blog 5

I think that my most significant accomplishment would be creating a vector for my final project. I have always wanted to learn how to make vector images and my final allowed me the flexibility to do just that, and play around with the different techniques I found online. As tedious as it is, it was also the most challenging task that I chose to undertake, so I am proud of that as well. I don't think my final project is as meaningful as my midterm, so in terms of self-expression, i think my midterm won in that area. I had a more defined big idea for my midterm so i knew exactly what to do. 

The most difficult technique that i learned was definitely using the Pen tool to create vector shapes. We didn't take this up in class, so it was something that I had to learn on my own, which was a challenge in itself. It is a very time-consuming technique, but if done well, it can make really amazing artwork. I still can't say that i've mastered it, but i have definitely gotten the hang of it and can create basic art with it. 

I don't think that any of my quizzes had much special meaning to me, so my midterm was the most meaningful project that i've done so far. it was great to be able to express myself without worrying as much if it looked believable or not retouched, because it was something that i made out of scratch. My movie poster quiz was one of the quizzes that i could really express myself in, so i chose two movies that i thought were funny and playful, which shows off my quirky personality. My midterm still showed that quirky side of me, but was more personal because it represented my dreams and aspirations. 

Blog 4

I have always wanted learn how to create vector images after seeing my friends in high school design a few that looked really good. The big idea that I would like to use for this particular work is happiness, so I would like to do it on a picture of myself with friends or in a place that I love. I want it to be vibrant and colorful, with many of my favorite colors. I always want my works to be bright and cheerful because I’m the one who has to look at it all the time, and if ever I end up printing it out and framing it, I want it to lighten my mood. Vectoring seems like it can be very time consuming so I want to start learning how to do it now and slowly practicing until I’m confident with the skill. For my final project, I wanted to challenge myself and do something that I’ve never tried before but have always wanted to do. I imagine my vector art to be used in a poster or print ad for a youthful brand. I can see brands like Coca-Cola or Apple using vector images of young happy people in their ads.

For inspiration, I looked at the Vector Vault (vectorvault.com) and saw a bunch of really amazing vectors, and hopefully mine will be just as good. I think paying attention to detail is one of the most vital factors in making vector art, because the more detailed layers you have, the more believable the image.

These are the vectors that i found, all from Vector Vault.

Blog 3 - Digital Artist Inspiration

Rafael Fergo (http://rafaken.deviantart.com/)

I think this artist's work related most to my dream concept, and I absolutely love his work. His theme seems to be some sort of "out of this world dream", judging by his use of flying and floating objects surrounding the earth. The clouds and different shades of blue also give it a very dreamy feel. The thing i like most about his work is the fact that he used different images that aren't necessarily connected to each other, and combined them into one cohesive picture. This is what i would like to do with my artwork, so I can definitely pick up some ideas and techniques from these works. The seamless layering is what i would like to be able to do the most, because I'm not making a collage and would like for my picture to look as believable as possible.

Marta Nael (http://martanael.deviantart.com/)

What i loved the most about this artist's work is the fantasy concept that she used, which i think is what attracted me to the pictures in the first place. She makes all her artwork on photoshop, and it takes her about a week to finish each piece. I really admire that kind of dedication, and obviously her hard work really paid off. I think the pictures look sort of eerie and mysterious, which is another thing that intrigues me about these pictures. Her skillful use of colors, shadows and highlights evoke emotion in viewers which is something that i would like to do with my work too. I can't imagine how much effort she put into making these, but there are definitely some techniques that I could pick up just by looking at them. As i said before, I want my work to look as believable as possible, even if it's supposed to be a "fantasy" or "dream" artwork.