Vortex

In this piece, my art looks somewhat like an alien/technological kaleidoscope. Our task was to create a design, mirror it, and color it. I decided to name this piece Vortex, as it reminds me of time travel. My most obvious elements in the piece are the solid background, the weaving reptilian scales, and the shading of the small detail pieces in the circles. 

To create Vortex, I used a variety of different tools and techniques. I used a number two pencil, a standard eraser, a ruler, different cups to trace circles, a variety of colored pencils, a thin sharpie marker, and a normal tipped sharpie marker. It took a great amount of time to finish this piece, but I eventually got the job done. In order to make the mirrored effect, I sketched out one design and then traced it in sharpie. From that point, my instructor, Mrs. Seitz, copied the design four times and I matched the design to the pattern I found most ideal. Then I used both a window and a light box to trace the four designs in the pattern I wanted onto a bigger piece of paper. After I had the initial sketch, I cut apart the four designs to test different colors and shading options. Once I found the right combination, I moved on to adding color to my design. I also outlined much of the pattern in order to give it a cleaner look. Lastly, I mounted the piece onto a bigger sheet of paper to give it a border and titled my work. 

I was heavily inspired by the British TV show, Doctor Who. In fact, the circular designs in the middle are actually an alien language featured in the show. I got the idea to use the language, which is known as Galifreyan, after scrolling through my Pinterest boards. 

My goal with this piece was to create a design that adheres to my nerdy interests. I think I created something that reflects the aesthetics of the show but is completely original in every step of the way.

I learned that the smallest of details take a great amount of time to perfect. I definitely could’ve been more precise on certain aspects of the design, but there were many times where I just had to get it done in order to be able to turn it in. I think I will try to do a better job of managing my time better so I can use it to smooth out the smaller details.