Blog assignment #5

I think my most significant accomplishment in my final is that I was able to use various photoshop techniques to bring together images in a natural way that enhanced their meaning. I stayed with the big idea of triumph, but I wanted to take this project in a different direction then my previous work on triumph. I decided to create two images of the people of triumph. one image is of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, who achieved great civil rights triumph in the Untied States. The other image features Ghandi, who had great triumph throughout the world, and he achieved all of this triumph through peace. For the image of Ghandi I used colors the enhance the image. I gave Ghandi and the world more of a blue tone. I altered the color in order to portray the claim and gentle methods Ghandi used to achieve his triumph.

For this final, I was challenged to make the images look real. My image of Ghandi holding the world looked strange and fake until I began to play with the lighting and coloring. I brought out the blue in both Ghandi and the world. This helped to make them look like they were in the same light. But I still needed to play with were the lighting was coming from. With the original image of Ghandi, the light was coming at Ghandi from his back. So I decided to use this original light source and apply it to the world in Ghandi's lap. I was able to create lighting and shadows from Ghandi's arm that make it appear that the world is really in Ghandi's lap. Through this experience I learned that no image is going to look realistic unless the lighting and shading looks the same on all layers.

My midterm and my final both had the greatest effect on my work so I would like to compare and contrast the two. In both pieces I used the big idea of triumph. In the midterm I focused on military triumph, and the cost that comes with it. For my final I focused on the people of triumph, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Ghandi. In my midterm I think my image is more obviously altered. The american flag is different colors, which clearly stands out. I think the best part of this work is the faces on two of the tombstones they blend in well. In my final, I think both images blend together better then my midterm. I emphasize lighting and other techniques to make it them more realistic images. However on both projects I think I did very well on creating meaningful work. The midterm portrays that there is great cost behind must triumph and the final portrays the ideals of the great people behind much triumph.

Final project artist statement

I am staying with my big idea of triumph for this image. I choose to focus on the people who have triumphed and changed the world. I am bringing images of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks into my image, because their triumph changed America and gave African-Americans human rights. In the other image I am creating, I would like to portray Ghandi, gently holding the world to show how he created change with very peaceful and gentle methods.

Black and white photography has greatly effected my final project. I think it creates dramatic images is black and white is used correctly. For my other image I am using the world in Ghandi's lap. This is more of a fantasy image, and a lot of the graphic art I have seen has made me decide to create an image that would not be scene in the world. I would like to create images that are classic and old looking, but also have a modern element to them.

I am using the photoshop techniques of lightnings and drop shadows in my work. I am using these techniques so that the different images I bring into my canvas look natural and real together.

2 artists I like

First of all I like the work of George Tames. He was a photographer for the New York Times. I think that a few of his piece give a good sense of triumph, which is my big idea. I first of all like these pieces because I am a big fan of black and white photography. I also think that the images in the photos are powerful, there are very close shots. The women in this first photo looks extremely passionate. I would like to capture the passion of this women into my work. The picture of the man, almost looks comical, but I think it stands for something greater. He is using his strength to triumph and accomplish. I would like to get a message and a powerful image into my work in a simple way as this photographer does in his work.

Another artist I like is Arthur Siegel. He used light in a very abstract way. I would like to make the images in my work more abstract. This artist also uses everyday parts of life like a building and a bridge but he manages to make them very interesting by making them so abstract. I like how he balances making the image dramatic and different but not overdoing it and making it confusing. The image with the large building and lights may have a lot going on but it still does not feel cluttered. To be honest I am not sure if these are done in photoshop, but I think they could be created in photoshop. I would like to create striking, abstract and simple piece of art as this artist does.

Blog assignment

I did the glossy reflections tutorial at http://fx.worth1000.com/tutorials/161184/glossy-reflections#at

I started with this image

I continued to followed the tutorial, which looked rather simple. I have been struggling with class as of late, and I liked the crisp, clean design of this tutorial. 

I removed all shadows with the magic wand tool and then touched it up with the eraser. I then made a new layer as a copy of the oranges.

I then flipped the copy upside down, but instead of making it a actually reflection, I decided to just turn it upside down. I thought the way the oranges fit together made for an interesting image. I then covered the upside down orange with an transparent to white gradient. This is my final product.

1st of the 2 pieces

I was able to upload the first of the two pieces I looked at, but not the second.

first blog

I found some pieces on the internet is called "Border Device(s)" and is produced by "Multiplicity." I am unsure if this is an artist or if it is a group of artists, but I have found some of the piece very interesting. The first one I found is a map of Palestine/Israel. The denotation of the work is simply a map of this troubled land, displaying the check points of Palestinian travelers versus the check points of Israeli travelers. The connotation of this is the struggle and different treatment of Palestinian people compared to that of the Israeli people. The Palestinians are constantly being stopped while the Israelis pass right through in their travels. It is really a political statement about how poorly Palestinians are treated.

http://www.multiplicity.it/index2.htm

after you reach this page, click the border device(s) link

Another piece from this artist I like by this artist is called "use." This stands for uncertain states of Europe. The denotation of this piece is purely a map, of European cities and lines, like airplane routes connecting them. The connotation however is that Europe is an extremely connected continent. The message is that in Europe although each country may have its own cultures, they are not as separate as other countries that are on the same continent. Europe is more unified then other continents.

http://www.multiplicity.it/index2.htm

after you reach this page, to reach the art, click the use link