So I went into uni today due to my Photoshop and Illustrator prescription being out of date and as I am a poor student, soon to be just poor. I couldn't really afford to keep my subscription. Not going to lie, pretty heart broken about it.  So anyways, I had to re-do my portrait of the eyes open bar-code image. I have 10 different versions of the same image and some really funky looking edits from making the image. So here are my 10 different versions:

Some are very similar and there are little changes, but I am glad to say I have my final, although I know things aren't spelt right, I will make this right tomorrow when I go back to uni. here is my final though with all of the incorrect spellings:

I also want to do a little more detail with the type and make it more glossy and even 3D looking, as I want to give it the effect of it being a glossy gold. 

The rest of my day I have been writing up sketch books and making sure everything is in order, I am sure that tomorrow will be no different with getting my work to a standard that I am happy with.

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.

Today, I just went back into my magazines and even did a little advertisement stuff:

I wasn't too sure about how to cover the magazine cover with the type. To be honest I am still not too sure, I think I will have to edit this a little more. I did however print out the first image in A4 to see how it looked. I have to admit I still want all of the writing and topics around the cover to be a lot bigger. Which is strange due to while in Photoshop I didn't want to cover the face too much. I think I will have to do some additional research. 

The coca-cola image I was getting pretty annoyed with the portrait I had chosen for the end of year show. The colours within it I really couldn't get it to work. It started to look like a 90's magazine cover, which isn't a big deal. But it's not the idea I am trying to convey. So I got my original portrait of the Coca-Cola portrait and put that as my magazine cover. I think this image work a lot better. I am again still not happen with my colours or fonts. 

Within this sort of magazine cover, I decided to go further and put my images into bus shelter advertisement slots, buses and even billboards. So I did a bit of a mixture, although I have to admit, I prefer the bar-code image to the other portraits:

As you can see, I have been busy. I am also still trying to figure out what to say underneath the portraits. I also realized that with other awareness portraits, they have their image, slogan and then some other smaller text:

here is just one campaign, that shows what I am describing. I might even go back and try some of my other images that I took for the portraits to try and see what else I can come up with. I will hopefully have something great to hand in, which is now a week away, and I have a funny feeling it may end up with a 10th and final sketch book.... 

I got a good bit done today. I went back and started to add more to the portraits, as though they were magazine covers:

I am aware there is an other magazine called "Mental", however there magazine is more based on mental health issues and in new techniques to treat mental illnesses. The reason I choose "Mental" was due to how we were asked by the labeling guys in our class, to pick 1-3 words to describe our work. A lot of the words others chose within my course were really funny and laid back words. I randomly chose mental, due to how the portraits I will be displaying and the whole back story to them is very heavy going stuff.  Or in layman's terms "Mental". Also with how  I am also displaying my playing cards. So as one of my friends suggested, it's also another symbolism of how corporations play games.

I really didn't like my Coca-Cola magazine cover. I don't think any of the colours work. I have to admit I really under estimated this task. I really wanted to have the idea of a magazine that basically tells of all the things going on in the world, a bit like The Sun, but not as terrible. So I found that the Facebook Magazine and the bar-code, worked really well. I think this was mainly due to how the Coca-Cola image it's self already plays on the opposite of colours with the red portrait and the blue background. I also did a few more versions of sort of awareness posters. Within this campaign. 

I am still figuring out what to say with each image. I have a lot of information of each. I just don't really know how to put it all. Especially with how I want all of my images to have very bold and hard hitting statements. To really make you think and of course to try and get a shock factor involved. 

I also turned backed to the end of year show with my piggy bank idea. I decided to start designing them today to finally figure out whether or not I need to build my shelf tomorrow for them. Here are the designs I came up with:

This is my piggy bank that I am thinking about buying to decorate for the end of year show. I took this image into illustrator and began to design over the top of it.

I firstly thought about designing the pigs to go along with the pieces I am putting on. So I firstly created the first three images. I personally don't find these very interesting. Also because the when all the issues I am bringing up really boil down to. Is money, So I thought about why not be simple and have gold pigs. one for every image, then I of course thought about silver and decided to just have a little look at the idea of having a silver pig with pound symbols all over. I decided I really didn't like this. I even began to look into spray paint I would be able to get:

I then started to look further into other piggy bank designs that others have done:

I came across the crystal covered piggy bank and the cartoon piggy bank. (two very big images above)I have to admit I got really excited to do something like the cartoon piggy bank. Although I realized within my time limit it just really wasn't going to happen. I have to admit most of my concern comes with the piggy bank I am thinking of getting. Because I am getting that particular one, I am not too sure on how to completely cover it minus spray painting it. So the idea of self adhesive crystals on the piggy bank, really makes sense. So I began to research this idea further:

Found these crystals online. I also found the gold and silver studs. I think the studs would be amazing. Almost like a blow fish or a hedgehog. The idea of something being covered in spikes makes it a little harder to hold. So this I think would really work for the piggy  bank. I also went on to looking at how I want to display all my work for the end of year show, again.

So above are again more mock ups of the end of year show. 1st image is of my first idea of having a piggy bank for each portrait. 2nd looking into having just three gold piggy banks, 3rd I had previously mentioned about having vinyl coins around the wall, with again three gold piggy banks. Then of course I started to look at possibly not having any piggy banks or even vinyl coins. I have to admit I am strongly thinking about not having anything, but just my art work, and the slogans underneath the portraits.  

This idea of just having the slogans under the portraits and no piggy banks, would really help me out with getting to concentrate with other work, true. But I think it's a little bit distracting too, for the public, in what too look at. The portraits them selves are very striking, with the added piggy banks and vinyl coins in the background. It may be too buys and not really knowing where to place your eyes on. I will have to ask around possibly and see what tutors say about this. Although, as it currently stands, I am thinking of not having the piggy banks or vinyl coins. 

This was a very long blog today. I clearly had an incredibly productive day.

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.

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 

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.

So today, I did a bit more work to my sketch books, I am now on my 3rd sketch book for my main project which is crazy, especially because with my first sketch book I actually added more pages to it before just buying a new sketch book. It has taken me only two weeks to fill one sketch book for my main project, and to be honest I feel like I am just getting started with my project and really getting down to business of what I want to do, so it's pretty crazy and I can now say I definitely feeling the pressure starting to mount. This is the last week of April, I have pretty much only have a month to get my work together and 6 weeks to actually hand in my work to find out if I am graduating with honors or not. 

So the above our my sketch books for just my main project. 
Besides my main project, a mini project was emailed to me. There are some students in my class taking part in New Blood, I have spoken about New Blood previously, it must have been just before Christmas. They have an idea for the end of year show to sell some tea towels with Communication Designs portraits on them, just like the ones you would have done in school. I originally just took a photo of myself and started to trace it in Illustrator. But the more and more I started to draw it, I got bored of it. I mean this is a graphic design course, I can be very serious about things, but myself taking a photo, I have actually been told off by friends mothers for not taking a photo properly...

These are sort of a small range of photos of me not being very serious and so on.... 
So here are the images I originally created from for the tea towel task:

These pretty much are Illustrating my "Resting Bitch Face". I have to admit I look kind of scary, and I do like to think of myself as a nice person, obviously I'm a little mental, but a good mental. So below is the face I pretty much pull in most of my "Selfies" on Instagram. You can follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/craicin_designs/

I have to admit as well, because this is going on a tea towel. There is no point in doing shading, this needs to be all block colours and lines and they have to be black and sharp, so that they can pick up on all of the lines here to print on the tea towel. I asked my boyfriend and my best friend which they preferred out of all three. Both chose the 3rd saying it looks very like me.... not too sure if I should be insulted or Yay!. I think I am going to go with the image above. 

With this exercise however, I actually thought it was really good and I actually really enjoyed it. It cut out a lot of the usual things I would do and just went straight in with the basics. I actually really like this, it's simple yet really effective. I'm very happy, this is something I think I will be doing a lot more of, it have been a while since I have done this kind of line drawing. 

That's all from me today, tomorrow I will hopefully have a lot more Illustrations for you with doing my info graphics