We are shaped and fashioned by what we love
This painting of my converse in black and white attempts to show them colored on, stained, beat up and adored. I wear them everywhere, all the time, and I feel that they are a reflection of the deepest parts of me. The song lyrics, the quotes, the doodles, and so many other things about them are parts of me I share with the world. I love that I can carry a tiny bit of my art with me wherever I go. This painting is meant to reflect the quote "we are shaped and fashioned by what we love" from the book "Steal Like an Artist". To me, this quote is a description of what happens when you find something that resonates with you, whether it be a song, an animal, a shape, or a color, that that thing will continue to appear in your life. When we love things we allow them to make us into who we are. My converse are a collection of the things that mean the most to me.
Technical Process
For this piece, I started with a blank canvas and I sketched out the photo I took of my own shoes. I then painted over it with acrylic paints, using almost entirely black and white (plus a little brown), to get the tones I wanted. I attempted to establish enough contrast to make the scene catch the viewer's eye, and to add deep enough shadows that the design was almost pulled off the page. after painting, I used a white chalk pencil to sketch the white designs on the shoe, and I ended up liking the texture and not painting over it like I originally planned. I then used a black thin sharpie to do the black details on the shoe, and I sealed the painting with a matte varnish.
Elements and Principles
The primary element of art I used in this piece was value, especially through my use of almost exclusively black and white. For elements of design, I used mostly emphasis in order to make the shoes stand out on the stark white background.
Critique 1:
"Is there any way to incorporate more contrast in this piece?"
-Nicolas
Critique 2:
"Try adding a shadow to offset the sneakers from the page and make sure you continue it down the side of the canvas."
-Ms. Johnson
Critique 3:
"I would leave the white colored pencil marks, it looks like the same material as the shoes and I think it's really cool. I wouldn't want this piece to lose that by painting over it."
-Simonne
Overall Reflection
Materials: Acrylic on canvas, chalk pencil, sharpie
Processes: Typical painting with brushes, pens and pencils used for text and designs
Size: 12 in x 9 in
Image Citation: Inspired by alternative drawing on converse, cybersigilism styles, doodles