In my concentration, I chose to play with the principle of abstracting shapes that I see around me. I focused on the handle of my art portfolio because it was a complex and interesting shape that presented many compositional possibilities. I created an abstract composition by redrawing the shapes in such a way as to emphasize their motion and energy through line color and spacing. I then combined the different images into groupings that fit logically together because of similar or complementary styles, colors, and shapes.
The most central design principle is motion—using line to create an energetic piece of artwork. Color and contrast are also important principles because they add to the work’s energy by moving the viewer’s eye in more complicated ways in order to give the piece, as well as the objects, a sense of motion. I worked spontaneously, producing a large volume of material based on my emotions at the time. The varied emotional contexts are evident in the differences in color and line among the pieces.
To make these portfolio concentration pieces, I used Photoshop CS2, a WACOM tablet, and simple brushes and filters to paint each one digitally. This provided me with increased flexibility in the style of my work since I am not bound by the physical properties of a medium. Each of my pieces uses heavy, sweeping lines, high contrast values, and interesting negative spaces to evoke motion and tension.