SUPP IESL
april 15, 2016 • tigertimesonline.com
34
entertainment
DRAWN TO ART A look inside the life of an artist SUPPL IES BRUSHES
The type of brush used when painting heavily influences what the finished product will look like. Flat brushes are the most versatile because they can be used for filling in large areas or making precise lines. Pointed brushes are better for precise painting on small areas and detail work. There are also specialized brushes designed for painting textures such as hair.
PAINTS The three main types of paint are acrylic, watercolor and oil. Watercolor paint allows for more versatility and variation in tone in only one color. Acrylic is a heavier paint that is more vibrant in color but is harder to manipulate. Oil is the heaviest type of paint and by far has the most textures. Painters, such as Vincent Van Gogh, favored oil paints.
PENCIL/CHARCOAL/PASTEL Pencil drawings, also known as graphite drawings, are common for novice artists and for sketches. The easy erasibility of graphite makes it perfect for beginners. Charcoal and pastels are mediums more suited for more advanced artists, due to their messiness.
by ALEX O’GORMAN viewpoint editor
The dark line cuts through the pristine white of the paper like a blade. A splash of color bleeds through the canvas, its pigments mixing with others and creating entirely new colors too unique to buy in any craft store. As a masterpiece is created underneath your fingers, all you can do is close your eyes and hope you don’t mess up. From a very young age, I had always shown a certain knack for art. No matter where I was, I was drawing–dragons, dresses, people. If you could name it, it was somewhere on pages of my notebook. As a result, I was always known as “that artist girl.” Although this was not remotely a bad thing, it would have been nice to have my yearbook signed in a way other than “You draw really good! HAGS!” Being an artist has also played a role in the development of my personality, at least according to my mom. My emotional sensitivity? “Oh, it’s because you’re an artist.” My perfectionism? “Oh yeah, that’s the artist in you.” My ability to not completely screw up my makeup every day? “Artist, artist, artist!” So, if specific traits can be attributed to being an artist, what exactly is an artist? Most people would probably agree on a set of adjectives to describe artists: creative, alternative, weird, colorful, witty, etc. However, I disagree. Someone who is an artist does not have to fall into a recognizable category. An artist is anyone who makes art, full stop. Your grandmother who crochets on the weekends is an artist. That weird kid who sits behind you in math who does nothing but doodle in his notebook is an artist. Your dad who puts together model ships is an artist. The artistic process is also extremely varied and different for everyone. No artist goes into a project knowing exactly what it’s going to look like. There are some artists, such as myself, who have no
idea what they’re even doing most of the time. A common misconception about artists is that they’re always doing art, night and day. Personally, I go through long periods when I am not motivated to do any art and have no inspirations. On top of that, I also have other responsibilities, such as school and extracurriculars. When I actually complete a piece, the compliments I get are numerous and range from “I wish I could do that” to “You’re so talented,” and I can’t help but feeling slightly guilty because most of the good parts of my art originate from sheer luck. Sure, I can draw a pretty good eye when doodling, but attempting the rest of the face without looking at a reference image is a definite no-go. In fact, drawing anything without a reference image is pretty much an impossibility for me. So, every time someone compliments my creativity I can’t help but thinking those thoughts of self doubt. That I’m not a “real” artist. That I’m just fooling everyone. That feeling of doubt intensifies whenever a piece turns out looking bad or even simply not how I had expected it to. But every time I go to that dark place, I have to reign myself back and remind myself that I am an artist. I am an artist because I love making ideas come to life on a page. I am an artist because I express things far more easily with paint than with words. Most importantly, I am an artist because an artist is anyone who creates art, even if I am just winging it most of the time.
photos by k. moreland/illustration by a. o’gorman
34
entertainment
DRAWN TO ART A look inside the life of an artist SUPPL IES BRUSHES
The type of brush used when painting heavily influences what the finished product will look like. Flat brushes are the most versatile because they can be used for filling in large areas or making precise lines. Pointed brushes are better for precise painting on small areas and detail work. There are also specialized brushes designed for painting textures such as hair.
PAINTS The three main types of paint are acrylic, watercolor and oil. Watercolor paint allows for more versatility and variation in tone in only one color. Acrylic is a heavier paint that is more vibrant in color but is harder to manipulate. Oil is the heaviest type of paint and by far has the most textures. Painters, such as Vincent Van Gogh, favored oil paints.
PENCIL/CHARCOAL/PASTEL Pencil drawings, also known as graphite drawings, are common for novice artists and for sketches. The easy erasibility of graphite makes it perfect for beginners. Charcoal and pastels are mediums more suited for more advanced artists, due to their messiness.
by ALEX O’GORMAN viewpoint editor
The dark line cuts through the pristine white of the paper like a blade. A splash of color bleeds through the canvas, its pigments mixing with others and creating entirely new colors too unique to buy in any craft store. As a masterpiece is created underneath your fingers, all you can do is close your eyes and hope you don’t mess up. From a very young age, I had always shown a certain knack for art. No matter where I was, I was drawing–dragons, dresses, people. If you could name it, it was somewhere on pages of my notebook. As a result, I was always known as “that artist girl.” Although this was not remotely a bad thing, it would have been nice to have my yearbook signed in a way other than “You draw really good! HAGS!” Being an artist has also played a role in the development of my personality, at least according to my mom. My emotional sensitivity? “Oh, it’s because you’re an artist.” My perfectionism? “Oh yeah, that’s the artist in you.” My ability to not completely screw up my makeup every day? “Artist, artist, artist!” So, if specific traits can be attributed to being an artist, what exactly is an artist? Most people would probably agree on a set of adjectives to describe artists: creative, alternative, weird, colorful, witty, etc. However, I disagree. Someone who is an artist does not have to fall into a recognizable category. An artist is anyone who makes art, full stop. Your grandmother who crochets on the weekends is an artist. That weird kid who sits behind you in math who does nothing but doodle in his notebook is an artist. Your dad who puts together model ships is an artist. The artistic process is also extremely varied and different for everyone. No artist goes into a project knowing exactly what it’s going to look like. There are some artists, such as myself, who have no
idea what they’re even doing most of the time. A common misconception about artists is that they’re always doing art, night and day. Personally, I go through long periods when I am not motivated to do any art and have no inspirations. On top of that, I also have other responsibilities, such as school and extracurriculars. When I actually complete a piece, the compliments I get are numerous and range from “I wish I could do that” to “You’re so talented,” and I can’t help but feeling slightly guilty because most of the good parts of my art originate from sheer luck. Sure, I can draw a pretty good eye when doodling, but attempting the rest of the face without looking at a reference image is a definite no-go. In fact, drawing anything without a reference image is pretty much an impossibility for me. So, every time someone compliments my creativity I can’t help but thinking those thoughts of self doubt. That I’m not a “real” artist. That I’m just fooling everyone. That feeling of doubt intensifies whenever a piece turns out looking bad or even simply not how I had expected it to. But every time I go to that dark place, I have to reign myself back and remind myself that I am an artist. I am an artist because I love making ideas come to life on a page. I am an artist because I express things far more easily with paint than with words. Most importantly, I am an artist because an artist is anyone who creates art, even if I am just winging it most of the time.
photos by k. moreland/illustration by a. o’gorman
