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 ;)

So, today I have been seriously finishing things off. I also have so many sketch books that I even weighted them all... 10 sketch books weighing in at 10 kg.......Mental.


So I went back and had a look at my shop, now if you were to click the shop tab on my website, it will actually take you to another website called "Red Bubble". This site is basically where I upload my images and I can apply the images not only as images them selves, like posters and things. You can buy my designs on mugs, t-shirts, bedding, pillows, scarves, leggings, phone covers. The list goes on! So today I went through and decided to put up an image of my cupcakes. I decided to actually put up the mixed image.


The image is all of the elements of all the suits as well as their symbols. I wasn't happy with the original image so I changed the colour of the back ground to blue, pink and grey. 

So the top 3 images are of what I uploaded. the single image above is the original.

This is just a screen shot from the website after I uploaded the pink image, you can see all the different products I can apply my work to. So yea, it's pretty interesting. I also have my final done for my main project. the final for the magazine cover:

Im actually so happy with this, and just to really scare you here are all of the finals from all the projects I did this year:

So yea, I have done a fair bit of work this year, and although it was by no means an easy year, I have actually enjoyed it. I want to keep experimenting and doing art. This is just a stepping stone for where I want to be, and yea I'm freaking out about leaving uni and being a real adult. So that's it from me today, Tomorrow will possibly be my last blog on university work for at least a week. 

I am hoping to keep my blog up, however I feel my life is very boring. We'll see though.

Today has been a productive day! So I got talking to my tutors and I was surprised to find, that actually they preferred my first design that I gave them. They also looked at my coca-cola image and we all agreed, to take out the writing at the top as the image is stronger in it's self the way it is. I also let them have a look at the bar-code images, they didn't even know it was me! We also came up with more ideas for two other designs. So Because the ViewBug challenge is due. I will have to just add one of the bar-code images for my second image. 

Although, I am very glad that my tutors really liked what I had done and want me to expand on it. So much so that they want me to use projectors and project images onto the face. So I now have the loan of a projector. Very excited! I have wanted to experiment with using a projector for ages, so I am really looking forward to this.

I also got started on my illustrations. I now have a completed suit, although there are still some changes I want to make to them. Here is where I have gotten up to so far with them, this being the Clubb suit:

I have to admit, I don't think they all look like they belong to each other. As with the ghost, she is very detailed and there is a lot to her. The Robot and Alien, not so much. So I printed these two images out and drew directly on top of them as an experiment:

I think doing this has defiantly improved how they look and the changes I will make later on. I think that this also makes them look more gruesome. ore monster like and even possibly more graphic. 

Short blog today, so that's all from me.

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. 

Aaaaaahhhh!!!!! so my video is nearly finished! Putting the finishing touches on it tomorrow. So happy. Just hope it's good enough to actually show people. I have also been working more on my deck of cards project. I have finally assigned all my monsters to each suit and almost completed my werewolf:

There is still a few more changes I'd like to make. For example I don't like the hands or the shorts. There is also a few bits that need fixed, but apart from that I am surprised at how well it looks. I was also thinking if I should incorporate the suit within the character, like I did with the cupcakes. For example the werewolf here is part of the Diamond suit. So like some dogs would have, I might put a little white diamond shape of fluff on the chest.

When It comes to the Unique photography ViewBug challenge, I am still to find a nasty fact about Coca-Cola to attach to the bottom of the photograph. I will more than likely do this when I post this blog. 

I have also sketched out some idea for posters for the student financial help. I just haven't gotten around to start drawing them up in Illustrator. I might actually show these at the end of year show, instead of my video, if the video is too amateur looking rather than professional. I have also been thinking more and more about the end of year show, although I already handed in my draft of what I might do:

As you can see, my Coca-Cola portrait on one wall and my cupcakes on the other. I am beginning to toy with a different Idea though, I might get a few ceramic piggy banks and put them around my exhibition. Depending on how many I can get, if I can sell them at the end of year show that would be amazing. I might even donate the money to the New Blood people. Depends how broke I am by that time.

So I just quickly had a little look at cheap piggy banks on ebay, they are all roughly the same price. I at the moment, if I am going to go with this idea. I really like the chalk board piggy banks, the first piggy bank above.

That's it from me today. hopefully 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 

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.

I got a hell of a lot done today, very happy. I have started to make my video, I have even cut a few scenes from it, as when looking back at my story board I actually noticed I would have two title frames and then my information, which doesn't make any sense. So far it is going very well. I expect I should have the whole thing done in roughly a week. Hopefully less, just currently trying to balance all my projects.

I have also started to plan for my ViewBug Challenge and have decided to make awareness of consumerism, in my portraits. I have pretty much one really good idea at the moment, So hopefully I will get around to doing that either tomorrow or even Thursday.

I have started to sketch out new characters for my monsters deck of card series, not too sure how they are going to work out, I can see me just going full blown in your face colours. But I still really want to experiment with this style first.

I have also been looking more into how to design my business cards I now have four different options. 3 of the options are to go for the square business card. Here are the scene shots of them below.

I'm not too sure about adding the landscape image. although I have to admit I really like the bottom two scene shots. I asked my boyfriend and my flat mate which they preferred. Which I do with most of my work, and they are usually pretty spot on and say the same thing. I got two completely different answers.... feeling a little stuck however I do plan on asking others, so this isn't the end of the world. I will let you know what I decide in the end. Or please leave a comment below on which you think I should go for. That's all from me today.