06 February 2014

Looking Back in High School



I am currently making an art history presentation that must include past works of my own so I decided to go down memory lane and into the drawings of high school (which to me, was not that long ago by the way) and I have realized how much I MISS sketchbook work. I am so caught up in the computer now a days that I have stopped using my hands to draw. As I was looking back at these drawings, I noticed how loose, how free, and how spontaneous I was and in turn, I've realized how much more afraid I am to draw presently! How ridiculous is that? Ridiculous enough to make me promise myself I will get out there and draw more!

In the meanwhile, here are some of the drawings. Please forgive the quality for I took these with a blackberry I no longer posses and the overhead bedroom lights as the lighting source.

At first I drew cartoons: (Freshmen year- Mid Sophomore)

 Not that there is anything wrong with cartoons but that was all I knew. I was afraid of exploring other grounds since I knew the first drawings would not come out as good as I though my cartoons were. But then I started to become serious. I wanted to go to Ringling for schooling so naturally I asked the question: What did Ringling want? Then I began to expand my horizons by drawing faces from observation. I have to give credit to many of my Stoney Creek peers for inspiring me and challenging me. These pictures I referenced are from Google images. I was not interacting with my real world yet. But I was indeed surprised as I saw potential in me (notice these were not my first attempts erhem...we can romanticize the reality on this blog can't we?)


 Then...a caricature of my honors pre-calculus teacher. Still to this day, I can't tell if he appreciated this. But I definitely knew the physics teacher wanted one but I never got around to drawing him.



 I began "people drawing"


The BMX thing are from pictures I took from an event at my church

Ringling's Precollege was an extreme blessing to me. This is when I let out my artist skills loose!
I was not afraid of making errors, I just wanted to get better! (This is a small sample, by the way. I couldn't find that many pictures of observational drawings of people)




After Precollege, I got back home transformed. Thirsty to draw more! I let other people's sketchbook ideas inspire me. I drew similar things to challenge myself into becoming a better artist by exploring what they had explored.


A day in a metro park near where I live. My parents and I went there for the primary purpose  of sketching. Then of course, we stick barbecue lunch as another reason to go to it.

Ringling wanted hands? I gave them hands



Ringling wanted movement in drawings? I gave them movement in drawings. (Maybe a little too literal?)

My own take on a Ringling's exemplary Portfolio Piece. This was very fun to draw.
But I was still drawing fun cartoons along the way. How can a tree deny its roots? That means death to the tree! (feeling slightly metaphorical today)

After Senior year rolled around, I was no longer pursuing liberal arts, though I still had an interest for them. But we were talking about my future here and I didn't want to compromise quality for the sake of solving numbers. Speaking of numbers...scholarships! Too much was at stake to not get any scholarships!
I enrolled in a college class done by our beloved art teacher. She trained our eyes superbly!


"Cameron" got a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. 
And so did Igor
I also enrolled in a class  downtown thanks to Cameron and Audrey!


 

We submitted our AP Portfolio Pieces in the beginning of Spring (These are some, not all) :












Remember: Art is a big part of my life, but it isn't all that it is. I should've drawn more since day one and I am still falling short of my drawing habit expectations. Don't think this art trip was all roses and rainbows but instead, a lot of procrastination (in high school I regretfully procrastinated big time) and stressful deadlines filled with many artistic regrets between the big plot-driving moments.

Now that this trip to memory lane is coming to an end, I just realized I've been writing this blog post than actually writing my Art History Report! 
But besides that....
As for my portfolio that got me to Ringling? I am currently without possession of it so whenever I get my hands on the portfolio, I will update this page.

In conclusion. I have come a long way to be where I am now at Ringling College and the path was way too long to stagnate in drawing! I feel rejuvenated physically and in spirit by God and incredibly inspired by this brief retrospective I've done of myself. I would highly encourage all art students in doing their own retrospective for inspiration and fresh ideas!
That's enough talking for now...Onward!!












30 January 2014