Stepping Stones to Design by Desiree

Stepping Stones to Design by Desiree - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

The day I got my first XP Pen tablet was a significant step forward in my progression as an artist. As with all my other art materials, it was a tool that I used to reflect on my past pieces and to refine my skills in the future. With this tool, I realized that I was always willing to learn and grow from not only myself but from others as well. I can experiment with different styles, compositions, and methods of creation and figure out what works best for me. With my first tablet, I was able to more confidently seek out resources that would enable me to get better and be more satisfied with myself and my original work. However, before I had the tablet or any kind of digital art experience, I in no way felt like my art at the time was horrible or not worth what it was. I was still very confident in what I did and only grew more confident in my ability to grow. It just felt like something was missing, and this tool gave me the power to do more than what I was already doing successfully.

As I progressed and became more experienced in my use of the tablet I had, my knowledge of character design and development was also enhanced. While it was not necessarily the tablet that gave me this learning experience, it was used hand in hand with the knowledge I gained of these topics. I would come up with new ideas for characters all the time, and having the tablet made it possible for me to bring them to life, and put my ideas out there, whether they were good or bad, fleshed out or just fleeting thoughts – the possibilities were endless.

I was then given another tool some years later – it was just another tablet, so how is it a step forward? It can do the same things the previous one did – maybe a little better or worse but it's still a tablet. However, this was different, since I had the chance to delve more deeply into specific aspects of art that I enjoyed. Instead of broadening and expanding on my knowledge in character design as much as the first tablet, I would focus on learning and experimenting with new methods of creation. All to find my style and find what worked for me. This kind of mindset at the time introduced me to the real world of graphic design, along with all the elements that go into drawing viewers in, and engaging them.

When I would take time to admire others' art, I would always think about how they inspired me with their tactics to gain an audience. Throughout my journey as an artist, I have always been fascinated with how different designers make their pieces appeal to different audiences in various ways. Using different font and color combinations in order to get a message across, going through the artistic process and getting feedback from non-designers, to see how it appeals to the common eye is fulfilling. I started to take note of what they would do, and now consciously implement the elements of art and design into what I create.

In the future, I will have the skill to successfully communicate with any audience through text, shape, line, and composition and potentially relate to hundreds, maybe thousands of individuals at once with a simple poster or digital graphic that could unite people, especially in a time where there is a rise in the use of technology among all ages. I will use my skill in design to not only inform people around the world in an engaging way but also to connect them with captivating visuals and each other.