Eyes focused on his climate change piece for his AP Sustained Investigation, junior Ryan Rodriguez used colored pencils to layer his work. Rodriguez has a TikTok account where he showcases his art, and he has amassed more than a hundred thousand followers.

“I find it kind of fun to share with other people ‘cause they give you criticism if you need it, they help you improve, and also they give you compliments,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez created an Instagram account before transitioning to TikTok his freshman year. He has used the extra time provided by the double-blocked magnet class to refine his artwork.

“I made my works more personal in a way, and when something’s personal that you’re working on, you just want to use all the time you can to focus on your craft,” Rodriguez said.

Another factor in Rodriguez’s improvement is the help of his classmates and the art magnet teacher, Sonia Krusleski. Krusleski saw Rodriguez grow during his time in the magnet this year as he learned new techniques.

“This year, the charcoal techniques that I introduced, he’s excelled in, so he naturally can understand the use of the medium and how to use it correctly,” Krusleski said.

Students in the art magnet exchange feedback on each other’s pieces and suggestions pertaining to their work. Junior Nya Ashe shared critiques with Rodriguez on their art pieces.

“You get more exposure to more things so you can grow way faster than you were if you were isolated,” Ashe said.

Rodriguez experiences art blocks, periods of time when he is unable to think of ideas for new works. He listened to music to inspire new ideas and continues his process of creating a piece.

“That’s whenever I start listening to music, and it kind of helps me out more,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know why, the music that I listen to is very influential to what I create. It helps me come up with ideas.”

The primary medium Rodriguez uses in his work both in the art magnet and on his TikTok page is colored pencils, and he recently started using markers as a base layer.

“It also establishes the atmosphere that you want to create in your artwork, and it just makes it more lively if you have an undertone,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez feels that the work he does in the art magnet is separate from his personal work although what he’s learned from the magnet has improved his work.

“With the art magnet, I’m able to explore meaning in my work which makes it more interesting ‘cause I usually don’t think of my work like that,” Ryan said.