Initial ideas
After the brief I drew up my initial ideas. As usual they are quite graphic and literal. I usually need to sit down and draw in order to make something conceptually sound. Below are some of my initial ideas.
Above is a piece I had hoped to create using ceramic and mixed media.
Another sketch showing a different idea/arrangement for a piece made from ceramic and mixed media.
The image above is one of my initial ideas consisting of three ceramic figures leading each other along. This would be to show growth and change in myself over time. Each figure would be a self portrait of pivotal points in my life. This idea then led me to draw out the same idea but in ceramic vessels. These drawings are shown below.
The outline for the pots are shown above. I had intended to create three different vessel shapes which would be thrown and turned then with different additions added on . This included making the small rounded pot (my youngest self) puffy and later glazed pink which would be paired with a picture of me in my pink puffer jacket. The second vessel (my teenage self) was to be extremely delicate thin and small. For this piece I had hoped to use oxides and stains to create dark lines and a yellow tinge over the skin. For the final piece i hoped to create my current self. A curvy vessel squished into a binder and shorts to show a more masculine development. This would have been glazed using greens and blacks with an oxide pencil to draw on tattoos.
Unfortunately at this point I got sick and had to stay off campus so I had to change my tactic from starting the vessels to creating a “moment in time” instead of several. I wanted to keep the idea of my current self and discomfort in my changing body so for the first time in a long time I picked up a paint brush and designed a self portrait.
Process.
Sketches and planning.
Within my sketchbook I had some previous small self portraits where the figures face is covered. I felt this was something I wanted to keep in my larger painting as I feel it is the truest form I can paint myself in- hiding. I also felt it was relevant as a snapshot in time.
To help with composition I took some pictures of myself- some in my binder and some without. I had hoped to take some with my chest taped up but I didn’t like the effect it had on camera. Out of the range of images I picked a few and made some digital drawings. I was unsure if I wanted a few bodies on one canvas or just one focus point.
Digital drawings using procreate.
2-5min sketchbook drawings.
Timed pencil drawing.
After trying some different compositions and poses I picked a reference to work from in order to try out a colour scheme before I started painting. This was to give me an idea of how to start my layers and what I might want to change.
Digital drawing using procreate.
Marking out painting.
final outcome
