Scholar

During the second semester of my freshman year, I transferred from Theater to Art 1. I thought that elective would suit me better, and I was right. That semester, I found a way to grow and escape from any of my worries just by using a pencil or paintbrush. The next school year, I decided to take a leap. My art teacher had suggested that I take AP Drawing, and I did. As a sophomore. I remember walking into that AP Class full of fear, which was odd because just a few months before, I felt like I belonged. However, over time, the fear subsided.

Since I had been placed into an AP Class, I was given the opportunity to have complete control over what I created. I was allowed to open any shelf filled to the brim with supplies and just create. I did not know what drawing paper was when I began taking AP Drawing. I thought it was the same as what was in my sketchbook, so I created my first piece in it. I began with just using pens.

I thought that it was perfect the way it was, just simple black and white. I felt like the detail could easily substitute for the color it was lacking. I showed it to my art teacher, completely thinking that it was done, and she advised me to add color. I was cautious and scared at first, but then I started to use a medium that I felt I had the most control over, which was colored pencil. I began filling in the blank space behind the jellies with hues of blues, blending them together. I remember I would work on my jellyfish piece any chance that I got. During breaks in other classrooms, when I finished my homework, and even on the way to school. When the blues behind the jellies turned into an ocean, I decided to add color to the jellyfish themselves, which I was so scared of. I didn’t want the color to take away from my linework. I took a leap of faith and chose to use alcohol markers to color in the jellies, and I am so glad that I did. It brought the piece to life (S2). When I presented the piece, my peers gave me positive feedback; they told

me the linework was amazing, the differentiation in the blues helped bring the piece to life by adding dimension and depth, and it looked like they were moving. Then, one of the students asked what kind of paper I used. Confused, I told her I used my sketchbook. She proceeded to tell me that using paper that thin can warp the piece. I had never heard of this in my life, but from that day on I never created a main piece in my sketchbook, and I found myself drawn toward a certain type of paper that was brown with ridges in it, holding small pockets full of color, which made it easier to blend the colors. I also rediscovered my confidence in my artwork that day. I pushed through self-doubt, and with the support of my older peers, I had just as much potential talent as everyone else. Sure, it may have been different than theirs, but it helped me realize that every artist’s talent is different. No two are ever the same (S4).

From that moment on, I began experimenting more with mediums and materials I had once feared to use. I experimented with new textures and techniques, pushing myself to think outside of the box. I tried to interpret movement through different mediums, while using particular colors in each piece to evoke emotion out of the audience my pieces were presented to (S2). When I got stuck on a piece, I took a break from it and practiced techniques in my sketchbook, especially with pen line work and colored pencils. Meanwhile, when I thought that a piece was done, I learned that most of the time it was not, and I began to ask myself, what is missing? Sometimes it would be a lack of depth or not as vibrant as I wanted it to be. However, I learned the importance of perseverance and pushing myself to achieve a better outcome with my work (S1). Over time, my technique improved, and it became visible in my work. With my technique, I grew more confident than before and began giving advice to my peers, like the student from my sophomore year did.