Junior Isabel Alamin is an Advanced Placement Art student who has been making art since sixth grade with her mechanical pencil.  She has since graduated to charcoal and acrylic paint.

I see a lot of different mediums represented in your art. How did you start using such a wide variety of tools?

It used to be just drawing. I used to use only mechanical pencils and that was the only type of art I would do. And then freshman year I did a watercolor piece, and I realized I really liked watercolor. Sophomore year I started to use charcoal and acrylic paint, and honestly I hated those mediums before I actually tried them, but then I realized I really liked them and they’re actually probably my favorite mediums to work with now.

Do you have a strategy when you come to class to make art?

I’ll look for photographs sometimes, just of things I want to draw if I’m not feeling super inspired, or I’ll listen to music and I’ll come into class and say, “Hey! I remember that thing I saw on the street or that lyric I really liked and I’m going to draw it now!” So there’s not really any strategy for me. It’s pretty, just like, free.

What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between high school art class and middle school art class?

In middle school it’s more about just getting the assignment done, but in high school I feel like it’s actually like a real class. I don’t think people realize that art isn’t just something you can just sit back and do whatever you want in. You really have to think about the composition of the piece, where you’re putting things, what type of line you’re putting down. You really have to think about what the whole picture is going to end up being, instead of in the middle school when it was more, “Here is the assignment get it done and when you’re done, you get an A.”

Do you do art outside of class?

I try to, but honestly I don’t have any time. The only time that I ever get any actually good pieces done is in the class. I draw in a sketchbook at home, but lately I’ve had less than zero time.

Will you take art in college?

I mean, I plan to, but I don’t think I’m going to go to a school of design or anything that’s like solely an art school because I love art but I have other interests that I want to do too. And also, selling work makes me really sad so I don’t think I would be able to make it as an artist, so that option is kind of [off the table].