Sometimes I still think that I am meant to be a fashion designer. Ever since I was little, I would doodle in these sketchbooks, which up until this day, I have probably 10+ of. When I was eleven, I knew all the top models. I would look in magazines and tell my friends “Oh Sasha Pivovarova” or “Lily Cole” or “Gemma Ward.” I could look at an outfit and tell you the designer, whether it was Phillip Lim or Lagerfeld. I would go to China and pick clothing for my mom to buy, and when she came back to the States, all her friends would compliment on her clothing. She would proudly beam and say “My daughter chose this for me.” All these sketches above, I drew when I was 12 to now. Designing was my life.
It’s interesting how although my interests have diverged today, I still will always design. There is something unique about fashion, that makes it stay in my heart forever. Seventeen magazine had a contest to design an everyday outfit look, and I submitted two designs when I was 12-13. I was disappointed to find out that I did not get chosen. Same thing happened for a Maria Sharipova contest. I learned that I couldn’t get everything I want from fashion designing. My mother still tells me up until this day, to travel to China, for I will become successful there since China’s fashion is years ahead of the United States. Sometimes I think that everything I do is still for fashion’s sake; the reason I do photography, the objective of designing, and architecture.
Because I like to make things pretty. So therefore, I like to make people pretty the most. At times I feel so vain. Why can’t I walk out the door looking like a bum? It’s all rooted in the impression management theory; I want to impress society and live up to its standards. I want to change things until they are perfect. My whole life I have been nicknamed “the perfectionist,” or as my friends like to put it, “the overachiever.”
It’s funny how such a hobby can shine some light on yourself, whether you like the truth or not.
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Before and after of my beautiful roommate :) Shot on raw through a window. My assignment was to involve water, so I took some water and dumped it on the glass door to create mini bokeh when I focus on her face. Then I played around with Lightroom for colors, and Photoshop for detailing of her face. Heh, if you guys are my friends, you tend to get free photos of yourself…
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The first two=what I pulled my first all-nighter for. Sigh, I understand the pain of being an architect now, E. Cutting out words and pasting them individually is not fun…but ritualistic in a good, self-therapy way. Today wasn’t the best day, but I’m trying to keep my outlook more positive! The rest of the photos are examples of my Environmental Design final, which I’m thrilled to do! For my book, I want to include poetry into landscape and something about the human figure or silhouette. Though it looks painful to do..I absolutely cannot wait to stay up for this :)
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My finished results! I’m still debating on whether I should do some outlining in black ink and sharpie..and then even more intricate detailing…your opinions?
+A couple days ago, I just woke up and had the urge to watercolor, so I took out a piece of paper and began drawing pencil lines and began coloring. Here is my work in progress, I shall upload the final piece when I finish! It feels good to do art again, just for relaxation.
+My second handmade and hand-drawn/painted playlist! I’m even prouder of this than of my awesome Muse playlist.
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These are 6/8 paintings that I did during my Oil Painting class at CSM over this summer. As a beginner, I’ve never done oil painting before in my life but I’ve always meant to try it. I’ve basically stuck to acrylics, charcoal, pencil, and watercolor (and of course digital art as well.)
1. The Kiss: The assignment was to use contrasting colors from the color wheel to create an abstract piece of art. It might be hard to tell, but the painting is of two silhouettes in an embrace. I planned this painting with N during lunch!
2. Untitled: The teacher hung drapes around the room, and we were to use a specific technique she taught us, where we wipe paint away to create contrast and highlights. I tried to do an abstract version while everyone else opted to just paint the drape.
3. Still Life: We were supposed to choose a few objects, paint them using a single tonal color. In this case, I chose blue. Then we were to use color glazes over to add color to the tonal painting.
4. African Queen: Here, we were supposed to use grisaille technique of doing underpainting of a portrait in a single tonal painting. I used red, and then continued layering with colors.
5. Landscape: Here, I used imprimatura painting to create front ground, middle ground, and background landscape painting. Mine kinda failed though…
6. Waterfall: For our last piece, she allowed us to do whatever we wanted. Life sized here.
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My final piece painted in my oil painting class a CSM. Throughout the semester, our teacher would give us assignments that required a specific subject or technique. This assignment however, allowed me to paint whatever I want using whatever technique. I used the grisaille technique of underpainting in tonal layers, and imprimatura, which was straight on painting. In this piece, I wanted to portray a mourning emotion of a human being.
+Here’s the finished product of my homemade and hand-drawn Muse playlist! I’m so proud of it…he better love this or else I will smack him.
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