Monthly Archives: September 2016

Impressions

Impressions

I’ve always found it incredibly helpful when upperclassmen show up to talk to freshman about what they’re doing, especially with all of the students we saw being art majors. I really liked what all the students had to offer, especially Mary Counts.

Mary was a GDES major, with a minor in computer science. I automatically latched onto her presentation, as it was aligned with my major and carried a lot of weight in that sense. I was really impressed with her typography skills and her work on book making and illustration. Overall, the creativity was amazing, and definitely unique, and I felt excited to get into my own unique style as the years pass.

What really sparked a fire in my eye was the idea of User Experience design, which Mary listed on the front page of her website. With that being said, I definitely am now considering working in a minor in computer science, as that sort of field is a lot more profitable and rewarding than simply Graphic Design alone.

I thought Faith’s work with photography was very impressive, and it was very National Geographic-esque. I thought Diana’s art pieces were equally impressive, as they all had some sort of expressiveness within them, which was really interesting. Diana often said she didn’t know what she was doing, but I think she definitely made some awesome pieces regardless.

John and Omar were interesting, but I was slightly let down by what they had to display. However, I’ve heard the gaming program is quite new, so I guess what they’re doing is still a big deal. What they did show was impressive to me, as it was definitely more than what I’ve ever done in terms of game design, so I honestly respected the effort they put into their work, even if it wasn’t mind-blowing.  I wish they had more to show off, but they were having technical difficulties. I just wish they had more to display in terms of 3D artwork, as I would’ve really liked to see what kind of designs were capable with the engine they were using.

 

All of these students had very professional websites, but they had a sort of personal flair, with each playing off negative space and using their own distinct cover images and title layouts. From what I saw, keeping it simple is important. Here are some websites I found interest me.

Devon Stank

Devon Stank’s website has an eye-catching statement as his cover, “Let’s build something amazing together,” while his own promotional video plays in the background. This really stood out to me as an inviting, quirky, yet professional site, with his logo and various tabs all placed in a meaningful manner.

Sarah Chang

Sarah Chang’s website has a relatively simple layout, with her signature at the top, along with a short description and navigation tabs lined up side by side underneath the signature. It’s a really easy-to-navigate system, and it isn’t cluttered with excessive colors or confusing sidebars.

Anthony Wiktor

Anthony Wiktor’s website was stunning. His own personal logo is sharp and clean, with a video of himself playing in the background. The website has a clearly labeled navigation bar, but upon scrolling down changes the cursor to a plus sign, and even reveals cascading tiles with some of the reasons you should employ him displayed on each. It’s a development masterpiece, or at least brings something new to the table.

Robby Leonardi

Robby Leonardi’s website blew my mind. Basically, it features an interactive resume that shows himself (in cartoon superhero form) navigating a video game as his achievements and qualifications are displayed with engaging animations and creative visuals. Ultimately, there is no way I could get on Leonardi’s level, but I could try if I ever get that far into coding. Simply fantastic work.

Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki

I have been watching anime since I was in elementary school. For me, I started with the most mainstream anime there was, Naruto. Naruto kind of paved the way for my own adventure through anime, and sparked my interest in the genre. Cartoon Network’s Toonami segment also made my knowledge of anime broader. I started getting into things like Dragon Ball Z, but something caught my eye around October.

As far as I can remember, Cartoon Network had a marathon of Studio Ghibli movies every year around the month of October. It was at that time that I first saw Spirited Away, one of Studio Ghibli’s most praised films, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Hayao Miyazaki was born in a dense, urban town outside of  Bunkyō, Tokyo. Miyazaki’s dad was the owner of a successful airplane manufacturer, and his family lived comfortably during World War II. Miyazaki’s  interest in animation came from seeing the film “The Tale of the White Serpent”. Miyazaki started out as a small-time animator for Toei Anmation, but soon after landed a deal with Nippon Animation, where he produced several TV shows.

Miyazaki has been a part of multiple projects, the most popular being those he made with Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli was a studio developed by Miyazaki and a few colleagues he met while working on  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (trailer below).

Once Studio Ghibli was established, Miyazaki and crew moved on to produce many interesting films, including  Spirited Away (clip below), Kiki’s Delivery Service, and  Princess Mononoke

Hayao Miyazaki is, in all honesty, my favorite animator of all time. Not a single one of his movies ever left me with a dry eye, and I have always been inspired by the care he puts in all of his films. Miyazaki is one of the few animators that still draws his frames by hand, and only uses CGI when absolutely necessary. While it is a lot of hard work, I would like to be like Hayao Miyazaki someday, producing hand-drawn animated films. There’s just something about the way he does things, like capturing flight, that are just awe-inspiring. I think the best example of this would be his final film, The Wind Rises (trailer below). Given Miyazaki’s background in the airplane industry, some have considered the film to be semi-autobiographical.

Hayao Miyazaki has spent his whole career creating films that, although not always receiving recognition, managed to capture the hearts of viewers and retain an original, beautiful storyline that cannot be found anywhere else. Miyazaki poured his own life into his works, and that made them the spectacular films they are today.

Maybe I can do just the same.

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki

http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/M-R/Miyazaki-Hayao-1941.html

Gestalt Stage 3!

Gestalt Stage 3!

Imagery is a big part of our lives. Everywhere we go, we see posters, skylines, and all sorts of interesting scenarios playing out before us. As human beings, we try to capture those moments and preserve them as long as we can; try to crystallize what we see, and let others see it, as well.

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I think that photography, while it may not be my major, is still a big part of myself and what I want to learn. I spent three years in high school working for the yearbook team, so I’ve always been taking photos. For me, this assignment brought something new to the process. While I’ve had a good eye in the past, and I’ve had some experience with Gestalt laws, this assignment allowed me to look at photography in a much less objective light. For the first time ever, photography was more about expression and creation than simple the recording of data.

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Overall, I think I learned a lot about composition. While I definitely favored a few laws over others, I did try to focus of my framing and the way I presented things within the realm of Closure. I wanted my images to have a texture; some kind of unique presentation that was ambiguous yet telling. I found that in neon signs. I specifically went for red neon signs, and tried to capture a wide variation of such images. I really wanted the color to unify them, not just their components. Altogether, I think my image choice for this set was rather thoughtful, and I think talking to my teachers helped me to understand what a proper image set was; it needs to be cohesive, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be meaningful.

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I think art is pretty subjective, but there’s still a basic theme you can convey to a viewer. With my set, I wanted the warmth of the red to give off a homey feeling, but I also wanted the signs to seem whimsical and inviting. I think the Maya sign was the one that had the most interesting perspective, being how condensed it was, yet can still be legible. It was definitely on of the images I picked that didn’t seem up to par until it was alongside the others.

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Another awesome shot was the close-up of the American Apparel neon sign. The “A” I took a photo of really stood out to me, and gave me all sorts of flash backs to the Stranger Things intro, which was honestly a big influence on my career path. I really liked that photo, and I think the overall aesthetic of it was quite impressive; it almost looked like lava.

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The photos I took all meant something to me, in this sense. Whether it be the pizza place I spent graduation at, or the heart sign that made me stop and think about what really matters to me in life. Altogether, these images represent me, and I really feel that this assignment got down to the heart of what any designer needs, which is a strong sense of composition. No matter what field you’re in, when it comes to all art, composition and aesthetics are important. If I learned anything from this project, it’s that good composition makes an image complex, and makes the work that much better.

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Time and its Flow

Time and its Flow

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon.

December is here before its June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?”

-Dr. Seuss

 

Time is a mysterious concept. I have met many people that claim time doesn’t exist; that we made it all up. I mean, really, it is not far fetched to say something like, “Time does not exist.” Time is merely a way for us to schedule our lives, but it can also be a prison for some people.

I like having a semi-structured life. I get my work done at my own pace, which can be a little stressful at times, but allows me to really understand what I’m supposed to get out of the material. Aside from my homework, I don’t have very much free time. I’m a full-time student, and I also help take care of my mother, so I have quite a bit on my plate. I really don’t think that’s different from anyone else, though. We all have responsibilities, but perhaps we all don’t have as much as some people.

As far as my typical week goes, I tend to spend the majority of my time completing assignments for class. Monday thru Thursday I have classes until around 5:00 pm, then I work on whatever assignments I have until around 11:00 pm. On Wednesdays, I get out of class around 1, but I still manage to have enough work to last me until around 11:00 pm, or later. Of course I eat during the day and do all those everyday things, but the bulk of my time goes to school. Honestly, if I weren’t in school, I have no clue what I’d be doing with my time.

Overall, my time management skills could use a little work, mainly in the fact that I talk a lot with my mother, and I’m incredibly long-winded. I often try to live in the moment, which isn’t the best when you have things do in rapid succession. As a whole, I think my work ethic and all that is pretty standard, and I put in a good amount of time when it comes to my studies. I work hard, and while that may mean I have less time for my friends, I’ve been doing really well academically. All in all, things are going pretty well for me, and I think I’m using my time pretty wisely.

 

Here are a few pieces that I pulled off of my portfolio at http://davidpadillaportfolio.weebly.com/

 

-- Self Portrait, digital, 8"x 10", 2015

— Self Portrait, digital, 8″x 10″, 2015

 

-- Girl Scout Troop Logo, digital, 8"x 11", 2014

— Girl Scout Troop Logo, digital, 8″x 11″, 2014

 

-- Marty!, digital, 11"x 11", 2015

— Marty!, digital, 11″x 11″, 2015

 

-- Whitewall Falls, digital, 7"x 11", 2012

— Whitewall Falls, digital, 7″x 11″, 2012

 

-- A Good Designer, digital, 11"x 11", 2013

— A Good Designer, digital, 11″x 11″, 2013

 

-- SOAR, digital, 12"x 11", 2015

— SOAR, digital, 12″x 11″, 2015

 

-- DVISD School Board, digital, 15"x 5", 2015

— DVISD School Board, digital, 15″x 5″, 2015

 

-- As Iron Sharpens Iron, digital, 6"x 11", 2015

— As Iron Sharpens Iron, digital, 6″x 11″, 2015

 

-- Inner Reflection, digital, 8"x 11", 2015

— Inner Reflection, digital, 8″x 11″, 2015

 

-- Bus Safety!, digital, 8"x 11", 2014

— Bus Safety!, digital, 8″x 11″, 2014

Stage 2 Gestalt Reflection

Stage 2 Gestalt Reflection

Gestalt is an amazing concept. Honestly, I thought it was pretty interesting how simple placement and suggestion could make an image completely different from just taking a full frame photo of the subject. In this set of photos, I really tried to go for signage, which is something that was a bit of an afterthought beforehand.

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What I really wanted to play with this go around was the Law of Symmetry, the Law of Closure, and the Law of  Proximity. While there were many photos to choose from, I think the ones below serve as the best representation of those efforts. For instance, the grouping of the street signs was a good representation of the Law of Proximity, as they are all perceived as similar, even if they are only seen as an intersection. The Catherine logo was a good use of negative space, I think, with the logo sort of clustered in the center, away from the noise. I think the framing there was a good use of the Law of Containment.

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The other thing I would like to address is the law I really fell in love with; the Law of Closure.

While the Law of Closure is all about suggestion and our ability to finish words and shapes based on our own knowledge, I find it incredibly fascinating how interesting it made my images. For example, the “Open to public” sign and “TOM” sign were both very interesting pieces, in my opinion. The TOM’S sign was really awesome with the fact that the plants managed to cover up the M, but it could still be understood as a complete word and idea. I experimented with this for the rest of my shots, and it was honestly a lot of fun.

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I found what I believed to be the Law of Symmetry in the 10/10 sign, which reflected across a window when I took the shot. I thought it was a pretty interesting composition, and it really caught my eye with the neon colors and the way it just happened to reflect that way. It was an unique experience to have the opportunity to capture that moment, as I really haven’t seen anything like it before.

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When it comes to Gestalt, I think that using the laws can create a very interesting image, no matter what the subject is. Almost anything can be aesthetically pleasing, but these laws simplified it down to a basic understanding of composition and frame use, which make a big difference in the long run. I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit about photography in just two weeks, and I honestly am very impressed with the way things turned out. My last set was a lot more random and out of focus, but this set was very clear to me. I knew where I was going, and that made all the difference. Honestly, I think the Gestalt principles really helped me create this set, and I wouldn’t have known where to start without them.

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Entrepreneurs, Artists, and Grit

Entrepreneurs, Artists, and Grit

After reading both the Fortune and Huffington post articles, I found that the Fortune article centered more around what the business world should consider before venturing into art, and the Huffington Post was more focused on what the two had in common and how they could both borrow ideas from each other.

I think the most important thing that artists can learn from entrepreneurs is that everything they do is going to require working with others, and that’s something you can’t really get away from. In addition, it is important to make sure you look at your own limitations, and asses those before you set out to tackle a huge project that you don’t have the resources for.

I believe that artists need to be some kind of entrepreneur in order to make it in life. After all, you need to be able to not only create your own artwork, but also manage a business and take risks in how you market yourself and manage your finances. If any artist wants to have their own small business, they need those skills.

I honestly believe that artists do thrive under constraints, as that has always been something that gets me into a more creative state, especially since I know what I have to work with. The idea that artists are great storytellers is something I agree with, along with the claim that they are like children. After all, artists have that same kind of freedom with what they create, and can tell intense narratives with just a few bits of color on a canvas. Honestly, I think all of the 12 characteristics listed in the Fortune article are pretty accurate.

If there was any kind of truism I would add, it’d be that artists deal with clients better than anyone. With the constant changes people call for, you have to be really proficient in handling clients.

If the lines between business and art are fading, I hope that business becomes more creative rather than art becoming more corporate.

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On the subject of grit, I apparently do have grit. According to the quiz, I had a 4.63 out of 5 on the “grit scale”, which sounds a little more rugged than it is. Nevertheless, I suppose there is always room for improvement, and a little initiative goes a long way!

Some things that might increase grit:

  • Always have extreme determination when facing a challenging task.
  • Focus on goals and deadlines.
  • Set expectations and meet them. If I don’t meet those expectations, let it be because I’ve exceeded them.
  • Never give up.

My Introduction to Photography

My Introduction to Photography

On Drive, Creativity, and the Meaning of Design

On Drive, Creativity, and the Meaning of Design

What is design? That question is something I have never really thought about for the past two years. I took a graphic design class both my Junior and Senior year, but I never once questioned what I was doing, or why I was doing it. For me, design was something professional, yet oddly liberating. I considered graphic design to be fascinating, mostly because you can really create whatever you want with the tools you’re given. I guess what separated it from traditional “pen and paper” art was the extensive applications of the medium.

For instance, graphic design is often used for marketing, but also includes things like concept art and digital painting. Realistically speaking, it is incredibly hard to pin down a good definition of graphic design. Design, in general, is constantly changing and adapting with trends and new generations of thought. When design is rooted in what is around us, the changing environment can equate to a constant shift in aesthetics and what we believe design to be.

While it is hard to define design, it is equally difficult to explain creativity. Some individuals think that you cannot be a designer without some level of creativity. That is probably true, but when you think about where creativity comes from, it also becomes a difficult subject to handle. Amy Tan brought up the concept from different perspectives, touching on the genetic, psychological, and emotional roots of creativity. Personally, I think some people are born with creativity. How else to you explain the prodigies of decades’ past? However, I feel creativity can also be something latent within us that has to be sparked into existence. Like Tan said, perhaps creativity can start up after intense trauma, or perhaps an inspiring moment. After all, creativity allows you to be expressive through art; to let your emotions and ideas spill onto the canvas. I don’t think I was born with any sort of innate ability to create. No, I think it was something I was introduced to, maybe with Legos or building blocks, and I chose to explore it.

Doubling back now, I feel like design is what you make it. Yes, there are numerous fields such as graphic design, and they can be extremely corporate and cold, but they are only as dull as you make them. Graphic designers create aesthetics. They create the way we see things, and how we associate colors and shapes with our daily lives. Whether that comes in the form of branding, web design, or even just making the layout for a billboard, it still resonates with the public and shapes their own associations. That’s really what I want to do. I want to create things that people think are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. I want to help design simple, elegant, streamlined web pages. I want to design book covers or even book illustrations. I want to work on company billboards and logos. I want to explore animation and someday create my own cartoon show, or maybe try my hand at making the first American-produced anime. I want to create the world around me, or at least have some kind of influence on it.

I think that is why people really end up becoming artists and designers. Like everyone else, we desire to leave a mark on this world. However, for artists, I think it is more than that. Artists have ideas and concepts they want to express, and they want the whole world to see what they see. As artists of any sort, we are all trying to make our own mark, and we are all trying to show this world what our own minds have to bring to the table.