During this class, I was able to make some time to experiment with some potential background ideas. I left the first image alone for  now to put in more time on the more intensive second and third images.

For the image featuring the preacher, I was finally able to incorporate some biblical text within his robe. instead of the standard verses I had during the last critique, I decided to go for an entire page of biblical text and made it a texture for his clothing. I have to say, it definitely makes his robe more attention grabbing than I had believed it would. Hopefully I can balance it out with the use of the pattern of zoloft pills in the background. The question now is whether to leave them blank or put small scripture text on them against a black background.

For the image featuring the woman with the DNA strands, I have not yet been able to age her up, but I placed the first potential image onto the green DNA. For both stands, I want them to contain the positive and negative social impacts of being black in America. While the green strand will contain mirroring images of the past and present marches for equality, I would like to use the red side to mirror negative social aspects such as slavery of the past and mass incarceration of today. So far I was able to incorporate the March on Selma on the green DNA, but the stands seem to be obscuring it. I may have to either blur the lines or lower their opacity, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

For this class session, we conducted another round of critiques for our progress on our projects. By this point, I have my line work, base colors , shading and highlights done. The only thing that had been really stumping me with the project was trying to impose more photos on my second and third image as well as attempting to create effective backgrounds. Luckily, I was able to ask my classmates about potential solutions to the problem.

For the first image of the girl, I was suggested to do a black background with a faded white stripe around the eye level. I think for simplicity’s sake, it would definitely worth trying and experimenting with. For the second image of the pastor, I was advised to impose the bible verse scripture names/numbers on either his robes and/or a series of photographs of pills in the background. That along with the referral of reincorporating the halo that I had removed from behind the pastor. Hopefully with some help from a classmate, I can learn how to incorporate those  features effectively. Finally for the third image, I was recommended to add my images in between the spaces of the DNA and to incorporate a glow around the character on a dark background. I thought this was honestly my favorite piece of advice that I’d received during the critique. I believe that last piece of advice for that piece was to also age the character up to convey the feeling of the passage of generations through the three images. I thought that was such a cool idea. I hope that I can make it work. Other that that, I’m right on track for where I need to be by this point in the semester.

Over the last several days, I spent time mulling over what decisions to make in regards to my pieces. In the end, I was able to make a few of them.

For the first image,I was not only able to add more definition to the character’s skin, but I was also able to implement the suggestion of placing the images in the hair of the character. Honestly, it was quite the improvement. I feel like the two pieces of the image are no longer trying to out-do the other. Instead, they seem to be able to guide the eye downward from the photographic elements to the illustrative element of the image. The background, however is still giving me lot of trouble. I’m still unsure if I want to go for something flat or go for something that carries a pattern.

For the second image, I was able to define the skin and clothing of the pastor more. Beyond that, the implementation of the bible verses is giving me a hard time. I feel like trying to implement them in the robes is proving quite difficult, so I was debating on if I should incorporate them into the background in a way that looked less like a poster. Like the previous work, the background stumps me.

for the third work, I was able to define the character and her clothing more, but I also had a thought about what to do for the DNA strands. Those were very important elements to me, so I didn’t want to part with them, so while taking Dena’s feedback in mind, I wanted incorporate something positive within that design element. So while one strand will have the negatives associated with the history of my race, the other will incorporate the positive attributes associated with my race. Once again, beyond that design element, the background eludes me. Hopefully I can get some useful feedback in regards to my dilemma during the critique on Monday.

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel afraid of a critique for once. Even though I would be entering the lion’s den and having them evaluate my work.  I felt very sure of not only my project, but of myself as well. By this point, my three works had their linework, flat color and a mock-up of the backgrounds completed, so I felt as prepared as I could possibly be by this point.

During the review, I received a lot of pretty helpful feedback. I know for certain that one that helped me the most was the feedback for my backgrounds. While I was making them, I really did feel like they distracted me a bit from the images I had drawn. I think that Kim’s suggestion of placing the images within her hair would work wonders for balancing the first image properly. For the second image, the decisions may be a little trickier. To keep the consistency among the images, I would either have to replace the second image entirely, or keep it, but place the scriptures within his robes. To be honest, I feel more inclined to go for the robe imagery. I feel like it could work well with the themes of the first image. Now the third image is going to be the hardest to make a decision for. I could either place the issues I wanted to place on the DNA strands within her clothing, or I could go  forth with my original idea. I’m simply torn since it feels as though I have to choose between going for the idea I envisioned and risk it being misunderstood (sorta like my entire existence) or play it safe and go with the suggestion Dena recommended to decrease the chances of it being misunderstood. Hopefully I’ll have it decided by the next post.

As eager as I was for some more in class work time, we had to go through a dry run of our presentations for our upcoming defense on the 12th. From the last critique, my only real progress was nailing down a sketch for my third piece. I wanted it to focus on the internal strife that bearing not only my skin color but  also the history that comes with it makes me feel and how it has come to shape not only my sense of identity, but also my state of mental well-being. I wanted to display this  with two intersecting strands of DNA, one for being African American and one for the traumas associated with that identity. Its something that I’ll have to carry with me for the rest of my life, so I would like to portray it as such.

As for the critique, I went through a simple PowerPoint explaining  my motivation/inspirations, my plan for the images and the displays, and I went through the 2 images with completed line art and the third image as an in progress sketch. I was met with some useful feedback, though it was (somehow) difficult for some members of the audience to understand the point and the style I decided to go for. Hopefully with more time to put into the work, It will start to become more cohesive.  I felt that the most constructive piece of advice came from Dylan, who suggested tying my triptych together with a common type of imagery. He suggested using a combination of photo editing with my digital works to impose real life imagery such as tweets from Donald Trump within my first piece, a variety of medication within the second and I was thinking of imposing a Pan-African flag or a black lives matter logo within the third piece. I’ll be sure to work hard in getting these ideas off the ground so I can create the pieces that I wanted to create.

During this class sessions we began to explore our options in regards to the equipment needed for our gallery works. To be honest, I felt as though I would not need any of the items we discussed that day. I designed mine to be so low-tech that the only materials I would need outside of my tablet for drawing would possibly be framing material. Despite that, It was pretty intriguing to be able to see all of the options we had available to us. I can’t wait to see the works of my friends that will be utilizing the digital equipment and how they choose to display their work with it. I think the one thing that interested me the most was being able to see a 3D printer in person. The possibilities are endless for what a student could  do with that sort of technology. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any practical uses for the printer in regards to my project. In the meantime, I will continue constructing my third image.

Over the last few days, I decided to spend some more time finding and compiling some more research material for my project, not only as a means to make connections between my own lived experiences, but also as a way to create an effective third piece of work.

One video I watched was “Mental Health & Being Black: What’s Changed In The 25 Years Since Stephen Lawrence’s Murder?” From this video, I related to the shared experience of the lack of support given to people within the black community in regards to mental health and services provided to aid in the easing of symptoms. Some of the people in attendance recalled how their family members preferred powering through these things instead of discussing them. In addition to that, There is also the presentation of how the stereotypes attached to us as a group of people can affect how we are able to receive help for these issues.

Another video that I watched was “Black Mental Health Isn’t the Same as White Mental Health”  This video stresses the importance of understanding that in order to understand the mental health needs of African Americans has to come from understanding the historical trauma that we have to carry with us every day for the rest of our lives. From systematic disadvantages to the lasting effects and ideals from the slavery era, one’s sense of identity, self esteem and mental well being can be compromised. The most important connection I made from this video was the importance of church in the black community. We as a people have been conditioned from as far back as the slavery era that God is the answer to our problems. As time progressed, this idea was passed down through generations as our elders found church as a more suitable way to solve your internal problems rather than relying on medical professionals, which is understandable due to the several hundred years of being experimented on by said professionals leading to a severe lack of trust within them.  This video was also the source of inspiration for my work below, as I wanted to highlight that one’s faith was being equated to the same level of effectiveness as medication.

The last relevant video I viewed was “Why Does The Mental Health Stigma In The Black Community Persist? | Listen To Black Women” Although this video sort of recaps some points presented in the previous two videos, I found this one to be relevant due to the perspective given by black women. I found it SUPER relatable when they brought up how as women and especially in the case of mothers that we have to put on a facade and go though our days as if nothing is wrong because we have to present ourselves as “strong black women” and pick ourselves back up as that’s how everyone else tends to perceive our way of living. I used this video as inspiration for the work below to show that its okay to express our sense of helplessness as the world around us begins to crumble.