Final Reflection Essay

This year in Art 3 I have continued to expand my knowledge of different types of art, different techniques and mediums, and perspective and composition. In regards to figure drawing, I learned a lot about contropasso and the natural weight balance of the human body. I also learned that I am not very good at drawing a realistic and proportional human figure, which told me that figure drawing is unlikely to be something that I pursue in the future. I really enjoyed learning art history as well. I learned about the different styles of many artists through the centuries and how artmaking has expanded, grown, and changed over the years due to trends and current events. Finally, I really feel that I learned a lot about oil painting specifically, since we spent so long on the project. I really feel like I have a good grasp on the technique and the concept of painting layer by layer, which I really enjoyed because the values turned out really nicely and it was easier to resolve mistakes.

I feel that I have seen the greatest growth in my composition skills this year. I used to just go with my instincts when it came to composition, which I still believe is an important factor in making a composition. However, now I take into consideration the rule of thirds, focal points, objects falling off the page, and negative space without having to think about it too much. I can really see the progression in composition throughout my major pieces this year.

I feel that I need to improve the most in my realistic painting skills, because I struggled to make the pear in my oil painting look round enough to be fully realistic. I think another thing that I definitely need to improve is being more open to the idea that my work might not always turn out exactly the way I imagined it. I definitely struggle with this and when I find myself inevitably reaching this point with most of my work, I tend to slow down and get really discouraged, which is something I want to avoid next year.

Although I haven't found anything that I am confident I absolutely want to continue working with next year, I definitely have a few loose ideas for what I may want to do. I will definitely take the skills I have acquired in color, composition, perspective, and value with me to Art 4. With the lessons and experiences I have gained this year, I am confident that through trial and error, I will be able to find a common theme or medium that I want to pursue.