So I may have accidentally left it for more than a week since my last post. I think I am going to have to set a day in which I now do my blog. I think Sunday or Monday of every week I will make it my blogging day. So nothing much has really happened in the past week. I have been asked to be a curator on the View Bug website, However, I have to admit I was very skeptical and with good reason to be. I don't get paid, I am not an actual representative for the website, I don't get to run things or share any of my own ideas or comments on how the site could run a little easier. Literally they have more or less asked me to just talk to more people on the website, welcome new comers and in a way just help the site to keep growing. Have to admit I didn't feel as special anymore when I read that part of it. The website did however try their best. Speaking on photos, I finally got around to looking at the images I had taken when the Tall Ships were here in Belfast: I have plenty more, to be honest I just found seeing Belfast from the water more interesting than some of the boats. It was almost like a different world, I know that sounds lame.
I have also signed up for an online photography course, I think I really need to brush up on my skills within photography as since being home I have to admit apart from job hunting, I haven't actually been taking any photos of things. Although with also saying that, I have been booked for a photography gig next month. I am to photograph a mad hatter tea party, show casing the ceramic pieces done by Megan-Rose McCully. I am really looking forward to it, however the weather has been nothing but miserable here. I would give a little link to her website but the wee woman doesn't have one at the moment. I am also looking back into creating some patterns, I think I have previously spoken about this I am a little unsure. I haven't yet done much although I have ideas coming out of my ears. I have just been consumed with meeting up with friends and job hunting. But fear not as I am going to kick my own arse and come up with at least one design a week. Whether or not I get the design from a sketch book into illustrator or photoshop, but at least I will be keeping my skills more active. That's all my random ranting for this week, next post will be either Sunday or Monday ;)
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Today I got a hell of a lot done, everything for the end of year show that I wanted to put up is now up. I had to re-cut some new vinyl for my wall. And now everything is beautiful! I now get to just concentrate on finishing off my sketch books and writing everything up that needs to be done before hand in. I feel like I'm in a very good position, I even feel that I could hand in all of my stuff on Monday. Everyone else in my class is currently panicking and therefore this makes me also panick a little more due to myself feeling calm. Don't you just hate that. Although speaking of things that you hate most coming up to hand in, one of my class mates mentioned to me today was he "can't wait for this to be over, so he can stop feeling guilty about wasting time" Shit just got real! Deadlines can be really good for people or you can crash and burn, I do have that feeling of panic and worry, trying to get things done. It is a little weird when you stop just to breathe and then feel guilty. So anyways on to a more productive and positive note. I have done what feels like a million different magazine covers: As you can see I have been experimenting with a variety of different colours as well as text. I also went a step further with this I knew I wanted to have a bit of colour within the black and white image. However I think the lips actually make it more sexulised. This could however be a poster or even a magazine cover for human trafficking or something within that sort of topic. I however want a more generalized kind of image. So, I took the image from the above, went through all my photos I had taken from this project, and photoshopped eyes in from a different photograph. This was unbelievably weird I can tell you that, straight off. I have to admit this I think worked out pretty well, I however think that this looks like me, but a little different..... I know it sounds weird but, yea a different version of me. Although when it really comes down to it, as long as it looks like a person, and gets the point across. That is the whole point. So my idea here is a little more self explanatory. I want the eyes to try and look into your soul!, no I just want to eyes to grab peoples attention, although I still want them to look along the lines as realistic, however the more I photoshop this the more and more unrealistic it looks. especially as the eyes are very much a small part of the image, the colour doesn't really pierce through very well, even with the lines of the bar code coming down the face. I however really like the 1st image on the 2nd row, as I think this does grab your attention. I am just currently a little unsure on how to take it further. I am also really unsure on what colours to have my text and I seem to be continuing the same argument with myself on which fonts look the best. I am continuing to work on this even as I write this blog, I have a feeling however I may need to sleep on things and see how I feel about it tomorrow. So yea, that's it from me today.
Short blog today. So I did some more experimenting with my portraits, my tutor suggest a few changes to the facebook portrait: I had to change the portrait to look as though it had been projected on. The first image is my original image. the second is the re-edited image. I have to admit I still prefer the first, original image. This is how my portraits will look at the end of year show. I also got the idea of making these images into editorials. Like you would see in magazines. So I am very excited about developing that idea. I am also hoping to have slogans now underneath the portraits for the degree show.
Again looking at all three of the images together, I prefer my original facebook portrait. I am hoping to get these printed tomorrow, So all very excited for that :) Short blog today, hopefully more to show tomorrow. Today I didn't get a much done today as I wanted to, I did a bit of research today, looking at piggy banks for the end of year show and even researching prices for foam board for the show, I haven't yet ordered my playing cards. I am still hoping to get others opinions, but I plan of making the purchase tomorrow, as well as trying not to cry over the price of them. I did however, re-take images for the No Say, Coca Cola image. I realized that all of the images I had chosen to use,like the facebook and the bar-code images. I had my hair tied back in all of them, So although, I felt I had a good sort of contrast with the images I have. I didn't really feel it quiet worked. So I re-took the images. and low and behold, I don't like any of the re-taken photos: I want to go back again and re-edit the image in a different way. As this seems too worked on.
Short blog today. That's all from me for today. Today, I started to experiment with the projector I borrowed from uni. I have to admit, it is a little more difficult that I had first thought. Although I did take a few experimental images: So I randomly got the first image from the internet. I then projected it and.... sat in front of it. Such a science.... I look very impressed, due to not really knowing how the images were going to look, and also being blinded. I then started to experiment with the bar code images again, however, I found this more challenging as I didn't have a big enough image, then it was too small, then not in the first place, then I couldn't get my camera in the right place. it was a pain in the butt. So here are some of my images from that side of the experiment. As you can see, these definitely need major improvement. I also reworked my existing illustration characters for the deck of cards project: I have also been sketching out my other monsters, although they still need some work. Anyways, that's all from me today, Hopefully a lot more to show tomorrow.
So my video is finally up, however this isn't my official video. All I have to change however is the music. Which I will fix tomorrow. I am proud of my video, although I'm unsure about showing it at the end of year show. I also got my images done for the ViewBug challenge, you have already seen the Coca-Cola image I made. I decided to continue on with one of my other ideas with the bar-code. I wasn't too sure but I thought it was worth a shot to see how it would at least look: These are my four finals, while designing these, I tried to dehumanize myself. As you can see I tried to remove facial features. In one case I completely covered the face. I purposely made it so you can see some of the facial features through the bar-codes. I am still trying to tie this challenge in with my main project work of happiness and consumerism. Although I still plan to do my posters of my student finance. I plan to start them tomorrow as well as my deck of cards. I have been doing some more sketches. These characters are for robots and aliens: As you can see, my sketches aren't fantastic. Soooooo I did some research also see below: As you can see I really wasn't too sure on what I'm doing. Although now I have a better Idea, I'm hoping to again get started on my deck of cads project tomorrow also. So that's all from me for today.
I got my video finished today!!! YAY although I am rather pissed off the music for my video has cut out at the very end. I am currently uploading it to uni. I don't even know if it's going to work, but it is currently 61% uploaded and I still have another 122 minutes remaining...... whhhhhhhaaaatttttt!!!!! So we had a class meeting today, the fear is definitely been struck into everyone of us poor students. I have been told I basically I have 3 weeks if not less to get all my pieces I want to put up for the show done. As the people we go into within uni are basically gone for summer from 29th of this month.... AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! so that's pretty mental, have to pull the finger out and get some work done big time! There was also talk of having a shop at the show, so I'm contemplating getting my cupcake cards printed to sell at the show, I have even also created a patter to possibly go on the box of the cards. My flat mates also gave me a really good idea that because I am obviously a student, we are idiots and play drinking games such as "Ring Of Fire" or "Kings" (there are the same card game people!) So I think I will create a very quick one, this may just be words on the cards themselves. I am unsure if ill do illustrations for it. Anyways! here's my patterns: I am also to design the backs and the jokers, which I will do tomorrow, along with the redesign of my end of show space. I will hopefully also have my video to show for tomorrow, however the music is a little screwed on it so hopfully I might be able to fix this tomorrow also. Also I have tweaked my photography piece for the ViewBug challenge. I am still not too sure about it as my hair in the image is still really annoying me. I feel pretty done though to be honest, i may go back in and give the hair a proper look tomorrow when i get a chance.
That's all from me today. Today I pretty much wasted it by going from website to website, trying to find a company that would print my cupcake deck of cards, for cheap. It was unbelievably tedious as I had to make very quick designs of just the numbered symbols for each suit, Most websites were very slow with the uploads, they wouldn't let me edit the images to the way I wanted them displayed on the cards, Some websites stopped uploading my designs after a particular number. I was pretty much like 4 hrs of trying to get the right company to print these. I finally got it sorted. Although for one pack of cards it'll cost me roughly £15. Which sucks, although I think it will be worth it. I also have been trying to write my blurb, which will be the little bit of information that will go beside my work at the end of year show. To be honest, this week has been a complete nightmare. Just so much stuff to do and next thing I know a week has past, and the work I have done is not as much as I had hoped to have done. I have been looking at the whole planner for the end of year show, even looking at people from the past years, and I hate this feeling I have. I honestly don't feel like any of my work is good enough, the work I have done in my side projects I feel more confident to show than my main project. Even looking through it all, I can see exactly where I have gotten lost. I had originally wanted to do really mad, in your face posters showing consumerism. I am now doing student financial advice. Making a video, I honestly don't feel that comfortable about. I just really really lost. So looking at the wall planners and everyone else's displays from the past years, I have decided to continue on with the video, and see how it is at the end, maybe Ill surprise myself and it'll be the most amazing thing. Although I have also decided to create posters, which was my original idea in the first place, many tutors have more or less talked me out of it. Saying in the usual nicest possible way, that they didn't think that it was the best Idea. I just feel like I'm drowning. So screw this, I am going to do what I want to do. If it ends up looking shit, at least it'll be my colourful shit and stuff I feel comfortable showing. I also went back and re-edited my Coca-Cola portrait. I am actually really happy with it and have decided it will be my piece for submitted to the ViewBug unique portrait challenge. This is very simple, although I find it very effective and I think it really stands out. I am happy to upload this for the ViewBug Challenge, I plan to do a few more tweaks to this image, such as having a fact about Coca-Cola on the image, and even fixing the hair a little bit. I also finally got round to testing my line drawing skills, to make a ghost in Illustrator: I am actually so happy with this, I want to fix the eyes a little more. But minus that I am really happy with this. One down, 11 more to go.
That's all from me today, I am going to do a few sketches for posters for students on financial advice. But the way that I want them to be. I am even slightly playing with So, I missed a day yesterday. I took the day off from doing my work, I needed to shower my head and just chill out. Pressure is properly building and I'm not going to lie, I am getting so stressed out with work and I'm started to firmly believe that I may not even get my degree... I have been working on my blurb for my end of year show, I have to admit I am actually not even too sure on what work I will be showing. So I have found the whole process of writing about my work incredibly difficult. I have also been doing a bit of photoshopping today, and re-took my Coca-Cola portrait images. So the above are my original images from today, I then took them into photoshop and began to experiment with them. I firstly started to clone tool out all the un-needed shadows, I then went on to actually take off all the calorie counts and bar-codes off it. Mainly so the viewer doesn't get distanced by all things Coca-Cola put on their labels. I wasn't really satisfied with just that, so I decided to actually colour my skin, red. Just like Coca-Cola. However. I don't have any face paint, so I have been experimenting through photoshop. Although I may invest in some face paints and experiment further. Here is what I have come up with so far: I'm still not too overly sure about it, although I plan to continue to experiment. While I was experimenting I ended up doing this, I am starting to think that this might look even better if I drew it. Although I have to admit I have a lot of things I need to start getting on with within Illustrator. Like my monster deck of cards. Speaking of cards, I got my business cards ordered!! whoop!, I ended up going with my original idea of having just the logo on the front and the text on the back. and going with the old school rectanglenessnessness look.
I have finally decided on a song for my video. What is great about this is because the song is so long, I can cut it down to the parts that I want. I think that this song will work well in the background of my video. It's upbeat and slightly dance. Please listen to You Tube video below. I experimented a lot with portrait photography. As the ViewBug challenge I have decided to do is on unique portraits, I wanted to create something that had a connection with consumerism and basically how big companies completely screw people over. Here a few of my very quickly photographed ideas: Coca Cola, is very well known for actually paying researchers off, when the content of their sugar is called into questions along with basically everything that is bad for you in their soft drinks. Coca Cola, actually owns a lot of other products. Especially lots of other soft drinks. I also started playing around with the idea of consumerism in the future. I very badly painted my face and put little gems around my eyes and cheeks. Playing around with the idea that models may get even skinnier, our health getting worse due to the amount of crap big companies put in our food, and the never ending want for pretty shiny things. Even a tiny little bit of mad max theme (badly done make-up) These images will of course need photoshopped and tweaked a little bit: I have also been looking at getting my actual deck of cards made. I am still trying to figure that part out but so far it is going well, and it is do-able. Just not too sure on the price and when they will get here. I have been sketching more characters for my monster deck of cards, Which I have to admit it is going very well, I am hoping to have them all done in illustrator by the end of the week, well at least started anyways.
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