring out how to add different details to make the piece look like a bookbag without losing the look of the paper bags. I like the look of the natural identity of the items. With this, I believe I am at a level 3, where the piece has a message that is accessible to the viewer.

Before and during my project  I asked my peers for ideas and feedback for my project. My peers helped me come up with different details to add to the bag. Ms. Sudkamp and Ms. Rossi helped me understand how to keep the identity of the bags but add color using water color. With this i would say im a level 3, where i actively collaborate during my work.  

All throughout my project i stepped back and looked at my work to see what i could add and fix. This helped me a lot to get different ideas and details. I did test ideas before trying them on my final piece to make sure the ideas would work before i completed the project. However, I do wish I would have worked in a different order to complete the project. With this, i believe i am at a level 3 where i can identify the strengths and weaknesses of my project.                                                                                                  

Up Close & Personal

While working on this project I decided to try something that was going to be challenging, so I chose doing a living thing instead of an inanimate object. With this I also tried a medium that was less familiar to me, when we worked with the different mediums, the colored pencils were the most challenging for me. Because of that I decided to use them for this project to challenge myself entirely. With this I would say I am a level 3 where I select an option where the outcome is unsure. 

With choosing a medium and subject that was more challenging for me, I ran into challenges throughout  my work process.  I faced challenges with the placement of shadows and highlights dealing with the feathers when I was working. To deal with this challenge I looked at different pictures of the bird to establish the highlights and shadows.  Along with this challenge, there is a part of my piece that went too dark when I was establishing the shadows of some of the feathers so I had to make that darkness uniform which gave my piece an unplanned saturated look. With this I would say I am a level 2, where I can solve problems with help from you. 

While I was working it helped me a lot to step back and look at my work throughout my working process. Although, due to the quick pace that I worked at, towards the end of my piece I started stepping back and analyzing less which is when I ran into challenges. I did however practice a lot before working on my final piece to see how ideas worked before I tried them. With this, I would say I am a level 3 where I can independent understand strengths and weaknesses. 

I overall really enjoyed this project and working with this medium and am for the most part pleased with my final piece. 

Vessel Project

For this vessel project I learned techniques I didn't know before about using the wire and manipulating it for a certain shape and form. I also gained skill with this material as I worked on this project and added different things. After this project I believe I am at a level two because since I am new to the idea of working with new materials, I do often give up when presented with challenges. 

While working on this project I asked for different ideas on what to do and what martial to use. I also asked for opinions on how the vessel looked as I worked. Ms.sudkamp also helped me a lot coming up with an idea of what to do when she explained in detail what a true vessel is. After this project I believe I am at a level 3 because I actively collateral and ask for feedback all throughout my working time. 

I found a lot of inspiration from other pieces I had seen online. I used Pinterest as a tool to look for ideas involving the type of vessel I planned on creating. After this project I believe I am at a level 3 because I do often try ideas that I see in the real word when thinking of project ideas. 

Scientific

For the theme scientific I tried to think of item that could be shown in depth. I decided to do a clock because it's an item that the science behind it can be shown through th art, which is why I decided to show the gears. The mini lessons helped me a lot since I decided to use the technique of stippling, the advice from you about showing contrast through the darker and lighter values helped a lot while working on my piece. I showed this contrast through the different values of the gears and the lighter and darker values through the stippling to depict the gears I'm the for front and the gears that were further behind. With the stippling I used pen and ink because I enjoyed that technique the most and it was the most challenging so I decided to challenge myself for the first project. I ran into some challenges with this project with not going too dark too fast with the pen and ink using stippling. Learning to see the lights and darks differently helped a lot. Overall I would have started lighter instead of going so dark so fast and having to alter my different values in the end. Overall I learned a lot from this project and enjoyed my medium and using the stippling technique to create my piece. 

Color mediums

Using the different mediums for color helped me see the different values of color in each item I used. Using the oil pastel was challenging but I learned how to establish highlights and darker areas. The colored pencil was my least favorite and I found less challenging of the mediums when I used it drawing the lollipop. My favorite was using the chalk and learning to layer the colors while establishing the lighter and darker areas while also depicting the wrapper. I look forward to using the different mediums for my color project.