Lisa
Tran
D'Iberville Senior High School｜D'Iberville, MS
TEACHER: Mandy Upton
Drawing
The Unusual House | 11 x 17 in.
Idea(s): shows how a person tries to fit in a group by pretending to be like everyone else
Materials(s): Alcohol Markers, Brown Ink, Color Pencils, White Gel Pen, and Gold Watercolor
Process(es): practice lighting, create empty ruin-like texture onto building to give a light tainted look
Student statement
Student
statement
Lisa Tran
This work is called The Unusual House. It was guided by the question of how tainted beauty can show emotions.
I want the piece to invoke a sense of loneliness when the subject tries to fit in with the other houses. It makes the subject feel out of place. I created the piece with alcohol markers, colored pencils, and ink. I tried to achieve certain textures and colors by using many layers. My inspiration comes from my love for nature and colors. I usually study multiple artists’ works that I admire and get inspired to create my own work. I often get inspired.
Over the years, I learned that I should focus on drawing what I like while trying to take risks. My teacher encourages us to draw what we like and pushes us to try new materials and mediums. It helps me learn what I’m capable of doing. For any upcoming AP Art and Design students, I believe that you should start off drawing anything you like and slowly branch out to new things.
Teacher
statement
Mandy Upton
When she gets an idea in her head, she will practice it over and over in her sketchbook. I am not talking about a little, I am talking about pages upon pages of practice, thumbnails, color swatches, and experimentation.
Lisa Tran is unlike any student I have taught in the last 19 years. She has this artistic drive that is just purely inspiring. Watching Lisa create daily allows you to see what true passion for art is. When she gets an idea in her head, she will practice it over and over in her sketchbook. I am not talking about a little, I am talking about pages upon pages of practice, thumbnails, color swatches, and experimentation. She has this amazing skill to envision a scene and make it come to life through skillfully drawing it out and adding multiple layers of colors and mediums to create a well-balanced composition that will blow you away when she is finished. Her portfolio was a stunning example of soft colors, strong figures, and amazing compositions filled with lots of experimentation.
Lisa fits the example for AP Art, and because of that, her classmates were able to see the continuous cycle of research, experimentation, reflection, and completed pieces. When students were almost finished, we would critique each piece as a class. This gave students time to reflect on what others said and revise if needed. Before moving on to another piece, students wrote about each finished piece; therefore, when it came time to upload to AP, they had everything they needed.
Lisa Tran
