Seahorse Print

          The print project was probably the most interesting and most involved project we did. To make them, we started by drawing the design and cutting it out in a small rectangle. Then we transferred the design onto blocks. We had to use tools to cut out the design into the block. We used wider blades to make wider marks, and narrower ones for smaller lines. After the design was cut into the block, we rolled ink onto the block using a brayer. Then, we pressed them onto paper to make the print. We did a few practices, then perfected the lines that did not show up. We had to make sure the textures were visible. I had to go over the lines for the seaweed so they would show up more. Next, we made a series of prints with different colors of ink and different colors of paper. We learned how to label the prints and how to order them. We experimented with multiple colors of ink in one print, and printing on different types of paper. This print was my favorite. 

Pastel Apple Project

          One project that I really enjoyed was drawing an apple with pastels. This was one of the first times I'd ever used pastels, so it was difficult at first. I started by using a light color to sketch out the shape of the apple. Then I carefully added reds and other colors by looking at the colors in the apple. The light source is very important in this project, because it shows up a lot on the apple. You have to make the shadow behind the apple on the other side of where the light is shining. You do this by coloring in the shape of the shadow with a darker color. Then, you add white on the light side and blend it in. You do the same thing in the background. This helps show depth and value. It also makes the picture look more realistic. Finally, at the end, I added a little bit of white on the light side of the apple to accent the shiniest places. Overall, I was very happy with how my apple turned out. 

Acrylic Landscape Painting

          The acrylic painting was definitely my favorite project from the class. There was a lot of preparation involved. First, we had to decide what we were going to paint. I got my inspiration from this picture I took during a vacation in South Africa:

          Once we had our picture, we had to draw a sketch of it with sharpie, experimenting with different textures found in nature. We also created a color scheme by picking the colors we were going to use, and practicing mixing colors to create tints, shades, and different intensities of the colors. I really liked mixing the colors and learning which colors needed to be added for a specific effect. In my painting, I used the analogous color scheme. In our paintings, we had to show atmospheric perspective. Atmospheric perspective means there are four levels - the sky, the background, the middle ground, and the fore ground. I included all of those in my painting. I tried to use light and value in my painting on the areas of the picture where the sun was shining. I used a lighter shade of paint in those areas to show that. I mostly used smooth brush strokes, but I dabbed the brush a lot to create the texture for the grass.