UWMilwaukee- Gouache Paint Illustration
Do you need it all?January 2020
15" x 10" inches Gouache paint on Illustration Board Exhibition Text:This project is made up of two pieces that are supposed to be opposites of each other. I decided to do this project by, portraying the difference in someone who has nothing, but is still happy with themselves compared to someone who has everything they could want, but isn't and wont ever be satisfied. I want to show how although you may have everything, you may not have the most important part which I think is happiness. While creating and researching, I used different art sites, and even a few sites I use in my IB Geography that view life of the poor.
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The Process:
Inspirations:
Referring back to the homeless man I had met months before, I remembered something he taught me, something that I will always remember. He told me that day that yes he did struggle a lot, and for him the next day was never certain, and for that reason, he wanted to live everyday as happy as can be because he never knew if it would be his last. This man had next to nothing, but he was happier than most people I see. He did not care of his imagine on others. At the en of the day, he was the only one that knew himself, definitely not one of the hundreds that pass him by as they drive to the job. He didn't need the latest technology or fastest cars, or 1 million dollars to be happy. He realized his situation and chose to make the best of it instead of envying others.
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Another inspiration was a conversation I had with my mom after she arrived back home from a trip to mexico. She talked to me about how while she was over there, she saw everyone looking alive. Everyone was up and moving. She didn't see a single person asking for money. And even the poorest of the poorest were all happy. They were dedicated to their lives, and similarly to my previous inspiration, that was what pushed me spread this message.
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One of my inspirations was this slide show that was presented to me in class. This presentation had all the requirements and even had some examples that really helped me get started. This presentation said we needed to make a piece with two complete opposites, and as I went over the examples within the slides, I tried and tried to come up with an idea that was more than just getting the grade. I wanted to create a piece that was going to tell me as well as my audience a story. After a few days of brainstorming, I sat down to talk with my mom about her trip, and that's when the idea popped in my head. It was the first idea that felt like it gave off a genuine story.
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Process:
CHALLENGES: I think my biggest challenge was just adapting and understanding how to use the gouache paints.
For this piece, I started off by hanging a lamp under my glass desk which allowed me to use a technique know as light copying. By light copying, I was able to copy my illustration piece onto my illustration board. This allowed me to use the same proportions and keep roughly the same image as my illustration project. Once I had my rough draft, I went back and analyzed both piece to refine my details. Once I felt comfortable with my sketch, I experimented with gouache paintings a little bit to understand how to use them a little better
Planning:
Techniques and Tools:
Reflection:
Full Class Critique at UW-Milwaukee:
This piece doesn't really connect to my usual them revolving around earth based things, but it was important to me, and it was about a topic that I feel never gets it's share of attention. Through this piece, I had the opportunity to illustrate the difference between having everything you could ever want, and having happiness. This topic was something I always wanted to explore, but until then, I never felt like I had a piece that could go with this idea. I like that I used and put the main figure in the center so that he pops out the most. I did this sot hat the viewer would analyse them 1st and then see how they have different facial expressions. One thing I didn't like was how blank the happy illustration was, but I didn't add anything else because I wanted to portray that he didn't need anything at all. Overall, I think I got good responses, and my painting was well understood. Based on the feedback I received, I can tell my initial idea was well portrayed. I didn't really like how my gouache painting came out. I wish I had practiced and experimented more first to get a better technique, but I am happy with my progress.
ACT Responses:
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause and effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
One direct effect I saw from my inspiration is the way I portrayed the two main people. One was happy with nothing while the other was miserable with everything.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding your topic?
The author is very much into the movement. His word choice, and the way I read it make me come to the conclusion that this is a movement he is comfortable and interested in.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while researching inspiration?
While researching, I had to think about general things that almost everyone would possibly want. I put food, clothes, entertainment systems, car, money, friends, etc.
What was the central theme or idea around your inspirational research?
The central idea I had while researching mainly revolved around the happiness of the main figure. Does he really need it all to be happy?
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Overall, a huge inference I had to make was that all those people I have seen were in some sort of way happy and that their faces weren't only a show for the world.
One direct effect I saw from my inspiration is the way I portrayed the two main people. One was happy with nothing while the other was miserable with everything.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding your topic?
The author is very much into the movement. His word choice, and the way I read it make me come to the conclusion that this is a movement he is comfortable and interested in.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while researching inspiration?
While researching, I had to think about general things that almost everyone would possibly want. I put food, clothes, entertainment systems, car, money, friends, etc.
What was the central theme or idea around your inspirational research?
The central idea I had while researching mainly revolved around the happiness of the main figure. Does he really need it all to be happy?
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Overall, a huge inference I had to make was that all those people I have seen were in some sort of way happy and that their faces weren't only a show for the world.
Bibliography:
“Advanced Photo Editor.” Photopea. Accessed February 4, 2020. https://www.photopea.com/.