There was so much line art to sift through that I battled internally with myself for quite some time. Many were strong in some aspects of the piece, but not all. The two watercolors, one would think, would be the two large scale landscapes that we were instructed to do, but I was not satisfied with either of those pieces. I was actually partial to the earlier works, like the small scale landscapes and architecture. The product illustration was a given for me too, although I feel that I could have added another dimension to the piece . . . though I was terrified of ruining what I fundamentally laid down. With watercolor, I was quick to learn that a little can go a rather long way.
The next three watercolors with line art were based on personal favorites, I must confess. I know that is probably not the best way to go about choosing pieces for a portfolio, but these three have been near to my heart since they were released from my brushes and pen. Ironically, they are all portraits . . . come to think of it, it isn't ironic at all. This was my favorite subject to render before I took any formal art classes. They are very much me. My intention has been to branch out, away from my comfort zone, but as I told my professors during Proficiency, I am slow to adapt. That is, I embrace new concepts and ideas. I am eager to learn new things. However, I can't master new things right away. It takes me longer to adjust and grow comfortable with new ideas, medium, you name it. Add several at once, and you have chaos. But I do try! I enjoy it so very much! But I require a little more practice and time than others, I suppose. But such evolution had certainly occurred within this class.
For the gouache, I chose iAbe. Though his background is still not 100% to my liking, I, in general, like him. He makes me smile. He is also my first real evidence of tackling the medium and knowing how to make it do as I desire. This would represent the grasping of a concept, or the success after spending time adjusting, as I just mentioned. My personal favorites to learn and work on were the digital illustrations, though. Not gonna lie. I will be broken hearted when I must give the tablet back at the end of the semester. Just knowing that something can be rendered by hand, but be directly on a computer screen just blows my mind. It's exactly like learning how to fluidly type on a keyboard so you don't have to write all your documents by hand and transfer them onto the computer later. It's brilliance. It is beautiful. Quasimodo, although he is copyright of Disney and not my own original work, was the best of the first line art illustrations on the tablet. The boarder collie was actually enough to make the virtual refrigerator. Nothing could have made me happier than seeing that on the blog! I felt worthy of something inexplicable from that moment on. "I can DO this!" I thought to myself. Hence, it was only fitting to place it here, in the midterm portfolio.
The final piece was up to me, so I went purely off of what speaks to me. It may not have been the best montage out of the class, but I have grown so very fond of this. It has so many beautiful memories attached. I worked on this the night I cut and mounted my poster for Vis Com I. I had no gouache yet because my mother was bringing it to me after her trip to St. Louis. Kat and I painted all evening, laughing, talking, listening to Ludo and Panic! At the Disco. It was my first time figuring out gouache, and although it nearly resulted in tears of frustration at the time, it was such a beautiful moment of discovery and possibility. I laugh when I think of Rusty's candid suggestion to draw Bela Lugosi, Kat's observation that a cupcake was the farthest thing from Dracula, and Tim's insightful hint that an animal, especially a koi fish, would tie everything randomly together. That, my dear children, is why this is my final piece within this portfolio.
Thank you so very much. I hope you will observe and enjoy.
Cheers!
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