2D Toolkit: Evaluation

2D Toolkit Evaluation

Developments I have made throughout the 2D Toolkit module have shown clear areas of improvement I could make in my work. Over the course of the year, I have practised fundamental art skills such as perspective and anatomy: I feel that my skills in these fundamentals, as well as my understanding of complex processes, have improved. 

Several of these processes were largely new to me,  such as drawing equidistant forms in perspective, digital painting and photobashing. I have tried to use these new skills to improve my artwork: throughout personal project work, as well as in the Real Worlds project, I have tried to use elements of digital painting. This is mainly seen in my digital paintings of planets, though I also used these techniques in value paintovers in my Real Worlds character piece and in texturing the metal seen on the Ward Ship in my Real Worlds final piece. Using this new technique has shown one key area of improvement in my work that I wish to continue practising: values. I find that, though I believe I understand the values conceptually, implementing them into my work is difficult and often results in muddy paintings with low value contrast. In the future, I want to implement value contrast more commonly across the art I produce. I will also practice digital painting techniques further. 

I feel my skills in observational drawing have been practised this year. In particular, the life drawing sessions and the Huntarian visit have helped me in this. 

Though this is only somewhat related to university work, I have also tried to create more artwork that links towards my future career aspirations. Visiting the Critical Hits Zine fair was incredibly inspiring in this regard; the talks that I listened to on game art and its place in role-palying games, which I want to work on in the future in a professional capacity, was incredibly enlightening. The skills I have developed in the 2D Toolkit module this year are entirely transferrable in this regard, and I feel that my continued development and practice of these skills will directly help these future career aspirations.

In the piece above (another planet for a role playing game, which I find I draw a lot of), I tried to apply my new understanding of contrast and values to create a more visually interesting scene. Of all of the planets I have drawn, I find this one the most interesting to look at: I feel the colours pop and am happy with the contrast, as well as the juxtaposition between the hard edges of the landmasses and the soft shadow of the planet's shaded curve. I believe that further study and further application of art fundamental skills, will only improve my work further.