Lighting:
​This is probably the most used AP Art essential skill in this SI - the reference picture is very lighting heavy with the blue, pink, and purple lighting as well as different types of lighting such as backlit and overhead. I have to consider the lighting angles and where the shadows are coming from in order to replicate the same lighting from the unedited reference picture (the one without all the silly edits - see my end goal and vision please). The very dramatic vivid lighting also brings together my overall piece as it has an almost melancholy, solemn mood and tone - the lighting really emphasizes how the different versions of me are on display for the audience with the overhead lighting.

Composition:
I have also decided to experiment with composition here, especially when creating the now edited reference picture. For example, I had to put in references of swimming girls in interesting poses and overlap them with each other to create a compelling and dynamic composition in the water. I used the composition to try and emphasize that display feel that you get from looking at fishes in the tank - they swim mindlessly with no way of freedom. With composition, I tried to also make the girls fill up the fish tank but also avoid redundancy and sameness by having them all in dynamic poses contrasting each other.

Intention:
With all my SIs, I always try to have a very clear intention executed throughout the piece that shocks the viewer. For this one, my intention was to communicate how I have different versions of myself to adapt to every person and audience, as if I myself was on display for everyone to watch. I tried to execute this display feel by utilizing a fishtank - the fish swim always on display for everyone to watch. Instead of fish, I put different versions of myself swimming with no chance of freedom but to swim forever with everyone watching 24/7. I used the essential skills - lighting and composition to achieve intention. Lighting pulls the piece together as a melancholy project with the same cohesive blue lighting, while composition was used to lay out the girls in the tank to emphasize the display feel - they are doing all of these cool poses and tricks in such a small tank for them. I plan to use gouache due to its opaque appearance yet easily bendable qualities. This would execute my intention because the opaque vividness would pull in the viewer's attention to view the girls in the art piece with awe - with little care or thought of how they are holding up to their small environment.