slide show assignment

In this assignment we had to create a slide show with images that merge into each other and these images had to be set to a short piece of music.

To begin with, I chose a music from the international french film called "Amelie" and the score was entitled "La Valse D'amelie". Because of its french flavour the music conjured up images of french artists like Degas "women bathing" and Henri De Toulouse's images of the Moulin Rouge and Parisian night life. The music hinted of melancholy and malaise. This feeling brought to mind Picasso's blue and rose period of forlorned peasants and sad acrobats and performers.

After researching such images I found that it was leading me towards a slide production depicting the struggles of prostitution. The images really captured the hurt and suffering felt by those participating in such estranged sexual behaviours. Also, within the images there was a presence of emptiness and meaninglessness in the night affairs. Thus these paintings from art history really served as a vehicle to communicate the theme of prostitution and its effects.

By editing the images in photoshop I could enhance the images and make them fit the theme even more. For instance, I could give an image a more passionate feel by heightening the contrast in hues, and by brightening the image overall. Adding more vibrant warm hues such as red, orange and yellow also really created both a passion-filled and jeering image. I also filtered some of the images and cut and paste others in order to convey feelings of "absence" and "invasion".

For my 3-D objects I chose a white feather and some tangled copper wire. The feather shows the fragility of life and alludes to softness, purity and delicacy which contrasts with the theme. I think this is a good contrast because it brings a component of what could be: a hope. The tangled copper wire acts as a metaphor for the complications and complexity of life. It's twisted and tangled spirals allude to how life can be an emotional roller-coaster and a network of conflicting relations. The issue of prostitution is never simple but messy.

All in all, the images are compelling when coupled with the music and theme.

portrait painting assignment

For this assignment I had to research a portrait artist and chose one of the works that I admired. I chose a portrait by Kees van Dongen. It is a portrait of a woman who it sitting. I loved the palette van Dongen used--the contrasting warm and cool tones on her face--contrasting yet harmonized. I also liked how the portrait focused on the individual without much extra--a simple hued background. It was her direct gaze which captured my imagination--what preoccupied her thoughts? I liked how the artist captured a character with such broad and simple brush strokes.

So, I had found my image to emulate. Now I had to take a photograph of myself seated in the same posture as this woman. Ange helped out a lot with the picture--(we used her amazing camera and her photography skills!) I found a hat in the studio and wrapped a ribbon around my neck like a necklace. I wanted to mimic van Dongen's woman but modernize her a bit. So the photo tried to copy the position of the woman and the lighting so that similar effects would be present for me to be able to work with. It was a success!

Than, I uploaded the photo onto photoshop. Now I had to use the tools available to make the image look painterly, just the way that van Dongen had painted. Recreating the image in a similar style was the best part of the assignment! I set up both images beside one another in order to extract my palette from the original portrait. I segmented the photograph of myself into layers so that I could build up my image slowly and make corrections easily. I applied colour with my paint brush; being sure to pay attention to tonal values, lighting, and shadow which aid in molding the features (especially in the face). After the proper colours were applied in the proper areas I used the smudging tool to smooth out and blend colours that didn't need to have an edge. Overall, I found that painting with computer tools is just like painting with my own hands!

So here are the results: Painting with a computer is a lot of fun!

text assignment 2

This piece fits the dimensions assigned in this project. It was made to match the other piece previous.

It is interesting how the word "hugs" forms a chain-like bond, suggesting a togetherness--just as the word alludes too. This time the word fits the colour used: a warm word, a warm colour.

I like how this piece is not stark in appearance but more whimsical. It moves like a twirl!

text assignment

For the text assignment I used the words "hugs" and "cracked" in order to create a contrast. The word "cracked" makes me think of a harsh and loud sound which usually means that something has broken whereas "hugs" is a word that conjures up images of love, care, and togetherness. The contrast is found both in the sound of the word when spoken and in its meaning.

To further the contrast I made sure to use both warm (marigold orange and copper) and cool (bluish-grey) colours. One would suspect that the warm colours would be in the "hugs" and the cool colours in the "cracked" To create interest I flipped this assumption and so "cracked" is warm and "hugs" is cool. This alludes to how being together and being broken are so often one and the same in life, especially when it comes to relationships with each other.

Another component of this piece is that "hugs" are close and overlapping, forming a unity, whereas "cracked" is repeated in a straight line going on forever. Contrast is created between the cyclical movement of "hugs" and the linear movement of "cracked".

yolanda

Photo Restoration Assignment

For this assignment we had to take two old photographs and restore them. These photos were damaged by creases and rips. There was also some fading and blurred spots from water stains or time. I applied the cloning tool to blend in blurred spots and unwanted lines. I used the burn and dodge tools to heighten the contrast and pull out light and dark areas. With the photo of the young girl--yolanda--I had to do very careful work on her face which was heavily damaged by fine lines from the photo being scratched. Overall I really enjoyed restoring the photos of my oma and my aunt who are both in glory.

Layers Assignment

This assignment taught me about the importance of building art in layers. Layering is a good way to work through a peice. It allows for more flexibility as one tries different compositional/design options and refines those options--choosing which to keep and which to trash or remain unseen. Layers are a great editting tool--they enable you to work on your peice without effecting it entirely (unless you should choose too). Layers can also be well organized under different headings.