Dream Portfolio Assignment
-
Interesting study from this class. I'm always a bit conflicted with style because I feel like I am very easily influenced... when I see something I like, I try to draw it in the same style.
These are some examples of things I currently love or that I keep coming back to.
And these are a selection of mine over the last few years or so. I haven't done a lot of "completed" work for the simple fact that I have been wrestling with that crippling artist habit when you think you're not good enough. For a long time I truly believed that and hated everything I did.
I've eventually learned that I am drawn to the following things in other people's work and eventually would like to incorporate them into my own....
- use of colour... often other-worldly, or at least not photo-realistic. Contrasting either with vibrant and unrealistic tones, or very earthly ones depending on the mood and subject matter.
- use of texture.... I absolutely love texture. I never quite got the hang of realistic rendering, it always fell flat and ugly on the page, screen or canvas. So I like to compensate with a motley blend of brush strokes, noise, scratches, spatters and other mess.
- subject matter tends to focus on character driven pieces (my animation side coming through perhaps), doesn't always have a clear story, but does express emotion in a variety of ways, either through facial expression, expressive posing, or placement in the composition.
- variety, I don't cling to one style or one particular media.
- metallics (mostly gold) seems to attract me in paintings and I really love using it in abstracts and they way it can enhance a piece. It's funny because I don't like it in anything else except paintings.
Earlier influences include Wendi Pini (Elfquest) and Albert Uderzo (Asterix). I don't necessarily refer to them, but I grew up with those comics and they have definitely influenced me in terms of line and expressive characters I think.
Any other thoughts?
-
9-10 dream portfolio works have a sense of movement which I am drawn to. Also helps the eye move through the works (first 3 across then the horse, and some of the character movement, and even the more abstract).
It’s refreshing to see your dream collection is all over the place for inspiration -I tried hard to not do that because I focused primarily on children’s books and illustrations but I love a lot of things too and keep finding new and old that I want to add. I am finally starting master studies so I tell myself finish the ones you have and then come back and add others.
What type of illustrations are you interested in or fine art, or what ever?
-
@Heather-Boyd I am definitely all over the place with my tastes. It makes it challenging when people ask "what's your favourite.......?" because I can't find an answer, it'll be different in a week or a month or a year. The movement thing is probably my inner animator
Can't really say I'm interested in a specific type of illustration (if you're meaning editorial/children's book/etc). I gravitate to what is visually appealing across any genre or platform. Certainly things that involve character and narrative, so I suppose the aforementioned would be the most fitting.
