Every+Cloud+has+a+Silver+Lining+2010

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Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

By:Destiny B
 * Patterns are all around us. We see them on our clothing, home decorations, and even on the floors we walk on. Have you ever wondered how a pattern is made? Well one form is called a tessellation. A tessellation is a design that repeats without gaps or over laps to create an image. My geometry class has decided to explore this concept with a hands on project. **


 * The first step was to create our design. I played around with a few different ones, some were leaves, people, or cars. Although my final one became a storm cloud with a lightening bolt striking through the bottom. I chose this specific image because I thought it would be a striking idea, and fairly simple to execute. **


 * Next I made my graph, surprisingly this turned out to be one of the more difficult tasks. I put little marks every three inches around the entire perimeter of my 18 X 18 sheet of paper. Following that I connected top to bottom and left to right. Once my graph was complete I needed to consider what transformation I wanted my clouds to follow. I decided to use a reflection, I placed my template on the graph lining up the top and side carefully, then I traced on to the paper, and finally flipped to repeat. These three steps create the mirror effect. **


 * Once all tracing was complete it was time for the best part in my opinion. Coloring! I expected this step to be the easiest, but it was this very step that turned what I thought to be an easy fun project into a spiraling nightmare. I chose to make a 3-D affect. Arks covered all of my shapes, then I darkened the very middle of my tessellation and the outer edge, this made it look as though it was a tunnel and you were going inside. **


 * To conclude overall I really enjoyed this project, and plan to incorporate this technique into my art for the future. I wouldn't have thought that a geometry assignment could make me look at every pattern around me. I believe I really got something great from this experience. **