After having one too many art project inspired breakdowns and recognizing that I was about to experience life in a way I had never before in college, I decided that the way I was doing art was not satisfying me. I’m totally starting over, scrapping everything I learned (and everything I did) to get to that point and starting fresh. Now, I have a million different things to consider and hundreds of paths forward. In my mind, the first step in this project is deciding whether I want to work in two dimensions or three.
I know I’m going about this is a very scientific, maybe even algorithemic, way. Breaking down each element of art into categories and choosing a path like it’s a Choose your own Adventure novel. But I’ve found that there are so many different ways to make art that it’s impossible to try them all. So categorizing it is.
So, as I was saying, I really didn’t enjoy 3D art as much as I had been anticipating. Building things, getting m hands dirty, was always fun, but I never had a connect to the end product. This time, I’m going 2D.
There are many different 2D art mediums, some of them familiar, like drawing and painting, and some, like Print making and digital art that are so specialized and removed that they are almost impossible to get into without guidance. And for whatever reason, I’ve decided to go this alone, so those are out. Drawing is always fun, and can lead to positive results, however, I figure drawing is something I’ve been studying for so long, in every art class, on every project, that it only feels like a means to an end. So, that leaves painting.
Now, I could always make this harder for myself, and decide that painting on a canvas in too limiting and I need the ~freedom~ to express myself, but that’s bound to get messy and for the sake of my roommate, I think I’m going to stick t more traditional methods. With that, murals and fresco painting are out. Additionally, for the sake of my roommate, I’m not going to use oils because they have a very powerful smell and take forever to dry. And I’m not going to use tempera because it’s very similar to acrylic paint, but dries matte and is thinner, meaning I’d have to use a lot more of it to achieve the same look.
And so, the final mediums that I will try for this exercise are: acrylic paint, your common childhood paint and what most people think of when you mention paint; watercolour, also a staple of the childhood art room, a dry paint that is delicate and useable when water is added; and gouache, watercolour’s older sister, it has the finish of acrylic and the forgiveness of watercolour.
Sounds like you’re a pretty considerate roommate; I think watercolor and gouache are good choices. In my experience, gouache is a nice medium because you can modify it to suit your needs. Depending on the amount of water you use, you can make it as opaque or thin as you’d like. However, I always found it dried a little too fast for me, which drove me insane. I’m excited to see some of your work!
I am very intrigued by your meticulous approach toward selecting your mediums. Until now, I never knew how calculated artistic planning actually is. I’m a programmer, so your detailed your “algorithm”, intricate flow chart, and logical flow of ideas definitely resonated with me. It is so cool to see the successful application of these strategies in the arts, apart from coding and other STEM activities. I am excited to see your progression in the coming weeks!
Hi Rowan! Your blog post on different art mediums was fascinating! I like how you organized all of the art mediums in a flowchart for understanding purposes. I also think that categorizing certain topics, such as homework assignments, can help a person manage and visualize overwhelming activities. This concept seems to have helped you out a lot and has even guided you to the next art mediums you’re willing to explore. Personally, categorizing assignments or things I need to do in an agenda helps me to feel less stressed and helps me to maintain a goal-oriented mind, instead of a “I can’t do this” type of mind. Good luck on your journey with paint, watercolor and gouache! I’m excited to see where you take them!