My artwork depicts how engineers contribute to a better world by visualizing some of the devices and systems that they have created to make our world a better place. This includes a plane, representing aircraft and travel; two wind turbines, representing clean energy; a grassy plain and a blueberry bush, representing agriculture; two buildings and a hemisphere (inspired by the Las Vegas sphere), representing infrastructure and shelter; and a flowing river, representing progress! It also includes digital applications (apps), from Mail to FaceTime to Youtube and everything in between, as well as the role they can play (digital alerts, SOS, 911, money transfer, communication, convenient online shopping). The water pipes, much like the river, represent innovation, movement (of ideas, goods, and people), and the infrastructure that brings essential hydration to billions around the world. To the left of the pipes are medical devices (x-rays, heart monitors, ambulances, etc) and security devices (security cameras, monitors, locks, a police car, etc). Lastly, the semi-transparent eyes at the very top represent the engineers, and they hold many different colors, representing the diverse group of people that made this all possible. Their placement in the sky shows that, for engineers, the sky isn’t the limit!

I think the views of two different audiences -- teens and engineers/educators -- would be drastically different in regards to this artwork! For instance, teens and children could see Engineering for a Better Tomorrow as a colorful, vibrant world where engineering is an important part of daily life. The water systems, medical/security devices, apps, and other infrastructure are all ways to show how engineers can help people be safe, healthy, connected, and happy. The rainbow eyes might show that engineers care and see the world in a beautiful, unique way, and as a result, make engineering feel creative and fun! Engineers and/or educators might think about the problem-solving aspect instead, with the pipes, data, and alerts showcasing the interconnected and interdependent nature of our infrastructure and problem-solving in many different fields of engineering. The difference between the peaceful landscape above and the complicated systems below demonstrates how the engineering work that often goes unseen and uncredited supports modern life.

For this artwork, I decided that digital art would be the best way to show how engineers make the world a better place in using vibrant, eye-catching colors (I researched a bit on color psychology -- see Colour: its influence and impact on the way we live, an article from the University of Leeds)! I first started by doing some research on how engineers make the world a better place, for which I looked at EngineerGirl's page, and learned about the countless fields engineers work in. I then got out a piece of paper and "blurted" out the ways I could showcase them and their impacts on our daily life -- for instance, maybe I could draw some hearts that represent how engineers help connect loved ones. Once I had enough ideas laid out, I used Procreate to sketch out the composition of the piece, added another layer of lineart, and then colored it! Lastly, I went over and patched up warped lines, empty space, and coloring mishaps.

I learned a lot while creating this piece! For instance, I now know of some of the devices that we take for granted but are essential for keeping our world safe and beautiful, as well as the engineers behind them. Moreover, this piece was actually quite different from my normal drawing style, and I had a lot of fun learning a new, more saturated way of shading and coloring. The main issue and problem I had was sizing. How would I make the landscape at the top header-sized? How would I make sure that the main focus of the piece wasn't in the center, but still keep the artwork interesting? In fact, looking back, I had to resize the artwork at least five times, each time having to relocate countless objects. I finally decided to measure some websites with similar formatting to EngineerGirl's and settled on the size I have now. Overall, this failure made my submission much more fitting for a website background!