Layering

♔What have I learned about Layering♔

I have learned that layering is overlapping multiple artforms and images over each other making it once before pieces into something new and meaningful. I also learned that layering can come in multiple different colors with many meanings behind it while having no meaning at all. The viewers do not have to understand the process at all just the idea behind the artwork.

☄How do contemporary artists use the concept of Layering in their artwork?☄

Kara Walker is an amazing artist especially with her work at the Sikkema Jenkins gallery with the multiple cutouts of the African American story. She takes the story and history we've heard many times before, but incorporated it with her own ways of telling the story with the cutouts. She used her art to express her beliefs and her culture. She allows us, the viewers, interact with the cutouts using our shadow as a layer to the exhibit. Her idea of layering is out of the box using silhouettes of people to insert ourselves to feel as if we were in the story she was telling with the art. 

✬How might I be able to use Layering in my own art?✬

I can use layering in my projects to show more depth to my character rather than just having it be a 3D character. I can actually express and emphasize on the 3D part of the model. I want the clothing of my character to actually be separate pieces of clothes rather than just a texture over a piece of mesh. Layering opens up ideas I did not think of before this lesson such as layering clothing and making details in accessories (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.) or just small additions to make my character more refined. I can also use layering in still photos I would take for the characters such as the background or the setting I decide to place them in.

〚Is there something that I found in my investigation that specifically interested or inspired me?〛

I honestly found the whole idea of layering interesting, such as 3D paper art is amazing or when people do digital art they have layers for multiple layers for each part of their art. Making the layer art you can choose the limitations your viewers see or even making them a part of the art like what Kara Walker did! There's endless of possibilities with layering, because each layer you see has meaning and the ones under that layer may have a completely different meaning to it.