Peer Critique - Ferreira

Gabriella's process her fifth sustained investigation centered around utilizing a reference image and utilizing chalk pastel to create a new render of the image. She began by tracing her reference, then added color with the pastels. She experimented with paints to add a shimmer effect to the background. A digital element was also incorporated, as she photographed her physical piece and used photoshop to alter the background to look like the night sky.

The perspective in this piece alone is created expertly, with excellent attention to detail. The perspective lines establish the perspective size of the nearby buildings, and even the distant buildings appear of realistic proportions. The shading on the subject & background elements also helps to establish light source and realistic perspective. An example of this is on the red/blue building close to the subject's left arm, which has brighter colors on the front face, and less saturated shades to establish the left side of the building. The overall effect of the piece establishes a feeling of relaxation and subdued joy. The laid-back position of the subject communicates this best, but the bright colors of the city communicate this well. This fits well with the focus of Gabriella's sustained investigation, a concentration on cityscapes. This piece expertly combines color, pose, and perspective to create a realistic yet stylistic rendition of joy and relaxation.