In addition to encouragement along the way, every artist is influenced by someone in their work, whether in their methods, media, or their ideas. For my senior project I wanted to show appreciation to the individuals who have inspired me, shaped who I am, and impacted the work I’ve created.

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The initial idea stemmed from the birthday and welcome home posters I would make for family and friends growing up, integrating personal jokes and experiences within the letters of their name. I thought I would incorporate the qualities and characteristics of those who have inspired me in the same way, however this form was a bit limiting for what I had in mind. I began to explore more complex ways to get my ideas across in a more cohesive composition.

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One thing that has always interested me is the relationship between negative and positive space in high contrast imagery. I found that especially with animation and comics that using only black and white lent the content a sense of gravity and intensity, catching the eye in a way that more gradient images did not.

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Below there are two sliders, where black and white versions of my projects can be seen alongside their color counterparts to show how different a composition can be viewed when seen in black and white vs full color. 

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My senior project is a combination of these ideas. The collaged imagery is representative of the personality traits and accomplishments of those who have inspired me, while the high contrast style unites these images into a cohesive composition.

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