Capstone:The Art of Learning

Parker Grubb 2020
House	Fine Arts
Advisor	Kelly Foshee
Plans	Cosmetology, TCC
Advice	Pick something you love doing, but maybe something you don't know much about. Then you'll be able to have your school project and also have fun while doing it. There were many times I forgot I was working for a grade and I just enjoyed what I was doing, so it still turned out great.
Type	Portfolio
Discipline	Visual Arts

My capstone is based on the concept of seeing something you like, thinking "I can make/do that, too," and learning how to do it without spending much money. For this project I focused on resin, sewing, and propmaking (for cosplay).

How It Began

I originally described it as a furthering of talents I already had — learning composition for drawings and paintings, making my own molds and designing my own resin pieces, and learning how to sew better (I had basic knowledge before).

How It Changed

I took away the composition stuff because I found the resin aspect to be way more fun. I also added propmaking because cosplay is something I love doing, and I love designing different aspects of characters that I can make myself. A lot of the projects I had planned had to be cut simply because I didn't have access to materials, though.

Reflection

Resin is way more finicky than I ever imagined. It's also not safe to touch without gloves. That was a good scare. Also, fur fabrics are the bane of my existence, but they're worth using because they cover up seam mistakes (also if you use the right ones, they're such a nice texture!).

I also learned that it's fairly easy to make my own supplies — I was able to make several molds that I still use now (eyes for plushes, aliens for chunky necklaces, smalls/cabochons, etc). My capstone helped me build the bare bones of a small business, as well (I started selling my resin pieces and plushes online).

I've also started using the concept of "I can do it, too" in my personal life without really realizing I was. As a result, I ended up doing a lot of creative things I wouldn't do otherwise. For example, I learned how to make chocolate, and I got pretty close to making the actual thing (due to corona i wasn't able to get my hands on actual cocoa butter/beans, so I've still got a ways to go), and I got a button maker and learned how to make buttons (which I'm also selling online since it's my own art).