Exam Question #1: Which project was your most successful? Describe the theme and or topic of the project and the process you went through to complete your work. Were the choices you made regarding material, size, technique, etc the same ones that you would make if you did it over? Please explain.
In my opinion, my most successful project was Project #2, the color project. The theme that I tried to bring out was 'stillness.' I did this in an ironic way because water is obviously not still, but in that one captured moment, something that normally isn't still, is. My process for creating this project began with me perusing the internet for inspiration. I decided that I really wanted to use a monochromatic color scheme, and I picked the color blue. The next step was the most challenging for me: picking my media and getting the colors to blend well together. At first, I tried using colored pencils, but after many failed attempts, I realized the colors weren't blending together as well as I would have liked. Then Mrs. Purtee suggested that I use oil pastels, so I decided to give it a try. It worked (albeit a few really rough drafts). The colors were blended nicely, and the silhouette of the sailboat offered a nice contrast from the different shades of blue I was using. If I did this project over, I would skip the colored pencils altogether, because I learned that the oil pastels are the best tools for blending colors together.
Exam Question #2: Discuss one project where you felt you overcame obstacles. What were those obstacles and how to work through them? Explain how taking risks or challenging yourself made you a better artist.
In Project #6, the abstract art project, I felt like I overcame obstacles. My main obstacle was the fact that I really didn't want to use a linoleum block. I was completely against it for some reason. At first, I was planning to make the exact same shoe design, but with colored pencils instead. Using colored pencils posed another challenge for me. When I was coloring in my design, I couldn't color dark enough with the pencils to accurately create a piece of Pop Art, which was a style well-known for it's bright colors. So I decided to take a risk and use a linoleum block. Carving the block was fairly easy, and after realizing that a one-color print wouldn't provide enough contrast, I did two different two-color prints. Challenging myself like this definitely made me a better artist. It made me feel more confident with using different types of media instead of my usual pencil on paper. This project also forced me to think creatively and do some problem solving when something didn't work out, which ultimately made me a better artist.
Exam Questions #3 Compare the hand drawing you completed for this exam with an earlier hand drawing (letter “A” or warm ups for the realism project). Discuss how comparison of the drawings illustrates your growth as an artist.
This semester, we did a lot of hand drawings. The very first hand drawing I did was the letter 'A' in sign language. I knew that I was really bad at drawing hands, so I tried to make it as small as possible, so my mistakes wouldn't be as obvious. My proportion was a little off, because to me, the fingers looked a little too small compared to the size of the fist. I didn't use that many different values, I just stuck to the same line with medium thickness the whole way through. A few months later, I did another hand drawing for my final exam. I am more happy with the way this one turned out because I paid more attention to proportion and I varied my line types. I was also willing to experiment a little more, and I like how my second hand looks a little bit abstract. For my first hand, I wanted to keep it simple, but looking back on it now, it looks a little basic to me, and could have definitely used some color or contrast to make it more interesting to look at. By comparing these two hand drawings, I have realized that I have grown as an artist. I'm willing to experiment with style a little more, and I feel like I have a better eye for proportion and aesthetics.
Exam Question #4: This semester we introduced a new way of teaching and learning. Students had choices in subject matter and materials, plus no due dates. Explain your thoughts on how effective this was (or if it was not) for you. Provide examples through your art projects so we can see evidence of your learning.
I like how this class was structured. I liked how the assignment would be to focus on a certain technique or style (realism, perspective, abstract, etc.) and then we got to pick the subject matter. I think this was effective because we, as students, got to learn different techniques and styles, while still picking a topic that we enjoyed. If for example, we hadn't had a choice in subject matter, it would've been less effective because I know that I, personally, would have slacked off and done the assignment half-heartedly. Also, if there were absolutely no guidelines in terms of what style to focus on, I would've thought that the class was random and somewhat pointless. The way this class was structured was a nice in-between-- getting to draw whatever I want, but still have some parameters set by the teacher. The fact that there were no due dates was both a pro and a con for me. The plus side was that I had more time to think about and improve upon projects before turning them in. The downside was that I often found myself procrastinating because I didn't have a set due date. I also liked how we had our own choices in materials because that meant that I didn't have to limit myself to just pencil and paper (even though that's what I ended up doing for most of the projects, it was nice to know that I had other options as well).
I enjoyed working on these projects because I got to pick the subject matter.
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