Project 1 - Personal Battles

1. How do you feel about the overall outcome of this piece in relation to your art making process?               I am very proud of my outcome on this project.  I have never digitally created art before and I like that this piece still fits into the type of Art, like still life, that I usually do, but in a much different way and while broadening my skills.
2. In what way did you integrate your personal art practice into this project?

This piece is still a still life and incorporates the dark contrasts and realism that I usually work to achieve in drawing.  

3. How did you challenge yourself creatively, conceptually and/or technically in the making of this piece?

 I was challenged by masking layers, creating shadows, and fulfilling the 30 layer requirement.  It is hard for me to tinker around with different tools, but I made myself try and I gained more knowledge of the program and different ways to make effects.  

4.  Were there elements that made the completion of this piece either more difficult or felt not challenging enough?

I thought this piece was difficult, and many times tested my patience because I am unsure of myself.  I found it most difficult when I was working on the project at home and didn't have anyone to ask questions to or ask opinions.  For a while, I had the text overlaying the entire picture and I thought it was ruining the composition and very busy and distracting.  I played with gradients, sizes, opacity, different placements, and I finally decided to see what it would look like as if I had ripped the paper out of my journal and decided I liked that better.  

5.  Reflect on the project critique: was the feedback you received helpful? Be specific about why or why not.

I thought the feedback was helpful.  Someone had pointed out that the way the table seems to be leaning makes it more obvious that I created the table.  To make it more realistic, I would fix that, maybe with warping, to ensure it doesn't look like the objects would fall off the table. It was also helpful to hear that classmates could understand what I was trying to convey in my art and gave me a sense of relief.

Please share any other thoughts.  

The critique also helped me think more introspectively about my own work.  One classmate said it seems that I am embracing the fact that I am unsure of who I am- and while I wish that I was sure of my identity and destination, I think she may be right and I'm okay with that.  I really learned a lot by seeing everyone else's work and creativity.