Blog Assignment #5

This piece of work, my midterm, is my most significant accomplishment. I feel like it, as a whole, is significant because I used so many photoshop tools to create it. I feel like the multiple layers of meaning make it so creative to me. I liked how I started out without a focus because I wasn't sure how to get creative with the big idea of imagination. When I put the dream aspect of the big idea into my project, which was photography and dreams themselves, my imagination started to come into focus a little more. I liked the quote because it had to do with imagination and focus. I liked the fact that focus could give meaning to the photography aspect and the creative aspect itself.

This piece of work, for quiz 4, was the most challenging in the class. The cloning and selecting was the most challenging part for the piece. It was tough trying to clone out Tom Hanks' character on the left side. It was also hard cloning out the previous quote in the middle of the poster. I also had some trouble selecting the man and the baby from a different poster to place into this poster. Before this class I had never really used the masking tool. To select things in the past I would use the magnetic lasso or the regular lasso tool. I found that after this class using the masking tool gives you a more precise selection. I also learned that you can feather the masking selection to smooth out the edges. Before this class getting a precise selection was a little hard for me but now with the tools and techniques I've learned I feel like I can make a pretty good selection. Same goes for the cloning tool. I feel like I have mastered the cloning tool after taking this class.

These are two of my projects that I retouched this quarter. The one on the left was the first one I did. I think the for the first one I was going for a more unreal look while the second one I was trying to make look more real. The first one I made her eyes bigger and overly softened her face. For the one on the right I tried to keep her looking more simple. For both of them I feel like I maybe took away the texture of the face. If I were to retouch another photograph like these I would try to leave some texture in the face. The photograph on the left almost seems dream-like while the one on the right seems more senior picture-like.

Blog Assignment #4

For my final project I will be creating a postcard for my sister’s fiancé’s pool business. I had recently told him about the final project for this class and he gave me the idea to create an advertisement postcard for the business. If they like it they will use it and send it out to their customers. My big idea for this postcard will be friendliness and creativity. I want the postcard to give off the idea of a friendly and charming business. I will use friendly quotes and inviting pool photographs to get my message across. I also want to use summery, bright colors to communicate my message. I hope that by using quotes, bright colors, and pool images people will feel like the business is friendly and creative want to buy from it.

Three artist that have influenced me for this final project are the photographers:

Martin Lawrence, Jeremy Cowart, and Chris Phelps.

Here are some examples of their work.

Jeremy Cowart

Chris Phelps

Martin Lawrence

Because my big idea is friendliness and creativity I feel like these photographers are good inspirations because there work is very creative and it is very vivid.

I want to try to use this realistic water reflection technique for my final.

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/water-reflection/

I feel like since I am doing a postcard for a pool business it would be a great technique to use.

Blog Assignment #3

Dreamination

“Do everything for what you dream or think that is in your strengths! There are hiding geniality, strength and magic in the courage.” Ciril Jazbec

DJ

Beat Boxer

Designer

For my first artist I chose the photographer Ciril Jazbec. This artist appeals to me because he takes portraits of people and ties in what they do for a living or their hobbies into the photograph. This kind of goes with the dream side of dreamination. He photographs people and tries to represent their dreams within the picture. Therefore, I believe the big idea in his work is dreams and aspirations or inspirations. I find it inspiring that he brings in the clients hobby or job into the photograph creatively in way where it's not bluntly obvious. Before I read what the clients job/hobby was, I was curious as to whether I could guess what it was or not. I would like to try to use the idea of not making my final projects meaning bluntly obvious, but more creatively like Ciril does. Also, his composition is inspiring and creative and I would like to try and get creative with my composition in my final project as well.

For my second artist I chose the photographer Lee Towndrow. This artists work appeals to me because it is very creative and different. I think the big idea in his work might be imagination or "different". I find it inspiring that he uses unordinary props in his photographs. I also find it inspiring and interesting that when you look at the work you are not sure what to think and you begin to ask yourself what it means. I wonder if he makes it that way so that you can draw your own conclusions on the meaning. I would like to try to use unordinary objects, like Lee does, in my final project so that I can get the viewer to draw conclusions for themselves on the meaning behind my work. I would also like to try to get my text in my final project to look like it really fits in the image like this artist does. Going with a different/unordinary and creative approach might be a good idea for my final project.

http://www.ciriljazbec.com/

http://www.towndrow.ca/

Photoshop Tutoria

Tutorial Link

I chose a photograph of Mary Kate Olsen for my tutorial.

I first selected her face, minus the eyes, eyebrows, nostrils, and lips, using the masking tool. I then used the gaussian blur filter to smooth out the face. I then created a new soft light layer and outlined her eyes and lips with a darker color to make them pop. I then created another soft light layer here and brushed on white areas to her face as you can see. After doing this I used the gaussian blur filter again to soften out the look, like I did for the eyes and lips.

I then repeated this same step except with a dark color on her cheek bones instead of the white.

I then selected her eyes, nostrils, and lips with the lasso tool. I also feathered the selection. I then went to the sharpen filter and used the unsharp mask to sharpen these areas.

The last step was to adjust the color balance. I want to adjustments and adjusted the cyan color of the photograph because the tutorial said that is what magazines do.

Digital Art

Andrew Lewis

Poster Designer

http://www.alewisdesign.com/

Denotations:

Within the poster there is a tire, a jet plane, boxes with a check mark and a X through it, a piece of wheat, a chainsaw with animals at the tips, an eye with letters in it, a red and a green square that says, "Libertad", and a white deer with graffiti in the background.

Connotations:

The whole poster is clearly about man verses pure nature. In the right corner it even says, "man and nature". The box with the wheat and jet is implying that wheat is more natural than a giant machine. The chainsaw with the animals at the ends is implying that humans are destroying environments where these animals live. The bottom right square is implying that deer and animals are more natural than graffiti in the cities.

Denotations:

Within the poster there is a colorful abstract design with a Starbucks logo in the corner, a 10th anniversary recognition with a crab holding two forks in the middle and it says, "eat", another colorful abstract design that says, "market" at the top, a little yellow man carrying something on his back that says, "80 Years", a woman in a swimsuit on a surf board and says, "Surf Sisters", and a fancy blue and white shoe ad.

Connotations:

The whole poster seems to be about entertainment and pleasure ads. The anniversary ad shows the crab with forks to imply that it is for a restaurant and that they serve seafood. The little yellow man ad implies that whatever they are celebrating 80 years for it must have been something big to be carrying all that weight on his back. The surf ad implies that surfing is sexy because the girl is in a swimsuit. The shoe ad implies that the designer of the shoes is very classy and elegant because the shoe is shiny and a classic looking shoe.

L-O-V-E

I like beautiful things as much as anybody else, if not more. However- it's still- only STUFF. Lets not be slaves to our possessions. You cant buy happiness and you cant borrow peace of mind. They are priceless. We must remind ourselves that the best things in life aren't things.

All You Need is Love... (and a Few Extra Nick-Nacks)

When it comes to college, or school in general, I'm pretty sure I'm bipolar. Whenever I have been at school for a few weeks I get used to the atmosphere and the student life. Sometimes I feel pretty great about the weeks and weekends filled with good friends, good food, and good drinks. I get caught up in the moments and I enjoy living the sort of city life as a student. I'm in routine and content... But when I go home for the weekend that is when it all seems to shake up all my feelings when come back to the college scene. Being at home with my siblings, parents, grandparents, and a few cousins gets me out of the college mode and in the family lovin' mode. When I'm surrounded by that family love and good times for those few days it makes me want to somewhat speed up the college process. Also, I think as the weather gets colder these feelings kick in a little stronger too. I'm not trying to wish my life away by any means but sometimes I just feel over the whole routine of classes, homework, being with people my own age all day doing the same thing as me, and going out with friends to drink Thursday through Sunday... Let me remind you this feeling does not last for a long time, but I do put some deep thought into it when it does... I feel like this isn't a bad thing because I think about what I want my life to be. Where I want to be in a few years... It's almost a good motivator for getting through school and hopefully starting a career that I'm going to love; almost like a goal setting session.

These feelings of sort of looking into the future consist of the following things...

(and I have found some pictures for a visual aid)

SO. Here it is, my dream future in a nut shell!

A warm cozy living room with a few comfy couches and chairs. Like so.

Also, a nice tv and fireplace to snuggle up to. Like so.

A little Husky pup to add to the comfort. Like so.

A big beautiful bathtub to soak in after a chilly Autumn Day. Like so.

Delightful home cooked meals. Like so.

And not to mention dinner parties with friends, family, and the neighbs!

Now for the future career...

The goal is to get a business degree and open up shop with Jenny Freeh and Comany!

A little shop called "Rosie's" and the motto will be "All You Need is Love... (and a few extra nick-nacks)"... The ideal setting would be in a downtown area of a town similar to Madison, Indiana... or maybe even Madison itself. Something like so...

What will we sell?

Perhaps some flower arrangements.

Along with some old-fashion candy!

Not to mention some vintage jewelry!

Maybe even some refurbished... or not refurbished antiques. Like so.

And last but not least, some seasonal framed photography... Hopefully done by me! Like so.

Hopefully good friends and family will help out with the shop! Also I'm thinking we will play amazing background music there and maybe even ask local musicians to play outside on nice days. We will also have themed days on Fridays. The employees will pick a theme each Friday to go with. For example "Hippie Theme"... For this theme employees will dress up as hippies and we will give out free daisies this day and half off colorful jewelry.

Anyways, enough day-dreaming for the evening. Hope you all enjoyed the inner workings of my brain and my hopeful future plans.

Hope you support the biz someday!