Research

The assignment called for me to discover meaningful objects or locations on campus that inspire the feelings of comfort and motivation. I knew the exact location I wanted for comfort. It was a space that has long brought me peace and familiarity: the Garden of Constants. Those numbers have long been one of my favorite locations on campus, and I love to sit there and do homework. I find the colors calming and the curved lines are pleasant to the eyes. 

 

The second location was more difficult to consider. I wanted a location that had a significant amount of energy and was vibrant to the eye and spirit. I couldn’t think of anything until one night when I slept with my windows open and realized how busy is the street on which I live, Dodridge Street, how much life it contained at all hours of the day and night, how many different paths are traversed on just this one stretch of road. I ended up getting up early in the morning when the street remained energetic, even when the world was at peace to take pictures of the world in motion.

 

Exercises

For this project, our main focus was working on our drawing skills. We started by drawing different pictures in order to develop an understanding of the relationships between objects and basic shapes.   

Iterations

My iterations start with sketching out a few different angles to see what I felt best showcased the desired feelings brought out in each scene. For the drawing of the numbers in the Garden of Constants, I chose the angle with the building and the Tuttle Parking Garage behind it. I chose this because I especially liked how the straight lines of the classroom building and the garage contrast with the soft edges of the zero and the round platform around it. When choosing my angle for the drawing of Dodridge Street, I decided to focus on the angle that showed the most energy would be the best. I used the “No Parking” sign as my viewpoint, and I appreciated how the lines all naturally led to it. I found that this provided a lot of movement for an energetic piece.

Production

My production was rather simple, I chose the angles I wanted to do and looked back through the photos to determine which ones resonated with my eye the most. I then went through and tried my best to recreate each scene. When it came to the drawing, I most enjoyed crafting the basic shapes and feel like I successfully captured the dimensions. My biggest challenge is shading, especially in black and white. Personally, I find it difficult to find the right tone to use, and I never quite captured the feel I was seeking. This is something I will continue to work and improve on. Overall I enjoyed this project and found this whole process helpful in the final product.

Link to Portfolio