While practicing zentangle, I reach inner peace. When I doodle, it allows me to relax my mind and decompress. I can let all the worries of the day slowly melt away and just focus on my art. I may not be an excellent artist, but I do enjoy drawing and painting for it's relaxing qualities. The more and more I practice by getting myself into an art trance, the better I believe that I will be. While zentangeling, the elements of art come into play. Line variety is extremely important. Art would be boring with only straight lines, so zentangle should include curved lines, diagonal lines, and wavy lines in addition to straight ones. Also, there should be a variety of shapes, in all sizes to create variety. Zentangles should be a creative with varying patterns to add interest to your work.
The color wheel is a basic tool used for combining colors. In the color wheel, the primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The three secondary colors (green, orange and purple) are created by mixing two primary colors. Another six tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors. The color wheel can be seperated into warm and cool colors. Warm colors are vivid and energetic. They include reds, oranges, yellows, and all the colors in between. Cool colors give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression. Those colors are blues, greens, and purples. Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors. For example, red and green. The high contrast of complementary colors create a very vibrant look. Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create comfortable designs. A triadic color scheme uses 3 colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. They tend to be very vibrant. For example, the grouping of red, yellow, and blue; or orange, purple, and green.
When I painted my Gyotaku, I kept the design very simple and pleasing to the eye. I used only a slate grey and blue color, along with black, which was primarily used for the fins. The slate color that I used is a cool color because it is a shade of blue. I chose this color to give off a more relaxing vibe. I prefer my artwork to be calm instead of vibrant and extravagant. These colors correspond with my personality, which is probably why I subconsciously chose them. I am more laid back and prefer not to act in a vibrant manner. The slate color makes me feel at ease while painting. It is soothing to use colors that are not harsh to the eye.
In order to successfully complete this project, I needed a fish to make the print on rice paper. I painted the fish, then carefully laid it down onto my rice paper. Once it was printed, I painted a specific rice paste over the print, and then placed another sheet of paper over my artwork. I patted the paper over my print to adhere it to the rice paper. Once that was done, I outlined the paper with the same paste and mounted in on a wooden board, but making sure only to put the outside ends of the paper on the board, so I can cut the mounting off 24 hours later. After that, I added some accents with colored pencils. While I was painting, my mind wandered and I felt one with my artwork. However, when mounting my paper, I felt less creative and knew my left side of he brain was much more dominant. I felt fairly successful with my work. One slight problem included my paint running a little, and a small tear in my paper. However, I plan to fix both these problems by adding in some more color with colored pencils, and sealing the rip together again.
I felt very self directed for this project - and I really enjoyed that. Being a self directed leader requires responsibility and respect. We have to have the responsibility to pay attention in class, so we are not lost when the project is placed in our hands. In addition, it is important to respect the teacher by following her directions carefully and not talking to avoid major disturbances. I am becoming a self directed leader by using our school's core values in my artwork. I will listen to the teacher and flow up on her directions carefully. One example of how I self direct myself can be shown at the beginning of class. I grab my pencil and immediately start sketching quietly until the teacher tells me otherwise. After I receive the directions, I do as I am told and work to the best of my abilities.
In order to successfully complete this project, I needed a fish to make the print on rice paper. I painted the fish, then carefully laid it down onto my rice paper. Once it was printed, I painted a specific rice paste over the print, and then placed another sheet of paper over my artwork. I patted the paper over my print to adhere it to the rice paper. Once that was done, I outlined the paper with the same paste and mounted in on a wooden board, but making sure only to put the outside ends of the paper on the board, so I can cut the mounting off 24 hours later. After that, I added some accents with colored pencils. While I was painting, my mind wandered and I felt one with my artwork. However, when mounting my paper, I felt less creative and knew my left side of he brain was much more dominant. I felt fairly successful with my work. One slight problem included my paint running a little, and a small tear in my paper. However, I plan to fix both these problems by adding in some more color with colored pencils, and sealing the rip together again.
I felt very self directed for this project - and I really enjoyed that. Being a self directed leader requires responsibility and respect. We have to have the responsibility to pay attention in class, so we are not lost when the project is placed in our hands. In addition, it is important to respect the teacher by following her directions carefully and not talking to avoid major disturbances. I am becoming a self directed leader by using our school's core values in my artwork. I will listen to the teacher and flow up on her directions carefully. One example of how I self direct myself can be shown at the beginning of class. I grab my pencil and immediately start sketching quietly until the teacher tells me otherwise. After I receive the directions, I do as I am told and work to the best of my abilities.
Assignment #10: Due to a physics test, I did not attend the field trip.
I really enjoyed my print making process. I find it so captivating how the same print can vary so much in texture after a few "ghost" prints. For example, in my first print, there was little detail and the ink was quite splotchy. By the time I reached my last print, detail was very evident. It is really cool how I can use recycled materials to add detail to my print. I used items like string and mesh to add texture to my art. I feel like by adding the mesh, it gives my art a more abstract look.
This was my favorite project of the quarter. Marbling is so enjoyable for me because I love being able to create different color schemes. It is very fun to find a warm/cool color combination that looks appealing and unique to the eye. Binding the book was challenging for me, but also quite relaxing. It reminds me of sewing, but with paper. I personally like the tortoise binding. It is more unique and I think it gives the book some much needed detail. It also seems more efficient in holding the book together.