NIXEDMEDIA™

For my visual mode composition, I decided to make a time-lapse video of myself drawing a major event/figure from African American history. To make this video, I started by searching for a good quality image to use as a reference for the drawing. After I found my reference, I started my recording software to capture every part of the drawing. When I was ready to start, I pasted the reference into Photoshop on an 11in x 17in canvas and made a separate layer to draw on. From there, I traced the image, making sure to get the most important details of the reference, such as those in the face, clothing, etc. Once the drawing was done, I opened it in Illustrator to convert it to a vector and invert the colors and export the file. With the footage recorded, I opened the video in Premiere to make the time-lapse. I started by manipulating the speed of the video, ultimately speeding it up by 1500%. I then watched the clip and added some transitions throughout the video to add more flow between sections. The last step was adding music to play during the time-lapse.

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In making this piece, I chose to create the drawing in Photoshop because it has an option that allows for brushstrokes to appear more hand-drawn and has better pressure-detection to vary the line weights in the drawing. I opened the drawing in Illustrator afterwards to vectorize the drawing so it could be scaled without losing quality if needed. I also inverted the colors because I wanted to replicate an element of the style of Kerry James Marshall, who is known for works that comment on the history of black identity in the US and Western art. I also believe that the white line art on the black background looks more dynamic. I ultimately made this piece into a time-lapse because I wanted to show the process that went into its creation without having an hour-long video (the actual recording was almost 2 hours); and I used Premiere because I have a lot of experience with that video-editing software. For the song, I chose “No Slaves” by Knox Brown and Anderson .Paak.

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I believe my choice to create the drawing in Photoshop was successful because it has the hand-drawn appearance I wanted to replicate, which makes it feel more genuine. I think inverting the colors created more dynamism as the white on black looks more visually striking than the black on white. I also think that making the time-lapse was effective because it’s cool to watch the piece come together and become the final product. As well, “No Slaves” was a fitting for the subject because the song is all about African Americans still dealing with hardship and oppression but not allowing it to hold them back.

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By working with a digital interface like Photoshop, I was able to create the drawing faster because I could easily undo or manipulate my brushstrokes to fix mistakes. As well, Photoshop having settings that produce a more hand-drawn appearance made it easier to achieve the effect without the extra steps that Illustrator would have required. Because I’m accustomed to Premiere, I already knew how to create the time-lapse and modify the clips as needed to improve the flow. Going into this project, I had a specific song in mind to use for the time-lapse and, as a result, I had to speed the video up a lot to make sure that it would fit within the song’s duration. As well, because I’m using older images as references, it was difficult at points to discern where some lines should be when I was tracing over it.

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As a time-lapse video, my composition is based almost entirely in the visual mode. While the accompanying music introduces the aural mode, the primary focus is on the image being created. Starting off with an image of the finished product, viewers know immediately what is being drawn, and as they watch the video, they see everything come together. The process of the image being drawn also maintains the viewers’ attention as there is constant motion on-screen as more marks are made and as I moved throughout the digital canvas.

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While I believe the song that I chose is very fitting for the issue I’m addressing, I’m wondering if it takes too much attention away from the drawing. Should I alter the volume so it feels like more of a supporting element? Alternatively, I could use a pure instrumental. While there would be no potential lyrical connection to my chosen issue, removing all lyrics could place more emphasis on the image being drawn.

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This time-lapse applies to my chosen topic of the African American experience because the drawing features the Little Rock Nine and NAACP member Daisy Bates. These nine students were pivotal in the process of integrating schools during the Civil Rights movement, attending the formerly all-white Little Rock Central High after being enrolled based on scholarly merit by the NAACP. By creating this drawing and time-lapse, I’m highlighting a major moment and triumph in African American history and one of the reasons why there is no longer segregation in schools today.