Project 3: Shadow Box

Introduction: I was given a project where I had to create a shadow box with a theme revolving hope and dreams or future plans and goals. It can be anything that is inside a box which then we are to present it in front of class.

Materials: Bond paper, HB pencil, fine liners, pencil crayons.

Creative Process: I decided to do an art piece that would reflect on how I feel about life. I decided to illustrate a cave or a dark place with a very hellish door and have some floating rocks as steps to the door. At the very bottom would be a person looking up onto the door about to make the journey.

Next I added some details to the picture. I added a bridge from where the person is standing to where the door is, connecting all the rocks together. I decided that the rocks were separated too far apart for anyone to jump it so adding the bridge makes more sense. I also changed the door a little bit so it looks more scary and hellish rather than it being a rectangle that is just sitting there. Finally I also added some chains, which connects the rock where the door is on top of to the ceiling so the rock isn't just floating.

Next I outlined everything so they are a lot more visible and I can erase the pencil marks so it will not affect coloring. The only things I did not outline is the person and the bridges because I might change or move them later.

I first decided to color the foreground first which meant all the rocks, chains, door and the person. At this point I also decided to make the person into an adventurer to fit the theme more. I used brown then added dark blue to make some parts of the rocks darker to bring more contrast.

I reinforced the color more by darkening where the shadows are and also added some details onto the door to try to give it a fiery look. I also colored the chains blueish gray.

After reinforcing the color, I moved onto the background which is mainly red. It is lighter the closer it is to the center of the art piece and slowly turns brown and then dark brown. Unfortunately the picture I took is a lot lighter since there is more light shining onto the art piece.

Then I added a swirly look on the door to make it look like a mystery on where the destination is. Finally adding the finishing touches such as the patches of ground near the adventurer, outlining the bridges with a dark brown and intensifying the light on the torches it is complete.

Conclusion: This project was very fun and challenged my creativity to try and draw things I do not normally draw. Intensity of pencil crayons is very important since the higher the intensity the more the art work looks complete, low intensity artworks looks dull and faded. By pressing harder with the pencil crayons it allows the color to show and provide the atmosphere you want the viewer to have. I have a hard time with the texture as I am still not used to creating textures and I cannot visualize the texture in my head. If I were to do this project again I want to try to create better texture to make it look even more realistic.