DONE!!!!

All done! hoping for an A!

Final Book Cover

I am a big fan of this book. And the book focuses on several different people that seem like a normal part of society, and they are gods that people have forgotten that blend in with the crowd. So I felt that including an american flag that looked old with a group of people that seem "normal" would help portray a side of the book that I haven't seen on the several book covers for "American Gods" that I have seen.

End of the Semester

Semester is almost over. The final project, the book cover, has become extra credit. i am gonna do it for the extra credit, so I will post it here soon. Other than that I have learned a lot and I hope that my newfound skills will help my photography editing be much better!

Hoemwork 15-Semester Reflection

Review your Process Book and all the assignments (projects, exercises, homework, etc) you did this semester. Reply to this post to discuss the following:

1. What you have learned doing your assignments?
2. Which assignment(s) were most useful?
3. Which assignment(s) were the least useful?
4. What assignment was your favorite? Why?
5. What assignment was your least favorite? Why?
6. Prepare your Process Book and blog for final review and grading.

1. I have learned to better utilize tools to create a design. I work primarily in photoshop, so learning how to use indesign and adobe illustrator can help me to create more with my photos than I ever could before.
2. I think the map project was the most useful for me. It made me think about how to create something that had specific focal points.
3. I dont think the movie opening was very useful for me. It just didn't seem to challenge me much and it was easy to put together, and didnt require much use of any tools.
4.I would say I liked the map project the most, I was able to create pretty much any kind of map I wanted, which gave me creative freedom.
5. I didn't like the first project, I felt like I was designing something for someone and not getting paid, haha. I guess I am not very interested in creating flyers.

Homework 14

Instructions:

1. Review the tutorial sites bookmarked at delicious.com/parkland.gds (tip: add your favorites to your own delicious account)
2. Search delicious.com, Adobe Design Center or Google for tutorials on one of the following sofware packages: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver
3. Do the tutorial, then post a picture of the finished tutorial in this forum (be sure to include a link to the tutorial)
4. In your post, review the tutorial and discuss what you have learned; then discuss the other resources available on the web link
5. Update your blog for the week and post a link to your blog (target=new window); review your team member's blogs (optional: post comments on their blogs)

I did a photoshop tutorial at http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/icon-design/futuristic-bicycle-icon/

I posted a picture of the final product that the tutorial taught me how to create.
The tutorial taught me how to create a picture from scratch in photoshop, using many different tools. I know how to use all of the tools, but this tutorial showed how to utilize them to make something realistic in photoshop from scratch. By using the layers, pen tools, the blur tool, and creating different shapes, I learned how to create pretty much anything that I want to. On this site there are many other tutorials and tips etc. that people can use for help learning more about design. You can even download source files to help follow along with the tutorials.

Homework 13

1. Read the wikipedia article about stock photography, then discuss the difference between "royalty free," "rights managed" and "microstock."
2. What are the three largest professional stock agencies? Register at each of these sites (free) and download a free non-watermarked "comp" image; attach the images to your post
3. Compare the quality and prices of professional stock images vs. micropayment stock. Which site(s) are your favorites?
4. Write a brief review of your favorite stock photo agency: discuss price, quality of images, search engine features, etc. (be sure make comparisons to the big three)
5. Extra credit: Find a quality stock library not linked to our delicious page? Add a link to your post (no "micropayment" sites, please)
6. Update your blog for the week and post a link to your blog (target=new window); review your team member's blogs (optional: post comments on their blogs)

1. Royalty-Free means that you don't have to pay each time you use the image, but it doesn't mean its free to use however you want without a license. royalty free means you can pay a one time fee and then use the photo many times, but its limited. It does not give you exclusive rights to the image, there is no time limit on when you must use the image, it usually has a limit on how many times you can reproduce it as well.

Rights-Managed means that the value of a license for it is determined by how the image is used, and broken down into very specific details of how it is used.

Microstock sites sell vector art, flash animation, and videos in addition to photography. microstock sites are a part of the stock photography industry, microstock sites source their images exclusively to the internet, they have a wider variety of images etc, and sell royalty free images at a lower rate.

2. Getty images, Corbis, and Photo Researchers.

3. It seems to me that professional stock images cost way more than micropayment stock images. I am a photographer, so I like to use my own images, but if I had to choose I would go with micropyament images because they are cheaper, I can take my own professional images.

4. I liked Corbis the most. It was a lot more easy to navigate through than the other sites. The pricing seemed like it had many different options to go through, and it was easier to understand than the other sites. The images were more unique and the quality seemed better than the other sites as well.

Book Cover Sketches

Book Cover Exercise

Exercise November 15th

Color Exercise 11/10

Re-Final Map!

Final Map

Exercise November 8th, 2011

Exercise 11/3

Project 3 proof/rough draft

There will of course be a legend, it will describe what the evidence is along with the description of the clues it gives along with witness accounts of the events.

11/1 exercise

This weeks exercises

Exercise 7

The idea was to copy a map that was already created, I know I missed a couple of things but I unfortunately ran out of time.

This weeks update!

So I dont have anything to show on here because I did not have my usb to save todays excercise.  But we were assigned a new project, we have to make a map. I will post the excercise from this week, as well as the sketches of the map, next week.

Revised Project 1!!!!

BAM! ITS BETTER!

Final Film Opening

The idea is that the letters come spinning out of the vortex, then form the names and titles in the second slide, and then in the third slide the vortex comes back shattering through the names and then starts all over again.

Project 2-Movie Opening-2nd Final Draft

So heres what I changed it to, a rough sketch at the last minute!

Project 2-Movie Opening-Final Draft

By the end of this it will be in 2 panels side by side, like above, representing each character, director, production company, and title.  I didnt include all the panels because they are all pretty much the same.  The only thing different will be the vortex will look different and I will use specific fonts for the lettering of everything, with the title being a completely different font than everything else.  The lettering being scattered in the sky is supposed to represent the letters coming together and also having kind of a shaky/trembling effect.

Project 2 drafts

The idea here is that there is a black vortex/black hole of some kind that the words come out of in an abstract/stretchy way.  After they appear on the screen they keep crashing to the ground below the sky in a very scattered fashion.

Visual Rhythm-Excercise 5

This weeks update

This week we start a new project, we have to create an opening movie sequence.  I dont have anything to show this week, I already posted my final Saul Bass flyer.

Final Saul Bass Flyer

Some rough sketches for project 1

Grid

I think this picture suggests a grid to me in a more abstract way than normal.  The title would begin at the top stair in a larger font and each step would have a smaller font, it would work because peoples eyes can follow big to small easily, knowing it starts at the most important point, and its easy to follow because its something people do frequently, go down stairs, this would make the flow of the grid work in an unusual but effective way.

Class has begun! Heres the first assignment: Introductions!

I was born right here in Champaign, IL at the late Burnham Hospital, which is now a County Market and Apartment building, I like to tell people I was born in the produce department.  I have travelled around a lot and I am not so fond of Illinois after living here for so long, so I will bite my tongue and just say Champaign has treated me well. 

My Education, preferred way of learning.....I guess I learn more with hands on experience, lectures don't tend to stick with me so well, but when I get the chance to create something I like to think I know how to shine, in my own way.  My favorite artist would have to be Marilyn Manson, he is one of my favorite musicians but not my top favorite, when I say he is my favorite artist it is more about his attitude towards anything he creates.  He likes to shock people, as do I, and he isn't concerned about what people think about him or the way he does things.  Obviously everyone is influenced by the world in some way, I guess ultimately the idea that we should all create something we can appreciate, and sometimes, not always, its ok to not care what other people think.

Musician: Gonna go with Queens of the Stone Age.  Theres not a lot of bands out there that still rock, and never stop rocking.  You gotta see these guys live to know what I am saying.
Filmmaker: Its a tie, I cant choose between Sam Raimi or Terry Gilliam.  They both create visuals that are completely abstract and more extreme than all others.  Sam Raimi: Evil Dead 1 and 2, Drag Me to Hell, Terry Gilliam: Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas, Time Bandits, pretty much everything Monty Python.  I am currently pursuing my dream of filmmaking, these guys are big inspirations for me wanting to get into film.

Technology: I am pretty comftorable with technology, I usually can figure out programs pretty quickly if I am not familiar with them.  Last year I switched to using a mac, I love my mac book over all other computers I have ever had, and I won't go back.

The photo I submitted:  has not been submitted here!