THESIS STATEMENT

My thesis is about the art of layering and how perspective can affect the way a piece looks. I chose to use resin because it has the ability to create thick layers for the best results. I chose this topic because I have worked with resin in the past, but not on this large of a scale. I also wanted to push myself while also using the previous knowledge I have with making portrait-style pieces and resin and I want to see what I can do with both these ideas.

The process of each of the pieces was very lengthy and varied from each piece. First, I would start by making a background by pouring different colors of resin on top of a wooden block. To prevent the resin from spilling over, I used aluminum tape and taped the sides to make a barrier for it. I would do this for most of the layers except the final one since it was so thin that it wouldn’t spill over. After the resin had cured, I would take a picture of it and transfer it to my computer, then using a digital illustration program (Clip Studio Paint), I would draw a portrait style illustration and use the layers feature on the program to plan out what layers would be where (ex: color, shading, line art, etc.). Then, I would pour a layer of clear resin over the colored background layer. Then I sand that layer down so I can have a surface that’s easier to draw and paint onto. I start with the base layer, which is painting the body and face. I don’t add any outlines to this layer because when I do the outline on another layer, it adds to the 3-D effect. After I paint it, I pour another layer of clear resin and sand it down. This is the layer that I do the line art on. I create the line art with colored pencil and paint markers. After that, I do one final layer of clear so everything looks glossy and adds to the 3-D effect more.

The main concept of this project was to try and create as much of a 3-D effect as possible using the thickness of the layers of resin. I chose to use resin because I had a bit of experience with it, but only on a much smaller scale. I also wanted to make something that had physical depth to it and looked different from different angles.