My project for "Drawing from your imagination"

A large part of this course consisted of thinking about our feelings and emotions, taking notes, and then transferring those to paper using symbolism into our drawing and including a phrase that expresses our idea. The goal is to tell a story that might evoke feeling from the viewer.

As i'm working on this project, the devastating fires are still raging in Los Angeles, California, where I live. Over ten thousand structures have been lost and at this point more than twenty five people are dead. The heartbreak and destruction is unimaginable, but no matter what the circumstances are around us, we can still experience peace, hope, and even joy when we have faith in Christ.

The peace He gives is a gift. We can trust Him, knowing that everything on earth is temporary, and this world is not our ultimate home. God gives us comfort when we are His, and will sustain us through our trials, no matter what the immediate outcome may be. Our hope does not fade and our joy comes from deep within, giving us the strength to face whatever may come, and the love we need to help others along the way.

Daniel Smith watercolors, Stonehenge Hotpress paper, Trekell brushes, Staedtler Fineliners

These are my preliminary notes and sketches for my project.

This is my project inked with fine liner before the color was added. At this point I decided to go with a complimentary color scheme, using cool blues and warm oranges

This is the first wash of the background before the salt was added for texture, and also before the smoke was added for the fire. I like this softer pastel version, but because of the dynamic subject matter, I felt my colors apart from my main figure also needed more vibrancy to properly convey the message.

This is the finished version of my final project, painted with watercolor.

The eyes around the edges represent the eyes of God that see and know all, and the wings are those of angels. The knives that are raining down represent violence and destruction. The tornado, sharks and fire are all other dangers and trials we may face, either literal or symbolic. The dove inside is a symbol of perfect peace and calm, as is the rainbow. The verses found in the corners are God's promises from His word.

I wanted to include this because not everything is a win. This is the first version of my final project, and because the wonderful instructor, Fito Espinoza, uses acrylic paints. I decided to try it even though I have never used acrylic paints on paper before now. My skills with acrylic definitely need a LOT of work. I used very inexpensive paints from a discount store and although that may have been a contributing factor I cannot blame the supplies. My color mixing and was lacking and the paints were too thick. I should have added more water. This piece might make a good pep rally banner that a football team could run through at the beginning of the football game, but it's not a piece that would be prized in my art collection. However, it's a part of the journey, and each part always provides a great learning experience.