Design Project 3
INTRODUCTION
In Foundation Design we were to create a piece of work for Project 3 that expressed an idea and had meaning through abstract use of the elements and principles of design. I made a work that dealt with the theme of segregation and separation of races, ethnicity, genders and classes with the overall meaning that we all have the same consciousness and we experience this world together no matter our differences.
MATERIALS
-Hot Press Board
-Pro Art pencil in 4B
-Alvin Stainless Steel Ruler
-Aquatec 940-B series paintbrushes in 2, 4, and 10
-Reeves gouache 16 colour set
CREATIVE PROCESS
The piece is of broken fragments representing different people but all making up one person and one image when you look at it from a greater distance. The dripping colours into nothing at the bottom means all these differences have no importance; race fades into nothing, it’s just a social construct. I chose to set the face in a border and separate the different tones with black to add harmony and focus on the main subject in the painting as well as giving it a stained glass look. In all I wanted the piece to be low key and have a deep appearance that would contrast with the brighter tones in the skin.
WORKFLOW
I began by brainstorming ideas in a notebook keeping in mind the theme I wanted portray in this work.
Later I drew out a border that was one inch wide around the board with the ruler adding the dripping feature at the bottom. I then drew out the fragments of the face on the hot press board in pencil. I decided to make the guidelines two lines thick to make painting them in easier later.
The pencil outline on hot press board.
A close up of the pencil outline.
Next I began mixing the skin shades I wanted to use on a plate and painted with gouache in the confines of my guidelines.
The painted colours of the facial tones without border.
After I was done adding all the colours I wanted to include I started painting in the border and separating lines with black gouache.
Finishing touches and last black separations need to be done.
FINAL PRODUCT
The finished work including a closeup of the piece.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion I enjoyed this project since it was very much open ended and gave us free rein on our creativity. It allowed me to practice my skills in painting and planning out projects in an organized manner. If I were to do this again I would want to make a triptych with the same ideas and connect them all creating a larger story.
