Photoshop Self-Portrait

Here it is....Ohio girl in her own musical/artistic world. Tried some of the layer styles from class on this one.

Lecture 10/26

Today, we got to see a really cool presentation. I might even go as far to say that this was the best presentation I've seen. Ben Volta, an Academy of the Arts grad and mixed media artist, came and spoke about his work. His studio is different than a lot of artists. He takes it out into the community. Volta collaborates with middle school students at a local Philly school. Together, he and the students produce beautiful pieces that decorate the school and other parts of the neighborhood. These pieces include murals, sculptures, and other kinds of projects. He usually tries to relate these projects to what kids are learning in school, which is pretty neat. It is so nice to see art helping kids stay out of trouble and learn something in a new way. Very cool concept. Collaborative aspect is great.

Lecture 10/19

This week we had H. John Thompson talk. Wasn't really that impressed, however this guy did just graduate from UArts last year. He talked about his work in painting and sculpture (particularly wood sculpture). Some interesting pieces, but not my taste really. One piece I did like was inspired by the Flying Dutchman, it was a night light made to look like a strip of wooden shingles with different colored windows. The big discrepancy I had with the way he works, is his studio space. He works in the basement of the bakery where his grandfather works. No windows=no natural light! I feel like that would get so depressing, but to each his own I suppose.

New Composite Image Assignment

Went to a Hindu festival and just took a few street shots of Philly. Here's what I came up with.

'Cockamamie Current Event'

Here is my rearranged news image. Tried to use some of the techniques we learned- opacity changes, light feathering, contrast. Hopefully interesting.

Photoshop Controversy

Photoshop can be a wonderful tool for creating art, but it can also be used for other not-so-good things. There is a continuing debate over whether Photoshop editing has gone too far in the media. Often times, editors add/subtract things from an original image. They can also retouch photos to make models look thinner and more sexually appealing. The article, "Sex, Lies, & Photoshop" features the picture above. This model's waistline was trimmed down, her arms were made to look more toned, and her skin was airbrushed. Photos like this give people the wrong concept of body image. That's why some governments are considering regulation on how much Photoshop can be used and for what purposes. For example, the French want their magazines to state how much Photoshop has been used in their spreads. While it is nice to look at a visually pleasing image, the viewer should consider whether or not the message is positive.

Self Portrait in Illustrator

So, this assignment was a bit of a struggle for me. With my lack of experience in Illustrator, I wasn't really sure how to make smooth paths. Therefore, I have pretty choppy shapes going on. Gross. Hopefully I can work on some of this, and add more value.

Lecture 10/5

Doug Bucci came and talked to us about his work in CAD and jewelry. What an inspiration. By God, that man has been through a lot and look what he's done! Bucci had pancreatic cancer as a child and entered UArts as a freshman with a child. Not an easy life, but he managed to graduate from college and hit the ground running as a sculptor and jeweler. It was interesting to see the kind of work he does. His subject matter tends to focus around human diseases, because this has played a major role in his life. He still has Type 1 diabetes but continues to thrive through his art. Bucci didn't talk about the studio so much, because his studio is very much transparent. His work is done through computer programming and printing. But, very interesting. Unique presentation.

Warning Label

I always have crazy hair when I wake up. So that inspired this design. Kind of followed the standard setup of caution labels. Simple.

Lecture 9/28

This week, Marianne Dages came to talk about her experience working at the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina and at her studio North Philly. Dages is a book artist and printmaker. Very cool lady who went to UArts and was looking for something more. She talked about three different kinds of studios- 1. Community Studio 2. Partner Studio 3. Residency. There seem to be benefits of all three. Her point was to make the studio "your own". The location and setup is a personal choice that solidifies how you work. She showed us a lot of mixed media and well-crafted books. Might remember this stuff for my work later down the road.

Text Assignment