It has been kind of an interesting weekend here in the low country. I have discovered some new things in and around Savannah. Some I would recommend and others I think you should avoid.
This past weekend was the annual Irish Festival. Every year a few weeks before St. Patrick's day, the Savannah Civic Center is taken over by green wearing Fenian lunatics who make their children do traditional Irish dancing while they sit and drink Guinness. I had never been before and every year I kept telling myself I should go. So this year I threw down the 10 dollars for a ticket and walked into the arena.
What a joke! Aside from the main stage that features numerous Irish acts, there wasn't much to see. If you were older and enjoyed "traditional" Irish music, then the 10 bucks to get might be worth because you could sit there all day, eat and drink and listen to some tunes. I, on the other hand, had no patience to sit and listen to the same traditional Irish songs over and over again. So I wandered through the vendor stalls and it is filled the typical Irish nick knacks that many a souvenir shop around the Ring of Kerry carry minus actual Irish selling them. The only thing worthwhile about this event was possibly eating some good food. Well, I was fooled again. First off, you have to buy "food tokens" which if any of you have ever attended a church festival or the like, realize that this is the scam to end all scams. You inevitably walk away with left over tokens that aren't good for anything and can't be turned back in for cash, which means you just wasted more money.
After getting my overpriced fish and chips, I walked out of the convention center to meet some friends in Forsyth Park. My buddy, Tyler, send me a text saying that there was a tree climbing competition in the park. I was slightly intrigued by this and decided to check it out. What I didn't realize was how serious a competition this was. This competition was actually the Husqvarna North American Tree Climbing Championship and had tons of super-fit dudes in harnesses and helmets, working ropes and swing from branch to branch like Spider-man. It was awesome and FREE! Plus it was sponsored by Husqvarna and they had all sorts of chainsaws and power tools on display and I walked away with a product catalog. Not that I need a chainsaw, but come on, I have a Y chromosome. You can find more info about this competition here http://www.northamericantcc.com/
I also started reading a book that I just can't put down. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall might be the coolest book about everything I have read in a long time. Basically it is manifesto about running barefoot, throwing out everything we think we know about running long distance and how to get back to running for days on end like our ancestors. Whether you believe it or not, it is a good read. Check it out here http://www.chrismcdougall.com/
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
New name, new post
It has been ages since I updated, but now that I am writing I figured I would bring a few things to the table. I added some new links, one to my twitter and one to my online portfolio. Both are works in progress and I am hoping to add some great visual candy in the coming weeks.
Signing off for now.
Signing off for now.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Portfolio Hell
It is getting close to the end of my time here in Savannah. Overall, I am pleased about that fact because I don't EVER want to live in this stink-hole. However, before my sentence is up and I am released from school, I have to go through the gauntlet known as Graphic Design Portfolio class. To put it in perspective, Marines go through the "Crucible", Navy SEALS have BUD/S, Graphic Design students at SCAD have Portfolio class. I know what you are asking, "What's the big hairy deal?"
Well as a Graphic Designer and really any artist looking for work, your portfolio is your life. It is what gets you jobs. Yet what portfolio class is, is taking all the work you have done over the last four years or so, and choosing which of it is worthy of going into your portfolio. Now a few of the students here who are legitimately AMAZING at everything they do, won't have a big problem with this. However, for the mere mortals, like myself, it means wading through projects that you had hoped to forget about and put them into a "book" that you design. So, not only do I have to design this book so that the presentation of my work is cool but also redo all of the work that I have done. This is not a pleasant experience.................................................Sorry, I got distracted. there is a really hot girl in the computer lab sitting a few feet away and she has just started talking to the not-so-attractive redneck lesbian. Right, back on topic.
Portfolio, sucks. Apparently I was supposed to be taking pictures of my finished work this whole time, so that I would have something to work with. NO CLUE, that I was supposed to be doing that. Plus, I am the world's worst photographer...seriously. So I dont' know what the hell I am going to do. Plus along with all this portfolio/redo stuff...I have to create a resume, cover letter, reference list and do research on design firms...OH AND write design narratives. It is a lot of work. Oh and for those of you who are like, "big deal! that doesn't sound so bad." Well guess what smartass I don't get to just open microsoft word and choose some template. No I have to figure out how to design a resume that represents me as a designer and a person. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?
I don't know...but I will continue to sit here until I figure it out.
m.
PS. Don't vote for Sarah Palin. She bans books and doesn't believe in evolution. BOO! HISS!
Well as a Graphic Designer and really any artist looking for work, your portfolio is your life. It is what gets you jobs. Yet what portfolio class is, is taking all the work you have done over the last four years or so, and choosing which of it is worthy of going into your portfolio. Now a few of the students here who are legitimately AMAZING at everything they do, won't have a big problem with this. However, for the mere mortals, like myself, it means wading through projects that you had hoped to forget about and put them into a "book" that you design. So, not only do I have to design this book so that the presentation of my work is cool but also redo all of the work that I have done. This is not a pleasant experience.................................................Sorry, I got distracted. there is a really hot girl in the computer lab sitting a few feet away and she has just started talking to the not-so-attractive redneck lesbian. Right, back on topic.
Portfolio, sucks. Apparently I was supposed to be taking pictures of my finished work this whole time, so that I would have something to work with. NO CLUE, that I was supposed to be doing that. Plus, I am the world's worst photographer...seriously. So I dont' know what the hell I am going to do. Plus along with all this portfolio/redo stuff...I have to create a resume, cover letter, reference list and do research on design firms...OH AND write design narratives. It is a lot of work. Oh and for those of you who are like, "big deal! that doesn't sound so bad." Well guess what smartass I don't get to just open microsoft word and choose some template. No I have to figure out how to design a resume that represents me as a designer and a person. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?
I don't know...but I will continue to sit here until I figure it out.
m.
PS. Don't vote for Sarah Palin. She bans books and doesn't believe in evolution. BOO! HISS!
Monday, June 30, 2008
My First Digital Painting
This was an interesting experiment. Painting in photoshop. This could lead to things.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Chip Kidd
So yesterday was a big day at school. Chip Kidd was coming to give a lecture and needless to say I was pretty excited. I generally don't go to lectures or "talks" or gallery openings because I am not interested or just don't give a shit. This wasn't the case. Chip Kidd is my favorite designer EVER. His work was one of things that inspired me to go back to school for design.
So to make a long story short, he gave an amazing lecture that was really thoughtful and funny as hell. But at the end he was signing books. Now I knew prior to the lecture that several of my professors were going out to dinner with him, so I gave one of them a book to get signed. Well this become a huge point of stress because I was afraid he was going to forget the book and he told me he was going to have Chip right nasty things in the book, such as "To the world's biggest douche bag..."
So I harassed my professor as much as possible and when I saw him at the lecture, I was like "Where is my book?" He said he forgot and laughed. Totally not funny. Anyway, the lecture is winding down and Chip is signing books and the same professor, a one Mr. Ray Goto, says to me "Stand right here and don't move." So I stood for about 45 minutes. Ray finally comes over to me after pretty much everyone has left and goes "Ok, let's go to dinner." Excuse me? Say what? I am going to dinner? The lights go off in my head...I am going to dinner...with CHIP KIDD! Holy SHIT! So for the next several hours, I sat and talked and drank with one of my biggest design influences. It was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Chip is an amazing designer and a really cool guy. He is also really funny. Like off the walls, piss yourself laughing funny. I can't even express my thanks to Ray and Professor John Lowe for taking me along. I was the only student there! Furthermore I can't say enough what an honor it was to meet Chip and how thankful I am that he tolerated all my questions and total fanboy awe. I don't really have the words to express the experience but I am very thankful that I got to tell him what an inspiration and honor it was to meet him. I am sure he gets that a lot and I will no doubt be one more face in the sea of fans to him, but it really was an amazing time hanging out with him. I mean, I sat across from him and he even bought me a drink! How cool is that?!
Ok, enough with the hero worship. If you aren't familiar with Chip's work you should go to his website http://www.goodisdead.com. Chances are you are very familiar with his work, you just don't know it.
Ok that is all from me for tonight. I am still in shock.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Recent Works
I know, it has been a while. I have been super busy. But I wanted to post this story I wrote for my screenwriting class. I am not happy that I have to take the class but I am trying to write things I enjoy. This story didn't really meet the assignment criteria but I thought it was funny, especially cause I haven't written in a while. So enjoy!
As the clock read 1 am, Josh’s heavy eyelids were telling him it was time to sign off from the world of online gaming. In the milliseconds between the TV being on and off, the realization hit him like the waters of Niagara that he really had to pee. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for him to forget about the needs and natural processes of the body while signed on and waging war with his thumbs.
Josh’s thumbs while being warmed up and limber in no way helped him move his body’s entire mass to the bathroom. Yet as he stood from his chair and tried to take a step he learned that the journey of a few feet was going to be an uphill battle. Those first wobbly steps lead Josh face first into the floor, the shock of which nearly made him lose his liquid cargo onto the carpet. Spitting out carpet fibers and attempting to push himself up confirmed his worst fears; his legs were asleep.
Completely unable to walk and harassed by the worst case of pins and needles ever recorded in human history, Josh’s eyes widened in panic at the thought of not being able to make it to the bathroom and soiling himself. The potential ridicule of his sleeping roommate was weighing him down as his internal pressure was expanding exponentially.
With a face full of determination echoing back to the days of childhood heroes like Captain Kirk, Josh began to crawl. Arm length after agonizing arm length dragging half his body weight in sleeping muscles and carrying a urinary payload that seemed to be expanding at a rate faster than nuclear fission, Josh crawled.
Those few feet to the bathroom were the longest distance ever traveled by man. Moses' exodus into the desert paled in comparison to those few agonizing feet of carpet. But Josh was an online warrior, a killer of virtual men and a slayer of pixilated polygonal beasts surely a trial like this was below his status as a virtual Hercules? As his face felt the change from rough warm carpet to cool smooth bathroom tile, his heart leapt at the victory that was to come.
As he rolled onto his back he was smacked in the face with the realization that to empty his swollen bladder, he would need to stand. Looking up at the toilet from the floor was like looking at Everest and realizing the enormity of the climb to the summit. Josh grabbed the edge of the toilet bowl with both hands and learned the harsh reality of having a filthy bathroom. Ignoring the muck that was now entwined on his fingers he heaved himself upward. Then grabbing the tank of the toilet pulled himself upright. The pain was excruciating, as bolts of synaptic energy fired into his legs again and again. But it didn’t matter, Josh was vertical and soon the ecstasy of purging his urinary track would be his.
Steadying himself with one arm against the wall his free arm attempts to undue his pants and let forth the great flood but as if to add insult to injury the complexities of button fly jeans were a gigantic fuck you. By now Josh was growing weak; he could not hold back the tide much longer. The labyrinthine closure of the button fly required him to steady his dead legs by leaning his forehead against the wall thereby freeing both his hands and attempt to free himself from his denim Bastille. Just as Josh’s neck was about to give out, his bladder burst and his legs enter the third stage of atrophy, he freed himself and himself. With the little muscle control he had left he attempted to aim and what followed was the most divine and horrifying release of fluid since Noah and the Great Flood.
As the clock read 1 am, Josh’s heavy eyelids were telling him it was time to sign off from the world of online gaming. In the milliseconds between the TV being on and off, the realization hit him like the waters of Niagara that he really had to pee. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for him to forget about the needs and natural processes of the body while signed on and waging war with his thumbs.
Josh’s thumbs while being warmed up and limber in no way helped him move his body’s entire mass to the bathroom. Yet as he stood from his chair and tried to take a step he learned that the journey of a few feet was going to be an uphill battle. Those first wobbly steps lead Josh face first into the floor, the shock of which nearly made him lose his liquid cargo onto the carpet. Spitting out carpet fibers and attempting to push himself up confirmed his worst fears; his legs were asleep.
Completely unable to walk and harassed by the worst case of pins and needles ever recorded in human history, Josh’s eyes widened in panic at the thought of not being able to make it to the bathroom and soiling himself. The potential ridicule of his sleeping roommate was weighing him down as his internal pressure was expanding exponentially.
With a face full of determination echoing back to the days of childhood heroes like Captain Kirk, Josh began to crawl. Arm length after agonizing arm length dragging half his body weight in sleeping muscles and carrying a urinary payload that seemed to be expanding at a rate faster than nuclear fission, Josh crawled.
Those few feet to the bathroom were the longest distance ever traveled by man. Moses' exodus into the desert paled in comparison to those few agonizing feet of carpet. But Josh was an online warrior, a killer of virtual men and a slayer of pixilated polygonal beasts surely a trial like this was below his status as a virtual Hercules? As his face felt the change from rough warm carpet to cool smooth bathroom tile, his heart leapt at the victory that was to come.
As he rolled onto his back he was smacked in the face with the realization that to empty his swollen bladder, he would need to stand. Looking up at the toilet from the floor was like looking at Everest and realizing the enormity of the climb to the summit. Josh grabbed the edge of the toilet bowl with both hands and learned the harsh reality of having a filthy bathroom. Ignoring the muck that was now entwined on his fingers he heaved himself upward. Then grabbing the tank of the toilet pulled himself upright. The pain was excruciating, as bolts of synaptic energy fired into his legs again and again. But it didn’t matter, Josh was vertical and soon the ecstasy of purging his urinary track would be his.
Steadying himself with one arm against the wall his free arm attempts to undue his pants and let forth the great flood but as if to add insult to injury the complexities of button fly jeans were a gigantic fuck you. By now Josh was growing weak; he could not hold back the tide much longer. The labyrinthine closure of the button fly required him to steady his dead legs by leaning his forehead against the wall thereby freeing both his hands and attempt to free himself from his denim Bastille. Just as Josh’s neck was about to give out, his bladder burst and his legs enter the third stage of atrophy, he freed himself and himself. With the little muscle control he had left he attempted to aim and what followed was the most divine and horrifying release of fluid since Noah and the Great Flood.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Japan Comic
Hey All! Here are the first four pages of my comic based on my trip to Japan. Enjoy and tell me what you think!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Back from Tokyo
I am back from Japan and while I am sad to be gone, it is nice to be back in Rhode Island for the coming holidays. As you may or may not have noticed it is 6:40 am and as you can imagine my internal clock is a little screwed up. I am online looking at random things hoping that I will get sleepy again and so far it is not working.
So now that I am home, I have a lot of work to do for my Japan trip. As a requirment from school, I have to do an 8 page story, design a mini-comic and put together a cd with all the pictures I took. I took over a thousand pictures, so it should be pretty interesting. I know i promised to put up more of my photos and I will. I am thinking of doing a post trip journal where I post what I did on what day and then put up all the cool pictures I like. As of right now though, I am searching for the power adapter to my laptop which may or may not be sitting in a hotel room in Ginza. I am hoping it is here somewhere among my things but I am not going to hold my breath.
Strangely enough I have very little to say about my trip to Japan, other than it was just awesome and I want to go back for a longer period of time as soon as possible. Trying to describe just doesn't do it justice. There are many great things about the country and other things that I am not too crazy about, but overall it is a pretty amazing place that I think everyone should visit.
That is enough out of me. I am going to look at more random crap online and hopefull fall back asleep.
M.
So now that I am home, I have a lot of work to do for my Japan trip. As a requirment from school, I have to do an 8 page story, design a mini-comic and put together a cd with all the pictures I took. I took over a thousand pictures, so it should be pretty interesting. I know i promised to put up more of my photos and I will. I am thinking of doing a post trip journal where I post what I did on what day and then put up all the cool pictures I like. As of right now though, I am searching for the power adapter to my laptop which may or may not be sitting in a hotel room in Ginza. I am hoping it is here somewhere among my things but I am not going to hold my breath.
Strangely enough I have very little to say about my trip to Japan, other than it was just awesome and I want to go back for a longer period of time as soon as possible. Trying to describe just doesn't do it justice. There are many great things about the country and other things that I am not too crazy about, but overall it is a pretty amazing place that I think everyone should visit.
That is enough out of me. I am going to look at more random crap online and hopefull fall back asleep.
M.
Monday, December 10, 2007
More from Tokyo
Hey all,
here are some more pictures from Tokyo. In an attempt to be more efficient I have started uploading my pictures to flickr. If you want to see more you will have to go to my flickr page, which is located here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93741626@N00/
here are some more pictures from Tokyo. In an attempt to be more efficient I have started uploading my pictures to flickr. If you want to see more you will have to go to my flickr page, which is located here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93741626@N00/
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Dispatch from Tokyo
I know it has been a while and some of you may not be aware the I am in Japan right now. It is amazing and I have tons to write and talk about, but I think pictures would speak louder. Enjoy!
Monday, October 08, 2007
DONE! well, sorta...
Here he is, all done! Not bad for a first time. Now I just gotta cook the little bastard.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
I'm alive....barely
Ok getting close to the deadline for this little bastard and I gotta say I am sick of working on it and I am totally exhausted but I am so close to the end I am curious to see how it is all gonna wrap up. As you can see from the images below I have to finish working on the legs and then just smooth the whole thing out. Once he has been smoothed, then it is time to cook him. Now, a classmate of mine told me today that he finished his last night and started to cook it and the damn thing caught on fire and died in a clay holocaust. My professor warned us about this, he really wasn't lying. Apparently this sort of thing happens, which is why I have been taking so many pictures. Anyway, my classmate essentially built another maquette over night, but it is a much simpler design and not as on a grand scale. I can't say I blame him. If this little guy catches on fire, I don't know what I will do...probably cry. I haven't spent this much time on a project since Color Theory and my pointilism project.
In other news I have to write a proposal for my business class, which shouldn't take too long but my professor totally slammed me on my last one so I gotta make this good. No more screwing around. All that aside I should be hearing either by the end of this week or the beginning of next week about my application to go to Japan for two weeks with school. The trip should be awesome, but there is such a large interest from the sequential art department that they have to review applications and portfolios and the powers that be pick who gets to go and who doesn't. I am not 100 percent sure what the criteria is, but my professor has already told me numerous times that I won't be going. He then proceeds to laugh evilly and it just occured to me that he smiles a lot like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Which makes him even more sinster and evil. Anyway, keeps your fingers crossed for me!
Friday, October 05, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
This is new...
Ok, so I often get asked what the hell do I do at Art School. The following is an example. For my character design and storyboarding for animation class we have to build a maquette of an original character we created. I had a lot of ideas going into this project but seeing how it would be the first time I have ever had to sculpt something I decided to try and keep it as simple as possible. the first step was to draw a turn around of the character which is you see below.
After drawing the turn around, it is time to start building things. The first step is to build a wire armature of your charcter that will be attached to a base. This is essentially the skeleton of your maquette and should probably be as accurate to your drawing as possible. Of course mine is way off, but I like to make things are for myself.
Now you see some sort of grey crap where the major masses of the body meet? That is my new favorite thing called "Pro-Poxy." It is used by plumbers to seal up pipes and stuff. It looks like a stick of dynamite, but it is soft. When you take it out of the package it looks like a reject ding dong, you know those choclate twinkies with cream filling? You take this stuff, smoosh it together and it starts to heat up and get really gummy. You stick it in places and in a matter of minutes it is as hard as steal. I shit you not, this stuff might be one of the coolest inventions out there. However, when you mix it, it smells like ass and I highly recommend where gloves when you use it. You could literally stick someone to a wall with this stuff, which I plan to try in the near future.
Moving on, once the maquette is up and standing, you try to wrap it with foil to help fill in the big masses of the body. This is because the clay that I am using (aka Sculpy) is really dense and heavy. If you apply it too thick it will be too heavy for the armature to support. It apparently helps baking it too...
Finally, once that is done you start slapping the sculpy on the armature. From what I hear, it is best to get the sculpy on there and just block in the masses of the character and then go back and make it pretty. This is going to take forever to make but if comes out good it will be pretty kick ass. I have two weeks to do this project and I am already 3 days behind schedule. Maybe once in my life I will be a total prodigy at something and not have to work my ass off...yeah right.
Later!
After drawing the turn around, it is time to start building things. The first step is to build a wire armature of your charcter that will be attached to a base. This is essentially the skeleton of your maquette and should probably be as accurate to your drawing as possible. Of course mine is way off, but I like to make things are for myself.
Now you see some sort of grey crap where the major masses of the body meet? That is my new favorite thing called "Pro-Poxy." It is used by plumbers to seal up pipes and stuff. It looks like a stick of dynamite, but it is soft. When you take it out of the package it looks like a reject ding dong, you know those choclate twinkies with cream filling? You take this stuff, smoosh it together and it starts to heat up and get really gummy. You stick it in places and in a matter of minutes it is as hard as steal. I shit you not, this stuff might be one of the coolest inventions out there. However, when you mix it, it smells like ass and I highly recommend where gloves when you use it. You could literally stick someone to a wall with this stuff, which I plan to try in the near future.
Moving on, once the maquette is up and standing, you try to wrap it with foil to help fill in the big masses of the body. This is because the clay that I am using (aka Sculpy) is really dense and heavy. If you apply it too thick it will be too heavy for the armature to support. It apparently helps baking it too...
Finally, once that is done you start slapping the sculpy on the armature. From what I hear, it is best to get the sculpy on there and just block in the masses of the character and then go back and make it pretty. This is going to take forever to make but if comes out good it will be pretty kick ass. I have two weeks to do this project and I am already 3 days behind schedule. Maybe once in my life I will be a total prodigy at something and not have to work my ass off...yeah right.
Later!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Crisis of Conscience
I have been thinking a lot about graphic design lately. This is probably important seeing as how I am a graphic design major but you would be surprised how little consideration most student designers actually give to their discipline. It is a funny thing graphic design and it has been causing me heartburn lately. What do graphic designers do? I am not sure I can answer that fully, although lately I have been feeling like an assembly line worker. By that I mean, I take art from other people and arrange it in the most pleasing manner I can. Now I realize that there is some degree of skill involved in layout, actually quite a bit. There is also the responsiblity of conveying a message, information though visual conjuring. But lately I don't feel so informative or effective.
This past summer I took a look at my work that I have collected or deemed good enough to keep and realized that if someone were to ask me for my portfolio right now, I would be embaressed and say "I don't have a portfolio." It is sort of a half truth. Yes I have done work. Yes I could print it out and put it in a binder. No it isn't good work, it isn't innovative, it shows no sense of aesthetic or style and it is actually quite bland. This vexes me.
What makes a great designer? How do they take nothing and make it something? I say nothing because while I don't believe creativity exsists in a vaccum, every project that I take on literally starts with nothing. Where do the ideas come from? Who knows?! I am currently assigned to design a newsletter for a nonprofit organization. I literally have a blank mind and basically just said "let's try this." Let's try this meaning I want the newsletter to fold up into a square. That's all I got. How do I go from a square to a newsletter? How do I make it engaging? Why would anyone care to pick it up? It may sound silly, but I would ask anyone to sit down and just start sketching layout ideas for a newsletter or a magazine. Do you spontaneously have ideas for how the type should look? Colors? Pictures? the feeling of the newsletter or the "feeling" of the newsletter? There is no creation equation and it can be pretty damn frustrating. Essentially I am given a white rectangle and told to fill in the blanks. Fill it in with what? Can something be graphic design without graphics? Must there be pictures? do I have to take those pictures?
Folks, let's be honest...I know it looks like we push a few buttons on a computer and "BLAM!" out comes a work of art. You may find yourself saying, "that doesn't look too hard, I can do that." Well, no you can't. You can't do it and sure as hell can't do it with Microsoft desktop publishing software. But then how do I do it? Do I use photoshop? illustrator? paint it? draw?
I recently had an assignment for my publication design class. It was one of those assignments to get you thinking and see things differently. By all means a good assignment. Essentially take a household object (we had a list of 5 things) and make it so that it is not immediately recognizable or is placed out of context. Well, it is fairly simple, anyone can do it. I chose to use the apple as my object. You could easily stick in a apple in a place where it doesn't belong, and you sort of get the gist of the exercise. But I am a designer God Damn it! I need to make it unique. I have to be clever. I need to venture down the road of abstraction, which makes my teeth grind and my toes curl. But regardless, I came up with a few simple sketches for composition ideas. All most all of them feature imagery that is recognizable but when combined becomes somewhat symbolic or suggestive or just plain wierd. I can do wierd, I think. I can't do abstract. I can appreciate abstraction for the pretty colors and the way they are applied to the canvas. Don't ask me to gather meaning from a splotch of color on a canvas. I am no more able to do that than make a pebble speak. People who can do it and do it well (and there are people out there who are good at this, I have no idea how...) make it look good and interesting. I am not a Zen master, I can't make visual koans. So I go with wierd. Wierd being a picture of a planet sized apple floating in space with a space shuttle appraoching it. As i type this, it doesn't sound too impressive, which is ironic because it didn't look too impressive either. But that is what I went with. Then as I sat down to actually make this image, I froze.
Why did I freeze? I froze because I had no idea how to begin. Do I draw this scene? Do I manipulate photos digitally? Do I make a vector graphic in illustrator? I DON"T KNOW! I can't paint. I guess I could draw it like a cartoon, but I am not sure it would be as powerful. Certainly humorus, at least to me. I am not really sure how to render in markers. Forget watercolor. So ok, let's use photos. Where do I get photos? Royalty free stock photos? I can't afford them and they aren't my own work so is it ok to use them? If I don't pay for them am I allowed to use them for student work? If the answer to that is no then I am in big trouble because there have been few assignments yet where I haven't used someone else's work for illustrations or pictures. What are the ethics of what I have done? Do designers ever create things or just put them together? Then if I do use the stock photos, how do I make it look convincing? I know how to use photoshop to an extent but I have to turn an apple into a planet and then stick a spaceshuttle in the mix. Color correction? Light balance? Digital airbrushing? HOW THE HELL DO YOU USE AN AIRBRUSH!? Filters? It occurred to me that I don't really know how to do or use anything and that it is all a guess and trial and error every time I get an assignment. It is truly exhausting and frustrating. Speaking of frustrating, everytime I get an assignment the first thing that pops into my head is how to relate it to comics. I hate that. I feel like it is a crutch, but I know it and I understand it. But it isn't making me a better designer. So I consciously choose to steer away from it in my design work, which often times leaves me with a blank landscape of ideas. I can't tell you how scary that is. I sort of feel like I don't know how to do anything and it is really bumming me out. Not to mention I am having trouble getting things done on time.
So much running through my head about this that I am not even sure I can voice it correctly. Can I tell you I still haven't figured out when I should Vector vs. Raster? I have no idea! I have a few clues...but the lines are blurring. I have seen photoquality vector illustrations being used on magazine covers and the first thing I ask myself is"Why not use a photography?" and the real shit of it is that the illustrator who created the vector graphic probably used a photography of the exact image they drew! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ALL ABOUT!? I am so damned confused and I feel like I have stolen other people's work. I need to sovle these issues soon, or I am going to go crazy!
This past summer I took a look at my work that I have collected or deemed good enough to keep and realized that if someone were to ask me for my portfolio right now, I would be embaressed and say "I don't have a portfolio." It is sort of a half truth. Yes I have done work. Yes I could print it out and put it in a binder. No it isn't good work, it isn't innovative, it shows no sense of aesthetic or style and it is actually quite bland. This vexes me.
What makes a great designer? How do they take nothing and make it something? I say nothing because while I don't believe creativity exsists in a vaccum, every project that I take on literally starts with nothing. Where do the ideas come from? Who knows?! I am currently assigned to design a newsletter for a nonprofit organization. I literally have a blank mind and basically just said "let's try this." Let's try this meaning I want the newsletter to fold up into a square. That's all I got. How do I go from a square to a newsletter? How do I make it engaging? Why would anyone care to pick it up? It may sound silly, but I would ask anyone to sit down and just start sketching layout ideas for a newsletter or a magazine. Do you spontaneously have ideas for how the type should look? Colors? Pictures? the feeling of the newsletter or the "feeling" of the newsletter? There is no creation equation and it can be pretty damn frustrating. Essentially I am given a white rectangle and told to fill in the blanks. Fill it in with what? Can something be graphic design without graphics? Must there be pictures? do I have to take those pictures?
Folks, let's be honest...I know it looks like we push a few buttons on a computer and "BLAM!" out comes a work of art. You may find yourself saying, "that doesn't look too hard, I can do that." Well, no you can't. You can't do it and sure as hell can't do it with Microsoft desktop publishing software. But then how do I do it? Do I use photoshop? illustrator? paint it? draw?
I recently had an assignment for my publication design class. It was one of those assignments to get you thinking and see things differently. By all means a good assignment. Essentially take a household object (we had a list of 5 things) and make it so that it is not immediately recognizable or is placed out of context. Well, it is fairly simple, anyone can do it. I chose to use the apple as my object. You could easily stick in a apple in a place where it doesn't belong, and you sort of get the gist of the exercise. But I am a designer God Damn it! I need to make it unique. I have to be clever. I need to venture down the road of abstraction, which makes my teeth grind and my toes curl. But regardless, I came up with a few simple sketches for composition ideas. All most all of them feature imagery that is recognizable but when combined becomes somewhat symbolic or suggestive or just plain wierd. I can do wierd, I think. I can't do abstract. I can appreciate abstraction for the pretty colors and the way they are applied to the canvas. Don't ask me to gather meaning from a splotch of color on a canvas. I am no more able to do that than make a pebble speak. People who can do it and do it well (and there are people out there who are good at this, I have no idea how...) make it look good and interesting. I am not a Zen master, I can't make visual koans. So I go with wierd. Wierd being a picture of a planet sized apple floating in space with a space shuttle appraoching it. As i type this, it doesn't sound too impressive, which is ironic because it didn't look too impressive either. But that is what I went with. Then as I sat down to actually make this image, I froze.
Why did I freeze? I froze because I had no idea how to begin. Do I draw this scene? Do I manipulate photos digitally? Do I make a vector graphic in illustrator? I DON"T KNOW! I can't paint. I guess I could draw it like a cartoon, but I am not sure it would be as powerful. Certainly humorus, at least to me. I am not really sure how to render in markers. Forget watercolor. So ok, let's use photos. Where do I get photos? Royalty free stock photos? I can't afford them and they aren't my own work so is it ok to use them? If I don't pay for them am I allowed to use them for student work? If the answer to that is no then I am in big trouble because there have been few assignments yet where I haven't used someone else's work for illustrations or pictures. What are the ethics of what I have done? Do designers ever create things or just put them together? Then if I do use the stock photos, how do I make it look convincing? I know how to use photoshop to an extent but I have to turn an apple into a planet and then stick a spaceshuttle in the mix. Color correction? Light balance? Digital airbrushing? HOW THE HELL DO YOU USE AN AIRBRUSH!? Filters? It occurred to me that I don't really know how to do or use anything and that it is all a guess and trial and error every time I get an assignment. It is truly exhausting and frustrating. Speaking of frustrating, everytime I get an assignment the first thing that pops into my head is how to relate it to comics. I hate that. I feel like it is a crutch, but I know it and I understand it. But it isn't making me a better designer. So I consciously choose to steer away from it in my design work, which often times leaves me with a blank landscape of ideas. I can't tell you how scary that is. I sort of feel like I don't know how to do anything and it is really bumming me out. Not to mention I am having trouble getting things done on time.
So much running through my head about this that I am not even sure I can voice it correctly. Can I tell you I still haven't figured out when I should Vector vs. Raster? I have no idea! I have a few clues...but the lines are blurring. I have seen photoquality vector illustrations being used on magazine covers and the first thing I ask myself is"Why not use a photography?" and the real shit of it is that the illustrator who created the vector graphic probably used a photography of the exact image they drew! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ALL ABOUT!? I am so damned confused and I feel like I have stolen other people's work. I need to sovle these issues soon, or I am going to go crazy!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Back in it...
A lot has happened in the past week. I turned 29, started a new quarter at school and have a totally new work schedule. All of which has made me feel a little old. My classes and work all start at 8 am, which isn't really that early but when you live 30 minutes away it can be a real bitch. Art students aren't known for going to be early either, so at some point I am going to pull an all nighter and have a total breakdown.
On another note, I would like to tell you all about my favorite new discovery. There is a line of notes books and stationary out called Black and Red. They are produced by Oxford, which is like the English equivalent of Mead. These note books are awesome! They have great quality paper and are just well thought out. I get the polypro spiral bound covers. Which means they make great coasters! The spiral is pretty tough and holds up to abuse, so you are almost assured to be able to fold the cover back and actually fit the notebook on these small ass college desks that they have around here. They also have the typical notebook information chart inside which I never usually look at but since I have gone back to design school they have all sorts of convient measurements and charts in there that have really come in handy. I recommend anyone who is looking for a notebook or sketchbook for ANY REASON, to go to Staples or OfficeMax and pick these up. They are little more expensive but they are worth the money. Oh! I almost forgot, the greatest part about these notebooks, they come in European sizes. No more of that ugly 8.5 x 11 stuff. European paper sizes are based on the golden proportion and if you are as anal and as much of a freak as I am you will appreciate the proportions theses notebooks use. Personally I could stare at a golden rectangle all day, I find it very pleasing to the eye. If you don't believe me, take a standard European sheet of paper, A4, and hold it next to a standard American 8.5 x 11. If you don't immediately fall in love with the A4 and experience some form of synesthsesia, then DaVinci was right and you are a walking dunn heep. Ok...that is enough out of me. I have fulfilled my mispelt word quota for the evening.
On another note, I would like to tell you all about my favorite new discovery. There is a line of notes books and stationary out called Black and Red. They are produced by Oxford, which is like the English equivalent of Mead. These note books are awesome! They have great quality paper and are just well thought out. I get the polypro spiral bound covers. Which means they make great coasters! The spiral is pretty tough and holds up to abuse, so you are almost assured to be able to fold the cover back and actually fit the notebook on these small ass college desks that they have around here. They also have the typical notebook information chart inside which I never usually look at but since I have gone back to design school they have all sorts of convient measurements and charts in there that have really come in handy. I recommend anyone who is looking for a notebook or sketchbook for ANY REASON, to go to Staples or OfficeMax and pick these up. They are little more expensive but they are worth the money. Oh! I almost forgot, the greatest part about these notebooks, they come in European sizes. No more of that ugly 8.5 x 11 stuff. European paper sizes are based on the golden proportion and if you are as anal and as much of a freak as I am you will appreciate the proportions theses notebooks use. Personally I could stare at a golden rectangle all day, I find it very pleasing to the eye. If you don't believe me, take a standard European sheet of paper, A4, and hold it next to a standard American 8.5 x 11. If you don't immediately fall in love with the A4 and experience some form of synesthsesia, then DaVinci was right and you are a walking dunn heep. Ok...that is enough out of me. I have fulfilled my mispelt word quota for the evening.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
SDCC - COMIC CON
San Diego Comic Con International - No words can describe it. That's Dustin Nguyen on my left, me in the middle (aka "White Mark) and Joe Dodd. Three biggest studds in a building of 200,000 geeks! And still none of us got laid...
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter
Well here it is Easter Sunday and what better day to resurrect something like a blog! It has been a really long time and so much has gone on that I am not sure where to begin. Let me recap
1) I am still in Savannah, still going to school, still not make art the way I want to...but I am learning
2) I went to New York a few months ago and I now have an internship with Rolling Stone this summer.
3) I need a place to live in New York for a few months so that I can do the internship, if you know anyone please help me out
4) I am now a member of SCAD's Security Department. I have a radio, a bike, a uniform and I fight crime. It is almost like Batman
5) I am knee deep in homework that I haven't started because I work from 6 pm to 2 am, fighting crime on the mean streets of Savannah.
6) Did I mention that I am totally unarmed?
7) I have to go to the bathroom...so this will end this post. Look for more coming soon!
1) I am still in Savannah, still going to school, still not make art the way I want to...but I am learning
2) I went to New York a few months ago and I now have an internship with Rolling Stone this summer.
3) I need a place to live in New York for a few months so that I can do the internship, if you know anyone please help me out
4) I am now a member of SCAD's Security Department. I have a radio, a bike, a uniform and I fight crime. It is almost like Batman
5) I am knee deep in homework that I haven't started because I work from 6 pm to 2 am, fighting crime on the mean streets of Savannah.
6) Did I mention that I am totally unarmed?
7) I have to go to the bathroom...so this will end this post. Look for more coming soon!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Nuts
At the behest of my friend Steve, I have decided to post something. I know it has been ages since I wrote and to all my loyal readers I thank you for your patience. So what's new? Jackshit but I do have a few stories to tell...
First off, the other day I was in my room chatting on the computer late at night as I am want to do, when I hear my father yell in pain from down the hall. Now my father goes to bed at 9 pm sharp everyday, and it was rougly 1 am. He has been asleep for 3 hours with no incident and suddenly I hear him yelp. I figure he is either having a nightmare or someone is giving him a good pummelling. So, like a good son I wait 10 minutes before I walk down the hall to investigate. As I enter my parent's room, I find my mom sitting up in bed adjusting her pillow. In my sternest voice I said "What is going on in here?" My mother then informed that while she was getting into bed she hit my father square in the "testicles" and woke him up from a very deep sleep. Well I had all I could do from falling to the floor in hsyterical laughter. I promptly made sure my father was ok, before turning around and walking down the hall with my hands over my mouth doing everything I can from letting my evil sinister kackle of a laugh from escaping. It was at this point that I realized just how funny my parents are and they have no clue.
In other news, I am concerned with two things lately. My skills as a designer/illustrator are directly related to my self-discipline to get up everyday and go to work. I have found this virtually impossible to do since coming home for break. I am not sure how to change this bad habit of mine but I think it may just be a case of forcing myself to work until it becomes uncontrollable habit.
My other concern is the coming presidential election. I find politics interesting and I have friends on both sides of the fence when it comes to conservativism vs. librelism. My own political views tend to match my mood swings and I just hope that at some point in my life that I earn enough money to live free and clear of such things. Anyway, I am concerned that Hillary Clinton could become the democratic front runner for President. THIS IS BAD. I don't like her and I don't trust her. Unfortunately it appears as if she is the only Dem with the means and experience to be a credible threat to the Repbulicans. This really makes my skin crawl. Now I am not a tried and true dem, nor am I dyed in the wool republician. But I do feel it is time for a change and that having a Democrat for a President is a good way to go. BUT NOT IF IT IS CLINTON. On the republicain side of the fence we have Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Both of whom I feel are good men and good leaders. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to what they have to say nor would I put Hillary Clinton in the White House over either of them. Now, Newt Gingrich was on Meet the Press this morning. I liked some of the things he had to say and seeing him outside of the limelight you get a clearer picture of who he might actually be. That being said, I don't necessarily see myself supporting him for a presidential nod however, I think he would be a good person to have back on capital hill or even in the white house in an advisory role. This brings me to Barak Obama. He seems to be making good waves and currently is the only threat to Hillary Clinton. I like Obama. I think he is a representative of a new generation of politicians. It is time the Baby Boomers retired and let us take over and I think Obama is a good person to lead the charge. Do I like him as a Presidential candidate? I am not sure. It is true that he is a junior senator, only serving a mere two years. He has also never served in the military or has had any security experience. Now that being said, Bill Clinton never served in the military and he seemed to do a good job, although I still hold him responsible for not killing Bin Laden when he had the change. But on the otherside of the fence we have current President Bush who did serve in the National Guard (although I would argue his service record is NOT something to be proud of) but that clearly does not make him a security expert. My conclusion to this dilemma would be to hear who Obama would choose for his military advisors. Now if he did something along the lines of choosing Gen. Wesley Clark or even John McCain to assist in such matters I would feel much stronger about him as a Presidential candidate.
So in conclusion the only thing I am willing to say about the upcoming election is that no matter who runs, I will not vote for Hillary Clinton. I don't care who she is running against, I do not trust her and I do not feel she is fit to lead. I am sure I will get some grief for it, something along the lines of "You just don't want a woman president" and I would argue that I have no problem with a woman president, just not that woman. But Clinton aside, what woman in politics right now would make a strong presidential candidate?
First off, the other day I was in my room chatting on the computer late at night as I am want to do, when I hear my father yell in pain from down the hall. Now my father goes to bed at 9 pm sharp everyday, and it was rougly 1 am. He has been asleep for 3 hours with no incident and suddenly I hear him yelp. I figure he is either having a nightmare or someone is giving him a good pummelling. So, like a good son I wait 10 minutes before I walk down the hall to investigate. As I enter my parent's room, I find my mom sitting up in bed adjusting her pillow. In my sternest voice I said "What is going on in here?" My mother then informed that while she was getting into bed she hit my father square in the "testicles" and woke him up from a very deep sleep. Well I had all I could do from falling to the floor in hsyterical laughter. I promptly made sure my father was ok, before turning around and walking down the hall with my hands over my mouth doing everything I can from letting my evil sinister kackle of a laugh from escaping. It was at this point that I realized just how funny my parents are and they have no clue.
In other news, I am concerned with two things lately. My skills as a designer/illustrator are directly related to my self-discipline to get up everyday and go to work. I have found this virtually impossible to do since coming home for break. I am not sure how to change this bad habit of mine but I think it may just be a case of forcing myself to work until it becomes uncontrollable habit.
My other concern is the coming presidential election. I find politics interesting and I have friends on both sides of the fence when it comes to conservativism vs. librelism. My own political views tend to match my mood swings and I just hope that at some point in my life that I earn enough money to live free and clear of such things. Anyway, I am concerned that Hillary Clinton could become the democratic front runner for President. THIS IS BAD. I don't like her and I don't trust her. Unfortunately it appears as if she is the only Dem with the means and experience to be a credible threat to the Repbulicans. This really makes my skin crawl. Now I am not a tried and true dem, nor am I dyed in the wool republician. But I do feel it is time for a change and that having a Democrat for a President is a good way to go. BUT NOT IF IT IS CLINTON. On the republicain side of the fence we have Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Both of whom I feel are good men and good leaders. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to what they have to say nor would I put Hillary Clinton in the White House over either of them. Now, Newt Gingrich was on Meet the Press this morning. I liked some of the things he had to say and seeing him outside of the limelight you get a clearer picture of who he might actually be. That being said, I don't necessarily see myself supporting him for a presidential nod however, I think he would be a good person to have back on capital hill or even in the white house in an advisory role. This brings me to Barak Obama. He seems to be making good waves and currently is the only threat to Hillary Clinton. I like Obama. I think he is a representative of a new generation of politicians. It is time the Baby Boomers retired and let us take over and I think Obama is a good person to lead the charge. Do I like him as a Presidential candidate? I am not sure. It is true that he is a junior senator, only serving a mere two years. He has also never served in the military or has had any security experience. Now that being said, Bill Clinton never served in the military and he seemed to do a good job, although I still hold him responsible for not killing Bin Laden when he had the change. But on the otherside of the fence we have current President Bush who did serve in the National Guard (although I would argue his service record is NOT something to be proud of) but that clearly does not make him a security expert. My conclusion to this dilemma would be to hear who Obama would choose for his military advisors. Now if he did something along the lines of choosing Gen. Wesley Clark or even John McCain to assist in such matters I would feel much stronger about him as a Presidential candidate.
So in conclusion the only thing I am willing to say about the upcoming election is that no matter who runs, I will not vote for Hillary Clinton. I don't care who she is running against, I do not trust her and I do not feel she is fit to lead. I am sure I will get some grief for it, something along the lines of "You just don't want a woman president" and I would argue that I have no problem with a woman president, just not that woman. But Clinton aside, what woman in politics right now would make a strong presidential candidate?
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