3-D topography by Vijay Stephen

Description: The students were asked to select an item that they could apply topography to. Topography is the art or practice of graphic delineation in detail usually on maps or charts of natural and man-made features of a place or region especially in a way to show their relative positions and elevations.

When the students applied this to their item, they are creating shapes the are layered, giving the perspective of their item lifting off the page, a 3-D effect.

The items chosen, range from state quarters, telephones, animals to insects. They are required to find a color palette using pages from a magazine, this gives their project texture and depth. The finished project should be recognizable, looking at it from the perspective of straight on or overhead.

Art teacher Vickey Belmont chose this month’s featured art and why she chose sophomore Vijay Stephen’s example.

“Vijay’s object, an old fashioned rotary phone, is a great example of how to execute this technique,” Belmont said. “His project displays the correct perspective of this project.”

Sophomore Vijay Stephen

Initially, when I first started brainstorming an idea for my topography project, I had trouble finding something interesting enough to use. All my ideas were to simple or not possible for the project, so it took some time to come up with a realistic concept.

When I was showing one of my designs to Mrs. Belmont she suggested doing a telephone, I liked the idea and looked up a picture to start drawing the design. I completed my design and I worked out the kinks with Mrs. Belmont in order for the project to actually work.

After that, the project was pretty simple, I just had to make sure I stopped each layer in order for the layering to make sense. I had to stop cutting out the pieces for the actual receiver part of the phone, so that the receiver looked farther back than the dial and the rest of the project. I was trying to use more bluish-green colors and floral colors, but it was challenge to find big enough pieces of the same color.

Overall this one of my best projects I have done throughout the semester, I enjoyed creating the idea and making it come to life.

For additional information on art topography, read the Art I creates topography project photo post. For the previous featured art, check out Featured art, No. 3, 2018-19.