When brainstorming for this brief, I really aimed to find ideas that would reflect something about me - particularly how I am feeling about starting a new course and being a student. I investigated ideas of the mask being a representation of well known sayings such as 'a rabbit in headlights' and emphasised expressions of nerves or excitement. I also thought of doing something to do with the student lifestyle; however I thought that was a bit too generalised. The idea that I decided to take forward was one related specifically to being an art student and expressing how I do not really know who I am as an artist yet.
Testing and Development
Following on with my initial idea I decided that my mask would be the top of a pencil and I would photograph it so that it looked like it was drawing something on a piece of paper. This is aimed to represent how, like the drawing, I am in working progress. To start creating the mask I did a number of sketches planning how I would like it to be constructed. I choose to make the mask using cardboard as I felt it would be the most appropriate in representing the appearance of wood, and due to the fact that cardboard is not too malleable I then, as a consequence, choose to make quite a simple two dimensional structure. To test these plans out I made a small prototype, and then being pleased with the results I went on to make the real thing. I also did a number of sketches to plan the drawing I would use in my final photograph. I decided on doing a very simplistic self portrait with my hands in the air to represent my excitement. I also choose to make the drawing very rough around the edges as well as 'faceless' to further express the idea of not knowing who I would like to be as an artist yet.
Final Outcome
Overall I am quite pleased with the final outcome of this project. I think I was successful in expressing something personal about me through my mask. I also enjoy the aesthetics of my final photograph as I think the combination of the green background and yellow pencil work well to compliment each other. I like the simplicity of the image overall, and feel that it is well framed and works well compositionally. If I were to do this again, however, I would change the context slightly to make it look like the paper was on a desk. I would also make sure the paper and the pencil were in better proportion, and perhaps make the pencil in a three dimensional structure. I think these slight changes would make the image look more realistic and therefore perhaps more interesting.
