Artist comfortable using pencil, paint, computer or pumpkin
Superintendent’s Artist of the Week: Arianna Foutch-Mann
| 31 Jan 2022 | 04:48
Warwick Valley High School student Arianna Foutch-Mann with some of her art on Jan. 19, 2022. The image on the screen in the background is from her animated film. (
)
Monday, January 24, 2022: Warwick Valley High School senior Arianna Foutch-Mann sometimes creates art with acrylic paints. Last fall she also carved a pumpkin as part of the portfolio class display that won the grand prize at Crystal Springs Resort’s Annual Great Jack-O-Lantern competition. Her primary interest, however, is creating digital art.
Arianna’s artistic tools of choice are an iPad and an Apple pencil. She uses a drawing program called Procreate to make digital illustrations and animations. Mostly recently, she created an animation for the PTA Reflection contest.
“The main thing I do is digital art,” Arianna said. “I’ve been practicing it for so long, since seventh grade, and it comes naturally to me mostly.”
Arianna started out using the free program FireAlpaca with a computer and drawing tablet. She mostly drew people and backgrounds in a cartoon style. After taking art classes in high school, Arianna started creating subjects in a style that is more realistic.
“Arianna is a multifaceted artist who creates art traditionally as well as digitally,” WVHS art teacher Kristen Spano said. “She is responsible, reliable and incredibly talented.”
Last year Arianna began using Procreate, a more advanced program. She had to watch many tutorials online to get comfortable with Procreate. This year she started using Procreate for animation.
“It was pretty crazy going from just drawing a 2D person to actually making a full animation,” Arianna said. “But I like the final product in animation. After putting in so many hours, I get to see what it looks like in the end, which is pretty cool.”
Arianna’s animation for the PTA Reflection project took a few weeks to complete. She drew hundreds of frames for the 26-second film. The animation is about self-acceptance.
“The way I want to help the world is by helping others accept their roots even when it seems difficult,” Arianna wrote in her artist statement. “So, in this piece I’m displaying how encouragement from others who have experienced the same struggles I have had can bring my whole world into a brighter light.”
Arianna, who is an honor roll student, wants to continue working on her animation in college, possibly at Pratt Institute.