Artist's Statements

Artist's Statement #1

 On a plain white sheet of paper I take my heavy black pen and taint its purity with each of my marks. It is branded repeatedly with thick or soft , curved or linear, definitive or tapering strokes. I take something simple and common and transform it into something complex and intricate. When I am finished, the paper is no longer ordinary and empty. It contains a story, a very literal story, through which I can convey my thoughts and feelings. Each drawing I produce is a physical recording of hand movement, of the pressure in which I force my pen up against the paper, the angle of my hand and how I produce the lines, and the speed at which I make my marks. Those physical characteristics are translated on an emotional level about my involvement in my work. My drawings don't tell a story of just the characters within each piece, but the story of their creator as well and the feelings that inspired the tarnishing of the pure white form of a blank page.

Artist's Statement #2

My comics act as a creative outlet for visual storytelling. They give the viewers an opportunity to connect and experience a world separate from reality. Storytelling is a way to unify visual imagery with typography in a way that is artistic and cohesive. It is my intention to not only engage the viewers with my stories, but also allow them to understand and appreciate every aspect of its creation. The ability to see each page as a carefully planned composition, through individual panel placement and its content, the style, line quality, contrast and a structured plot, is something I wish my viewers to walk away with.

Successful comic artists, such as Will Eisner, Craig Thompson, Nobuhiro Watsuki and Zhang Bin, have all been inspirations to my growth as an artist because of their careful planning and execution of comics. Their dedication to their art and their ability to communicate a story has allowed me to see a different perspective of art that planted the seed for my own work. To me a white sheet of paper has the potential for something complex and unique. When I look at a sheet of paper I see a story waiting to be told. Through characters and expressions, I fill each sheet with a story contrived of my deepest thoughts. Each aspect of the page, whether it be the placement of the figures, their body language and their relationship with the setting, is all part of a complete and intricate puzzle.

Artist's Statement #3

My comics act as a creative outlet for visual storytelling. They give the viewers an opportunity to connect and experience a world separate from reality. Storytelling is a way to unify visual imagery with typography in a way that is artistic and cohesive. It is my intention to not only engage the viewers with my stories, but also allow them to understand and appreciate every aspect of its creation. The ability to see each page as a carefully planned composition, through individual panel placement and its content, the style, line quality, contrast and a structured plot, is something I wish my viewers to walk away with.

Successful comic artists, such as Will Eisner, Craig Thompson, Nobuhiro Watsuki and Zhang Bin, have all been inspirations to my growth as an artist because of their careful planning and execution of comics. Their dedication to their art and their ability to communicate a story has allowed me to see a different perspective of art that planted the seed for my own work. To me, a white sheet of paper has the potential for something complex and unique. When I look at a sheet of paper I see a story waiting to be told. Through characters and expressions, I fill each sheet with a story contrived of my deepest thoughts. Each aspect of the page, whether it be the placement of the figures, their body language and their relationship with the setting, is all part of a complete and intricate puzzle.

With the help of inspiring artists and the fundamental concepts of visual storytelling, I have started my own graphic novel. The choice to keep it in black and white, rather than using color, is for the purpose of creating a more powerful contrast as well as the prevention of devaluing the line quality. I vary my pen strokes in order to create different textures as well as create the illusion of subtle gray tones. The story itself is a reflection of my own thoughts on the universe and how everything is connected. The experimentation of psychology and human relations are addressed through specific characters and their experiences. When my viewers read this story I hope they are engaged in its message of finding your place in a universe so infinite, the interconnectedness of people, and the hope of being apart of something grand.

Professional Artist Homework

This was my homework for Professional Artist due on 2/2/11. These are the responses to chapter 1 and 11:

 Chapter one reflected the stigmas and negative connotations associated with choosing art as a career path. It discussed how in school, students are not generally taught to be a successful direction and that even in art schools themselves, teachers tend to avoid the topic of professionally living as an artist. Most schools support the idea of dual careers in order to gain financial stability, because living on just your art alone is not realistic. The book discussed out why that is not necessarily true and further explained ways someone could make it as an artist based on their own expectations and efforts. It was interesting to hear her address people's attitudes toward art as a profession and I found it relatable. Ever since I started art school my father has always stressed that I should have a fall back or I should live with realistic expectations, meaning I should expect to not succeed in making a living. While I have determination to prove him wrong, as well as others who have shared their concern, his voice still echoes in my head. I understand his concern, but my goal is not impossible.

Chapter Eleven addressed the various hindrances to us as artists. We hold ourselves back from becoming successful out of fear of failure. The most common ways that we prevent ourselves from making it as artists are our rationalizations, paranoia, and an overwhelming fear of competition and rejection. Artists often see other artists as a threat and take preventative measures to assure others don't succeed, rather than banding together as a community and trying to help each other out. We also rationalize why we can't produce any current art, why we shouldn't try to expose ourselves, and what ever other excuses we can come up with to hold us back. As I was reading this chapter I could feel myself slowly sinking into my chair. Almost every excuse or paranoia she had listed, I knew that I had used myself. I am insecure and drowning in anxiety over failure and rejection that hasn't even really occurred yet. We really are our own worst enemies.