San Marco Plaza (Drawing 1)
Description: The medium used for this piece was graphite. There is a shelled textured roofing on all of the buildings. There are windows on the front ends on the two buildings that mirror each other. The whole building is connected, with two sides that come to meet a middle building. There are shaded tunnels that lead off to an unseen place. In addition, there are three tunnels on the top that are upside down and lead off into the distance. There is an empty courtyard in the center and then branches off to the sides to the ends of the page at the front of the piece. There is dark shading on the front sides of the roofs, while the buildings themselves are a lighter color.
Analysis: In this piece there are a few elements of art, as well as principles of design used. The element of line is used in this piece to carve out the buildings from one another. Texture is also used on the roofing of the buildings because it is rougher and has the pattern of a shelled roof instead of just a smooth one. The principle of balance was used in this drawing because the buildings almost mirror each other in the size and placement, as well as with the roofing. There is movement in this piece with the tunnels leading off to someplace that can’t be seen. They curve back, showing that it continues. References picture taken by me of San Marco Plaza was used to create this piece. Those they are not exact, the pictures served as a guide for what I wanted to put in the piece. I took almost the same layout for the piece, with the two buildings on the side that connect with the back building with the tunnels. I also referenced Michelangelo’s Capitoline Hill layout. This layout has two buildings on the side, with one in the back of the middle. This is similar to the San Marco Plaza layout, and I can’t help but wonder if the architects that designed the plaza, took inspiration from Michelangelo’s work.
Interpretation: This piece is about drawing and taking inspiration from the things around us. I go to San Marco Plaza, five days out of the week for work. Being at this shopping center so much gave me the inspiration to draw it because it is what I know. However, I don’t think that I captured it in the best way, and this piece needs a lot of work. The title fits because it describes what the drawing is. There is not much symbolism in this piece other that the repetition of everyday life and pulling from what you know to create things. I think that most people do that anyway. They make connections and take inspiration from what they known because that’s what you must do in order to create anything.
Judgement: If I am being honest, I did not like this project at all. I have never liked drawing buildings, so this project was very hard for me to do. I lacked motivation throughout the whole time I was doing, and I do not like the final outcome. This is one of my worse pieces that I have done all year and I would probably change everything about it if I did it again. It lacks character and is very boring to look at. I tried to take inspiration from the places around me, since I work at a store that is in San Marco Plaza, but I just couldn’t capture what it actually looks like. Possibly the only strength in this piece is the roofing, but even that could use some work. I understand that this is not my best or favorite piece by any means and I would change just about everything to improve it next time.