Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 6
I am an Illustrator that enjoys working with simple elements while still creating a sense of realism. I enjoy graphite and watercolors among traditional art tools, but overall I prefer digital media. I enjoy working on scenes from real life, especially human and animal figures.
What sort of career do you want to have?
I'm still a little unsure completely on this, but I know I want a career I can enjoy always at least a bit. I want a career that helps me expand my work and help me grow not just as an artist, but as a person. Whether through children's books or magazines, I want to deal with real life issues and scenery in my work.
Does your present body of work reflect your aspirations? Could it do so more strongly?
Some images do, while others seem to stray a bit, as I either was going according to an assignment or I was testing a medium I'm not too familiar with. I would just need practice in media I really enjoy.
List ten images/themes/techniques/subjects/formats that your portfolio needs in order to become more in line with your aspirations.
1. More textures in my work
2. Practice on traditional media, mainly watercolors and graphite
3. Combine more mediums
4. Have more dynamic images
5. Create more scenes from daily life
6. Explore more concepts and metaphors
7. Practice in general
8. Working more with humorous or cartoon styles
9. Creating more of a style that is solid and less varied
10. Spending more time on drawings
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 5
It most likely would be a graphic novel, dealing with everyday life and touch on psychological and philisophical issues in the world. I really enjoy reading books dealing with these in general; Working on a project like this would be useful in dealing with issues I've faced as well as issues I've seen others face, particularily youth issues that always seem to not be dealt with as much. I would also really hope the that the book still had humor in it, as not taking everything too seriously is something I would really hope the book would keep as a theme.
If you could go apprentice with any two artists in the history of the world, who would they be? Why?
Most likely Salvador Dali, to see how he incorporates psychological aspects into art, and Rembrandt, to learn more about painting and how he handles his style.
If you were banned from the art world, but could have any career you wanted that wasn't in art, what would it be? Why?
I actually was considering becoming a psychologist a few years back, but I'll go with what I wanted to be as a kid: a veterinarian.
Describe the project you would propose under the following circumstances:
1. You have one month and one thousand dollars
I'd make a short children's book; the money would be spent on publishing, editing, and art supplies. I'd have to work quickly, and would make it for younger children. It would be a small hardbound book.
2. Six months and ten thousand dollars
I'd make a short graphic novel series, with a few editors and art supplies for the line art, and I would shade it digitally. They would be published seperately as well as in a hardbound collection of the issues combined.
3. One year and one hundred thousand dollars
I'd probably paint all the walls of my house, with details of landscapes and designs, and I'd have themes in each room. I'd spend the money on hiring painters to help and the supplies.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 4


Their clients have been McDonald's, Sony, Women's Fitness, Dove, New York Times, Time Warner, Microsoft, Virgin Mobile, Toyota, Chicago Tribune, Time, Wall Street Journal, Motorola, Coca Cola, Target, Seventeen, Hasbro, Random House, and Delta Airlines.
Art Director: Mike Pick
Senior Editor: Greg Boustead
Associate Editor: Elizabeth Cline
646-502-7050
2. The American Interest
Advertising, Syndication, and Cover Artist: Damir Marusic
damir.marusic@the-american-interest.com
3. Psychology Today
Associate Art Director: Katherine Bigelow
ed@psychologytoday.com
4. Money
Art Director: Davia Smith
Associate Art Director: April Bell
Money, Time and Life Building
Rockefeller Center
New York, NY 10020
5. Good
Design Director: Scott Stowell
www.good.is
6. Cat Fancy
Art Director: Jerome Callens
Headquarters- 2401 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057-0900
7. Dance Spirit
Senior Art Director: Josephine Dano
www.dancemedia.com
8. American Songwriter
Art Director: Rachel Briggs
www.americansongwriter.com
9. The Believer
If you were starting you own magazine and your livelihood depended on it selling well and your sanity depended on it being something you wanted to spend all your time on, what would it be? What sorts of writers and artists would you hire? What subject matter would it deal with? How would you want it to look?
List ten non-magazine clients that you would like to work with. Why are these dream clients? Find and record their contact information.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 3
Research on the topic is the first step, and I look for imagery that apply to any people, objects, or scenery I'll need reference of. Thumbnails are made, and these are according to the assignment. I usually then create a basic sketch in my sketchbook of the thumbnail I choose. I may sketch a few quick sketches of it to alter some things. Then, if I'm painting, I'll use either my sketchbook or illustration board for the final image, depending on the size. For digital work, I use my sketchbook for the sketch, scan it, then redraw and color it in Photoshop or Illustrator. After finishing, I'll usually go back and check for any messes or perspective problems I might have made.
Describe what you think your creative process should be like.
I really need to focus on making more thumbnails and finding more than just one of them that I like. For my digital work, I really should work more on creating the final drawing beforehand, as I often will leave the drawing a bit sketchy when scanning, and I'll usually mark a few things I will go back and fix digitally rather than fix them manually. This usually results in creating awkward moments, as once it's on the computer screen, it's a lot more difficult to see the overall image and be close to it at the same time.
Research and describe a professional creator's creative process.
Susan Wenz-Denise is a contemporary oil painter, and she begins her process with writing in a journal to help get through anything that may be blocking the creative process. She then proceeds to sketching several sketches. When she begins painting, she paints at least three paintings at a time, so that she spends the entire day painting to keep focus on creativity and also the oil paints don't dry quickly. She has several underpaintings, that this process continues her creative flow.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 2
Of my recent pieces, I've really liked my celebrity piece of Ricky Gervais. Working with more dynamic perspectives and expressions was really fun for me.
There's been a few people who have liked my 100 monster piece. I wasn't sure it came out ok myself, but it really was fun to make. The people that like it usually like the concept the project worked on with inner demons, as well as the whimsical-ness.
What piece surprised you the most?
Probably the Peabody piece was surprising, as it was another piece a few people liked that I wasn't sure about. I also did like how the building came out, because I'm never too good at buildings.






Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Class Assignment- The State of the Union: Post 1
I mainly enjoy working digitally, but I also like watercolors for softer effects and textures; I also like using graphite and sometimes ink.
What media do you hate working in?
I'm not too good with acrylics, and I could possibly enjoy them more if I practiced; I don't really like charcoal mainly because I'm not great with blending or handling smearing.
What media would you like to try, but haven't?
I haven't really tried much 3-d focused media used for sculpture. I've made sculptures, but I've never been very active in general with any of the mediums involved.
List three non-Illustration classes that have influenced you and/or your work positively.
Life Drawing really helped with working with the figure and expanding my sketchbook. Design Systems was really helpful in my craftsmanship, seeing as I often smudge, smear, and make messes on everything including digital prints. My Animation Techniques class was also helpful in playing with movement and 3-d aspects of a figure.
How has the work of your peers influenced you and your work?
They've really helped me see really interesting new styles and concepts I'd never even considered before. One thing I really noticed is incorporating texture more and how paint and other drawing mediums have been played with stroke and style-wise.
What sort of subject matter do you like to create work about?
I enjoy slice of life moments a lot of the time, with bits of fantasy and magic occasionally and sometimes like to draw simple scenes of people and animals in daily life. I really would like to work more with bits of humor in my work, lately.
What sort of subject matter do you like to read about?
I read a lot of short stories usually set in modern times, and I'll read advice columns in the paper as well as a couple philosophy books; I've been reading Descartes' ideas recently.
What kind of music do you like?
My music tastes are pretty random; I'll listen to a lot of trance and techno as well as Frank Sinatra. I'm open to most music; the only music I honestly don't listen to is country.
What non-art related interest/hobbies/skills do you have?
I don't really have many, but I do like baking different dessert recipes.
What is something that you like that nobody else likes?
I like the game Bioshock a lot.
If you had run of the world's museums, what three works of original art would you like own?
Any piece done by Charles Schultz, M.C. Escher, and Salvador Dali.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Lettering Studies- Exercise 1
For this form, we had to spell out our name and the words, "bread" and "dough" with bread.



Form 2: Blind Contour
This form involved creating blind contours that imitated a page given to us of various words and fonts.

Form 3: Negative Space
This form used the previous words, only the negative space of the words was the focus.

Form 4: Sticks
For this form, we used brushes attached to long sticks in which we wrote the words, "Sticks," "Distance," and "Scribble."

Form 5: Bugs
For this form, we had to create a word with bug images: I used the word "Thorax."
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Visual Metaphor Research- Visual Metaphors
Target: the newscasterSource: a clown
Ground: they both have a sense of being ridiculous in their actions
Tension: newscasters don't actually get hit by pies during breaking news
The relation between a clown and a newscaster is seen through the pie, and it isn't directly emphasized that the two are related. The effect of the pie and its movement makes that clear in this image, though. This image uses replacement in it, as the newscaster's head can't be seen.

Target: flashlight
Source: can
Ground: they both are conserved and compacted in some way
Tension: light isn't as compact as canned items
This image seems to make a statement of how easy electric power is to come by, and how power is marketable similar to canned food. This image uses fusion of the flashlight and the can.
Target: smoker's teeth
Source: cigarettes in the teeth
Ground: both have similar appearances when simplistic
Tension: cigarettes would technically make the teeth a non-white color. This image gives a sense of oddity towards it, as the teeth merge and almost become unnoticeable as cigarettes for a second. This image uses fusion.
Target: divorce/the cake
Source: saw in the wedding cake
Ground: they both are painful in their own ways
Tension: the wedding cake technically wouldn't be around anymore by the time the divorce occurs; a ring might have been a little more effective. This image shows a physical version of the pain that can be faced during a divorce. The image seems to use juxtaposition.
Target: New York's economy/Statue of Liberty
Source: empty gas tank
Ground: both are low
Tension: the image relates more to gas than money in general. This image seems to focus on the most common symbols of New York and lack of fuel; these both provide emphasis of New York "running out of fuel. This image uses fusion.
Target: person in front of a class
Source: broken egg
Ground: they both are fragile in their own way
Source: sky
Ground: they both seem endless when looking at them
Tension: the sky actually is very vast while an eye isn't
This image portrays the viewer as the sky, and it gives the sense of endlessness. The image uses fusion.
Source: tree
Ground: they both emerge from nature
Tension: horses are more mobile than treesThis image depicts the relation of nature among various parts from animal to plant. This image uses fusion.
Subject: animals in the field
Source: hand
Ground: they both have a bit of an eternal presence
Tension: they don't relate too well other than from the meaning
This image has a sense of an omnipresence among the animals, and it uses juxtaposition.
Visual Metaphor Research- Verbal Metaphors
1. I'm as free as a bird
Target: I'm
Source: bird
Ground: they both feel freedom from something earthly
Tension: a person and a bird aren't related too much physically
The statement conveys a sense of being able to see the sky from the viewpoint of bird in a way, and the sky never seems to have any limit.
2. All the world's a stage
Target: the world
Source: stage
Ground: they both have entrances and exits
Tension: People aren't actually walking on planks of wood all the time or are surrounded by curtains
The statement gives the sense of the world not seeming real in a way, as if how we're all living is just an act.
3. I'm dying to know
Target: I'm
Source: dying/death
Ground: they both can relate through anxiousness
Tension: the person does not actually want to die
This statement conveys a strong sense of want, to the extreme of death being involved.
4. She's the apple of my eye
Target: she
Source: apple of my eye
Ground: they are both valued in a special way; apples are valued in taste while the girl is valued in appearance
Tension: she most likely doesn't have any physical resemblance to an apple
This statement conveys a sense of relation between a sweet fruit and the pleasantness of the woman this is aimed at.
5. It's raining cats and dogs
Target: the rain
Source: cats and dogs
Ground: they both are heavy in appearance
Tension: even the heaviest of rain couldn't compare to a cat or dog falling on someone
This statement emphasizes the heaviness of the rain, and exagerrating it by comparing it to animals falling from the sky gives a message of the rain not being safe to be in.






























