Art Journal #10 - 3D Ideation

4/17/22

#3DIdeationPhilosophy

How do I conceptualize ideation? How do I ideate my own ideas? Is ideation always needed?

This week, I completed my peer teaching project in which my peer teachers and I helped our cohort construct an outdoor garden space. Our peers/”students” were given the prompt of looking at structures that are created sustainably and investigating the integrity of the structure, as well as the equity of the labor and materials needed to pursue this sort of art form. For the most part, our lesson ran smoothly. We created a collaborative studio environment where all ideas were welcome and we facilitated meaningful discussions at the end of our lesson. However, we fell short in the ideation process and, in my opinion, this shortcoming was translated into the final product. We made the mistake of asking students to sketch imagery and ideas for their sculptures. Students were unaware of what materials they would actually be creating their imagery with; which made the whole process very difficult.

And, it’s ironic because while I was planning this activity with my co-teachers; Chantae and Sydney, I recall mentioning that when I took Sculpture I, I hardly made any sketches/ideations because it didn’t make sense to try to recreate an image with stagnant materials that I had created with pencil and paper.

So why on earth did I ask students to do this?

I think the art world commands that we as artists have a studio practice that involves rigorous planning and sketches. But, in my own opinion, this sort of planning doesn’t really accommodate the needs of 3D artists.

I started thinking to myself, “who is the greatest sculptor of all time?” and “what did their ideation process look like?” I immediately remembered the work of Michelangelo and started to do my research.

To summarize my findings, Michelangelo used subtractive methods to literally pull away stone from the block and what remains are his sculptures. We don’t know a ton about his planning processes, but we do know that he completed many sketches of the human figure for his paintings. It only seems fit that his conceptualizations and studies translated into 3D forms. Below is a drawing that was translated onto the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Image - Studies for the Libyan Sibyl (recto); Studies for the Libyan Sibyl and a small Sketch for a Seated Figure (verso)

What does this mean for my students?

I wonder if it might be worthwhile to reimagine how we ideate 3D forms. If we follow the methodology of Michelangelo, we would become deeply knowledgeable in our subject matter. This could mean training our eyes to draw our subject matter perfectly. But how will we conceptualize it three-dimensionally? What if our subject matter isn’t a recognizable image?

I had a professor who once that told me that I have a 3D brain, instead of a 2D one. She said that it’s easy for my brain to imagine how a form will look, as I’m creating it three-dimensionally. That was before I even became an art major. Now, here I am a painter/drawer. So what happened?

2D artists are required to know the fundamentals. Drawing is a trial and error process. You have to train your eyes to see a certain way and your hands to align with that way of seeing. With 3D forms, you don’t necessarily have to understand perspective or train your eye for that matter. There are millions tools at your disposal to capture the essence of a form without studying its contour or its relationship to other forms. But 3D forms can also be considered more technical. With 2D, we know how to convince our viewers of an image using shading, perspective, and color. With 3D forms, your technical skills are evident over all else; whereas, in 2D, the technicality of your work is subject to the viewer.

I remember immensely struggling with the technical aspects of Sculpture, as the forms are not as malleable as they are in Painting and Drawing. I have learned that for my own brain, it’s not a matter of 2D or 3D but a matter of malleability and permanence.

So, what does this mean for my student-sculptors and their ideation processes?

In my opinion, when it comes to sculpture, students first need to understand their material, and then understand the subject matter. For example, say students were doing a hand-building unit with clay, I would have students spend the first few class periods experimenting with the medium and documenting the forms that they create with it. After they have experimented, they will come up with a concept that aligns with their recordings. If the form is representational or goes beyond what was possible during the experimentation process, then it’s time for students to learn the contour of the form; just as Michelangelo did.

For 3D artists, the ideation process comes after the artist understands the material and inherently depends on the subject matter. In the case of our peer-teaching project, students should have experimented with their materials, recorded possible forms, and then turned to 2D manipulation; depending on the subject matter.

For my art this week I am following this same process:

1. Understand the material

   1. Play with the material

   2. Create possible forms

   3. Experiment

2. Record/document possible forms

3. Compare possible forms to concept/subject matter

4. Resort to 2D methods if the form requires recognizable imagery or goes beyond the forms that have been created.

5. Sculpt your form

This week, I am stepping away from the 2D painting that I have been continuously working on to practice this new philosophy that I have developed after reflecting on peer teaching. Each step of the philosophy is evidenced with a photo and a description. I thought it fit to work with material that is foreign to me. I also was randomly assigned a concept by Random Art Prompt Generator.

Material: Polymer Clay

Concept/Prompt: Heat

1. Understand the Material/Experimentation/Possible Forms

2. Compare possible forms to subject matter

In this step, I looked at all the forms that I created and then conceptualized how I might create heat. I thought that the second object looked like a torch handle so I used that form. After that, I all I had to do was create a flame. With this being a literal/representational form, I had to sketch it out before I created the flame. My sketch is below.

3. Sculpt your form

Using my sketches I created the flame that you see below. Then, I attached it to the torch that was made during the "play" stage of the process.