Ceramics Project

          With our ceramics project, we designed and created a plate or bowl out of clay. I decided to make a small plate with very little depth. Designing the plate was fun. The plate had to use a radial design, meaning it had radial symmetry all the way around. We practiced making up a few radial designs, and then we made a final template by folding a piece of paper and cutting the design. That way, the design would be perfectly symmetrical.

          After we cut out the template, we had to prepare the clay. We used a machine to flatten out the amount we needed. Then, we had to wedge the slab of clay by hitting it against a surface several times. Next, we lay our template on the clay and cut out the design. I chose to have small diamonds in my design which were very difficult to cut out. Early in the process, we picked an object that we would either put our clay inside or around the outside in order to create the shape. For my plate, I chose to lay a pie plate upside down and put my clay on top of it to create a subtle slope around the edges. I used a slightly wet sponge to smooth all the edges of my plate. After the plate was fired in the kiln, I painted a glaze on it and it was fired again.

          I learned a lot about how to work with clay and the tools involved. I learned about radial designs and techniques about how to accurately and efficiently turn your design into a real form of art. If I were to redo this project, I would probably use a much simpler design. Overall, I really enjoyed this project.

Pastel Still Life Project

          I planned this composition by selecting three related items I wanted to create in a still life. I picked a large yellow bucket, an orange shovel, and a gray and brown shell. I chose these objects because they all represent the beach. I arranged them several different ways before I began the project. A thumbnail sketch is a technique in which you cut out a small rectangular window in a piece of paper and sketch your drawing looking through the window. The thumbnail sketch helps you plan where you want your objects in the final drawing. Some items may be cut off on the edges, which is sometimes ideal.

          Creating value in the project using light and shadows was difficult. However, it was very rewarding and taught me a lot about how to add dimension to a pastel drawing. When the spotlights in the classroom were on, it was easy to see where the shadows of the objects fell and draw the outline of them. I had to use different colors like black and white to show the darkness or lightness on the objects. The shovel was especially hard to create value on because of its shape. I created a light source by adding lighter areas wherever the light hit the objects. I added a lot of white on the side of the bucket and blended it in because that part was very shiny. I learned that the color of the shadows had to match the color of the background. As my first real pastel composition, I am happy with the final result.