For this quarter in art class, I created a figure drawings, line drawings, digital drawings, a space drawing, a texture drawing, a value drawing, and an elements of art drawing. I gained inspiration for some of these art pieces through different settings, images, and existing art pieces. For the figure drawings I used a pencil and eraser for both the smaller sketches and the final large piece. For the line drawings, I used black pen. For the digital drawings I used google drawings on my computer. For this assignment I was inspired by settings of the ocean and the desert, as well as cool colors in general for two of the drawings. For the illusion of space drawing I was inspired by an image of a light bulb. For the texture drawing I recreated a still life of vegetables using a pencil and an eraser. For the value drawing I was inspired by an image of a conch shell. Lastly, for the elements of art drawing I was inspired by a vibrant palm tree that had a calming pink and blue background.

My favorite material to use this quarter was colored pencils, because they look nice when doing shading to give off the illusion of texture, space, and value. Some techniques I used often this quarter were shading and blending. I made the pencil drawings appear as if the lead went from very heavy to very light, through blending and shading. I did the same for the colored pencil drawing. During this quarter I used different sized paper, pencils, erasers, pens, and colored pencils. I utilized my studio time by completing some art assignments during class, and even ahead of time by starting other assignments earlier than I had to. I also utilized my home time by working on some of my art there, too. Overall, this quarter I was able to practice more elements of art and different techniques that I don’t often use, and my skills in these areas became more advanced.

This quarter, I did many different art pieces for each individual assignment. We focused on things from shading, to mainly just color. While doing my pieces this quarter, I hit some hard bumps along the way. Most assignments were meant to be very accurate and intricate. There were not many assignments that were very free hand, which was very challenging. I tried to approach each assignment with a positive outlook on everything and do each one in a creative manner. The outcome for each assignment was very different each time. Which is something I am not very used to. I used to have one way of how I wanted the pieces to be structured for each assignment that I did.

It was really fun to do new things that I have not previous done, for example the mandala assignment. I did not realize how hard it would be to create a mandala until I started attempting to draw one. A lot of things had to go into it when thinking about the shapes, lines, and colors. It was one of the more time consuming assignments. I think that one the most difficult assignments was the bicycle. Although it does not sound all that tricky to accomplish, it is. There are so many structural elements in a bike that made it very challenging to interpret onto a sheet of paper. It was the assignment I was the most unhappy about. Overall, I liked all of the assignments that I had to complete. I think that this quarters assignments were the most challenging compared to the other ones which was difficult but also really exciting. Even though it was tricky, it gave room to converse with others in the classroom who were having the same difficulties and problems.

Quarter 3 Advanced Art Reflection

The first project we did this quarter was a large scale drawing of a bicycle. My bicycle was done with pencil on paper. It took awhile to get the proportions of the bike, but after that it was easy to shade. The drawing came out a little messier than I would have like, and I didn’t really enjoy drawing the bike because I find working in pencil frustrating.

The second project we did this quarter was the optical illusion. This was a favorite of mine. The materials I used were paper, markers, and colored pencils. I first sketched out the illusion in pencil, colored in alternating sections with black markers, and then colored in the remaining sections with all different colored pencils. I really like the effect that I got in the end.

The third project we did this quarter was shading practice. The materials used were pencil and paper. The first thing I did was draw shapes and split them into sections to indicate transitions in shading. Then I shaded, changing the strength I used to press down on the paper. I learned a lot about how weight affects color with this project, and I think it turned out.

The fourth project we did this quarter was the eye drawing. The materials used on the eye were pencil and paper. I sketched the eye from a photo of mine. I then shaded, paying close attention to value and texture. I had the most trouble getting the shine on the eye right, and I don’t think it looks quite right. Otherwise, I really do think it looks like my eye, and I’m proud of the end product.

The last project we did this quarter was the mandala, and it was my favorite by far. I really felt like I could be creative with it. The materials I used were pencil, pen, paper, and colored pencil. I first drew a circle, then sectioned it off like a pizza. Then I drew a smaller circle in the middle, and drew from there. After I drew with pencil, I traced with pen and colored in with colored pencils. I’m really proud of the end product.

This quarter for art class I created a bike drawing, an optical illusion drawing, a shading forms drawing, an eye drawing, and an original mandala. In order to make some of these art pieces, I gained inspiration through my favorite colors and even from my culture. For the bike drawing, I used pencil and was inspired by my own bike that I ride, and drew a version of this. For the optical illusion drawing, I used colors that were vibrant and patterns that were graphic, to enhance the illusion aspect of the art piece. For the shaded forms drawing, I followed the instructions and practiced heavy and light shading, as well as all the variations of shading in between. For the eye drawing, I demonstrated more shading skills, such as the different weights that can be seen with thick and thin lead strokes. For the mandala, I was inspired by my Puerto Rican heritage and created an original design that had tropical themes, floral hints, and was very colorful overall.

Although I enjoyed using markers and colored pencils more, this quarter I mainly used pencils for sketching on the majority of the pieces. A technique I displayed while using the pencils was blending, by shading the darker, thicker lead with the lighter, thinner lead. I learned through the bike drawing, shading forms drawing, and eye drawing that shading is difficult and can be messy if it is not done precisely. During this quarter I used pencils, colored pencils, markers, erasers, printer paper, and large thick paper to create my art pieces. The pencils, colored pencils, and markers were used this quarter as my art mediums. I utilized my studio time throughout the quarter by spending each art period completing the assignments that were due for that week. I even got a head start on some of the future deadlines because I worked hard during art class, and went home with no assignments to finish. Overall, this quarter included a lot art assignments that allowed me to practice my shading skills, and also strengthen my art skills as a whole.