Teacher Name: Gabriel Mejia
Grade: 12
Materials: Vector-based tools on photoshop and original photography.
Dimensions: 12” x 12”
Description: The original photograph was taken in the Chicago neighborhood of Old Town, a lively and youthful part of the city. Before this photo was taken, an art festival had taken place earlier in the day where the streets were flooded with individuals from the entire city. The lonely old man symbolizes the contrasting idea of day versus night in this corner of town, where even the most thriving parts of the city can be silenced.
Artist Statement: The pieces that comprise my portfolio are all of imagery and scenery that remind me of the good times in my life. Three of the pieces are scenes that I have first-handedly been emersed in, while the final piece is an image that holds a heavy piece to my childhood. Through the tedious process of Photoshop’s vector-based tools, paintbrush and eraser tools, original photography, and adjusting each photo’s tones, my pieces come to life. The process to reach the final piece is long and causes me to lose track of time. Starting only with a few irregular shapes and then being able to continuously stack shapes and tones on top of each other to create my work is always thrilling. Through thousands of layers of shapes, lines, and colors, my artwork is formed.
Utilizing vector-based tools allows for the re-creation of my original photography and revisions in the future if anything requires tweaking, ensuring my work replicates the photo to its fullest extent. Although vector-based tools give an appealing, refined appearance in the final product, I also enjoy using the paintbrush and eraser tools to make more playful imagery. In my fourth piece attached, imagery of Bart Simpson, I first began sketching the background, Bart, and the graffiti separately, before recreating each piece in Photoshop. I then synthesized all of the individual pieces and added shading to make the work appear cartoony, youthful, and similar to the original show’s drawing.
Having enjoyed photography from a young age, I travel frequently with my DSLR camera, capturing beautiful, serene scenery I wish to showcase, whether it be just the photo or the re-creation. Being able to re-create these scenes and bring further life to them has always been something I have aspired to share with the world. The process and creation of these sights allow others to share and live in the moment that I once did. Inflicting emotions upon viewers as their eyes travel the curves and corners of my works.
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