End term Assessment

2 December 2015

Within the second half of this semester I feel as though I have dedicated more of my time and effort towards this class because I really enjoyed the concept of the final project.  I wanted to make sure that all of my new skills gained thus far though this class were displayed well through my photographs and final booklet.  By dedicating more of my time to this project I was able to refine my work to a point of high satisfaction.  Aside from the process of taking the photos and editing them I also spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted my book to look and what kind of style I was going for.  I knew that I wanted it to appear editorial and magazine-like but with a handmade feel to it.  I spent time looking at magazine layouts and I drew a lot of my inspiration form Alexa Chung’s book It.   Her book is  organized with photos, text, and hand drawings which make it very personal yet simplistic.  This influenced me to create a book using mixed media.  I designed my own cover and incorporated drawings on tracing paper that I then glued onto the inkjet paper.  Overall I would say that I put a good 30+ hours into my Sequence Book.  This included taking the photos, narrowing them down, editing, organizing the layout, printing, stapling, trimming, and designing the cover/drawings.           Via these expert hours I was able to achieve success through trial and error.  Even though my book did not come out perfect I still love the final product and I am very proud of it.

In order to practice I used my time to improve my photo editing skills and figure out my printing situation.  I did a couple of test prints on the laser printer just to make sure that what I saw on the screen translated well to the print version.  Like I stated before, I spent a lot of time with the organization of my booklet by looking at different sources of inspiration.  I also took the time to reflect on the readings we had about book sequence and the different types of narratives.  I decided to go with a non-narrative format for my book because while my photos do have a sense of oder to them (a scene-to-scene layout) they do not necessarily tell a story.  Most of my practice time was spent figuring out InDesign, editing my photos, and completing the final book (printing,trimming, stapling).

We didn’t have many class critiques for this project but throughout my process I would seek the advice and opinions of peers, Tuan, and Bill to make sure I was going in the right direction.  I took feedback positively and would work with the suggestions and critiques from others.  I also made sure to give feedback to my peers so that both of us were benefiting.  I find feedback to be a very important and an ongoing step in the creative process because sometimes what others notice or suggest are things that you might not have thought of.  I enjoy getting outside perspectives and opinions, other than my own, so that I can improve my work.  For example when I was having trouble arranging two photos next to each other it was suggested by my peer that I place them next to each other in a way that gives them the illusion of being one photo.  I gave it a try and ended up really liking the illusion it created, so her advice was very helpful.

I love the way in which my final book turned out because I had a vision of what I wanted to create and was able to translate that into the final product.  Even though there were some minor mistakes in that stapling and trimming, I am still very proud of it because I know that I put a lot of time and effort into its entirety.  I made sure that I set aside the time to design my book to point where I was very satisfied with what I had done.  This was a process that occurred over several weeks of planning and executing.  I really wanted this book to be a creation that I was proud of and would be excited to show others, which is why I put so much time into paying attention to every detail while I was editing the photos, designing the layout, and designing the cover.  I am really happy with the way it turned out!

I acquired many more expert hours this second half of the semester compared to the first half.  In October I went to the Houston Zine Fest and the Chaotic Moon Studio tour with CommandG.  In November I attended another workshop with Jenn Hassin to complete her collaborative art piece with St. Ed’s.  I also attended the East Austin Studio Tour one weekend and attended the Senior Graphic Design Presentations.

I would give myself an A for this end term assessment.  I really feel as though I have improved since last the mid term and dedicated more of my time and effort towards this class; which I think is displayed through my sequence book.  I have definitely put in more expert hours and acquired more expert experiences which I plan to increase next semester with my next set of design classes.

Midterm Assessment

18 October 2015

Practice time:

I utilized practice time to improve my skills in weaker areas that encountered in each project. Going out multiple times on South Congress was good photographic practice for someone such as myself who has only taken photographs as a hobby.  Learning about the laws of Gestalt and what makes a “good photo” has helped me improve my photographic eye.  Printing my photos on the laser printer and inkjet printer was something that was already familiar with but still needed improvement on producing the colors as accurately as possible.  I went in the lab several times a week to print and get the best color translation from desktop to print. When it came to making 2D collages I made sure to practice with Photoshop because I have had no previous experience with the program.  I practiced using the quick selection tool, magic wand tool, and photo effects in order to create a collage digitally.

Feedback:

During class critiques I made sure to take note of what my peers and professors provided for me in constrictive criticism.  These consisted mostly of warm feedback but also cool feedback to help me refine and improve my work.  For example when I received positive comments on my first 3D collage I was able to gage what direction I should go in and think about how I could translate the spirit of that into my 2D collages.  I enjoy critiques because I gain a new perspective from my peers and I am able to become aware of what I am doing well and where I need improvement.  Also by listening to what others said about work that was not mine helped me to better understand my own photos and how the concept of Gestalt was present or not.  I find that through discussing my work and hearing form others gives way to new discoveries and revelations that I may not have seen or thought about before.  For example when I was having trouble sticking to a theme with my SoCo photographs I was given inspiration by a trend that some of my classmates noticed in my photos, which was use of directional lines. 

Level of Challenge:

With each phase of taking photographs on South Congress  I challenged myself to find something new and look at locations from a different point of view each time; this was effected by the time of day I was out taking photos, the company I was with, and the way I was choosing to look at a subject matter.  Each time I went out I noticed something new which helped me to keep variety in my collection of photos while also finding unity through a theme.  In the set of collages I challenged myself to really examine and analyze all of my photos to form a concept for my set of collages. I wanted to produce something that I loved aesthetically but also held a deeper meaning to me. I probably thought way more about my concept than required but this long thought process lead me to creating a set of collages that portrayed the multiple layers of Austin and how it functions like any other major city with nicer and poorer areas.

Expert Hours:

To accumulate expert hours I did small day to day things that went towards this class; aside from practice time I began noticing gestalt principals in everyday scenes and took time to look at different types of collages and styles of photography on social media such as Pinterest and Tumblr.  As far as outside of class workshops/events I have attended a paper making event with artist Jen Hassin and I recently attended a trip to the Houston Zine Fest with the campus graphic design club Command G.  I really want to experience more art in person at galleries throughout Austin, so I plan on making time to visit galleries such as Up Collective and Pump Project.

Layers of Austin: 2D & 3D Collages

11 October 2015

Harmony: 2D collage

Project 02: Harmony

3D Collage

When we were assigned this project I was excited to immediately jump in and begin making collages, but I decided to take some time to think about what message, if any, I wanted to portray through these college sets.  Concept is something that as a growing artist I need to work on because I tend jump into an assignment head first without giving good thought to my concept/message.  As I was reviewing all of my South Congress photos I began to make connections to what we have been discussing in my American Dilemmas class recently.  We have been covering all the major issues that plague American culture/society such as gender, race, ethnicity, income inequality, education gap, etc.  I feel very passionate about helping others and educating myself about social justice, which is why I wanted to fuse these issues into my collages.  I have often told myself and others that all I truly want in life is to make art and help others.  I felt as though this direction was appropriate because I would be creating a set of collages that brought awareness to social issues in Austin, TX.  Like any major city is has its nice metropolitan areas, but on the opposite spectrum it has its poorer areas.  Through these 5 collages I want to shed light to each layer of Austin.  In this first 3D collage I have created a bright, colorful, and creative side of Austin (specifically its architecture).  I used light colors such as blue and white, and mounted it on a textured white paper to give it not only a light and airy feel, but also a texturized element to it.

Project 01: SoCo Photos Phase 03

13 September 2015

Reflection:

For this phase of the photo project I decided to use directional lines to create movement as one photo and when aligned together.  Law of common fate, along with movement, and law of similarity/repetition played the biggest role in my photos.  My idea is that by arranging  the photos vertically in various orders you can create fluid motion and movement.  As I was taking these photos I realized that directional lines that lead the eye to a focal point are everywhere.

Project 01: SoCo Photos Phase 02

6 September 2015

Gestalt theory and application :

 Repetition, Symmetry, Similarity

Closure

 Containment

 Continuity, Repetition

 Symmetry

Closure 

Reflection:

For phase two of this project I took photos while keeping in mind that I was applying gestalt principals.  Although I did not continue with my previous theme of lighting/signage, I did not completely stray away from it.  Since my first batch of photos were taken in the evening and this second batch were taken in the daytime I used the sun/light to my advantage but in a   different way.  I was particularly interested in working with the way that light and shadow interacted with each other and I was looking out for ways that the sun could help my photos rather than wash them out with too much exposure.  I am pleased with the way my photos turned out and after looking back on all of them I can understand how applying gestalt      theory can really improve your photography.  It was easy to find repetition, similarity, and containment in my photos but it was a little harder to try and apply the laws of common fate and past experience.  For the most part I was thinking about gestalt principles as I was taking a photo but sometimes it was simpler to snap a photo and then find a gestalt principal in it    afterward .

Reading Reflection #1

30 August 2015

A Whole New Mind: Moving from the information age to the conceptual age // By: Daniel Pink

The main idea of this reading is that in this conceptual age creativity and empathy are highly valued. I agree with the statement that “Capacity for compassion, care, and uplift, are          becoming key components of many occupations.”  A good part of the reading discusses IQ vs EQ and how we are moving from more L-Directed thinking to R-Directed thinking.  I can   definitely make connections in my life that illustrate how empathy and care for the ideas and feelings of others play a big role in my lifestyle.  This reading also asked three big questions regarding design in this age that really got me thinking about my future as a designer: Can someone overseas do it cheaper?  Can a computer do it faster?  Is what i’m offering in           demand in an age of abundance? I think it is so important to have something unique and    special about what you do, especially in a time where we have quick access to innovative technology and are in constant competition with others apart of this creative culture.  It is vital that you bring something new to the table and form your unique sense of style, which is something that I continually work on.

What is Design? // By: Hara, Kenya

This reading was a lot to take in because it somehow managed to cover the history of design all around the globe, starting from the 19th century, in 26 pages. Wow.  Nevertheless I found myself completely engrossed while reading this because it was fascinating to see the progression of design in different countries and in the United States.  This reading also talked about the linkage between design and marketing because now designers are becoming more aware of mass production and consumer demands which has shifted perspectives to include large scale manufacturing principals.  I agree that design and business are becoming more of a creative community that functions as one unit, where both ends support each other.  However it was interesting to read how equal value of both sides is not always the case, such as in Industrial Design where the individuality of designers is often suppressed. I don’t think that the worlds of art and business will ever fully merge together as one because both sides need to keep their individuality and specialization.

Project 01: SoCo Photos Phase 01

30 August 2015

Reflection:

The area of South Congress that I explored through photographs was the couple of blocks that start at South Congress Cafe and end at Jo’s Coffee.  I have been in this area many times before and enjoy the liveliness and creativity that encapsulates it.  It was exciting to get to look at this area through a camera lens and begin to notice the decor, architecture, and    overall aesthetics of each individual restaurant or store.  As I was  walking down I found    myself looking at objects with a detailed eye. Especially since I went at night it was                 interesting to see how different the area looks and feels at night compared to the daytime.  Since I was taking photographs at night I found it a bit more difficult to capture a good image without running into a camera problem.  Camera flash, lighting, and movement were all     variables that I had to work with.  At first I was taking photos with my DSLR but I kept        running into issues with flash because I was not sure what the appropriate setting was, so then I just decided to switch to the camera on my iPhone.  Taking photos as night proved to be a bit more difficult that I expected, but I worked with my environment and decided to use any form of light to my advantage.  This lead me to photographing lit up restaurant/store signs, lights along the sides of buildings, street lights, and car lights.  I was pleasantly            surprised with the photos I took and I am interested in photographing the same are in the daytime to compare and contrast them.