One of the assignments was about creating something within a theme. The theme from this one is called 'Nature'.
While I was searching the internet to create something for this theme and making a moodboard, I thought about
the enviroment and recycling. I was looking for something that could make people aware of the enviroment.
This made me think about trees. And that trees make paper and pencils. That gave me an idea to draw a tree.
But I wasn't in the mood to draw it, since that would be more traditional. I wanted to do something more
original/ unique.
Which make me think again about pencils. Instead of using them to draw, why not use them completely? But I
didn't want to use the colour brown for this tree. I wanted to use the actual writing pencils.
This made me realise that there are a few different colours, the most famous one being the yellow one with a
eresar on the upper side. But I remember that there used to be a more redish pencil colour. That red
coloured pencil could actually be a cool colour to use as a tree trunk.
Now all that was left to do was to buy the pencils, the paper format (A3) and the frame to put the pencil
tree in. On the tree itself I didn't want to use the entire size of them. I definitely didn't want to use
the point itself, only the brown colour.
In order to get them that short I wasn't going to sharpen the pencils until it's short enough. I was going to
cut through them with a saw.
This would be a lot more efficient because instead of having sour wrists and only
one small pencil, I'd have about 2 or 3 short pencil parts that I could use.
While I somtimes used the saw and other times would sharpen them I was getting close to finish the trunk. As
seen on the photo. However, I still felt like the pencils were too long and would later shrink them even
more down.
While sharpening them I was saving the pencil shavings in order to use for the leaves.
Even tho I was making a good progress in the tree trunk. I actually hadn't even checked if the pencils could
fit into the frame that I bought for it. Luckily it did!
After that problem was fixed I was still scratching my head how to make my end result picture. I knew that I
would want to head into the forest and find a cut down tree and put the pencil tree on top of the fallen
trunk. This way I could show what we had just cut down and got out of it.
Once I was satisfied with my pencil trunk I had to glue it on the paper. I didn't use any specific glue.
Once all the trunk was glued it was time to start on the leaves. This would be a bit more of an issue with
sticking it to the paper.
The shavings I had while making the trunk weren't enough. Luckily I did have enough pencils to sharpen. And
me being a smart person I bought an electric pencil sharpener.
After having enough shavings I still hadn't figured out how to eventually glue it. After asking my mom she
gave me glue that's also used to get wood glued together. This is a lot stronger than the glue you can buy
in any store. Also a bonus that once it dries up it becomes 'invisible'
As seen on the photo, I glued the leaves and after it dried this was the result. I already thought about the
background and decided that if I add one it might take the eyes of the actual idea.
So what do I do? I make a very big water-marker next to the tree... Yes I still regret it but is also a
learning lesson.
Once I got the tree inside the photo frame I was thinking about the right angle, what the message is supposed to
say and if I should add something to it.
As seen in the pictures below I had a few different ideas. While I was making the photos outside with my mom
helping me, we were kind of brainstorming what it could say on the picture. This led to R.I.P. However, instead
of the P meaning Peace we were word playing wich led to Piece. And since a tree isn't cut down for just a
sinl=gle paper but for multiple we thought Pieces was the one to go for.
That's why in the End Result it says Rest In Pieces.
In my "Spark" page I'll talk with more detail about the project, in Dutch. This Spark page has multiple projects
which means you'll also see the Themes Death and Love. The Nature part is the last of the 3.
In "End Result" you'll go to my Instagram and to the post about my Pencil Tree.
