How It's Made: Studio Plants in 2.5D

​What I have a passion for is the pursuit of intelligently-informed Art that pushes boundaries. Studio Plants was one of the first artworks I completed in the direction of multi-dimensional drawing. 

​Check out what I just referred to by viewing the artwork below and keep reading this article.  It's my wife's favorite piece to date, and I hope you'll like it, too. 

Welcome to the second article in the series How It's Made!

Welcome to the second article in the series How It's Made!

We're talking about Studio Plants in 2.5D.  There was a sunny table of plants at the end of the hallway on the fourth floor of the studio building facing west.  Otherwise, it was a dark space. 

​What a collection of well-care-for plants shared by studio tenants!  I knew I needed to do something meaningful with them.  It was cold outside, but this location was warm to me.

The view of the window and plant table where I spent many days drawing Studio Plants

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My perspective view of the plant table and window for Studio Plants

Studio Plants print (before 2.5D completed) ©2014 Brent Holland

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While I worked on the drawing, it was bringing me calmness.  I've been told that looking at it also brings an intriguing calm to a space. It makes sense because as I created it, the process became a meditation upon time, space and my existence that season.  The studio plants were alluring and full of life.

Like the majority of my art, it is made of hand-drawn imagery that is conceived with new media applications like digital drawing, painting & sculpting.  I stayed true to the Art by placing importance on traditional observational practice while I drew.  

​The first edition of the work was completed in 2016 and measures 48"x48".  It was completed for an exhibition.  After the positive reception of the art at the event, I committed to create it in two different types of editions for future collections:

• a 2-dimensional poster print  
• and a 2.5-dimensional artwork. The most intriguing rendition of this drawing is this.  It is in the form of layers of plexiglass for a 2.5-dimensional artwork, which is available at my online shop at StudioHollandArt. ​ It has proven to be a collector's choice.

Studio Plants in 2.5D (open edition)

ART FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

What are the key elements?

You can see by the photo comparison above that I chose to invent some objects and add others for the sake of the composition.  I especially like the sphere and pedestal in the foreground.  

I drew the images using direct observation onto a digital drawing tablet.  A goal in this artwork was to present the objects using representation while also abstraction.  For example, the basket of plants and others on the tabletop are mostly drawn representationally while most of the objects below the table are drawn abstractly. 

Furthermore, I made conscience decisions to leave a trail of my line-work that developed the perspective within the artwork and the form of some objects.   An example of the latter would be the hanging vines over the edge of the table.

Studio Plants in 2.5D is scalable to any size in a square format from 5"x5" up to 48"x48". Click image to expand Studio Plants in 2.5D.

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Layers of plexiglass prior to polishing edges

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My toolkit for the project

A key tool for my task was my Wacom digital drawing tablet.  This hardware allows for hair-thin lines and thousands of pressure points to reveal all the nuances of hand-drawn imagery.  The tablet relays my hand movements to Photoshop.  Photoshop is a great tool which allows me to scale the artwork. In fact, Studio Plants artwork can be scaled to any size, in a square format, from 5"x5" up to 48"x48".   The original one was 48"x48" yet a popular size is 12"x12".  We hang a 36"x36" in our daughter's nursery.  Many sizes are available in my shop one click away starting at $150.

Shop Studio Plants in 2.5D starting at $150

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This object was drawn on my Wacom tablet. I love it!

My Wacom tablet and stylus is pressure-sensitive.

​Having the artwork available in digital format, I was able to experiment and finally make decisions about which plane would be represented on each layer to achieve the greatest visual impact. ​

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Three (3) Visual Planes

​​1. The first of three layers defines the perspective.

Background layer of Studio Plants 2.5D ©2014 Brent Holland

2. The middle layer holds most of the content.

Middleground layer of Studio Plants 2.5D ©2014 Brent Holland

3. The top layer holds the jewel!

Foreground layer of Studio Plants 2.5D ©2014 Brent Holland

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I'm proud of this artwork.  Conceptually, it relies on the evolution of the image through my mark-making process. Because I draw and paint from observation, Studio Plants is the accumulation of thousands of moments of looking at the the details of these plants with layers of multiple visual insight.

Here are some details of the work.  Some images are from the framed 48"x48" edition.  Some are from the unframed 5"x5" and 12"x12" editions.

I like to build things.  It satisfies me.  In 2014, the first edition I made was a breakthrough piece.  I built it for a gallery show in October 2016 at Olson-Larsen Galleries.  I still have that one available which is a framed 48"x48" artwork.  It's different because it is in a high-quality frame by Olson-Larsen Galleries.  If you're interested, it's found at my shop here.  Thank you for getting to know me through this article.  I'd love to hear from you!

Want more distinct and original art...content? 
You've found it! This is the place to gain insight into my artistic vision, and you’ll also benefit from the art business content that my wife, Erica, shares.

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BRENT HOLLAND

ARTIST + OWNER
STUDIO HOLLAND ART

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Shop Studio Plants in 2.5D starting at $150

Want a print of Studio Plants for your space?  Shop here.
All of my original artworks, including Studio Plants in 2.5D, are for sale online here.