Contour drawing

pencil on drawing paper

This is a contour drawing done to show my growth as an artist. This drawing is done by allowing the eye to follow the outer most edges, as well as the lines visible. I chose to do my mother in this position because I like the positioning of her body and the composition. The lines that create shapes in her hair are very interesting, and I liked all of the wrinkles on her shirt. By drawing her profile, I was challenged to create the proper proportions of her body, especially considering the awkward position of her stomach. However, I feel that this piece is of good enough quality to show that I have become much more aware of the lines and proportions of what I am drawing, and it allowed me to work from life. 

Turning shoulders

Charcoal on drawing paper 

For this piece I wanted to try charcoal. This is a picture I took while on the beach with one of my fellow classmates Lauren. I liked the positioning of her body and her large hat, which created an interesting composition. The reflection on her glasses shows movement and excitement; however, white background shows isolation. This piece has a wide range of value changes, which makes it an ideal charcoal drawing. The lights and darks were easily created by the shading, and the lightness of the top of her hat shows that she is in the sun. This is because it is much lighter than her face which is hidden from the sun by the large hat. The unexpected directions of her hair shows movement. The seriousness of her face and the black and white creates drama and expresses emotion. 

Concentration #12

9.75" x 7.75"

Colored Pencil on Watercolor Paper 

For my final piece, I chose to use a tea cup that I had not drawn yet, and I wanted to draw a person to help show my growth as an artist. This is a picture of a family friend. Her name is Gracie, and she is four years old. I bought this tea cup at a thrift store, and I thought it was very beautiful. I specifically liked the shape and size of this cup, because it is short and wide; therefore, I felt that it resembled a tea cup that might belong to a child's tea set. The tea cup is the lightest aspect of this piece; therefore, it is evident that it is the tea cup. I also felt that by using a bit of foreshortening, I was able to show my growth as a drawer. The shadows on her face show that she is holding the cup up towards someone or something. The unfocused appearance of her facial features show depth and that she is present, yet the cup is supposed to be the focal point of the piece.

Scratchboard

5" x 7" 

Scratch Board 

For this breath piece, I wanted to expand my choice of medium and do a scratchboard. This is a picture of my little brother and dog sitting on the back of a chair. I chose this picture because I felt that is showed emotion and movement. The dogs hair shows movement and has lots of highlights, which made it an ideal scratchboard picture. The expression on his face shows emotion. I was able to create texture on the chair by creating a pattern that ranges in value. The light source has eliminated the dogs left eye and made my brothers eye almost hidden. However, the form and small detailing shows that they both have eyes, and it forces the viewer to interpret what can not be seen. The lightest lights create emphasis and bring the viewers eye towards the center of interest. Although they are both important, he is the largest and lightest aspect of the piece. Therefore, he is the center of interest.

Into The Wild

8.75" x 14.5"

Pencil on drawing paper

For this breath piece I wanted to do something very unique and different. This picture was taken while on a nature walk, and I chose it because of the vertical and diagonal lines of the tree branches. The tree branches create emotion and mystery. This piece is unique because instead of using a conventional drawing style to create shading. I used words to create shading throughout the entire piece. I used very deep and emotional words that I felt reflected the tone and feeling that this picture portrays. By overlapping and darkening the words, I was able to cerate darker hues. I used a range of pencils that helped create harder and softer lines. The darkness and lightness of the branches show depth in the piece. The branches that are in front of my face show that I am hidden behind that the branches which also generates emotion.  

Concentration #11

Colored Pencil on Colored Multimedia Paper 

11.75" x 8.5"

This piece is much different than all of my previous pieces. I saw this cup in an antique shop; however, it was not broken and I did not have a picture reference for this drawing. I combined several different ideas to create the composition. The highlights on the spilt tea/coffee create depth and show form. The repeated piece of the tea cup on the right side of the piece makes the eye go back towards the center of interest. The background of the piece tells a story that something happened to break this cup, and the antique toy correlates to the age of the tea cup. The simple portrayal of molding shows that the cup broke as it hit the ground. The cup stands out as the focal point because it is the lightest aspect of the piece. The  blue hue of the paper creates unity with the blue tea cup, and it also broadens my concentration. 

Bad Dog

13.25" x 9.75"
Colored Pencil on Watercolor Paper 

For my tenth concentration, I wanted to challenge my creativity and expand my concentration. I have a very dear and strong love for my puppy, Holly. Holly is a wild dog, who has not yet, but probably would, pull a napkin off of a table. This portrayal of my dog is not realistic; however, I was able to take several different pictures and ideas and morph them into one compositionally unique piece. The dark colors of the wood are repeated within the cup and the spilling coffee. The blues, grays, and purples on the table cloth and napkin are related in Holly's fur. Although she is the darkest aspect of the piece, she does not stand out more than the cup. The cup and the spilling tea is the most dramatic aspect of the piece; therefore, it stands out as the focal point. The converging lives on the chair and the napkin point towards the cup, and the eyes of positioning of the dogs face, makes the viewer want to look at what the dog is looking at. For this piece, I had to challenge creativity and work through many problems. I began by making the lace table cloth come off the page, and eventually, I made the tablecloth short so that the dark hues could be repeated throughout tablecloth and underneath it.