Project 2: Up close and Personal

Artists Develop Art Making Skills

Did you learn new techniques or processes as part of the work for this project?

For this project, I learned how to work with new mediums. I already new how to use colored pencils, but I learned new techniques for the oil pastels and the chalk pastels. For the chalk, I learned pretty quickly that you have to stay neat and organized, otherwise your paper will get messy and smeared.
Did you gain skill with familiar materials?

I was familiar with oil pastels before doing this project, but I picked up more techniques in the exercises that we did before starting. For example, I learned that with oil pastels, you have to shade lightly so that you can add layers as you go along. I also learned that you have to start with the medium color and then start layering with the surrounding colors. 

Artists Take Risks

Did you try something that you weren’t sure about as part of this project?

I knew exactly what I was doing for the actual caterpillar, but when I finished, I still wasn't sure what to do for the background and the table. So I decided to try a sunset, and I was nervous that it wasnt going to turn out well, but halfway through I new that it was a good idea. I then decided that the table had to be something that goes outside to go with the outside theme. So I decided to do a picnic table, which was challenging because wood is detailed, but I think the backgrounds turned out good.
Did you pick a material or technique that was new or different over something that was familiar?

I had never worked with chalk pastels, so for this project I definetly took a risk. I could have easily picked colored pencils, something I am familiar with and have been using for awhile, but I decided to use the chalk pastels so that I could learn how to use them and broaden my experience. 

Artists Collaborate

Did you ask another student for feedback during your work process?

After I finished the caterpillar, I was unsure of what to do for the background. At first I was just going to do a gray table and blue background, but then some of my peers threw around some ideas, and I decided that a sunset in the background would look nice.
Did someone help you understand important information or inspire you?

I sit next to some very good artists, and I think that helps me alot, because they inspire me with their creativity and help me with ideas when I am not sure what to draw or what colors to use. They are very helpful and inspiring in the fact that they are very talented.