Design for a Cause

For my project, I decided to root for the act volunteer work which I am fond of.







**Image is re-sized to fit on the blog.**

Color

My homemade color wheel and hue bars were done in photoshop.

**NOTE: Color test for this week has its own post.**

Online Hue Test

My first original Result:




I took the test over because I forgot to take the screen shots and these are the results of my second attempt:





I have to say, this exam was a real strain on the eyes but I found it interesting.

Value

Pattern and Texture

Sampler




Greyscale
 

Shape and Volume

Image 1






Image 2





Image 3

Line

Line Assignment 

Page 1: Dry Media - Emotions





Page 2: Wet Media - Verbs


Contour:



Blind Contour (Three on one sheet):



Gesture Drawing:


Pencil


Photoshop imitating crayon.... free hand Photoshop with a mouse is not a strength.



Page 4:

Rhythm

I chose the sense of touch for my project.  The following are the four words I selected and their respective images.  I used Photoshop to alter them, helping to represent their words more.  A description of what each originally was is beneath each. 



Rough:



 This was a picture of denim threading which I texturized and embossed.  I also made a few other alterations but the two aforementioned are the most effective and obvious.  The texture added was to emphasize the alternating rhythm in the stitch and its colors.




Soft:


Here I used a picture of cotton swabs.  I mirrored the image down the center to give it more of a progressive rhythm such as that of Edward Weston's photo on page 121.  I added the canvas texture, changed the color tone, soften the light, and warped the image at the top (also to help with the rhythm).



 Hands:



I'm not even sure where to start explaining how this one came to be.  I had an idea for an alternating rhythm pattern that mimicked the other one I used a few weeks back and started searching for hands to use.  I ended up playing around with the two following pictures and came up with this.


I toyed with them both until I felt happy with what I created above.  ultimately, I wanted to create an alternating pattern and I accomplished that.



Hot(Heat):


For my "hot" image I used an image of roaring flames and repeated the image.  I used a few effects to emphasize the heat so that an alternating pattern would emerge.


For my fifth image I created the following.....


Touch:


I found this specific slide to be a problem.  I could not figure out a way to create something in a grey scale using lines while displaying movement.  I thought outside of the box and came up with this.  I feel I hit what was asked for only not in the way originally thought.  The lines are found in the glass illusion I placed over the image.  They run vertically through the moisture.  I also mirrored them as well.  There are also lines found in the falling where the little girl has her arms stretched.  The hands and the girl represent touch as does the entire image.  I want the viewer to be engrossed in the feeling of "wetness" from looking at it.  I used the following to make this image.



I tried very hard to come up with something, random shapes, even the following was a failed attempt with a little cheating by making it an animated gif. to simulate movement.

Thank you for viewing.....

Failed attempt:

Balance

This assignment was interesting and fun to do.  I cut shapes from kitchen items and arrange them on a piece of black paper so that they touched at least one other item.  Also 3 objects needed to touch the ends.  One sheet was for negative space and the other for positive, placing the left over pieces in a way that's visually appealing.



Part 1








part 2

Scale and Proportion

This week we are to create a collaged still life that has a sense of Surrealism because of shifting scale. The details are to select three or more different images of "objects" that relate to each other.

I used Photoshop to put images I found on the Internet together.


My first image is of an elephant, pigeon, and elder gentlemen in a display room formed by cubes. Their sizes are inappropriate to each other.

Relation: Live "things"

This image is of a locust, plane, and bee.

Relation: Flight

My third and last image is of a dinner table which I added a wine glass, salt shaker, and chocolate chip cookie.

Relation: Food

I hope you enjoyed the collages.


Thanks for Viewing!

Emphasis and Focal Point Assignment

In week 3 we reviewed focal points.  Today I am going to present 5 images that display one of the following key features.

• Contrast
• Isolation
• Placement
• One element
• Absence of focal point

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Contrast:

John - John Salute by Stan Stearns

Here we have the photograph taken during President Kennedy's funeral of John F. Kennedy Jr saluting his father's coffin.  I see a few elements here but rather choose it as my example of contrast.  At the time, he wore a baby blue coat which showed up against the black and darker navy blue that everyone else wore.

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Isolation:

On the polycount.com forum I found an interesting image of an autopsy theater.  The creator, listed as Darbeenbo was working on some sort of game design and added lighting effects to bring attention to the gurney.  The light isolates the table from the rest of the room, same as the one image in our text book (Design Basics, Page 60).

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Placement:

This light house comes from Wikipedia's File:Patagonia-lighthouse.jpg page.  I thought of lighthouses for this specific concept.  Usually when one is photographed, the placement if the first thing the photographer considers before taking the shot.  They made no exception here and was sure to snap the image in a manner that brought your attention to it.  It is lined up fairly close to the middle and shown against both ground and sky.

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One Element:

When I read the section in our textbook that discussed this style of setting a focus, it mentioned having one element that stands out against the rest of the image.  My first thought went to a rotten apple in a bunch.  I googled for the image and found one on Art.com.  There is no listed photographer but whoever it was did a fantastic job.  The brown and wrinkles of the rotten apple make it stand out as a unique item in the photograph against the other green and smooth apples.

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Absence of focal point:

My choice for a image which lacks any real focal point comes from Ernie Barnes.  While I originally had another of his paintings in mind, I found this one pulled off the point better.  There was a string of art works from the 70s that used this "busy" concept.  There's a lot going on in the image.  I could not find the exact painting I wanted to use which was of a very active city street, but this one has the theme.  There is no one particular area to hold your attention.  Your eyes try to make sense of the chaotic action immortalized.  After looking at the image for a good 4 or 5 minutes, I realized there was a referee or spectator in the middle of it all.

Unity Assignment

This week we were tasked with finding or creating images which represent one or many of the following traits:

• Proximity
• Repetition (emphasis on similarity)
• Repetition (emphasis on variety)
• Continuation
• The grid as organizing factor
• An example of a chaotic, unreadable image
• An example of a non-objective expression of unity
• An example of a figurative expression of unity

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My first is a photo linked directly from aerial photographer, Alex S MacLean's website:

Circular Housing Development
Alex S MacLean's

Sun City, Arizona

Ref #: LS_5343_16
Link to the image: http://cdn.lightgalleries.net/4bd5ebf97479c/images/LS5343_16-2.jpg

I absolutly love this photo.  MacLean sure has an eye for his craft.  This image captures proximity with the close groupings in which the homes were built.  Repetitious similarity is expressed by the "cookie cutter" design and variety is present in the "made do order" aspect.  Each home is a unique representation of a base model, ergo, you have the same thing but different. Continuation is shown in abundance throughout the circular grid pattern.  The grid itself is round in an infinite pattern on each tier.  It is definitely unreadable, there is no start or finish nor legible characters. The photo also captures unity without argument by the aforementioned traits, many units forming a whole.  Lastly, the example of a figurative expression of unity is found in the representation of a community.  Again, a great photo with so many levels of depth.  It says so much and at the same time holds something different for everyone.

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Ironically my second photo was my first choice.  It is the first image I sought after once I read what the details required were, it made sense and just clicked.  Again, I am using another image from the web.  I scoured around for any of my own photos to use but alas, I do not have any.  Here we have a photo of Marines standing at attention:

Department of Defence website
Address: http://osd.dtic.mil/photos/Jun2004/040604-F-6655M-169.jpg

I think it also captures every element I am looking for.  Proximity, similarity  and variety (I can't bring myself to use the word repetitious as I hold the Marine corps core values and code anything but), and continuation and a grid in the formation.  Is it an unreadable image? I would say that is up for debate.  Marines in general display both a non-objective and figurative expression of unity.  This picture captures that very well.  Another winner all the way, with the assignment and in general in my opinion.... oorah.

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Repetition, emphasis on variety:

Jay-z, The Blueprint 3's (album cover)

This image contains variety in its form and shapes but remains one unit because of the color scheme (or lack of) and theme of musical instruments.




Grid as an organizing factor:

Pebble Tile Mosaic
http://www.coverallstone.com/tile/home/

We see a grid here in the loose sense of the word.  It's slightly apparent, which is the look this tile company is going for with their product.  A neat type of disorganization used to make the floor and/or wall come together.  I originally wanted to go with a tile floor pattern but noticed it was both used and mentioned many times in class.  Great minds think alike......




Repetition, Similarity and Continuation:

http://medicalartspressblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/team-building.bmp

I searched for a specific image I used to see on a wall of a previous employer's presentation room.  I found something almost exactly the same.  This picture was used as a metaphoric image of teamwork.  Its designed to show strength in repetition.  The hands grabbing the others wrist have a pattern that is continuous.  The original image means to have identical arms.




Proximity:

Terracotta Army (far)

Terracotta Army (close)

While this is a 2D design class, the Chinese Terracotta Army stands out in my mind as a artistic expression of unity.  I feel the way they utilized a massive display of numbers in close proximity makes a great example.  They are quite a sculpting feat.  I think a photograph taken from a good angle could capture the essence of this assignment as much as I believe my first two selections have.

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As much as I tried to brainstorm an image for each bullet, I came up with ideas that fit multiple concepts.  I'm happy with my selection.  I find it ironic that photography, architecture, and sculpting found its way into my assignment when I am extremely fond of sketches and computer generated art.  I chalk it up to expanding out of my comfort zone.  At least I can be proud of the fact each image was thought of before I even hit a key on my computer!

My Ideal 2D Design

I sat at my desk for almost an hour racking my head for an image that stood out in my mind.  A single image that represents my tastes in art.  It had to be a piece that called out to me.  The works of Salvador Dali and Jim Lee came to mind.  Eventually an amazing thing happened....... I came up with nothing.

The only solution I could come up with was to post my first assignment in drawing class.  Here I was asked to sketch one chair found in my home.  I selected my Daughter's highchair, and this is the result.

Is it my favorite piece in the world? No.  Does it display 2D design?  I would like to think so.  Does it represent me in any way? Now that I think of it, it surely does!