Digital Illustration
Isolated with One's Thoughts
30 x 38 cm
September 2020 Digital Painting Isolated with One's Thoughts is a digital illustration on how positive and negative thoughts can affect your emotional state during a time where isolation is too familiar. Junji Ito's pieces and unique ink style contributed to the style and imagery in this work. While Jackie Ferrentino's work helped form the theme and meaning of being alone, especially during these troubling times.
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Inspiration
It's hard to find inspiration during these times, so why not use our current situation and make something out of it?
Quarantine has made a great impact on me and I know it probably has for you. One of the main things is being alone. I'm not entirely alone since I still live with my family but not getting to go out without worries of catching COVID isn't ideal. The times where the house is quiet is when I'm genuinely alone, sometimes it's comforting and other times my own company gets too loud. Being in isolation for long periods of time can have a lot of negative effects on your mental and physical state. One of the main reasons why living in isolation is difficult is because humans are social creatures. Socially isolated people are less able to deal with stressful situations. They're also more likely to feel depressed and may have problems processing information. This in turn can lead to difficulties with decision-making and memory storage and recall. But one of the good side effects from staying alone personal growth – including emotional growth, feeling closer to family and friends, and having a better perspective on life as a result of their experience. |
Planning Sketches
For my first sketch I wanted to replicate the angel/demon over the shoulders imagery. I remember seeing this trope in shows and movies whenever a character was presented with a dilemma they would turn to their shoulders and let their good and bad halves argue it out. In my situation I wanted to show how my Good side usually has the dominance, since they're the one talking. While my supposed Bad side holds back. I also added the pillow to show that this is happening around the time I sleep. Since that's usually the time I have to deal with my thoughts. It's usually the quietest time in my house too so it's hard to shut it out.
The second sketch built off of the first sketch but instead I amplified the bodies by making them fill the page. I wanted to showcase the Good side with an open body language, hands and arms out. While Bad has their arms crossed, more closed in. In the middle I have myself sitting down and looking out. It's suppose to represent how I'm just ignoring what the figures are saying. I didn't go through with this sketch since I wanted to focus more on the facial expressions of the sides and myself. Plus making these so-called beings full body took away from the fact that they're just in my head. |
Process
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Experimentation
Once the final piece was done, I tried adding colored overlays to see how it would change the mood of the painting. Red gave the piece an angry, fiery feeling. As if it was more hellish, this dark crimson could have been reminiscent of dried blood. Giving it a creepier and unsettling touch, I didn't think warm tones fit my intention, which was to showcase the emptiness of what it's like to deal with intrusive thoughts. The next hue was a subtle deep blue, something about this overlay gave me a sense that this scene was taking place underwater. It could be a play on words, something like 'drowning in one's thoughts.' I decided not to go with it since I felt that the similarities in the black and white version were closer to my inspirations, than the ones with the overlays.
Reflection
This piece was definitely one of the most personal works I've made yet. One of the hardest things to do is to express my emotions, and making them into visuals is one of the ways I cope. If I could have done anything differently, I definitely would want to go back and add more texture into my piece. I feel that if I could exaggerate the crosshatching in the darker parts of the drawing it would look more like an ink illustration. Another thing I would change is my use of positive and negative space. I went really heavy with the rendering, and lost some of the bright whites that were originally in the linework. Overall I think the intention came out clear and strong. My favorite part is how the hands of both sides are shown messing with the middle figure's head. How the small white lines of energy are connected.
Compare and Contrast
Similarities
Differences
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
Isolated with One's Thoughts is a digital illustration on how positive and negative thoughts can affect your emotional state during a time where isolation is too familiar. Being in isolation for long periods of time can have a lot of negative effects on your mental and physical state.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Jackie Ferrentino's intention with her quarantine piece was to convey how everything has a sense of unreality. The disconnection from friends, family and the outside world. A feeling of being nowhere even when you're home.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Even though there's a bunch of negatives in our new way of life, there's still some good. Especially how one of the good side effects from staying alone is personal growth and overall having a better perspective on life.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
How positive and negative thoughts can affect your emotional state during a time where isolation is too familiar.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Being in isolation for long periods of time can have a lot of negative effects on your mental and physical state. One of the main reasons why living in isolation is difficult is because humans are social creatures.
Isolated with One's Thoughts is a digital illustration on how positive and negative thoughts can affect your emotional state during a time where isolation is too familiar. Being in isolation for long periods of time can have a lot of negative effects on your mental and physical state.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Jackie Ferrentino's intention with her quarantine piece was to convey how everything has a sense of unreality. The disconnection from friends, family and the outside world. A feeling of being nowhere even when you're home.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Even though there's a bunch of negatives in our new way of life, there's still some good. Especially how one of the good side effects from staying alone is personal growth and overall having a better perspective on life.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
How positive and negative thoughts can affect your emotional state during a time where isolation is too familiar.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Being in isolation for long periods of time can have a lot of negative effects on your mental and physical state. One of the main reasons why living in isolation is difficult is because humans are social creatures.
Bibliography
“Artist Alley: The Twisted World of Junji Ito.” MYTHOPOEIA, 23 July 2019, www.mythopoeia.us/blog/artist-alley-the-twisted-world-of-junji-ito.
Ferrentino, Jackie. Jackie Ferrentino, jackieferrentino.com/.
Sarita Robinson, The Conversation. Isolation Has Profoundly Creepy Effects on The Human Body And Brain. Here's What Happens. 3 Feb. 2019, www.sciencealert.com/isolation-has-profound-effects-on-the-human-body-and-brain-here-s-what-happens.
Ferrentino, Jackie. Jackie Ferrentino, jackieferrentino.com/.
Sarita Robinson, The Conversation. Isolation Has Profoundly Creepy Effects on The Human Body And Brain. Here's What Happens. 3 Feb. 2019, www.sciencealert.com/isolation-has-profound-effects-on-the-human-body-and-brain-here-s-what-happens.