Traced Page From Fun Home
Part 1: Annotating Traced Pages
Author: Ali
Sketch 6: What’s in your bag?
Contents of my backpack:
- notebook- I take notes here for my microeconomics class and my social statistics class
- pencil case- I have pens, pencils, and markers
- planner- I try to write in this as much as possible in order to stay organized
- microeconomics textbook- I bring this in my backpack so that I can reference the material whenever and wherever I am
- two books for this class- I carry them with me to complete the assignments
- folder for my papers- I put all of my papers in this folder
- headphones- I have headphones that can plug into my computer and my phone
- calculator- this is for my microeconomics class and my social statistics class
- water bottle- I was washing my reusable water bottle so that is why the disposable one is pictured
- hand cream- I always like having this with me, especially during the winter
- computer- I do my work on my computer
- Not pictured but usually in my backpack: umbrella, AirPods, key to my dorm room, hand sanitizer, and snacks
I think that this assignment was interesting to see what I value as valuable and important in my day to day life. I believe what is important in my bag would differ in terms of where I am, who I am with, and what time of year it is (the school year or summer). I think that these things are relatively representative of me as a person because it demonstrates the different objects that are necessary for my success here at Emory. I don’t think that I made any specific decisions when trying to create the image, but I think that I should have made it more neat. There was nothing necessarily challenging about this assignment besides the fact that I felt like I did not have much to include in the picture. I think that representing oneself in a catalog of stuff in a bag can be considered a form of personal identity and description, but not necessarily a type of writing. This is because it is a visual representation that does not have any form of explanatory text. I think that it is important to note the different purposes for each object and how certain things may serve different purposes for different people.
Sketch 5: Triptych
I found this assignment to be very fun and enjoyable. I liked having the freedom to express myself playfully through the form of the triptych. One thing I found to be very difficult was the process of actually picking an idea and sticking to it. I am not the best artist so I found myself eliminating ideas that I didn’t think I would be able to draw. Although I am not sure I was able to have a witty or overly creative idea, I think that my triptych was a fun way to incorporate animals and people together as well as including dialogue. Also, I was conflicted on whether to use colored pencils or regular pencils and I think that I like the pencil with this. Since the triptychs have so little writing and still have to fit a lot into the panels, I think that the pencil made it less busy and easier to process. This assignment was very different from what we have done previously this semester because we had to craft more of a narrative in our comics but in a small amount of space. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and I found it to be a great way to express a more creative side of myself.
Spoons and Skateboards
I decided to combine these images because they all seemed to be the same colors and seemingly wooden. I thought that a chair would be a good starting point for adding elements and changing them. I faced several challenges when editing these images together because I do not do well with this type of computer work. My combo photo is not the most seamless thing, but I think that it demonstrates a fair attempt at combining several different objects into one. I thought that the back of the chair looked like a skateboard and I also thought that the legs of the chairs could be adapted into something else that is wooden. This does not look the way that I wanted it to look in the end, but I look forward to more practice and learning some techniques on how to edit images in the future. I don’t think that the final image conveys any specific themes or messages but I think that it connects three different aspects of life (cooking, furniture, and outdoor activities) to make one picture.
Image Credit:
-Chair: Uploaded by “Just Dining Chairs” in Washington found on Flickr
-Spoons: Uploaded by “basic lunchbox” found on Flickr
-Skateboard: Uploaded by “ohaiadeola” found on Flickr
Visual Note Taking-Sunday Sketch #3
For this assignment, I found the action of drawing out my notes to be very interesting. I have never really thought about visualizing what I learn in my classes in that manner and I liked the change in note-taking technique. I think that I understood the content the same way that I did the first time I took the notes. The only thing that changed is that I was able to remember it and conceptualize it much easier. Also, I found that by drawing out my notes I could expand on what I had written about in a different way than words can. I found the process of drawing the notes to be a little bit frustrating because I felt like I had to make sure I did everything neatly enough to understand it in the same way as typed notes. Also, I found it difficult to transfer words into drawings and not leave anything out. I think I discovered that I learn well when I can read out my notes and have them organized into bullet points and pages rather than in a sketched-out format. Overall, I think that this assignment was very different and unique compared to the other homework I have had thus far in college. I think it would be interesting to see how this method would be more or less effective based on the class/subject.
Literacy Narrative Reflection
For many people, reading and writing are activities that are typically enjoyed alone, but throughout my life, I have been taught to appreciate them with the people that I care about most. In my literacy narrative, I explored the many ways that my family and friends have influenced my development as a student, reader, and person. While writing this narrative I learned how to describe pivotal events in my reading and writing career and I described the ways it has impacted me as a young adult. The writing process for this narrative was filled with several drafts and failed ideas. The free writing activity helped draw out small details from memories that I had previously forgotten and although not everything from the free writing activity made it into my paper, it was still very helpful. Before this essay, I had never really considered the number of people who have influenced my reading and writing and how important they have been in not only my school work but also my recreational time as well.
Flying Tomatoes
While trying to find something to base my Sunday Sketch on, I was sitting in the kitchen with my mom while she was making a salad. I saw her cutting up some tomatoes and I immediately had an idea and told her to stop. At first, I was not sure how to incorporate the tomatoes into my drawing, but I knew that I wanted to use them. Although in the image they don’t appear as vibrant as they are in person, I thought the variety in shapes and sizes would roughly resemble a bundle of balloons. One difficulty that I faced while creating this piece was trying to draw the woman holding the bunch. I have never tried to draw a side profile and this was more difficult than I had imagined it would be. Also, when drawing the balloons I forgot to end the strings before the hand and restart them below to illustrate a handle gripping around the balloon strings. To make this sketch look more developed I included the woman at the bottom. Originally, I simply wanted to do a detailed hand that held the balloons, but I decided it would most likely look better if I added a person. I found that the most difficult part of this activity was getting started and coming up with an idea. I was thinking about drawing an older woman who was using a toothpick instead of a cane but I decided to draw the balloons instead. Overall, I enjoyed this activity and I think that I will view the objects around me more artistically and creatively in the future.
Link to Sketch #2 Assignment: https://engrd101s22.davidmorgen.org/assignments/sketches/sketch-2-sunday-sketches/
Sketch 1: Avatar
For this assignment I wanted to create an image that represented me as well as what would be happening in this class. I decided to draw myself reading a book and I wrote my name at the top of the image. Although it might be mundane, this took me a long time to draw because I am not the best artist. I had a hard time trying to make the proportions of the face accurate and I struggled the most while trying to create the eyes. I still think that they are not very even, but nothing is ever perfect. I did not use any outside sources for this drawing. I decided to sketch something that was similar to how I have seen a person drawn in the past and add features that mirror my own. I added the same color hair and eyes and I even tried to replicate my eyebrow shape. Even though this image is just myself and a book, I wanted to create something that was simple to demonstrate that I have yet to experience this class and been able to grow. I think it would be interesting to redo this drawing at the end of the semester and decorate the space around me with things I have learned. I could even change the book that I am reading to my favorite book that we will have read in this class. Even though I found this drawing to be difficult in some ways, I enjoyed the activity and I think it allowed me to use a different part of my brain than what is expected for typical college assignments.
