AP Art Portfolio

This piece reflects a couple of my personality traits. I'm indecisive, when presented with many options I freeze up. The ten fingers on the hand indicate being overwhelmed with indecision to the point of incapability. I made a practice sketch in my sketchbook, edited a hand image in Procreate to make a reference with ten fingers, then gridded the hand onto the paper where I painted with watercolor.

8.5 x 12 in

The idea behind this piece is being stuck by all the expectations and commitments that you’re held up and forced to expose yourself. Done digitally in Procreate, Carved into Cork Blocks and Printed onto Bristol Paper. I designed it on my iPad, then printed out the separate layers/color blocks for carving. I carved 6 blocks in all, and experimented with different methods of layering.

​9 x 11.5 in

The idea behind this piece is that you’re stuck and unable to move even as the water is rising while and everyone else is flying away. You’re left behind and can’t help but feel like it’s your fault. After doing a single practice sketch inspired by a reference, I decided to do it full scale with no reference/grid. I had a bunch of cut out butterflies so I folded them at the middle and glued them in the black background above the figure.

30 x 22 in

My relationship with my mom is complicated, and it’s changed through the stages of my life, but she’s always been present (though in different ways). Using four separate pictures I sketched onto a pink primed canvas with an orange sharpie my design, then I used acrylic paints and slow dry medium for blending. I painted over everything multiple times in order to get cohesive style/values.

​16 x 20 in

As I’ve gotten older my mom and I butt heads more often, but after seeing a candid picture of her leaning in to kiss my forehead made me realize we’re as close as ever. I sketched onto a pink primed canvas with an orange sharpie my design, then I used acrylic paints and slow dry medium for blending. I painted over everything multiple times in order to get cohesive style/values.

16 x 20 in

Often I get frustrated and struggle with expressing myself, and regardless of the way I express myself I feel like I’m behaving like a petulant child. Even rational expressions of my anger feels like throwing a tantrum no matter how justified my outburst is. Design  done digitally in Procreate on the iPad. I experimented with shading done on the background to create depth, resulting in a sort of infinity tunnel look.

When faced with something difficult I often balk and grit my teeth before getting it done. Here, I have a chili pepper clenched between my teeth as my eyes are screwed shut. In the original picture I’m laughing, as I did it as a joke, but I think it shows the things which intimidate me are never as bad as they first seem. I used a grid method to get the expression correct, then used colored pencils on bristol paper to get realistic details with blending/texture.

8.5 x 12 in