Gears of Possibility

How does your artwork depict the contribution of engineers to a better world?

My artwork depicts three ways in which engineers have made the world a better place. Of these three ways, the first thing engineers do to help the world is by solving problems that we face every day. Moreover, they make sure we're safe, and they inspire people. These three main elements are clearly shown in my artwork by the meaningful origin behind everything I drew. The gears floating in my artwork represent how engineers help solve problems by designing solutions. For example, if you look inside the gear, you will see clever inventions that were made throughout the years, including washing machines and computers. If you look very closely, you can see a blueprint on the gear on the very right. This symbolizes how engineers plan and design ingenious inventions. Without engineers, we might still be stuck hand-washing clothes for hours. In our daily lives, engineers make sure that what they build (like structures, systems, and technology) is safe for people to use. This important key element is represented by the buildings inside the gears. You might even notice the famous buildings inside! My artwork is about engineers and the things that engineers do to improve the world. Finally, the child holding these inventions displays how engineering inspires future generations. The look of awe on the child's face shows how engineers encourage curiosity, creativity, and the desire to make an impact on the world.

Describe how you think viewers from at least two different audiences might view or interpret your work.

Different audiences may interpret my artwork differently. Younger audiences may think that the child's face is relatable because they can imagine themselves holding the power of engineering in their hands. For adults, especially those familiar with engineering, my artwork can represent innovation, system, and the real-world impact of engineering. Children focus on the wonder and excitement of invention; however, an adult might see that the work of art symbolizes responsibility, which, when placed in younger hands, has great potential.

Briefly describe the materials you used and the process you went through to create your piece.

I sketched my piece with a #2 pencil on regular paper, which limited my artwork. For example, in the beginning, I wanted the girl's hair to have some texture so that it looked like it was blowing/flying in a direction. Without fancy artwork materials, I couldn’t get some of the texture in my artwork. Similarly, these are the types of limits engineers have to face constantly. When I finished my drawing, my brother looked over my shoulder and pointed out, "The girl looks a bit light and hard to see. Maybe you can use a pen to darken the tone and make the drawing pop." This suggestion made me realize the importance of getting help and feedback from others. Again, this is exactly what engineers do when solving a problem. They show their design to a trusted person who will give them constructive criticism. Using feedback, they improve their design until it's perfect. Drawing with limitations made me think and wonder about how I was going to do certain things, like how I wanted the tone to be. I solved this problem by lightly coloring in my drawing with colored pencils, adding a happier and deeper tone. Engineers have the same kind of problems; they have to work with a budget or limited materials, and they have to get feedback to improve. Our world's helpers have to make things work with what they have, just like I did with my drawing. I tried to use these restrictions to express how engineers inspire others by persevering, and how they solve problems using the engineering process.

Explain anything you learned from the process. Ideally include any failures you experienced along the way. Failure and subsequent improvement are critical to engineering design, so please tell us how you failed, how you dealt with it, and how that influenced your submission.

Throughout this process, I realized that failure is not a setback, but a guide. At first, my sketch did not make sense. It was not clear. The artwork I was making displayed an example, not an answer or a message that I was trying to convey. Then I stepped back and realized that engineering is similar to art. A design or a draft has to be changed or tested at times. The artwork and engineering processes are similar because both involve getting feedback.  Sometimes, the first draft is not the final product. My failures led to new ideas. For example, in the beginning, I didn't know what to draw or what medium I should use, but this made me think, "What medium do I like to use the most?" I wanted to use a medium that was simple and fun for me. That's when I decided to use sketching. It was easy to use and delivered my message clearly. Now the question was, "What am I going to draw?" I still loved the idea of technology in my artwork, so I added gears that could symbolize safety and the power of innovation. Now that I had gears, I still didn't know what to do since the paper still felt empty. So, I colored the background and drew a city- like setting in the background. This felt better, but not good enough. In my attempts at creating my artwork, I mostly drew technological inventions; however, I wanted my artwork to be relatable to people my age. To solve this problem, I added a child as the main focus. Purposely, I drew the child in an anime style that is popular among children around my age. After this new detail was added, my artwork felt more relatable and overall much better.