Month: October 2016

Questions to Consider:
1. How planned is your future / how is it customized to you?
2. If you could travel abroad where would you go and why?
3. Are you part of a student group? what kinds of extra-curricular activities would you like to see?

1. My future is planned out enough that I know what major I want to pursue. It’s hard to know where exactly my future will go as a first year student in college, but I do know that I intend to work hard enough to have a job right after graduation. It is customized to me in the sense that I have control over where I go in life. My work ethic and aspirations will ultimately determine the quality of my future.

2. If I could travel abroad anywhere I would choose London, England. I think it seems like a sophisticatedly beautiful city. There are so many attractions in London that I would love to visit. I’d love to see the city from above on the London Eye. The food, fashion, and overall culture has always stood out to me. There is also a wide variety of places to view the iconic skyline along the river. Overall I think its scenery and physical attributes are what makes the city worth visiting.

3. I’m currently not a part of any student groups. However I really do want to be a part Cabra Fashion Magazine. I believe they would help me develop further skills that could contribute to my graphic design major while satisfying my appreciation for fashion and styling. It would be a way of building connections and meeting people who share similar interests as me. I would also like to be a part of the Command G student group because it is also relevant towards my major. I’d like to spend extra time practicing my skills in design.

I intend to take photographs of every day traffic, movement, and people maneuvering their way through downtown Austin. The idea will be that because there is so much commotion and activity going on in the streets of downtown, people don’t notice the out-of-place objects on signs or buildings they walk past every day. My book will have an “I spy” theme that will intend for the audience to study the picture in order to see what object is out of place. I’m not entirely sure what objects I will insert into the photographs but I intend for them to be as random as possible. I will consider adding illegible text that gives hints as to what the “out-of place” image will be. I intend to make the last page a key of the items that were intended to be found.

1. Who did you most relate to and why?
I personally feel that I related most to the girl who majored in graphic design, given that this is my intended major. I really enjoyed looking at the projects she put together over the years and all the intricate detail and hard work that went into them. I see myself pursuing the same work ethic in order to work in my intended field of study. I really enjoyed the fact that she does multiple things in her current job, all related to design.

2. Who surprised you and why?
The same girl I mentioned surprised me the most when she said she was able to get a career in her intended field of study so soon after graduation. I was surprised to know that her internships and senior portfolio are what led her to meeting the right people and landing the right job.

3. What was the most valuable piece of advice you heard today?
The most valuable piece of advice I heard today was to work extra hard for any goals or aspirations. To put in extra hours of work, to put yourself out there and meet the right people, have good time management, and pursue the career of your choice—even if your intended major seems difficult at the time.

The Sequence Movie 2 gave me a new appreciation for watching movies in a foreign language. The use of subtitles really kept my eyes on the screen throughout the entire movie. I particularly enjoyed the use of German language. The English subtitles helped me correlate the attitudes and movements produced by the characters in the movie. I also enjoyed the use of animation with real-life scenes. The movie had an action-based plot that really captured my attention. A troubled young girl in desperate need of money is pressured into gun pointing her own father for money in order to save her boyfriend’s life. The first scene provides a glimpse of the young girl’s death and then retraces back to the opening scene to show a different outcome. In the event that the girl is able to steal $100,000, her boyfriend ends up getting run over. In the third remake of the scene, the girl ends up going to a casino and gambling for the $100,000. When she ends up winning the money, her boyfriend ends up recovering the $100,000 that the homeless man stole from him. By the end of the movie I understood that time and alternative decisions were two things emphasized throughout the movie. Although Mannie (the girl’s boyfriend) ends up giving the money back to the men who threatened to kill him, the couple ends up with a total of $100,000 that the girl won at the casino. I particularly enjoyed this plot twist that the audience is left with by the end of the movie.

“Eye-Scream!”

“A Walk Through the Clouds”

A Play on Words… And Images!
For this hybrid assignment I chose to go down a different route that could express more creativity and sense of imagination while still combining analog and digital skills. I took apart the objects in each of the images and constructed them into more imaginary statements. For the collage of the mouth and ice-cream cone, I contrasted the use of a real photograph with the cut-out of an imaginary mouth. Aside from the play on words, I thought it would be interesting to put together two different images that would normally not coexist. The image of the clouds and wooden floors was put together in hope of achieving an unrealistic, creative perspective. Clearly the images of a sky and ground would normally be unparalled/opposites of eachother but putting them together allowed me to create an alternate world. The rain drops were added as analog and gave the image a more 3-dimensional, realistic look.

1. My greatest strengths in my Drawing I class would include: keeping my supplies organized, following the instructions for each assignment, and using time outside of class to improve my drawing skills.
2. For greater success in this course, I need to: be neater when cleaning up my artwork, continuously exercise my drawing skills in my sketchbook, avoid seeking perfection within the first drawing, drawing for leisure, spending more time on a drawing, and seeking patience. Practice makes perfect!

Computer Skills:
1. My Computer Skills include: Moderately fast typing and knowledge in Microsoft Word, Photoshop, and Indesign.
2. I still need to learn how to further develop my skills using these same soft wares. I also hope to learn how to create and design websites and perhaps learn shortcuts that better my computer skills overall.

Research and Writing Skills:
1. My greatest strengths as a researcher/writer include: devoting adequate time to my research and revisions on my writing assignments.
2. I need to work on these aspects of research and writing:Seeking advice from peers/teachers on how to further improve these skills. This way i am able to distinguish my own flaws through the views of others.
3. I learn best & accomplish most when: I have enough time to complete an assignment, seek further help or explanations from my professors outside of class, and isolate myself from any distractions during homework and studying.

For this assignment, I focused on color, setting, and abstraction. The first collage has a green/nature-like theme while the second focuses on a blue/ sky theme. I took photographs of different items that had the same colors— walls, textures, foods, etc. The nature-like collage has pieces of the same photographs cut into different shapes and spread out throughout the entire collage. These cut elements reminded me of shattered glass and puzzle pieces (almost like something you have to glue back together). The rectangular shaped layers create a more abstract image that add an overall depth. The second collage includes these same rectangular shapes which used as a technique to break down the image. Somehow the colors and objects in each of these elements fit together perfectly when placed in a single image.

Goal: I was assigned to create analog collages in my Visual Studies I class. The goal of this assignment was to take apart images and reconstruct them by cutting out elements of photographs we had previously captured. The focus of this assignment was to utilize abstractions of an image to reinforce color, shape, and texture to deconstruct the image. Exploring formal qualities of an image were intended to demonstrate how design elements like value, shape, texture function and work together to create harmony. Every analog collage was assigned to include 30+ “cut elements”. Part of these collage elements were to be taken from our Gestalt photographs, from scavenged/found materials from South Congress, and part from related media.

While working on this project, I focused mainly on color and placing images together that would normally never be put together in a group. I focused on answering the question “what creates Harmony?” by integrating a variety of color with unique shapes and patterns.

I believe the strongest aspect of this work was the amount of color and pattern I was able to cut from my own photographs. It was surprising to see how much I could pull from my own work in order to complete a whole new project. I was really impressed with how well I was able to cut out images of all shapes and sizes using an exact-o knife.

The weakest aspect of my work was that I attempted to fill up an entire page with cut elements when it really wasn’t necessary. I learned that it’s encouraged to have blank spaces in order to not overwhelm an audience.

This project could be improved conceptually by focusing more on a definite theme instead of just multiple shapes and patterns. I now feel that all the color in my images seemed somewhat hectic for a single collage. I could focus on one or two colors that bring “harmony” to an audience. By focusing on fewer colors and images I could create a more balanced image.

Technically, this project could be improved by cutting out smaller elements of photographs. I could use parts of an object in a photograph in order to create a more abstract collage. Using whole images could seem overwhelming and crowded on a single collage.

Additional Comments: I really enjoyed putting together collages using my own photographs because it made me appreciate the smaller details in each picture. For the next assignment I will make sure to focus more on the qualities and abstractness of the collage instead of the amount of images I can put on a page.

The first presenter was widely experienced and passionate about her photography skills. She was confident in her photographs and the techniques that she used for each one of them. She had an opportunity to travel somewhere where she was able to gain both photography skills and life experiences. I really enjoyed the fact that she spoke about capturing images relating to her degree but also taking photographs for her own enjoyment and liking.

The second presenter majoring in graphic design really captured my attention because this is my intended major. I really enjoyed how she showed us the work that she’s created and the progress seen through each piece of work. She described all the time and hard work that she’s had to dedicate in order to create a single image. Her presentation inspired me to continue working toward a degree in graphic design and revealed that hard work pays off— and takes time!

The third presenter majoring in art and education made me realize that there’s more than just the stereotypical “what are you going to do with a major in art?” You can branch out to many different fields with a degree in art. She, for example, is hoping to become certified as an art teacher. She encouraged me to go into a field that genuinely interests me.

The last presenters majoring in interactive game studies encouraged me to have fun with the degree that I choose to pursue. They were both very confident in the work that they showed us and made it seem like they had a real passion for designing games. When asked, both students knew exactly what jobs they aspired to find. They also inspired me to look further into the future and think about what kinds of jobs my degree can lead me to.

Sites I Find Interesting:

Online Shoppers Unite!

http://liketoknow.it/login

This site was specifically created to find and purchase advertised clothing/accessories on social media. This website is directly related to instagram. Whatever outfit or accessory that a fashion blogger posts on their social media account contains a link to this “like to know it” website. The only thing you have to do to see exact pricing and store location is “like” the post on instragram and an email is automatically sent to you with outfit details. The email directs you to the website. This is such an incredibly convenient site for women who prefer to online shop. You don’t even have to leave your house to purchase your favorite items!

A Website to Create a Website! Ha!

https://wordpress.com/

I find this website incredibly interesting because it inspires people to create and design their own blogs or websites. This site is specifically designed for businesses, professionals, and bloggers.

Shopping Made Easier, Faster, and Affordable!

As a new college student, I have come to really appreciate the convenience and affordability of items sold on Amazon. As a “Prime Student” I was able to purchase textbooks and other supplies for less than half the price that they’d be at an actual store. The convenience of being a Prime Student also gives you the advantage of getting your items shipped to you in less than 24 hours. I recommend using this website to everyone!

But Did You Know…?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/

From giving viewers the latest gossip, DIY tips, and online quizzes, BuzzFeed does it all! I love this website becomes it gives you an opportunity to learn about what’s going on in the world and allows you to challenge yourself.