Gouache
Space vs. Earth
Gouache on illustration board
Two 25.4 x 38.1 cm boards
December-January 2019/2020
Two 25.4 x 38.1 cm boards
December-January 2019/2020
Exhibition Text
The purpose of this project was to do our previous UWM Illustrations in a different medium, specifically gouache. "Space vs Earth" showcases the pollution of Earth compared to the wide open and clean feelings of outer space. I was inspired by the Pointillist works of Georges Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night," and the astronomer Galileo.
Planning
Inspiration
Georges Seurat was a French painter and pointillist. He used very precisely placed dots and color theory to make his colors more vibrant. He would place strokes of complimentary colors in other colors. For example, he placed tiny strokes of red in the grass. From a distance, it makes the grass appear brighter and fuller. For my piece I am using colored pencils, so it would be very hard to place single dots. Therefore, I want to use short strokes that merge the colors together. I like the relaxed colors in both pieces, and I want to incorporate colors like these in my own illustrations. Both the pieces are also landscapes, which is what I will most likely be doing. His pieces use many curved lines that give a feeling of relaxation and piece. The subjects in both pieces appear still and calm. I want one of my pieces to have this feeling by using organic shapes and curved lines. For the other, I will use geometric shapes and harsher lines to make the piece feel more stiff. |
Vincent Van Gogh was known for his post-impressionism works. His most famous piece, "Starry Night," has long flowing marks that make movement in the sky and clouds. Since I'll be making longer strokes, I can mimic the flowing lines he uses but with smaller strokes. |
Galileo was an Italian scientist and scholar. His discoveries laid the foundation for modern physics and astronomy. Although he was threatened by the church numerous times for speaking out against the norms, he constantly fought for his discoveries and was devoted to the scientific truth. I love space and the stars and admire his for standing up for what he believed. Space fascinates me, and so I thought it would be fun to put Galileo in space. It's a setting you would never expect him to be in, yet it's also fitting since it was something he loved. |
Sketches
This is another side-view. This time I made the planets look farther away and more spaced out. This gives a feeling of space and openness, which is my idea of "clean" and "new." If you think about it, that is the opposite of pollution. Before we built skyscrapers and bridges, the Earth was much emptier and there was more space. Right now, that is what outer space is. We came and took away that space by building structures that ultimately destroy our environment. The fire from the back of the rocket is going off the piece, and the pieces that can't be seen I'll put into the Earth side. This shows the journey to space.
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Experimentation
I had never done pointillism with paint before. Perhaps it was because I used gouache, but it was difficult. The gouache was a little muddy and was hard to apply in small dots. I was unsure if I should do the entire piece using small dots, or apply a base coat of solid color then apply points on that. For my experimentation, I tried both techniques on a sheet of white paper. I concluded that the painting a base color first drowns out the lighter colors an doesn't have my desired look. Making points without a base color seems to blend the colors together better, and so that's the technique I decided to use in my pieces.
Process
My first step was transferring my sketches onto the illustration boards. I knew that gouache could be transparent at times, so I made my lines as solid as possible. Since I was doing pointillism, my second step was to place small dots of color everywhere I would apply it. I would start with the lightest color and place dots of other colors everywhere the white still showed. The placement had to be precise.
Reflection
I feel overall satisfied with these pieces, but I feel like I could have done more. I wish I had chosen something more meaningful to me for the opposites. This is a reminder that I need to try to open myself up more when it comes to my art. I want to make my art more personal and emotional. Art is about expression, and I want to be able to express myself to my greatest abilities.
Compare and ContrastSimilarities
Differences:
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
It's clear in my work that I was inspired by the color theory and brush strokes used in Seurat's works. I also tried to replicate the peaceful feelings from the composition by using curved lines and lighter tones, which is something seen in many of his works.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author has an informative and formal tone. They talk about Seurat's techniques, but not much about the meaning he wanted to put into his work.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I concluded that there are many techniques to get to the same effects, such as using pointillism to get more vibrant colors. There's also nothing wrong with adding a personal twist to a piece when it suits the medium.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme was contrasting the openness of space with the confined, closed feeling of earth.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Seurat was unappreciated in his time, as the official Salon rejected his art work. This shows me that sometimes artists have to fight the norms to add substance to new art and help it change and evolve.
It's clear in my work that I was inspired by the color theory and brush strokes used in Seurat's works. I also tried to replicate the peaceful feelings from the composition by using curved lines and lighter tones, which is something seen in many of his works.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author has an informative and formal tone. They talk about Seurat's techniques, but not much about the meaning he wanted to put into his work.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I concluded that there are many techniques to get to the same effects, such as using pointillism to get more vibrant colors. There's also nothing wrong with adding a personal twist to a piece when it suits the medium.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme was contrasting the openness of space with the confined, closed feeling of earth.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Seurat was unappreciated in his time, as the official Salon rejected his art work. This shows me that sometimes artists have to fight the norms to add substance to new art and help it change and evolve.
Bibliography
Courthion, Pierre. “Georges Seurat.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 29 Aug. 2019,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Seurat.
“Galileo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 4 Sept. 2019,
https://www.biography.com/scholar/galileo.
“Pointillism: Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières.” Pointillism: Seurat's Bathers at Asnières,
http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/pointillism.html.
Seurat, Georges. “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - 1884.” The Art Institute of Chicago, European Painting and Sculpture,
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Seurat.
“Galileo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 4 Sept. 2019,
https://www.biography.com/scholar/galileo.
“Pointillism: Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières.” Pointillism: Seurat's Bathers at Asnières,
http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/pointillism.html.
Seurat, Georges. “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - 1884.” The Art Institute of Chicago, European Painting and Sculpture,
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884.