Materials: chalk/pastel colored pencils

Materials: acrylic paint on canvas

Materials: acrylic paint with palette knives and water color on canvas

Materials: ink and oil in water for the background, pastels and ebony pencil

1. Explain you concept? What is the evidence within the artwork that supports this overall idea?
I did not do quite the same thing as the rest of the class. My concept for this piece was to use different palette knives with acrylic paint to create a looser and textured portrait. I wanted to play with color and details and the contrast of the portrait to the background. I think I could've been a little more looser with the palette knife. But other than that I think the textures, lights and darks, and contrasting colors work well with each other. It gives the painting more depth and is a good different from the typical acrylic painting with brushes.
2. What did you find most successful?
I think the details that I managed to show with a palette knife are some of the most successful parts of the piece. I know I could always do even more with lights and darks but I think I used lights and darks pretty well, specifically in the face. I also think I used the palette knife to my advantage by giving the piece texture (i.e. the feathers).
3. What did you find challenging when creating this project? How did you solve the issue(s)?
The feathers were very difficult. It was a challenge to get the colors right and make them look realistic but I think by giving them texture and adding some lights an darks, they became more realistic. I think I could've been even more "looser" though. I'm a very detailed person, so it was hard for me to ignore the specific details and just be loose with the palette knives.
4. How did feedback from peer and teacher help during this process whole creating the artwork? What was some of the advice given? Why or why not did you act on the advice?
I think advice was helpful. The texture is kind of hard to see in the feathers against a background with some white spots, so the advice to put watercolor over it was a really good idea. I think the water color will make the textures pop more and give the piece more depth. A peer told me to glue actual feathers to the piece and I think that'd be a cool idea but for now, du to time, I think I'm going to leave the feathers to just be painted. In the future though, I might play around with it and see what add real feathers to the piece would look like.
5. In the next project, what would you like to focus on artistically

In the next project I'd like to focus on a more loose piece. I've always done detailed, very to-the-point pieces, and I'd like to try to be more loose with my art. I also would like to think about using pencil or oil pastels because I've used paint on the past two projects. I'd like to play around with different mediums and challenge myself with a looser piece.

I am happy with my overall piece but there are a couple things I’d like to critique.

  I wish more parts would have stood out. I think all the patterns and colors are a lot for the eye to process. I think there are parts that get lost. I think with more lights and darks, and contrasting colors, I could have prevented this slight problem. I used the blue and green marble pastel to attempt to create contrast, but I think with more, it could have been more effective.

  I also think I could have made more parts “pop out.” I feel like the piece feels slightly 1D. I think I could have accentuated the figure more, or the patterned coins, so that the piece wouldn’t blend together as much.

Overall, I am happy with what the piece has come to be. I took a big risk adding the marble, green/blue/purple and pastel background. But, I think taking that risk was worth it because it brought more contrast to the piece and separates parts of the piece from others. I also am happy with the way the figure turned out proportionally.