During our first online class, we were introduced to an ice breaker activity. The brief was to create our own 3D portrait.
I completed a brainstorm with different styles and options I could use for my 3D project.
The theme that enticed me the most was to create a portrait out of mini furniture in order to make it directly related to my progression route. I was envisioning different coloured and sized furniture to form the face. However, since I am isolating, I did not have multiple materials to work with. I had to compromise and use some available in my apartment.
My initial thought was to create a portrait using layers of card since I find that very fascinating and exciting.
However, since one of my goals this term is to expand my abilities and develop my skills, I decided to focus on clay. I have completed a portrait with layers of card before so I thought that clay would be an interesting challenge to take on. I have a tough time working with clay. I used it once last term and I realise that I do not possess great skills when it comes to clay. It is very time consuming, messy and it stresses me out.
In the brainstorm included above, I talked about different styles my portrait could be in. Therefore, I decided to research a few of these styles:
I chose this clay bust as part of my research as it is what I initially envisioned as my final outcome. It is realistic, yet has a touch of an animated character. I find this concept very interesting and I really like the outcome of it. I am particularly impressed by the detail in the hair. I am aware of that fact that I will not be able to accomplish such high level of detail but I am still aiming for the best.
This is a cartoon clay bust. Some features are exaggerated and unrealistic which make the overall image very interesting. I definitely think that cartoon busts are visually pleasing to the eye as it is something unusual. However, I think that they are slightly easier to create rather than realistic ones. When creating cartoon ones, exaggerated features are a part of it, so it is harder to make it look weird. I want to challenge myself this term and try to create a more realistic one in order to improve my skills with clay.
This one is a very realistic clay bust. As seen, it is very detailed and precisely measured. Looking at this made me realise the level of skill it takes to create it. Therefore, I immediately discarded the idea of creating a fully realistic one. It is evident that this took a lot of time and patience, something that I do not have when using clay. The amount of detail seen is incredible. However, I am definitely aiming for something less realistic.
However, after looking at the previous clay busts, I realised that I do not have enough clay for a bust. Therefore, I researched a clay relief to see if the end result would be drastically different. This example reassured me that a clay relief would be as good as a clay bust.
This clay relief also made me realise that I do not want the portrait to be from the side. I want it to look directly in front.
Conclusion: I did not form an opinion before researching these styles and see which one entices me the most. After looking at a few examples of different, I realised that I wanted my portrait to be somewhere in between a cartoon and a realistic portrait. I knew that I do not possess the skills to design a fully realistic one, therefore, I decided to add an element of cartoon to make it more fun. The first clay bust is the style I am mostly aiming for.
COLOUR SCHEME:
Before the making of my portrait, I decided to brainstorm the colour scheme I would use to complete this. I wanted to make something fun, unique and exciting that hints towards my character. I completed another brainstorm to see which colour scheme is most suitable.
In the previous terms, I completed multiple pieces using complementary, analogous and monochromatic colour schemes. I mentioned previously that I wanted to create something fun and unique. This idea came to mind when I stumbled across the videos of a small creator on tiktok @mirandamolds. She has multiple fruits displayed, however, I decided to showcase the watermelon as this was the one that intrigued me the most.
Watermelons are one of my favourite fruits to eat. It reminds me of summer which indirectly links to happiness as it is a stress-free and enjoyable period of my life. Summer has created multiple unforgettable memories for me so I wanted to portray myself as a watermelon. Additionally, the colour red and green are related to the characteristics I possess. Red can be associated with love and joy. Green can be associated with progress, tranquillity. Watermelon is also a symbol of intellect, wealth and welfare.
Additionally, it is aesthetically pleasing. Green is a complementary colour to red which makes the colours co-exist peacefully.
I decided to work with this image as you can see everything from the front. It would be easier to create a portrait made of clay from a picture looking exactly in front as I could measure everything accurately.
This is the picture that I used for my website and blog too so I wanted to maintain a consistent theme.
After completing all my research and gathering all the necessary information, it was time to make my clay relief.
The first step was to gather my clay. I used clay and added a bit of water and then spread it out as evenly as possible. I realised that it started forming bumps (as shown in the picture) as the clay was not evenly spread out. Therefore, I would constantly flip it on the surface of the desk to ensure that it is as even as possible.
The next step was to form the face. I used the referenced image on my iPad and then traced it onto a piece of paper. I did not add a lot of detail as a means of making it more cartoon-ish. This was a very simple and easy procedure.
After tracing the image, I used added it on top of the flat clay surface. I used a pin and marked out all the areas drawn out on the paper. This was a very helpful and less time consuming way of tracing it more accurately.
The next step was to start adding more realistic features. I used my clay tools and some water to mould everything into the desired shape. This was a very difficult process to complete as I was not familiar with it. It took a lot of time and effort to complete this stage.
I kept on adding clay and forming my designated areas. I used a flat brush to even out the texture and then used the clay tools to ensure that every clay part is safely secured onto the structure.
After this part was complete, I let it dry overnight and then it was time to paint it. First, I added a thick layer of white paint to ensure that the rest of the colours would be as vibrant as possible. Then, I proceeded on adding the red and the green, while also adding shading and light.
This was the final result. I tried to make the green as dark as possible to make the red stand out. Additionally, I added the seeds onto the neck to make it look more like a watermelon. I added some powdered eyeshadow on all the areas as it made it more smooth and vibrant.
Conclusion: I think this was a good effort. I do not particularly think that the outcome is great, however, I tried to push and challenge myself with a material that I am not familiar and confident with. I definitely see some progress from the last time I completed a clay relief and I am happy about that. I spent a reasonable amount of time on this to ensure that I carefully examine and explore the material. I am glad that I chose this as a material and that I am trying new things outside my comfort zone.
Next time I complete such project, I have to ensure that my initial sketch of the face is more accurate. I think that it does not really resemble the image as I was very quickly sketching it out. Next time I need to dedicate more time to sketching to ensure that it resembles the image.
I agree that this was a good effort as evidenced by the final outcome and also that you should perhaps have made more effort with the drawing before you started on the 3D element. It would have been nice to have seen what you could do with something that was not a relief and I think you initial idea about using furniture to create a portrait would have been more adventurous.
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