Illustration: Negative
Title: "Unpretty"
Size: 30 cm x 40 cm Medium: Prisma Colored Pencils February 2019 Exhibition TextThe piece "Unpretty" is an illustration inspired by Alfred Steven's "Woman in front of a mirror" and Norman Rockwell's "Girl at Mirror". Depicted through the piece is the result of when society's beauty standards are set upon females. In the illustration the young woman cries, covering her face as she believes that she is not beautiful due to the influence of the BEAUTY magazine shown in the lower left corner that also reads "IDEAL FACE".
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Inspiration
I was inspired by the pieces "Woman in front of a mirror" by Alfred Stevens and "Girl at Mirror" by Norman Rockwell. The first piece influenced the cool hue choice and the balance aspect of in "Unpretty". The second piece helped influence somewhat the meaning of the piece and it also helped connect the negative work to the positive version work. General visual aspects within the pieces such as the nigh gown and the way its a female looking into the mirror also derive from the inspiration artworks.
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Planning
Once the inspiration pieces were chosen, the planning sketches were done in order to have a vague idea of what the final and more detailed image was going to look like. In the sketch you can see the girl facing towards the mirror covering her face while crying.
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Experimentation
- The first part of experimenting was done in order to find what hues would mix well when coloring the illustration.
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- During the process of creating the piece I experimented with the intensity of the hues. In the first image you can see that the colors are patchy and very light but after coloring it more intensely it looked more smooth and neat.
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Process
( 1, 2 , 3 & 4 ) - The first four steps was to gather the materials needed to complete the illustration. The following listed are the materials- Pencil, Eraser, two illustration boards, and Color Pencils of choice.
( 3 & 4 ) - After gathering the materials the next step is to begin drawing a much more detailed version of the planning sketch done previously. Once the drawing is complete, the coloring can begin.
( 7 & 8 ) - Once coloring has started there was a moment of experimentation with the color intensity that occurred. In the image form step seven it is noticeable that the image is very light and not very opaque but in step eight the hues were intensely brightened. This was a result form blending the colors with white and with more pressure.
Critique
Compare and Contrast
Similarities:
- Both "Woman in front of mirror" and "Unpretty" have cool toned hues - Like Steven's painting, my illustration demonstrates the same kind of balance. - Similarly "Unpretty", displays the same emphasis which is the female figure standing in front of a mirror. Similarities: - Both pieces utilize dark hues to create a sad atmosphere withing the image. - Like "Girl at Mirror", "Unpretty" shows a female figure looking at herself in a mirror with a sad disposition, - Similarly to "Girl at Mirror" both artworks mediums are illustration. |
Differences:
- Unlike the illustration "Unpretty" Steven's piece "Woman in front of Mirror" in a painting. - Another difference between both pieces is the way the mixed hues create shadows, and display light. - There is a difference between the way the women are shown and their surroundings due to the creation time gap. Differences: - Unlike "Rockwell's" piece "Girl at Mirror", "Unpretty shows the use of cool hues instead of warm hues. - Another difference between "Girl at Mirror" and "Unpretty" is the way the coloring style creates texture in the pieces. - In contrast "Unpretty" has more unrealistic human figure than Rockwell's "Girl at Mirror". |
Reflection
Overall I was very happy with how the piece turned out in the end. In the beginning after I knew what message I was going to deliver to the work it was a bit difficult looking for and artist as inspiration but eventually I decided to chose the two stated above. After I had started coloring the illustration there was a moment where I inspected the work but and I wasn't very fond with how the coloring looked like. Eventually I fixed the issue by coloring with more force and by mixing the colors with white to make them opaque and darker.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you were able to "identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork" - The influence the inspiration work had on my piece was the use of cool color palette.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration? - My overall approach was to display the message of how the pressures of society for women to look a certain way can be damaging.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration? - After having decided what the topic of my artwork was going to depict I learned that there are many pieces that hold similar meanings that connect to culture within society.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research? - The central topic around my research for the piece was women and how it is known for society to create certain beauty standards. I wanted to find artwork that connected to that idea and afterwards was inspired by the looks of those pieces.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research? - While doing research I made inferences about the feelings and emotions I was going to portray in the piece.
Clearly explain how you were able to "identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork" - The influence the inspiration work had on my piece was the use of cool color palette.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration? - My overall approach was to display the message of how the pressures of society for women to look a certain way can be damaging.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration? - After having decided what the topic of my artwork was going to depict I learned that there are many pieces that hold similar meanings that connect to culture within society.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research? - The central topic around my research for the piece was women and how it is known for society to create certain beauty standards. I wanted to find artwork that connected to that idea and afterwards was inspired by the looks of those pieces.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research? - While doing research I made inferences about the feelings and emotions I was going to portray in the piece.
Citation [MLA Format]
- Tate. “Alfred Stevens 1817-1875.” Tate, Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/alfred-stevens-525.
- Norman Rockwell Museum, www.nrm.org/MT/text/GirlMirror.html.
- Born: Feb 3, 1894 | Died: Nov 8. “Norman Rockwell.” Illustration History, www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/norman-rockwell.
- Norman Rockwell Museum, www.nrm.org/MT/text/GirlMirror.html.
- Born: Feb 3, 1894 | Died: Nov 8. “Norman Rockwell.” Illustration History, www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/norman-rockwell.