Final Blog Reflection- Texture

Degree of Exploration

I used a variety of textures in this project. I captured the texture of many organic and inorganic pictures through rubbings, photography, and sculpting. Some things that I used were cloth, paint, leaves, tiles, berries, bricks, and the list keeps on going. I really tried to use a variety of objects to make my compositions unique. I also kept the juxtaposing part of my compostions in mind. In my collage, I put two completely different textures next to each other in the background, and also layered different pictures to create many different textures. I thought it was pretty well organized since the compostition still represented a picture, even though I used different objects in what seemed like an abstract way.

Degree of Craftsmanship and attention to detail

All of my projects in this unit have a different, unique texture in at least one part of the composition. Each of my compositions have at least one clear and visable texture that stands out, which could have been rocks,  cloth, lace, or tiles. I definitely pushed myself in experimenting with different textures. I think I put the most work into my Photoshop collage, since I was really interested in using the pictures and rubbing to create an original compostition. I also had to pay attention to the smaller in my final block to make sure that each part of the compostion filled in he spaces properly, which took a lot of effort, especially with the lace that I used. My final block is well unified, since the lace represents the berries' leaves. It also looks as if it's a part of the composition, and not a separate piece, which is important in unity.

Level of techinical understanding and growth

I have improved in capturing textures in rubbings, digital photography, and sculpture, since I now know how to successfully capture different textures using the right materials. I also learned how to use Photoshop, and be creative when making the compositions. I also used many types of textures and objects, which helped me understand more about how to experiment with different objects. I realize that my project has a few imperfections, such as the hot glue strings comimg out of my texture. I think that if I had better control over where the hot glue was going, I wouldn't have had as many imperfections.

Final Reflection- Rayogram and Paper Cut-Outs

REFLECT

Look at your rayograms and paper cut-out creations.

What compositional styles where you drawn to? (pattern, rhythm, directional movement et cetera). How do the shapes of the objects relate to one another on the page? Choose one collage and one print as your most compelling work and explain why.

Rayograms- I tried to keep my rayogram simple by using a few unique objects. The objects that I included were lace, 3 glass tiles, and a glass object that didn't show up. I put the lace on the bottom left corner. Then, I  placed the tiles by tilting them differently so that it didn't look too uniformed. I also think that it's interesting how the glass object blurred a part of the lace, which was unintentional. I tried to show balance and a little bit of movement in this one. I also think that the lace represents unity because of the different patterns that come together. I liked how I was able to use a few objects to make a unique piece. I also was happy that there were different transparency levels in my composition, which created different shades and not just one shade of grays and whites.

Paper Cut Outs- For my second paper-cut out, I wanted to try using geometric shapes, since the one I did before was more abstract. I had three sections in my composition- zig zags, small shapes, and then rectangles and squares with small shapes cut out of them. In this composition, I wanted to show balance and rhythm, but it could also be movement. I liked this one because I thought that the geometric shapes stood out and looked more defined on the background.

DEVELOP CRAFT

Working in the darkroom can be challenging. There are a lot of technical and mechanical components to keep in mind. Make an outline of your process in the darkroom, go through the steps of making a print. (you do not need to write in complete sentences).

-arrange objects

-adjust the timing and aperture

-place the paper under the objects

-turn the timer on

-put the paper in the developer for 1-2 min

- move it to the stop bath for 30 secs

-then the fixer for 2 mins

-and finally the water wash for 4 mins

To what degree did you push yourself to rework and refine your work? How well unified are the compositions of you final collage and photogram prints?

I pushed myself pretty hard in trying to find the composition that I was fully satisfied with. I wanted to make compositions that were unique and original by using different object. Even though I spent more time on my first rayogram, I still liked how I was able to make another unique composition in a short period of time. I feel like I spent a lot of time during and outside of class for this project, which paid off because I'm happy with my compositions. The collages that made were similar in a way because they had similar compositional styles. I used a lot of balance and movement in my collages. Different aspects of the compositions were also abstract.

HABITS OF MIND

Look at the Artist Habits of Mind. Besides, Develop Craft & Reflect, which habit did you excel at with this “Shape and Composition” project (consider all facets of the project)? Which habit did you struggle with? Give a little explanation about why you chose each one. 

 

I think I excelled at Engage and Persist, Observe, and Stretch and Explore. I was really engaged in the project and was interested in the different composition styles. I also was persistent and didn't give up in trying to create a composition that I was happy with. I also observed what other people created and tried to see what styles they used. I liked seeing how people used different shapes in their compositions and how they placed the compositions in different parts of the paper to create a unique piece. This motivated me to be more original in my compositions. I also stretched and explored different ways of creating a design. One thing I struggled with is expression. Sometimes, it's a little harder for me to express myself through art, since I need to practice how to convey emotion in my compositions.

Rayogram

This is the first rayogram I did with Aiko and Chantal. I would like to experiment by using differenet objects with different transperancy levels. The aperture of this one was 3, and we kept for 7 seconds under the light. I would also like to see the different outcomes by using other apetures and changing the timings. In addition, I want to try using a mix of organic and geometric objects to create a unique picture.

Wire Sculpture- Tennis Player

Three words to describe the sculpture (from Francesca):

Athletic, muscular, and active

 

How does your wire sculpture use line to articulate motion?

I used different lines to illustrate movement in my sculpture. I slanted a lot of the wires to create the angle at which the tennis player is serving at. I also curved and bended them to create muscules, especially at the legs, which also helped in creating the movement.

 

In what ways does your sculpture illustrate your technical development?

I had to attach different pieces of wire to each other while I was making the scuplture. There are some areas where the wires look much heavier and denser, and that's where I connected the major wires. I also was able to fit the racket into the sculpture's hand, and for that, I had to adjust the gap in between the wires a couple of times in order to match the width of the racket, but at the end, it was definiety worth it.

 

Look at your preliminary sketches for your sculpture. How do the sketches resemble your final piece? how are they different?

I have come a long way from my sketches to my sculpture. My line drawings didn't have the same amount of movement and expression as my sculpture, since it wasn't as detailed and didn't really use many different variations of lines. However, they were similar because they showed the same action and a lot of the angles were pretty similar.

Contour and Gesture Drawings

drawing of a fork. i chose it because i liked the how i added shadows and added shape to it

I chose this because i thought it showed the most expression out of my other drawings