2D Artworks
Hunger Artist (2018)
While making this artwork, I was able to enhance my skill in oil painting, especially in making colors and expressing contrasting textures of the body, water, and the background. The most challenging part about making this artwork was incorporating 3D elements into a 2D project. The idea of water transforming into actual water drops dripping down behind the artwork occurred to me first,, and then the water reminded me of the process of emptying. The idea of emptying led to the idea of fasting and to the hunger artist, which was a unique and interesting subject I read about in the past. A hunger artist is a performing artist who presents themselves as they are starving for an extended period of time. I found this project somewhat too open-ended which made it harder for me to start working on it, but the openness made it possible for the project to be more personal and unique. I feel like this is a nice project to end the school year, rather than to work on it on the beginning of the school year.
Approaching (2018)
1. Why did you choose the photo you are working from? What is its significance?
Since last winter break, I started to take photos with an app(HUJI) because this app has a special antique filter. In the past, I occasionally took photos of things I wanted to draw, but I regularly started to take more photos because I realized there is not a lot of time when I start to find reference photos after the project starts. This specific photo was taken when I was walking home from an after-school practice. This photo itself has no huge significance, but this river holds a lot of memories with my friends; I used to walk near this river with my friends for a workout and to talk.
2. Why did you choose the medium you worked with?
At first, I wanted to use watercolor because I thought it would be an effective material to give a watery texture to the river. However, I didn't use watercolor because, after practice trials, I've realized I am not skilled enough in watercolor to paint a whole artwork. So, I decided to use watercolor in later projects (when I am more familiar with the medium) and chose oil painting instead. This is my first time using oil paint and I chose this medium because I've always heard that oil paint is easy to control and similar to acrylic, which is also one of my favorite media.
3. What were some of the challenges of working with your medium? Was it more or less difficult than expected?
When I first used oil paint in practice trials, oil paint was not as easy to control than I thought it would be. I wasn't familiar with using oil instead of water and blending colors. However, this practice trial helped me get familiar with the medium before I start on my actual project. Because oil paint is easy to adapt (especially if you have used acrylic before), I had little trouble making colors and textures on my art project. However, one of the challenges in using oil paint was that sometimes I used too much of oil that the paint would turn out to be semi-transparent on the artwork and it took a while to wait. However, it was easy to paint over the parts so I was able to handle the challenge easily.
4. What are the strengths of your piece? What went really well in your work?
The biggest strength of my piece is the overall color choice of the water, the rocks, and the mountain. I am proud that there were no awkward colors standing out in my artworks, which was a common mistake that I had to change in my previous artworks. In this piece, I think the colors have a similar painterly mood, which also matches to the mood I wanted to portray on this artwork. Also, it wasn't intended but I think it's interesting how the top and the bottom regions are very dark and the middle region is bright.
5. If you were to create this work again, what would you change?
If I can do this work again, I would try to make minimal fixes to the colors of the river. This is because I personally liked the color of the river when I first painted it(the photo can be found in Progress(2D) page). However, as I changed into a new palette (after a long break from school), I couldn't make the same colors to paint the rest of the details of the river so I started to make new colors and in this process, the new colors covered up the old ones. In every single artwork that I make, I realize that the first brush strokes of the painting are usually the best ones so I shouldn't make too many changes to cover up those parts. Next time, I think it would be more effective if I can finish the parts of the artwork as much as I can when I have the paint and try to use the same palette.
6. What was a major turning point in your piece? Where did you feel stuck and then make a big change, or where did your plan shift in the process of painting?
Honestly speaking, I don't think there was a huge turning point in my piece because the piece made constant progress and I didn't have to make huge changes in my painting. However, I was concerned with how to paint the bushes in the back. First, I tried to paint the bushes as it is shown in the reference photo but I've realized if the bushes are painted with too much detail, then the rocks in the front would be less emphasized and the bushes won't look distant. So, as you can see in the photo, I only painted general textures of the bushes.
Since last winter break, I started to take photos with an app(HUJI) because this app has a special antique filter. In the past, I occasionally took photos of things I wanted to draw, but I regularly started to take more photos because I realized there is not a lot of time when I start to find reference photos after the project starts. This specific photo was taken when I was walking home from an after-school practice. This photo itself has no huge significance, but this river holds a lot of memories with my friends; I used to walk near this river with my friends for a workout and to talk.
2. Why did you choose the medium you worked with?
At first, I wanted to use watercolor because I thought it would be an effective material to give a watery texture to the river. However, I didn't use watercolor because, after practice trials, I've realized I am not skilled enough in watercolor to paint a whole artwork. So, I decided to use watercolor in later projects (when I am more familiar with the medium) and chose oil painting instead. This is my first time using oil paint and I chose this medium because I've always heard that oil paint is easy to control and similar to acrylic, which is also one of my favorite media.
3. What were some of the challenges of working with your medium? Was it more or less difficult than expected?
When I first used oil paint in practice trials, oil paint was not as easy to control than I thought it would be. I wasn't familiar with using oil instead of water and blending colors. However, this practice trial helped me get familiar with the medium before I start on my actual project. Because oil paint is easy to adapt (especially if you have used acrylic before), I had little trouble making colors and textures on my art project. However, one of the challenges in using oil paint was that sometimes I used too much of oil that the paint would turn out to be semi-transparent on the artwork and it took a while to wait. However, it was easy to paint over the parts so I was able to handle the challenge easily.
4. What are the strengths of your piece? What went really well in your work?
The biggest strength of my piece is the overall color choice of the water, the rocks, and the mountain. I am proud that there were no awkward colors standing out in my artworks, which was a common mistake that I had to change in my previous artworks. In this piece, I think the colors have a similar painterly mood, which also matches to the mood I wanted to portray on this artwork. Also, it wasn't intended but I think it's interesting how the top and the bottom regions are very dark and the middle region is bright.
5. If you were to create this work again, what would you change?
If I can do this work again, I would try to make minimal fixes to the colors of the river. This is because I personally liked the color of the river when I first painted it(the photo can be found in Progress(2D) page). However, as I changed into a new palette (after a long break from school), I couldn't make the same colors to paint the rest of the details of the river so I started to make new colors and in this process, the new colors covered up the old ones. In every single artwork that I make, I realize that the first brush strokes of the painting are usually the best ones so I shouldn't make too many changes to cover up those parts. Next time, I think it would be more effective if I can finish the parts of the artwork as much as I can when I have the paint and try to use the same palette.
6. What was a major turning point in your piece? Where did you feel stuck and then make a big change, or where did your plan shift in the process of painting?
Honestly speaking, I don't think there was a huge turning point in my piece because the piece made constant progress and I didn't have to make huge changes in my painting. However, I was concerned with how to paint the bushes in the back. First, I tried to paint the bushes as it is shown in the reference photo but I've realized if the bushes are painted with too much detail, then the rocks in the front would be less emphasized and the bushes won't look distant. So, as you can see in the photo, I only painted general textures of the bushes.