Artwork: Illustration (Negative)
Title: Dead Brain
Size: 36cm x 30cm Medium: Faber-Castell Completion: March 1, 2019 Exhibition Text Dead Brain is based on how students heavily rely on technology to do their school work. They often take a short cut just to get things done instead of having a mindset or a desire to learn. There are negative impacts of technology on students because it takes away their ability to solve certain problems. This piece is inspired by Back to School Again and The Scholar created by Jessie Willcox Smith. Faber-Castell color pencils were used to produce this artwork. |
Planning
Inspirations
Smith, Jessie Willcox. Back to School Again. Digital image. Web. 27 Feb. 2019.
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My first inspiration for my artwork was Back to School Again created by Jessie Willcox Smith. This illustration was for the October 1928 issue of Good Housekeeping. In Back to School Again, a little kid is behind her desk, leaning her head on her hands, her elbows rest on an open book to emphasized maybe she is daydreaming or getting bored. Additionally, the map behind her could be symbolized how her thoughts are far away from school. I think we can relate to this illustration because it is difficult for many people to get into the school mode again after a long summer break. For my illustration, I want to focus on a high school student just like how Smith portrayed children in a lot of her works. I want my piece to be relate-able by many students. This illustration inspired me to create a school for my setting because I want to show how today's students overly rely on technology to solve our school works instead of using what we already have such as our brains.
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My second inspiration was The Scholar drew by Jessie Willcox Smith. In this illustration, a young girl is sitting behind her desk, holding half of an open book with her left hand, pointing her lips with a pencil with her right hand, her eyes looking what is in front of her and all of these actions show that she is actually focusing on learning. I loved the idea of school and students because I am a student as well. This piece is also relate-able for many students. There are many people who are focusing on school to have a better future for themselves. I was inspired to create an illustration that presents a student sitting behind her desk, looking at her phone to search for something. I think it would be nice to focus on the influence of technology on today's kids in school. I feel like technology is a short cut to be successful in school and an easy path to graduate. Many students focus more on the idea of completion instead of focusing on learning.
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Smith, Jessie Willcox. The Scholar. Digital image. Web. 27 Feb. 2019.
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Planning Sketches
Since drawing a big picture is not my strongest, I took a picture of my friend. I used this as my inference. I thought this will be easier for me to copy this image to the illustration board.
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I did some swatches of colors to see what fits the image. I also labeled them to recognize what colors they are. Then, I did some blending experiment with colors.
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I planned the grid method for this illustration because the illustration board is big. I like focusing on each square to make it easier for me. I also practiced how to draw the features because those are my weakness.
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Experimentation & Techniques
I did an experiment of the skin tones. It was not easy because I could not create the exact skin tone that I want. This was due to the lack of color pencils.
When I was a freshman, we did a grid method of ourselves portraits and the picture on the right. It was my work from freshman year. This gave me an idea of using a grid method to produce a bigger image. |
Process
First, I measured the drawing board. It was 14in by 11in. I used a ruler to draw the grids. This way I can focus on each square at a time without getting overwhelmed by the whole image.
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Second, I measured the image that I will be using for this piece. I created the same amount of squares to match with the illustration board.
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Third, I began to draw the image. I started with the flag using a pencil, then the blackboard, a girl, the desks and the papers and books on the tables.
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Fifth, I began to color the skin tone on the face using a light skin tone and blended with burnt ochre and black for contour. Then, white was applied for a highlight for the face.
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Reflection
Critique
This was my first time drawing a large image on illustration board. I enjoyed working on this project because I discovered some skills that I never knew I had. It was easy in the sense that I applied fewer materials because I focused to portray the meaning behind the piece. There are many challenges as well during this process. This process consumed a lot of time because the blending has to nicely blend, I twisted some parts of the image, and drawing the facial features are very difficult. So, I focused on blending nicely to make the features more realistic. Another challenge I faced was creating a skin tone. This is because of the lack of color pencils. However, I combined different colors and experimented about nine skin tone and chose it for the final piece. Overall, this is successful because the purpose of this artwork is to show this generation relying mostly on technology for solving their schoolwork instead of having a mindset or motivation to learn.
Compare and Contrast
"Back to School Again" by Jessie Willcox Smith
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Similarities
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Differences
Dead Brains
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"Dead Brain" by Jacinta Tial
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"The Scholar" by Jessie Willcox Smith
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Similarities
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Differences
Dead Brains
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"Dead Brain" by Jacinta Tial
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
Jessie Willcox Smith uses mostly little kids in many of her works. In Back to School Again and The Scholar, she portrays an opposite student, one who is daydreaming and the other who is focusing on school. She inspired me to focus a student in a school for my piece.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author analyzed the artworks of Back to School Again and The Scholar. My other research was about the biography of Jessie Willcox Smith.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Jessie Willcox Smith used to be a kindergarten teacher, however, she quickly learned that childcare was not an appealing career path for her. She was a cover illustrator for Good Housekeeping which lasted for fifteen years. I discovered that her illustrations reached millions of households across America.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my inspirational research is basically showing the innocent child's behavior.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I inferred that Jessie Willcox Smith might be working for another company as well. I found out that she did work with the advertising department at the Ladies Home Journal.
Jessie Willcox Smith uses mostly little kids in many of her works. In Back to School Again and The Scholar, she portrays an opposite student, one who is daydreaming and the other who is focusing on school. She inspired me to focus a student in a school for my piece.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author analyzed the artworks of Back to School Again and The Scholar. My other research was about the biography of Jessie Willcox Smith.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Jessie Willcox Smith used to be a kindergarten teacher, however, she quickly learned that childcare was not an appealing career path for her. She was a cover illustrator for Good Housekeeping which lasted for fifteen years. I discovered that her illustrations reached millions of households across America.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea or theme around my inspirational research is basically showing the innocent child's behavior.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I inferred that Jessie Willcox Smith might be working for another company as well. I found out that she did work with the advertising department at the Ladies Home Journal.
“Back to School, Again.” The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, 14 Nov. 2016, www.rockwell-center.org/essays-illustration/back-to-school-again/.
“Being a Scholar.” The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, 14 Nov. 2016, www.rockwell-center.org/essays-illustration/being-a-scholar/.
Born: September 6, 1863 | Died: May 3. “Jessie Willcox Smith.” Illustration History, www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/jessie-willcox-smith.
“Being a Scholar.” The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, 14 Nov. 2016, www.rockwell-center.org/essays-illustration/being-a-scholar/.
Born: September 6, 1863 | Died: May 3. “Jessie Willcox Smith.” Illustration History, www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/jessie-willcox-smith.