Mandala
In Digital Media we started the year off with the mandala project where we learned how to use Adobe Illustrator to create mandalas. Learning how to create and use a clipping mask enabled us to only draw in one section that would be duplicated to create the full mandala. This was very convenient and allowed us to focus on making our designs intricate rather than worrying about replication. For some students, me included, it was also our first time learning how to use a Wacom tablet to draw digitally. This allowed greater creativity and further use of imagination since I was no longer held back by a computer mouse.
Black & White Mandala, Drawn with tablet
Mandala Artist Statement:
When creating my personal mandalas, I valued letting my mind think freely instead of trying to control every stroke. When I do projects, I try to make them look like what I envision, but for this I gradually let go of expectations and did whatever I felt like drawing in the moment. I also valued the ability to start over but not lose my work completely. Sometimes I hang on to pieces because I am hesitant to let them go, holding me back from trying new ideas. But while drawing in Illustrator, I did not have to worry about that. I think it also helped me become less sensitive to mistakes since I always had the option to start from scratch, something you can’t always do with other projects.
I learned when given full creative reign, my mind goes for more abstract concepts rather than concrete. When it comes to work I tend to be a perfectionist or make something that will make sense to other people. At first, if something looked weird or unorthodox I would start over and make a new design. However, this project enabled me to see that what I create doesn’t necessarily have to make sense to others, or even myself sometimes. For some designs I let my hand take control and threw reasoning out the window. It was like waking up from a dream when I’d see the finished product and think that I made it. Most of my mandalas have no rhyme or reason to them, but neither does my thought process.
Perspective Opinion Video Production
We had the option to make a video about our This I Believe Essay or pursue a new idea for a Perspective Opinion piece. I chose to write a Perspective Opinion piece about how I believe that the public school system makes it difficult to be creative. I’ve been struggling to maintain my artistic passion but have recently come to realization that the work I create does not necessarily have to be for others or for a grade, sometimes it can just be for myself.
Throughout middle and high school, I’ve been scared of being wrong. In school, if you’re wrong it equals low grades and weird looks from others. If what I do doesn’t match up with the teacher or my classmates, I always figure I’m the one who messed up. To make up for it, I follow instructions exactly and aim to do my work by the book. If I don’t deviate from the main path, how can I go wrong? So far it seems to be working. I get the scores I want, the grades I want, but after all these years I still don’t know what I’ve learned.
For the past decade of my life I’ve been taught to do things a certain way and that is how you succeed. Don’t understand? Look at the textbook. Have a question? Ask the teacher. If your answer is different, look to an external source to get it straightened out. I think these kinds of behaviors, and eventually habits, are fine in a school environment but can only take one so far. After school then what? How are we supposed to know what is right and what is wrong if there is no authority figure telling us so?
After being in a system that looks down on those who think differently, I find myself struggling with creating original pieces. I worry that what I make is not good enough, that I won’t get a good grade, that I’ll be wrong. If it’s an essay, poem, or even a video I worry it won’t be up to anyone’s standards. That I went too off the rails since it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. I forget that’s the point of creating original work. If it’s original, it shouldn’t look like anything else because it’s the first of its kind. I think that’s something that the traditional school system overlooks: creativity.
I don’t think creativity itself is causing the issue, but how schools react to it. It’s difficult to find space for unconventional work in grade books because it’s not in their nature. Due to this criteria is more black and white, hence rubrics and standardized tests. If you got the answer you are right if it’s different you messed up somewhere. But if you want to create something original, you can’t be afraid of being “wrong”.
I’ve been afraid of being wrong for a long time, I find that a lot of the time I still am. Even though I get good grades in English classes, I still can’t seem to grasp that “wrong” and “different” have two different definitions. I’ll figure it out eventually, when I stop prioritizing making things for the school system and start creating them for myself.
Using After Effects gave us a large amount of freedom when constructing out videos, however, for me at first it was difficult to keep track of all the layers and various effects. I think it was a good experience that reinforced the importance of organization when dealing with multiple clips in a limited amount space.
This project gave me a chance to voice an opinion and obstacles I had been contemplating for a couple years. I had always wanted to write something or make a video about how I felt but never got around to it. While creating this video I also had time to ponder what my values were and who I wanted my work to be for.
Photoshop Art
Watercolor Painting
For my Photoshop watercolor painting I learned how to use various watercolor brushes while using a tablet. We used a watercolor paper texture to make it look as if we were painting on actual paper which only heightened the experience. I was transfixed by how real the paint strokes looked on the screen and enjoyed going through the different brushes and seeing how they added to the painting. Before this project I had not considered painting or drawing digitally, but afterwards I was excited to start new ideas.
Photoshop Painting Artist Statement:
This experience taught me how to paint in Photoshop using a tablet which is something I had never done before. Learning how to specifically use the pastel and watercolor brushes has shown me the potential Photoshop has to offer. This experience has also opened new paths for me whether it’s at Freestyle, college, or in a career. A struggle I encountered was trying to copy a picture and recreate it. For my painting, I based it on a picture I had taken and found replicating it to be challenging. After an hour or so I began to deviate from the photo and added features and colors to the painting that were not in the original. This helped me creatively for I no longer felt restricted by the photo and it also decreased my stress level since it did not have to be a carbon copy.
I would change my texture and shading. I would take more time to understand the various brushes and see which would better replicate the grass, trees, sky, etc. For shading I would reassess the painting and determine where the primary light source is and adjust the landscape accordingly. What I am most proud of is how my layout is similar yet different compared to the original photo. I have tried to draw the same photo using pencil and paper and I couldn’t seem to get the proportions right. While using Photoshop I was able to experiment more and was able to create a landscape I was satisfied with.
I will definitely use the technical skills I have learned from this project in the future. Before I didn’t know how to draw in Photoshop using pastel or watercolor brushes. This is a useful skill that I intend to continue to hone and build off of in the future. Before when I saw digital drawings I didn’t know how people did it or the work they had to do to get there. After going through a shortened version of the process myself, I now look at digital paintings and acknowledge what the artist has done and further respect the technique and time they used to get there.