EVALUATION OF SUMMER

PROJECT:SELF-

PORTRAIT Erin Middleton 8280

IN IT IAL SO URCES O F RESEARCH

• Sources of research include several paintings from the national portrait gallery, all of the paintings that I have researched used different techniques. The first painting that I looked into uses bold colours and strong lines to interoperate a message of solidarity. The second painting that I looked into and created a larger painting , this painting shows a woman on a window ledge , this painting aided my development of my portrait as it showed me the use of tone and shade in artwork. The final painting I researched into shows a woman in a coat that uses many different tones of oranges and browns. The artists that I looked at where Alex Katz, Louis Leopold Boilly and Brain Sayers.

PORTRA IT DEVELOPMENT

• I used drawing to develop my portrait designs as I sketched out three initial designs so I could try different spacing and composition for my portrait. I developed my initial ideas by suggesting ways to improve my initial design ideas, through the use of varied colours and backgrounds. I was aiming for a simple yet realistic looking portrait which emulated some of the techniques used by Alex Katz who uses solid colours which contrast the colours of the person he is painting. I used materials such as acrylic pain and thicker and thinner paint brushes to create a textured background. This helped the look of my portrait and developed it from my initial ideas into something more detailed and textural. Additionally I also shoed the development of my portrait through a series of photos which clearly show each stage of the process of creating my portrait.

F INAL PORTRA IT

• Throughout this project I have learnt that using pencil and a thin base layer of paint is extremely important to ensure that the painting is opaque and proportionally correct. During the process of painting my self portrait I found the eyes and the eyelashes a real challenge as the canvas I was using had a uneven texture so there for made it extremely difficult to paint the eyes and eyelashes due to there size. However I over came this by using a tiny paint brush and adding a few more layers of paint as it made the surface more even. I learnt that the use of colour when creating a portrait is important as it communicates emotions. I learnt that using a base layer is important to add an opaque quality to the painting.

REFLECTING ON YEAR 1

• Reflecting on last year I think that the projects that were most important to my learning experiences were the fashion based projects as it has allowed me to enhance some of my graphics and design skills. The poster project has especially enhanced my graphic design skills and made me more confident when using a computer to create artwork. Additionally I projects where I was able to decode what I wanted to create have enhanced my decision making skills and my creativity. I think I need to work on my analytical skills when reviewing my work to help myself get better understanding of the end result.

• In the future I want to study fashion at university as it is a passion of mine, due to this I will tailor all of my work this year to support a fashion based outcome