Printmaking Project

The artwork pictured above is my bird from the linoleum print-making project.

The process that was necessary to create a linoleum print involved many phases and processes.

The first phase was the research phase. During this phase, I searched the web for photos of animals that I could draw, and chose two: the hoatzin (pictured) and armadillo. Next, I gathered several reference photos of the animal and their habitat and printed them out. I pasted these photos in my sketchbook, which I used for the drawing phase.

The second phase was the drawing phase. In this phase, I drew a full-page picture of the animal in their habitat. I did not need to use color, as it was unnecessary and would not be integrated in the final product. After I completed the drawings of my hoatzin and armadillo, I chose the one I liked the most. Using a viewfinder, I found three compositions that I liked and picked one of them. I used the selected composition to create the outline for the final product during the transformation phase.

The third phase was the transformation phase. Using sketch paper, I copied the composition from my sketchbook. Carefully, I traced the lines on the back of the sketch paper. After I traced, I placed the sketch paper on my linoleum and traced again, transferring the lines onto the linoleum. During this process, I effectively transferred my drawing from my sketchbook to the linoleum. Before moving onto the cutting phase, I shaded in the regions of my linoleum that would be one color, leaving the other color regions blank.

The fourth phase was the cutting phase. Using a gouge tool and five differently sized toolheads, I carefully cut the shaded regions from my linoleum. The cutting process was long, tedious, and especially difficult when cutting the intricate parts of the linoleum. I had to cut deeply and cleanly to prevent paint from getting into the cracks during the painting phase.

The final phase was the printing phase. Printing involved two main tools: the benchhook and brayer. After putting acrylic paint on the benchhook, I used the brayer to spread the paint around the entire surface. When I had sufficiently coated my brayer with paint, I rolled the paint onto my linoleum print. Lining the linoleum up with some guide marks I had made earlier, I carefully pressed the print onto the paper. Next, I carefully lifted the entire paper off the table and turned it upside down. Pressing lightly on the paper (smoothing would cause the paint to smudge), I transferred the paint from the linoleum print onto my paper. If I changed colors, I had to wash off my linoleum between sessions. After completing several prints, I washed off my materials and returned them.


At the start of the project, I was not very fond of the entire idea of printmaking. After completing all of the necessary phases and seeing the final product, I am satisfied with the work I put into it. I felt like there were a lot of steps, as there were more than our typical art projects. The drawing phase was easy, aside from drawing the details in the background. My least favorite part of the project was the cutting, as it was tedious and difficult. If I made a mistake, I would be unable to fix it. Additionally, I had to make sure that there was either a white or black line in between objects of the same color. The printing phase was successful, despite a couple of mistakes in my practice prints. After a couple of tries, I was able to accurately determine the amount of paint I needed to create a successful print.

Ultimately, I am very satisfied with the final product. I learned how to apply my two-dimensional art to a three-dimensional print and use it reproduce my two-dimensional art. Using the viewfinder taught me how to find appealing compositions in my art, which improves my overall sense in drawing and selection. I learned how to use a linoleum cutter, and what kinds of steps and cuts are necessary for artwork that involves cutting. Overall, I enjoyed some parts of the project and did not care for others. Nonetheless, I am very satisfied with the final print.

Photoshop 2 - Frog Tongue

The image pictured above is my Photoshop image of a frog tongue.

The process used in creating this image involved Adobe Photoshop. My second time using Photoshop, I was much more comfortable creating this computer art than my previous creation of "hungry pancakes." The process involved the isolation of a frog using the Crop Tool and Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand Tool was arguably the most useful tool, and was invaluable to the entire process. The tool allowed me to select a region of pixels with a similar color, and the Inverse option allowed me to effectively select any shape I want. In this case, the tools allowed me to select only the frog. Moving the frog onto the tongue and adjusting it with the Transform function, I used the Clone Stamp Tool to add the color from the tongue to the frog. After that, I used the eraser on a low opacity setting to remove the unwanted appendages from my frog. Following the eraser, I played with the shadows using the Drop Shadow layer style, adding depth and blending the frog and the tongue successfully. Lastly, I used the eraser and the Dodge / Burn Tool to soften the edges and blend the two layers for a perfect transition from tongue to frog. With all the steps completed, my frog tongue was finished.

Overall, the process of Photoshop was easier during this project. I understood plenty of keyboard shortcuts and could easily navigate the pile of menu options to find the most important editing functions, and also knew how to use many of the tools. The process was much quicker, and I also found myself less picky and more satisfied with the end result. The Magic Wand Tool was the most interesting one for me, allowing me to effortlessly isolate a unique shape from its original background. During this project, I was able to apply old techniques as well as learn new ones. I utilized the Transform function and the low-opacity eraser, and learned how to used the Clone Stamp Tool and many others. Overall, I expanded my knowledge of Photoshop, and created a interesting piece of computer art.

Photoshop 1 - Hungry Pancakes

The image pictured above is my Photoshop image of pancakes with teeth.

The entire process involved with creating this image was completed in Adobe Photoshop. First, I began with two images: one stack of pancakes, and a fish with gaping jaws. Using the Liquify Filter, I used the Bloat Tool and the Warp Tool to adjust an opening in the stack of pancakes. When I was satisfied, I worked on the fish image. Using Lasso Tool on the Polygonal setting, I was able to easily isolate the jaws portion of the fish. I adjusted the size and dimension of the jaws using the Transform function. Slight adjustment to the size of the hole and the size of the jaws allowed me to comfortably place the mouth onto my pancakes. The last step involved some small adjustments. Adjusting the hue of the jaws, I was able to achieve a light-brown / yellow color, which fit well with the overall color of the pancakes. Using the eraser on a low opacity allowed me to soften the edges around the jaws, effectively blending the two previously separate layers together. Lastly, I cut some of the raspberries from the image and arranged them to appear as eyes, completing my vicious pancake monster.

Overall, the process was not too difficult. As it was my first time using Photoshop, the process was time-consuming and frustrating in some aspects. The separation of layers was difficult to understand at first, which led to difficulty cutting and pasting. Utilizing the eraser involved careful manipulation of the mouse, requiring patience and coordination. Throughout the process, I learned a variety of keyboard shortcuts, as well as how different tools can be used to edit an image. The Lasso Tool was probably the most useful, allowing me to effortlessly isolate sections of pictures for my Photoshop needs. All in all, I enjoyed my first experience, and look forward to understand more about the program and its technicalities.

Stencil Project

The picture above is of my artwork for the cutout stencil project.

The process for creating this piece of artwork involved multiple phases. During the design phase, I selected an expressive photo of my friend that included a variety of values. In Photoshop, I edited the brightness and contrast to emphasize facial features, and divided the values of the photo into four different layers, or colors. The layering process split the photo into four distinct colors, for which I chose white, orange, pink, and purple.

The stencil phase involved transcribing the layers of my photo onto large sheets of posterboard. To do so, I took a picture of my edited photo and projected it onto the wall, where I traced the different colored layers onto sheets of posterboard. After each of the parts of each color were traced, I used an X-Acto knife to cut out the colored regions. The cutting process created large sheets of posterboard, "stencils," where the colors would be, which would be used in the create phase of the project.

During the create phase, I chose a piece of cardboard large enough for my final product. I chose to paint the background of this cardboard white, as my picture contained a large amount of the color. After it dried, I taped the first stencil (pink) onto my posterboard and sprayed it with pink spraypaint. One by one, I taped and sprayed each additional stencil to the posterboard. Each of the colors pieced together to form a recognizable and artistic picture.

The project was successful in my eyes, because each of the colors combined to form a recognizable image. All of the processes went as planned, and I encountered no large problems. Additionally, I enjoyed the process and was able to help others complete theirs. Personally, I enjoyed the project because I was able to personalize it with a photo of my choosing, as well as choose the variety of colors I for the final product. I enjoyed the entire project, as it included a variety of processes. I worked on a computer and outside, and got to try new methods of art (creating stencils, spraypainting, etc.) I was a bit worried about how the final product would look, due to the fact that the cutting process was very difficult, especially in the curvy and intricate portions of the posterboard. Despite my concerns, I am very satisfied with the condition of the final product. Throughout the completion of the project, I learned how to use Photoshop for editing. I also used spraypaint for the first time, learning that the paint puddles if the spray is too concentrated in one area. Overall, I expanded my knowledge of art resources, and enjoyed creating a meaningful piece of artwork.

Contour Shoe Drawing

The artwork depicted above is my contour drawing of a Sperry.

My drawing greatly improved with the addition of the contour drawing skill. For starters, my original premise of drawing largely depended on my ability to recreate stored images, ideas of how I felt an object or idea should look. As a result, I often drew objects how I wanted them to look, or how I felt they should look based on my memory. The contour drawing unit forced me (difficultly so) to draw exactly what I saw, and ignore what I "thought" I saw. In the end, this style of drawing allowed me to create much more realistic-looking artwork, and include details that I would normally overlook. Additionally, the fact that I was unable to lift my pen when drawing encouraged me to draw as I saw, and not simply draw a complete outline and fill in the details. When I drew my shoe contour, I started from the bottom left, working my way to the right and upper ends of the shoe. As such, I drew details involving the laces and patchwork of the shoe as my pen came to that portion of the shoe, instead of simply drawing all of the shoe and all of the laces separately. On another note, my steadiness and fluidity with the pen greatly improved with the unit, and I am now able to produce smoother lines and well-defined edges.

The contour line drawing unit has improved my drawing more than any other unit thus far. I am now able to view an object and draw an accurate representation of it, which is a skill that I have never previously possessed. I am proud of the improvement I have made, and have already applied it in other subjects requiring artwork or sketches. Personally, the unit was very enjoyable, and I value my products for the amount of detail and time I put into them.

iPad Value Study

Depicted above is a piece of artwork I created using the Layers Pro app from the iPad. I blended different colors to illustrate the range of values of a basic cone.

There are many similarities and differences between the Layers Pro app and the oil pastels when used for value. With both items, I can lay down different colors and blend them with one another. In Layers Pro, I use the smudger tool; with pastels, I gradually blend the two colors together. With both items, I can provide a variety of colors and emphasize value which would normally be black and white. The unique aspect of Layers Pro is that I can readily adjust the shade of the color and its opacity, allowing me to easily achieve any range of value I want for a specific color. I can also readily adjust the amount and size of smudging I do, which makes blending colors much easier, and allows me to better tailor my artwork to my desire. With pastels, it is more difficult to achieve a color shade by blending with black and white, and meshing multiple colors together can be a difficult task. However, the pastels have a vibrant and unique appearance, providing a texture that no electronic artwork can replicate. Additionally, due to the larger differences in colors, the change in value is much more emphasized in pastel artwork.

Following the iPad value study, I successfully learned how to use the Layers Pro app. More importantly, I learned how to better manipulate the value in my artwork. The ability to fix a mistake or attempt a new mixture of colors allowed me to explore different possibilities in creating value, and figure out what works best and what I prefer. I created my first electronic art, and am proud of my artwork and achievement. Through the iPad value study, I learned how to blend colors better by dragging one color into another, and how to emphasize the light and dark regions of my figures. I also learned what colors blend well with other colors, and how to add texture to my background with the addition of more colors.

Technology is useful and important in art for many reasons. Technology helps artists spread there work, and allows people to connect with one another and share ideas. Technology like the internet provides a source where art can be viewed and admired, similar to the purpose of creating the ApexHS Art Blog. Additionally, technology allows people to experiment in art in ways never before. Tools like Layers Pro allow beginning artists to experiment with basic learning, as I did with value study. They also allow artists to create artwork otherwise difficult or impossible to create, and overall create new possibilities for artists of all levels. Technology may never replace the beauty and nature of handmade artwork, but it allows artists to experiment and discover new ways to express themselves.

Newimal Skeleton

In this sketch, I depicted what I believed to be the internal skeletal structure of the cartoon character, Teemo. My drawing displays a full set of bones, as it contains nearly all of the easily recognizable bones. The primary bones include the skull, jaw, spinal cord, shoulders, ribs, pelvis, arm bones, leg bones, hands, feet, fingers, and toes. I picked Teemo to draw, as he has a unique body shape consisting of a very large skull, with very small legs and arms. When I drew his skeleton, I exaggerated the pelvis to span the entire width of his midsection, causing it to be wide and thin. Additionally, I drew his arm bones and leg bones very short in length. This gave Teemo a unique look compared to a normal human. I used creativity in my drawing by customizing the features of the skull. In my reference picture, his eyes were shut and rather short in length, and the nose was not very prominent. To compare with his large skull size, I drew his eye sockets very large, which is how I visualized his appearance with his eyes open. I also increased the size of his nose, as I imagined it would look like. Additionally, I kept his mouth small, to contrast with the wide length of his mandible.

Personally, I enjoyed this piece because I was able to pick my own cartoon character that was meaningful to me. The requirements allowed me to be creative and draw the skeleton how I wanted to, which allowed me free use of my imagination.