Laser Cut

Here's the product of my laser cutter pattern.

Updated Trapped!

Here's an updated version of my text drawing Trapped. Hopefully the closeness of the letters help convey the feeling a little better now.

Beginning of Midterm Self-Portrait

Here's an early look at my self-portrait project. It's time consuming but in the end I think it's gonna be pretty cool.

My hair floats! (That will be fixed later)

Text! 6 Word Me.

So here's the last one. Six word autobiography - or rather description - creative, honest, persistence, dreamer, nerd, strong.

6 Word Me!

Text! Non-Representational

Here's my non-representational text drawing. I'm not sure if I like it. I wish I could use color and/or opacity settings! Whether or not I lament on that point this is really challenging! Working solely with text to create an image is tough and I really have to think/see a different way.

Symbols - Non-representational

Made using symbols - #, $, &, and *

Text Drawing - Mr. Q

Okay, so I was going to do a more "realistic" drawing for my representational piece but as I was working the non-representational one Mr. Q appeared. And I love him. A lot. He may be the most adorable lettered man ever.

Mr. Q - Representational Text Drawing

 He is solely built out of four Roman letters - Q, O, i, and j.

Text! Text drawing...

So in Digital Imaging we're now exploring text and ways it can be used graphically to convey meaning. The next few posts will be experiments to create four different text images or drawings - expressive, representational, non-representational, and a six word autobiography.

Here's the first one:

Trapped - Expressive

In this text drawing I used two fonts. One for the 'p' in the diamond and one for the others. After selecting my fonts I created outlines and played with anchors, position, scale to achieve a "trapped" feeling.

Standards of Beauty & Photoshop Ethics

When it comes to Photoshop ethics I agree that the use of the program has been grossly abused. Models are shaved, airbrushed, and simply distorted. The image that remains sometimes becomes humanly impossible to attain. Many are placing pressure on magazines to label retouched photographs and blame the industry for an increase in body image disorders especially among teen girls. Even the American Medical Association has weighed in on the issue.

However more than the use of Photoshop I believe larger questions in society need addressed: Why are these images so valued? Why is the public convinced they must intimate these images? If the public rejects impossibly perfected standards of beauty why do they sell? What factors and what value is placed on body image, especially for girls and women? Are these issues really new and stemming from over Photoshopped spreads or is this really just .02 version of an older debate and social flaw?

Personally I don't like how Photoshopped ads and magazines are but I don't agree with restricting the use of Photoshop or even labeling it. I believe in education - visual education, as a way to answer Photoshop criticisms and open discussions on the use of imagery to sell and manipulate consumer values. This is a digital age and digitized images are part of our technological landscape.

The public is aware of their disadvantages compared to models, celebrities and retouched photos. The average person doesn't have a stylist, makeup artist, or a famous photographer to prepare for their Facebook photo and they know that. The constant barrage of fantasy cover-girls (and boy-men), media obsession with obesity, printed lectures for self improvement, and do-it-yourself makeup/style tutorials is frustrating. People don't have time. So why not blame Photoshop. It's all bullshi*t anyway. They're lying to us. They're not socially conscious or responsible.

Blaming Photoshop for those things is like blaming Apple for releasing the iPhone (insert number here) for your credit card debt. Isn't this just another ill from over-consumption? Just something to think about.

Links to more articles on this topic:

In Defense of Photoshop: Why Retouching Isn’t As Evil As Everyone Thinks

Is Photoshop Destroying America's Body Image? 

Smile and Say ‘No Photoshop’

Photoshop Nation? LA Times investigates Photoshop-effects in the media

Picture Imperfect — Digital Image Manipulation Ethics

Cardinal Bird Part II

This image is the tryout before doing our self portraits using the pen tool to trace from a photograph. From the last bird post I've added in a background playing with repetition, pattern, overlapping shapes, and opacity.

Laser Cutter Pattern Part II

So my last attempt at a laser cutter pattern failed. The red lines cannot be touching. This is my updated pattern post.

My Face. Squashed. An Illustration

For my digital imaging class we've begun working with Adobe's Illustrator. For an interesting take on self portraits we smashed our faces against a scanner and worked on making simple illustrations from it. Below is my lovely squashed face and amateur Illustrator skills on display.

My Face. Squashed and Scanned.

Yeah so that happened. What do other people do in their 8am morning classes? ^__^

The Pen Tool and Birds

So we learned how to use the pen tool in Illustrator and how to use it to trace. Then we got this awesomely proud picture of a Cardinal to recreate using the technique.

Yeah. He's cute. And a little crazy looking.

Laser Cutter Pattern

For class we needed to make a pattern in Illustrator to be printed from a laser cutter. This image has a thicker line weight than what we be used for cutting just to make it a little more visual. After it's cut I'll scan and post. ^__^

Composite - Altering Meanings

For this assignment we altered content of an original image and added text to change the meaning. This is originally a women's magazine ad from the Victorian era, now with some fashionable anime girls.

Illustrator Symbols

For Digital Imaging homework we've begun to work with Illustrator. This is a simple self portrait and drawing hobby symbol.