Artist in the City
Title:Artist in the City
Size:91.44cmX60.96cm Medium:Acrylic on Canvas Completed:January Intentions:With this piece I wanted to analyze who I was as an artist, how I wanted to impact my environment, and how my environment impacts me, using the Pop Art, art movement and modern American culture as influences. As an artist I listen to my heart when creating a piece, I want to share my skills by becoming a tattoo artist, and my favorite parts of the city is the murals and graffiti. Made or Found:Made |
Artist & Culture
Pop! by Roy Lichtenstein 1966
Sutton, Benjamin. "See Roy Lichtenstein’s Cover for Newsweek’s 1966 Pop Art Issue." Blouinartinfo Blogs. N.p., 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Jan. 2016. |
Mural of Peace by Reynaldo Hernandez
"Peace Walls & Murals Around the World." Peace Walls & Murals Around the World. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2016. |
Mohanty, Lopa. "Permanent Tattoo vs. Temporary Tattoo." Indian Fashion Blog with Latest Trends for Women – FashionLady. N.p., 03 July 2013. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.
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I was influenced by the movement Pop Art which first impacted Brittan in the 1950s and later impacted America in the 1960s. I threw the traditional fine art style out the window and brought in a comic-like perspective. This was a movement with bold colors, dark outlines, and a cartoon-like look. These characteristics can be seen in all three of my canvases. I was also influenced by modern American culture. To the Dyak people of Borneo, tattoos commemorated headhunting expeditions. In fact many races and cultures around the world tattoo themselves with symbols that depict important moments in their lives. America has taken part in the trend of tattooing since 1891 when the first electric tattoo machine was established. It is a way of permanently remembering and recording what has happened in our lives. Murals and graffiti has also taken over a multitude of our walls, train cars, and bridges. Its another way we record our existence similar to cavemen and the paintings on the walls of their homes.
Tucker, Abigail. "Looking at the World's Tattoos." Smithsonian. N.p., Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.
"United States Tattoo History." Iloveindia.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2016.
Process
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I began with sketching out what ways I could make and lay out the canvases. I decided on three one foot by two feet canvases all lying horizontally. I wanted to create paintings that all connected fluidly. I stretched and gessoed my canvases. Then I sketched out what I wanted to paint and painted the backgrounds. I projected my sketches onto my canvases, traced it, and then began painting!
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Etsy. "Anatomical Heart Necklace." Pinterest. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.
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I chose a heart to represent Artist in the first canvas. Before I create a piece I always listen to my heart to decide what it will mean to me. If it isn't meaningful I have a difficult time seeing a reason in creating the piece. There is a noticeable difference between the sketch and the painting. I added red blood cells even though they are not proportionate when compared to the heart. These were added, because one, there was too much empty space on the canvas and two, I believe the represent how every art piece I make, is also made of me.
My second painting depicts how I want to impact my city. There is a tattooing needle with tattoo ink splats surrounding it. I want to be a tattoo artist, because in my opinion it's the largest compliment if someone trusts you and enjoys your art enough to get it permanently placed on their skin for all to see. Tattooed people are walking galleries. I believe that tattoos are a popular trend that will never end and that tattooing people is the most effective way of sharing my skills and impacting the world. In the far left ink splat you can see my eyes crying. I added the eyes because, the splat looked too empty, and they were a way to express a dream that could never be obtained. My mother and father do not support me pursuing this profession.
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"Cool Ink Splatter, Blue Splash." PSDGraphics. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.
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All my ink splats are just rotated and enlarged versions of the ink splat I used for inspiration. I took a picture of my eyes, copied it onto a windows document, clicked on picture, went to the format tab, clicked the recolor drop down menu, and selected black and white from the options. I then printed out my eyes the size I wanted them to be and colored the back of the sheet of paper with a pencil. That way I could flip it over and trace what I wanted to be on the canvas. The outline would then be copied onto my canvas. This is called a graphite transfer. I did not have a fine enough paintbrush so I actually ended up using a mechanical pencil with the tip dipped in white paint to get the detail of the eyelashes and the eyebrows.
The last painting represents the theme city in the artist. The thing I love most about the city is seeing the graffiti and the murals. They are some of the most beautiful forms of self expression and consist of powerful meanings. I chose to paint a mural of a butterfly because my mother has always loved the butterflies I drew for when I was a child. In a way they have become a symbol for myself. I also believe that I am similar to a butterfly in the ways that I try to fly away from my problems. I created this piece from a one point perspective. To create the perspective you pick a point and have all the straight, horizontal lines connect to it at the same angle.
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I added the tree at the end to create a further understanding of the dimensions in the distance, and to cover up some of the detailed lines in the back that I couldn't paint as well. My goal was to make the butterfly look like it was actually painted on the wall, instead of it appearing like a sticker that I slapped on the canvas. In order to do this I mixed a darker tone of every color I used on the butterfly and traced where the brick lining would be to give it that dimension.
Tools
2'x1' (3) wooden frames-to stretch the canvas around
Canvas material-to paint on
Staple gun and staples-to staple the canvas to the frame
Gesso-to make the canvas material tight
Projector-to project my sketches onto the canvas and sketch them
Paint brushes-to paint the Gesso and the acrylic paint onto the canvas
Acrylic Paint-to add color and to recreate my sketch on the canvas
Pencil-to do a graphite transfer and occasionally to paint fine details with
Canvas material-to paint on
Staple gun and staples-to staple the canvas to the frame
Gesso-to make the canvas material tight
Projector-to project my sketches onto the canvas and sketch them
Paint brushes-to paint the Gesso and the acrylic paint onto the canvas
Acrylic Paint-to add color and to recreate my sketch on the canvas
Pencil-to do a graphite transfer and occasionally to paint fine details with
Reflection
Some challenges that I ran into was in painting the thin straight lines to outline the heart and the detail of the bricks. It felt like my entire body was tense for hours. I did succeed with a minimal amount of errors. Another obstacle I came across was finding that when I painted the canvases the same way I drew them in my sketches parts of it looked too empty. This is where I had to identify what new symbols would best fit in the blank spaces. I decided to include red blood cells, my eyes, an extra ink splat, and a tree. I feel as though I have the deepest connection to this piece. If I were to do it all over I think the canvas that I would rework the most would be the one with the tattooing needle, because there is still something that I am not 100% satisfied with, but I can't quite put my finger on it.