| Steven Held The Art Institute of Colorado  |
This design is a self-portrait showing why my "Life is Better with Art in It." I chose a self-portrait because I wanted to illustrate the major role art plays in my life, and I wanted to convey that importance to others.
In my piece, I am holding an over-sized pencil that symbolizes many things, such as an endless amount of creativity and giant ideas. Because the pencil is unusually large, the viewer's attention is immediately drawn to it. The pencil's downward slope pulls the focus to the drawing board. The tilt of the artist's head and direction of his eyes also bring the attention down the pencil to the drawing board. The drawing board is slightly angled to lift your eyes back up to the logos of the Art Institutes and Americans for the Arts. All points of interest are on a triangular plane, creating a natural flow of movement. I wanted the background to also help the overall movement of the piece without being too distracting. I chose low intensity colors and slow curves to allow your eyes to flow, but ultimately they come to rest at the tip of the pencil. The large open space helps to balance the poster and provides a place for the two logos. I enjoyed manipulating the colors in this design. I wanted the artist to stand out, so I gave him a blue shirt that compliments the orange background. The blue shirt also ties into the logo of the Americans for the Arts. I added a touch of red on the artist's neck to enhance the Art Institute's logo as well. I used a low intensity green on the outer edges of the background to unify it with the similar hues on the artist's shirt. To create a final balance, I colored the drawing board black to offset the black beret worn by the artist. I wanted all the colors to work together to allow free movement throughout my piece. Ever since I can remember, I have enjoyed art. I can still recall my kindergarten teacher's enthusiasm with a drawing I did of myself. I had painstakingly colored each stripe of the shirt I was wearing, created a realistic face, and even drew some shoelaces. My teacher's excitement encouraged me to develop my natural talent in art. Since then I have acquired many awards and recognitions for my artwork. I plan to continue my ambition by pursuing a degree in the art field. Being a relatively introspective person, art provides an outlet for me to explore and express my innermost thoughts, emotions and aspirations. It challenges me to think about and respond to people and the world around me in ways that go beyond speaking and writing. Art has allowed me to develop many positive traits, such as self-discipline, motivation, patience and persistence. All aspects of art intrigue me. I have taken virtually all of the art classes offered at my high school, including drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, advanced 3-D design, computer graphics, video production, and independent study classes. I have worked in both traditional and non-traditional methods and am skilled in a variety of mediums, such as collage, paint, wire, computer graphics and bronze. In July, I attended the Art Institute of Colorado's summer studio in Graphic Design. It was this workshop that inspired me to pursue a degree in this field. I learned a lot and am honored to have my computer graphics image featured on one of the Art Institute's current brochures. The field of Graphic Design is growing and in demand. Once I have completed my degree, I will have a wide array of choices available to me of where I can work and how I can use my skills. Receiving a scholarship would help me secure an education in Graphic Design to fulfill my lifelong dream of a career in art. |
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