Process Portfolio

J e ssi ca M ar tin ez
 Mastering the control
Watercolor of water
 Technique: Gradient
I began by using mixture of mostly water with some color and slowly
brushed downwards as I added water, while avoiding adding any extra paint.
The first layer ended with a smooth gradient from a light shade pink to a tiny
tint of pink. After it dried, I added a second layer, however the water coupled
near the center causing the paper to krinkle inwards on itself.

I repeated the process of creating a gradient but with two colors, pink on
one end of the strip and red on the other. I did another attempt with
orange and pink. However, I added too much water, therefore I could not
control how the watercolor would blend. The center of where the two colors
meet is mostly white due to an excess amount of water and insufficient
amount of watercolor.

As a fourth attempt, I wanted to paint a darker colored gradient. Unlike

the previous trials, I used blue paint without diluting it with water. I
over painted one side, resulting in rigid brush strokes at one end of the
gradient. There was a lot of water at the opposite end, so I added a few
drops of green watercolor to add value.
 Technique: Dry versus Wet
The second attempt ended with putting
I began by brushing with pure water in more pressure with the paper towel. There
order to have a basis for the experiment. are harder lines on the paint where paint
Then, I added one drop of blue near the was stripped. I came to the understanding
corner of the sheet and attempted to that I should be weary of how much
spread the blue by brushing it into the pressure and how much water was added to
water before it dried. The wet on wet the paper.
technique was intended to be a flat
wash, however some areas exhibited a
darker tint of blue than other areas.
I practiced with a dry brush with
green and realized I couldn’t make
straight lines. The center line is
blue with the wet/wet strategy. I
I attempted the wet on wet added a layer of yellow to one
technique again. While the section and another blue layer to
I wanted to try the dry on dry technique paper was still wet I pressed the rest when it was dry; the colors
by not adding water to the paper. on it with a dry paper towel. became darker. The yellow turned
Instead, water was added to the paint This action removed a portion it a light shade of green, so I
and a dry paintbrush was used to of the water, and lifting off added another layer of blue, then
create hard lines. An overabundance of some paint, leaving behind attempted to glaze the blue with
water accumulated on the brush, some degree of a white space the yellow. I don’t believe I
resulting in the distinct blue shaded baring a slight resemblance to achieved the glazing effect that I
line. that of a cloud. intended with watercolor.
Combining Watercolor with Marker & Pen I tried using pencil to start with an
outline. I started with the dark blue color
and then brushed the watercolor to
I added more water than watercolor to 1 soften the shade.
the mixture, making it harder to see
where the paint begins and ends. Due
to this, I used a marker to create an
outline in order to better see the
results. The outline resembled that of
zentangles, which allowed me to
practice on the multiple techniques.

2
I tried to make sure the water did not dry in one spot
Once I began filling in the negative
when making a gradient, because of this I was able
space with watercolor, the brown
to start with a dark orange to a lighter color. There
marker started to bleed with the
were still spots where there was more water, leading
water, tinting the watercolor brown.
to dark blemishes in the mixture.
3 4 I tried the wet/wet technique on the
bottom, then dropped paints of green and
I combined techniques and implemented purple at the same time while it was still
them into this piece. I was then able to wet. However, the blend turned the color
do a nice flat wash when I didn’t have an bland, losing the bright color blend that I
abundance of water. wanted.
 Practice with Shapes of Reality
1 The second painting I added green and
orange. I did wet on wet. I added drops
of diluted orange watercolor first. I
1 I tried again at another lip. I did the
outside of the lips first, having more paint
used the brush to spread the orange in than water on the paintbrush. I didn’t let
the tentacle shape. Then, I added one the pink dry completely, so when I started
drop of green paint. I tried not to brush painting in the black, it started to bleed
the green. As a result, the green into the pink. I tried to use a paper towel
blended nicely with the orange. to rid of the black in the pink, but I was
only drying it. The red tongue was
brushed over multiple times because I
couldn’t obtain a dark red shade for the
tongue.

The marker and pencil didn’t look 2 2

clean, so I decided on using a I tried again with the pen outline. I did the
fine-point pen to draw an outline. I inside of the lips first. I added a deep red
drew an outline of tentacles. I color of the tongue. When it dried, I used
didn’t paint until the pen dried. The a dry brush to paint the black, adding a
first painting I did only orange. I black layer over the red. When it was all
diluted the orange with water dried, I painted with diluted pink for the
before applying it to the paper. My lips. I tapped off a lot of excess water off
attempt at a flat wash improved. the brush. I added one layer of watercolor
to keep a decent flat wash.
 Wire Mastering the control
Sculpture of wiring

As a start, I made an outline
of what I was sculpting. I
used simple shapes to make
the wire outline, such as
circles, and used lines to
help transition to the next
part of the outline.
Forming Outlines
Due to the size of the wire
guage, I struggled bending
the wire with just my hands.
The outline of the body is
not symmetrical due to the
varying bends when making
I twisted the wire to make enclosed shapes for my
the long ovals for the limbs.
outline. When I tried to re-bend a part of the wire, it
I used pliers when I needed
was hard to ‘erase’ the bend. I couldn’t bend the wire to
to make tight bends around
a straight line due to all the previous bends made.
the loop.
 Creating Loops However, when I used a slightly thicker wire than the
aluminium, I did use pliers. To create a continuous
line for an outline of a person, I tried to bend the
wire tight around the joints. Without the use of
pliers, I struggled to bend the wire therefore the
loops created were wide.

Utilizing the aluminium wire, I made a hook to attach it

To make the wire sculpture three
dimensional, I used the method of
the repetition of loops. I used a
thinner wire for this process. I
looped the wire around the shape
of the outline
to the wire outline. Then, I started to wrap the wire
around one wired finger. When I got to the end of the
outline, I started to re-wrap the part I just finished
wrapping. Doing so made it possible to wrap the next
part of the outline without having any awkward wire
hanging out. I didn’t use any pliers to aid in wrapping
since the wire was easy to bend.

Creating 3D Abstract
In initiating a project that deals
within the shadows, I aimlessly
started the formation of the wire. I
worked bending an outline on
1 different planes. For instance, I
bent the wire out like the shape of
a mountain.
Playing with Light for the “Perfect Angle”
2 When I finished making an
enclosed outline, I placed a
light source in a stationary
place. I moved the wire in
different angles in front of
the light. I used the shadow
as reference in order to
adjust the angle of how the
light hit the wire. In addition,
I bent the wire to make
differences in the shadow
created.
3 such a way so as to create a
Shadow Wire Sculpting
Also, I tried to move the light source instead of
the wire to see how the light hit the wire
differently. Farther from the light source created
a blurry shadow, while bringing the light source
closer made a more defined shadow. Moving the
light source above or below the wire made the
shadow stretch.
5
Shadow
I added another piece of wire by
twisting it around the wired
outline. I curved the wire on
4 different planes to create
abstract shapes of circles and a
triangle. I placed the wire and
moved it around in the light to
create different shadows. I
continued to bend the wire in
shadow of a bunny.
 Experimenting with Different Types of Wires

I also used aluminum wire, which was very

thin. Due to its physical property, I could easily
manipulate the wire around a thicker wire to
I used pipe cleaners. It was very create a three-dimensional sculpture.
easy to bend due to its small
gauge. It added texture to my For making outlines, I utilized a
sculpture when I looped it around thick wire. It was the most difficult
the wire. to bend and I needed aid from
pliers to make the wire curve.