AP Drawing: Concentration 10 (Combined)

(This my combined piece for exemption) 

AP Drawing: Concentration 9 (Part 3)

This is the third part of my piece. The heart was made with acrylic and oil-based colored pencils and outlined using yarn.

Process Shots: 

Final: 

The complete look: 

Reflection: (Of the heart piece) 

Manipulation of Material: I used the yarn to connect the pieces of the art together, and the glue helped keep the yarn bent around sharp edges of the heart. I also used the white yarn on the black matte board for contrast so that the white yarn stood out. 

Problem Solving: It was challenging for me to conceptualize how I would connect the two pieces to the center, which was the heart. The yarn pieces were able to do that and also showed the simplicity of the connection between my siblings and the similarity of their heart. Also, I was initially thinking of threading the heart through the black matte board but didn't realize how thick the board was and the impracticality of having to poke small holes for the very intricate pattern of the yarn on the heart. I then used glue to trace around the heart and that gave the exact look I wanted.

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 8 (Part 2)

This is the second part of my three-part piece, painting my brother with acrylic on black matte board.

Process Shots: 




Final: 


Reflection-- 
Manipulation of Material: With the black matte board, it was definitely harder to paint light colors on top for the background, and that is the biggest lesson I've learned in this process. Next time, I'll use a lighter matte board color to make painting easier. Even though one layer didn't cover the black properly, I used multiple layers of paint so that the black wasn't overpoweringly visible put still left an "antique" effect on the background.

Presentation and Quality: Throughout this process, I kept building off of and correcting what I had previously done. Even at the end, I added some more line quality to the hair using very washed out pigment.

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 7 (Part 1)

My concentration piece will be three individual sections that come together in the end.
This is the first section of my sister.

Process: 
(experimenting with background color + work on mid-region)


(before minor touch-ups)


Final: 



Reflection:
Creativity-- I wanted to create a piece that was complex and told a message about the relationship of siblings. For the final look, I would be using a range of materials that are out of my comfort zone: black matte board, yarn threaded through across the piece, layering the board for depth, and yarn for crafting the heart. The concept itself, of having my siblings' faces sectioned and mismatched was challenging for me as it was out of my comfort zone, and I think that's what makes the piece creative.

Cultural Competence-- The entire look is meant to connect to my life and what I've observed about other people's perspectives. Siblings, especially twin siblings, are often connected by others according to their facial features, the external factors. However, I wanted to challenge that perspective and instead portray how my siblings are really connected together, in a simpler way, through their heart and character. I will be using yarn to create that contrast between the chaotic, tangled relationship of the features versus the clearer connection to the heart.

AP Art Drawing: Timed Drawing

Cultural Competence: 
I went on an Interim trip to explore the ancient Peranakan shophouses that still exist in Singapore today. Peranakan culture represents the interracial populations in Singapore. I was really inspired by the vibrant colors and a mix of traditional and European inspired carvings used to embellish the shophouses. What I noticed was how each shophouse, while having the same structure, was still unique and vibrant in its own way. Each color choice was different, and that is why I wanted to bring about the culture by placing tiles of shophouses next to each other. I also noticed how my portfolio lacked a bit in the line element, in patterns, so I thought this piece could be a good addition.

Final:

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 6

Reference:

 

Final: 

 

Reflection: 

Manipulation of Material-- I used colored pencil in a different manner than usual. Since my surface was black matte board, I needed to make sure that the color pencils were applied with enough pressure. In areas which were intended to be darker, I applied very little pressure and the dark base showed up automatically from the dark matte board. 

Problem Solving-- I wanted to work on a different colored surface, so I went with black. While the colors stood out and made contrasts and highlighting easier, I also found that sometimes, the colors dulled a bit if I didn't press hard enough. Through the process, I learned the perfect amount of pressure needed to make certain colors stand out while layering. 

Gallery Visit #3

I visited Cipta's exhibition down at the 1st floor of the library!
I really wanted to seize this opportunity because it was a very unique exhibition, one that I wouldn't get to see anywhere else in Singapore.


What I really took away from his work is his distinct personal style. He has a style of seeming unorthodox, mixing solid colors and toy-machine-like structures to build his figures. In many pieces, like the one below, he often used bright colors but juxtaposed them with a black base in order to bring a haunting feel of something deeper and darker than a seemingly bright toy. This is what I found gave the pieces their individuality and unorthodoxy.

                                                                                

I also noticed that with every piece, Cipta seemed to connect with the audience's emotions through his use of symbolism and satire. These were pertinent to a certain culture or group of people who would understand the characters. For example, the "Pink Eagle" figurine was meant for SAS. The Eagle represented the SAS mascot and he spun that into an image that seemed humorous and different. with the "Pig" figurine, I remember Cipta recalled how in Indonesia, the pig has some sort of negative meaning meant to be hurtful and derogatory, but I found it really refreshing that he used that image to connect with the Indonesian audience and bring about humor in a creative way. I think his use of neon-bright colors created that humorous feel.























I also noticed that with every piece, there was always a series or a sequence that guided the audience to a collection. All the mini figurines were grouped according to the intended audience or according to the type of figurine. All the bigger displays had series numbers (like Dollores IX, Dollores X....) and some were even grouped together in the same frame. I asked Cipta about why he chose to have a sense of continuation with his pieces, and he replied that he believed there was more to the pieces that couldn't be expressed with just one composition, and that with a series leading to more, the audience will be able to better understand the type of figure. He believes in showing the SAS audience more variations to the same figure so that we appreciate how different each figurine can be and how they can hold different meanings and emotions despite having a similar shape and size.



Finally, I observed that Cipta weaves emotions into his pieces but in a very deliberate and abstract way. For example, with the above-right piece, I noticed there were many expressions and emotions involved, however, they were portrayed in a unique manner. One of the farther pieces in the group has a robotic figure with a big red heart drawn on it. I think this is almost an allusion to the Wizard of Oz and a play on what certain figures do with emotions, how they handle them. Other figures had a distinct facial expression, with the eyes and lips prominent. The heart, eyes, lips, are all structures that bring about emotion, and by adding those touches, Cipta really draws the contrast between human emotions and robotic structures. He also portrays those emotions so evidently, almost like they were a natural part of any robot.