Title: 700
Size: 22 cm x 26.5 cm x 2 Medium: Colored Pencils Completion: December 2022 - Exhibition Text-
'700' is a self-made illustration diptych made with black and grey colored pencils on paper. This piece was inspired by American contemporary artist, Jenna Simon. This piece was made to convey two different aspects of disordered eating- both of which represent obsession of some sort- that are incredibly unhealthy body goals, and an obsession with tracking and controlling food.
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- Inspiration -
Artist in focus: Jenna Simon
Jenna Simon is a contemporary American artist whose primary focus is her own struggles with disordered eating and anxiety. Her art was made for healing purposes and happened to blow up over social media. She uses graphite to produce realistic images. Her use of only graphite gives her illustrations a very low contrast, as well as depletes them of any color. She gives her illustrations depth and realism using only graphite using different textures such and hair and skin, applying different levels of pressures in order to achieve this. I liked her art mostly because of the message it conveyed, and decided I also wanted to replicate her style visually.
- Process -
The central theme for this piece was anorexia. I wanted this piece to show another part to eating disorders that people can't see from the outside, which is the obsession. Originally, my idea was to have 4 separate illustrations, all highlighting different parts of the disorder. After sorting through my ideas, though, I wanted to just use two of my original ideas. I wanted to generalize it a little bit more using a visual that showed calorie counting and the other showing the end-goal for my body. I found artist Jenna Simon and used the inspiration I got from her work to draw up a sketch of my ideas.
After sketching up the basic designs for my piece, I got to work taking reference photos for the first drawing. I used 2 protein bars that I had on my desk and set up the lighting to be dramatic, with a lot of deep shadows and bright highlights. I wanted the reference image to show me trying to make a decision based off of the number of calories, and so I placed the higher calorie bar in the hand further from myself. In order to show what part of the bars I was basing my decision off of, I had a finger peeling back the piece of plastic covering the caloric information. With this, I edited the pictures so that they were in black and white, in order to make them easier to replicate with just grey colored pencils. I used a 6 x 7 square grid to transfer my image onto paper.
The next part of my process was to draw the protein bars. I shaded in the entire bar very lightly using the light grey colored pencil. I then, using the dark grey colored pencil, lightly drew in the areas that there would be shape and shadow to the bar. This included on the edges of the bar as well as the folds and edges . Because there were parts of the bar that were white, including the nutritional facts label as well as some of the stripes, I used an eraser to very lightly erase the white areas on the bar. Finally, I used the light and dark grey colored pencil to create shadows and texture of the plastic, and went in with the white to give it a few highlights.
The final aspect of my first drawing was to write out the print on the labels. This was something that was very intimidating, as I had never attempted to recreate printed text before in my artwork. I started with the bar on the left, by measuring out the spacing of all the lines that the serving amounts would be on. After that, I very carefully replicated the shape and thickness of the printed text onto the protein bar. This was tough because I typically have awful handwriting. I made sure the thickness of each letter was the same, as well as the distance between them, I did my best to match up the text with the curves and shadows of the bar, to make it more realistic.
My second drawing was one of a very skinny looking ribcage and waist. It represents the main goal of every other disordered obsession, which is to shrink yourself as much as possible. I did not want to use a reference image of myself for this, so I used a piece of 'thinspiration' that I had saved on my phone for many years. I used the grid method on this image and copied down the outline onto my paper. I then started with the shoulder and neck area of the woman. Part of the idea I wanted to communicate with this piece was how extreme my goals were, and visually, a good way to do this is by using very contrasting values. I made the shadows of the bones on the ribcage very dark and highlighted the bones themselves, in order to make it appear more intense.
I applied the same technique to the rest of the body that I did to the chest, using deep shadows and bright highlights to make the boniness of the woman the main aspect when people looked at it. This exaggeration is something that Jenna did not use in her artwork, because of the limits of her medium. Because I am using colored pencils I have more of a range in the shades that I use. The arms in the piece were slightly lighter than the rest of the body to bring more attention to the ribcage and neck of the woman. For the bra, I blocked in the entire piece with black and then sharpened the pencil to make fine lace details.
- Critique -
Similarities include:
- Lack of color. Both pieces were done in a medium that didn't allow for color. The black and white for me was an intentional choice that related to the message of my piece, as well as create a visual theme between the two drawings.
- Use of realism. Both Simon's pieces and my own use realism, with depth, shadows, and a variety of tones that create a more obvious message, rather than the use of abstraction to convey those themes.
- Theme and message. My work as well as Jenna's have to do with the experience of anorexia, body dysmorphia, and mental illness as a whole.
Differences include:
- Medium used. Simon used only graphite in her artwork, giving it less flexibility in the tones she portrays. I used grey and black colored pencils, allowing me to achieve darker tones.
- Contrast and Depth. Because of this difference in medium, my piece is much more contrasted with its shadows than Simons work.
- Format. Simons pieces only include one illustration, whereas I turned my own work into a diptych.
- Reflection -
This was a piece that I ended up loving a lot. The subject is something that I am very passionate about and connected to. This was my second piece using colored pencils in black and white, because I loved the results of my project the first time. This piece was great for better learning how to replicate images in a realistic way, as well as a good way to practice small details like the lettering on the protein bars. In hindsight, I definitely should have used paper that was meant for colored pencil to give in a smoother, more seamless texture. I accidentally used watercolor paper! This is a piece that might make some people uncomfortable (feedback I have already gotten), however it is, in my opinion, a powerful piece that I think should be shared and viewed.
- ACT Connections -
1) Clearly explain how you were able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your art?
My inspiration very directly connects to my piece even at first glace, because of the very similar mediums, as well as the theme of both pieces being eating disorders, mental health, and anorexia.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Jenna Simon created her artwork surrounding eating disorders as a way to express her own feelings and vent through art. While my art takes a different approach, I understand her motives in created her pieces.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my research was artwork that related to disordered eating and anorexia. While I typically use painters, and more specifically from the 18th-20th century, Simons artwork stood out to me.
5.) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I came to the conclusion that art can contain very powerful messages that not only evoke feeling in people, but can also give people new perspectives and maybe even more empathy for those suffering from eating disorders.
My inspiration very directly connects to my piece even at first glace, because of the very similar mediums, as well as the theme of both pieces being eating disorders, mental health, and anorexia.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Jenna Simon created her artwork surrounding eating disorders as a way to express her own feelings and vent through art. While my art takes a different approach, I understand her motives in created her pieces.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my research was artwork that related to disordered eating and anorexia. While I typically use painters, and more specifically from the 18th-20th century, Simons artwork stood out to me.
5.) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I came to the conclusion that art can contain very powerful messages that not only evoke feeling in people, but can also give people new perspectives and maybe even more empathy for those suffering from eating disorders.
- Citations -
Jenna Simon, 2014, graphite on paper