I am writing this over 6 months after I completing these pieces. While this was not intentional, it has given me an interesting perspective. There are so very many mistakes in these, from poor composition to mangled anatomy. I am simultaneously embarrassed at how good I thought these were and encouraged that after finishing another semester of art school I am able to see what the problems are.
In Surface class (dedicated to exploring 2D media), the minimum size paper for our pieces was 22x30 inches. The reasoning behind this is solid, forcing one to spend more time on their work. The challenge for me was that I have a very short attention span, and quickly move on to another piece before the first is finished. Filling a 22x30 space became a chore, and the work suffered as a result. An example from earlier in the semester:
These last pieces were for my final project, where we were given the freedom to do whatever we wanted. I chose to do several smaller pieces, wanting to practice different subjects and media. These were also an answer to a challenge from an earlier critique, someone recommended that I stop planning everything out, and just start right in. So, the day I did this piece I took a photo in the morning at a parade, drew a quick sketch and started in with watercolors.
Having smaller pieces allowed me to take more risks (here I swirled ink around to create hair), and some pieces I ended up leaving out of the final project.
Others I kept in, happy with how the medium had turned out.
Finally, I did a larger piece returning to the 22x30 format, but with the speed and intentional lack of planning.
I am now searching for a balance of planning and spontaneity.-Phil
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