Assignment - Tumblr Posts
ART 121-01, Week #2 (Looking into Advertising Design)
Today in class we have to do a rap battle where we defend a type of design field given to us. (Except we don't have to rap. Or even rhyme. Or sing. I don't think we have to be aggressive in any way. So, more of a back and forth presentation. Or something.) My partner and I got Advertising Design.
So, we had to look into advertising design and see what it's about, and how it is arguably better than our opponent, Package Design. (YOUR GOING DOWN PACKAGE DESIGN, GONNA KICK YOU RIGHT IN THE PACKAGE DESIGN, PACKAGE DESIGN! YEAH, WHAT. WHAT.) And so far, this is what I've found.
Advertising is found everywhere, since business pretty much makes the world and advertising is needed to promote business. When you have all these businesses everywhere, you need to stand out. You need to reach people. You need to get innovative and you need to make things that stick in people's heads and even better, buy your stuff. Even more better, you make them a loyal customer. All that is determined with stuff like mission statements and service and quality- but the grabber to get it all going? Advertising. You see advertising everywhere. It's on posters and billboards and commercials and benches and plastered on mugs, pens, buttons, etc. And that's just the visuals- don't forget timeless jungles. (Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Meyer weinerrrr.) When compared to Package Design, Advertising Design is very versatile. It can be physical or digital, animated or stationary. It could even be an exhibition piece or take up lots of space, as well as being a poster. This field is comprised of many other blending careers, like photography, web design, production, directing, owning and freelancing. You can expect to work with people from a wide range of areas (Web ad for the new Arby's super stacks, or a commercial for the latest Pixar film? WHY NOT BOTH.)
It requires a bit of sociology, at it's core. You have to understand people, or groups of people in different regions, you have to understand what demographics and psycho-graphics of people you aim your advertising to and why they find it appealing. Is it humans in general that find your font choice and aesthetics pleasing, or is it just young mothers into yoga and smoothies? Are there inside references that people in a certain area will 'get' or find nostalgic? Should you go that route with your design, will you only be limiting it to that niche group, or does it blend into other peoples experiences as well? Do you tug heartstrings? Do you make laugh lines? DO YOU?
Advertising is competitive as heck, too. Having a commercial aired during the Superbowl costs millions of dollars. Millions. And that's just to show off your product, business, charity, etc. and to remind people it exists. It is THAT powerful- so you can bet that millions of advertising designers hone their skills and get their best guns out to compete for those time slots and those street corners and magazine ads areas where a high amount of people can see it.
That's just what I've gleaned so far. There are other things to consider too- like work environment for advertisers and income and whatnot- but I think on that level package design and advertising are pretty equal?
ART 122-01 Week #2 (Typography and a little printing!)
Thus far, we have touched base on typography. Or rather, we referred back to the old ways of communication via wall paintings by nomadic tribes. Pretty much, writing started this way- and letters seemed to start off as symbols that represented real life things for easy correlation. (A man drawn under a line could be a dead body. Or A round thing with horns and a tail was a cow. Sometimes the paint color clued you in because who the hell wants a nasty green cow? Red/brown = dripping delicious meat.)
As an in class activity, we had to make our own alphabet or symbols that our own 'tribe' would use for communication. Other people had a good idea- I mean, they used the alphabet that us English speakers know, but made the letters look like sticks because sticks are in nature so.. yeah. Makes sense. Another group had a cool font type that was all like.. I would call it "sassy dragon". Or "sassy dragon, swoosh edition", but that's just me. Our own group actually did symbols for stuff like death and love and sheep and mating and food and sleep- stuff like that, whatever would be important in a community. I think we got a little silly with the alphabet though. Like, 'A' was a line with a dot under it or something, but 'T' was straight up a Tardis from Doctor Who. Despite this, I feel as though we got a gist of it.
This week, we touched a little bit on printing, watched a cool documentary (I think BBC?) And saw how the printing press came to be, and how paper was made. I wanna make some, is that a thing we can do here? It's like pudding after it settles and paper is like the pudding skin you lift up and- look whatever, it works. It's pulpy is what I'm getting at. Toothy along the edges has weight and all that. I liked our activity where we took the heavy letters and coated them with ink and made a quick thing.
I think I'm gonna go watch Secret of Kells. I wonder if I can convince the instructor to play that during class one night? Probably not. Or probably absolutely. However 'probably' works.
I have this reoccurring interest in Lord of the Flies, and a constant interest in pigs, so this was never gonna not happen.
Our paper craft assignment for 2D class. I reversed the image here to what my intention was, since I flubbed it and did it backwards. But yeah, we used an x-acto blade on drawing paper, then used thicker colored paper as a background. The white paper is all connected, and was very delicate to transport. Other than the little nicks and craft issues, I'm happy with how it came out. (Don't do all-nighters with a sharp knife. Do not. No.)
ART 121-01, Week #3 (Finding a studio)
Dude, this is difficult. Locating a place you would like to join is not like, a willy nilly thing. I wanna sneeze and work at Pixar now! Like, no. Even if it's a simple class assignment, this is tough and gets me jittery. I mean, one part of my brain that is mentally stuck back in 2002 or something is all "heck yeah, the world is big and full of possibilities and I have all the time in the world to fantasize about working at Disney! They are like the only company right? Also, I'm 12!" At 24, which is TWICE that whimsical age, stuff is real. There are tons of companies and firms you have never even heard of because their mentioning has never reached your ears or eyes despite all the interneting you can do, and why have I not done this kind of research sooner?
Okay, so yeah- if it wasn't clear, we have to find a company and do research on them. See, I feel like I'm upscaling myself into frenzies for no reason, because it's just an assignment, but it's an assignment I'm doing that is so close to the reality of what could be coming soon.. so I'm dwelling too hard on things. For instance, I feel like my dream would be to open my own studio and have a close knit group of friends who compliment each other with all pros and cons to make a well rounded group. But that's not the assignment. Also, I feel like I have to earn a dream like that, because I can't even make spaghetti at home without getting sidetracked, and running a studio requires some serious responsibles. But one day I can grow into it.. so until then, just DO THE ASSIGNMENT SERIOUSLY this is not a big deal.
I've been awake since 8am, yesterday. eeeh.
ART 122-01, Week #3 (Art Nouveau and what all that's about.)
Part one of covering the Nouveau movement was today, and for the most part all the art was printy and cool. Alphonse Mucha feels like he's the most known in in this phase of art., since his intricate swirling arches, whimsical print and loose garment draping over girls with twirling locks and tresses are what anyone I ever knew beings up first. However there are quite a few English, French and Japanese artists that were pretty dang swell.
Pretty much after the Industrial Revolution came, the response movement involved art that was the opposite in aesthetic and content. People were all about nature and organic shapes and whimsy and handmade anything- and so spread everywhere this sort of style was adopted. Common things you would see are nature things like leaves and vines and flowers. You would also see lots of languid or dancing bodies- usually female. Indulgences and entertainment and advertisements were soaked with this style. It.. yeah. Everywhere. I guess it was a bit hedonistic.
We have yet to cover Germany and how it translated for them, but I skipped ahead in the chapters and the art examples look much more dark and moody. OooOOoouh.
ART 121-01 Week #4 (The day I missed class. ;_;)
Ugh, today was not so good. Stupid truck..
Anyway, I figure even though I didn't make class today, I could still work on my presentation. Those are coming up around the corner and I want to do well.. but I have until Oct 15th so.. ehhh.. Anyway, I'll talk a bit about that. We have to find a place we would like to work, then do a bunch of digging to see if this is, in fact, the place you want to work. I believe I eluded to it in an earlier entry- but anyway. I tried not to go for the obvious ones because I was afraid others would have picked Pixar and Disney and Dreamworks, so instead it was a tie between Hi-Fructose magazine and Frederator Studios. Hi-Fructose is a unique art magazine that shows a bunch of modern bizarre stuff, and they have a cool blog on this very site. Frederator studios is a network where cartoon gems such as the Fairly Odd Parents and Adventure Time have been made. (They also have a sub studio called Cartoon Hangover where their more adult oriented Bravest Warriors, Bee and Puppycat, and Doctor Lollipop reside.) In the end, I chose Frederator Studios. Mostly because while Hi Fructose is a cool magazine, I feel like I wouldn't have much to contribute that requires my drawing skills.. they usually do segments about artists, not people working in their magazine who are also artists.
So, while doing online research is gonna be my main thing, I will at one point be required to schedule a phone call or write an e-mail to this place to ask them questions. I dont know if they have a customer service or public question-answering department or whatever, but I am sort of nervous at the prospect of calling a company to bother them for a school project. Maybe they will be cool with it, maybe not.. I dunno. I'm sure it will be fine. Besides, I have to.
Maybe I will use google docs for the presentation?
ART 122-01, Week #4 (Art Nouveau, the less whimsical kind)
So, this week in class, we had a group of three, myself included, discuss the second part of our long cover on Art Nouveau. This is a pretty interesting time for art, and our half of the discussion was devoted to Scotland, Austria and Germany.
One part that I enjoyed was hearing about 'the four, which consisted of the MacDonald sisters and their respective husbands, who carved out a niche in Scotland. All four of them attended the Glasgow School of Art, where the sisters joined a gang of like-minded peers and called themselves 'The Immortals". The two men, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Herbert MacNair were architects studying under a company, and came the the school to pursue the arts. From there, they did very well within the walls of the GSA, but outside it took them a couple years to convince the public they were hot stuff. Mostly because people clung to tradition and it took a while until the Secessionists nabbed them up and helped promote their unique style.
Second was that Germany and Austria were super into expressionism and all the work was super rebellious and moody, possibly as a result of the Industrial Revolution, but also around this time, photography was becoming a thing (Late 1800's, early 1900's) so seeing realistically depicted portraits wasn't as impressive as a machine that could capture reality with precision and clarity. Thus, expressing your inner feelings and the state of how things 'felt' instead of 'what things looked like' could have been in response to that?
I liked comparing Frances MacDonalds work to Alphonse Mucha. Her moody, dreary art, such as "The Pond" was steeped with Scottish lore and mysticism, whereas Mucha's pieces were vibrant and idealized forms partaking in hedonistic finery. If you compared France and Scotland together based on these artists alone, could it be that MacDonald was inspired by the reality of the times, and the point of time that history lead up to for them, while Mucha's pieces reflect a suspension of reality, showing a point in time that is unchanging and pleasureful?
Just stuff we talked about. I like all of it. Especially the word "Jugendstil". (Joogensteel?) I would totally name a rebellious cat Jugendstil.
My first ever Info graphic I had to do for class. As you can see, this is mostly a generator type site.. I hope to learn how to do this stuff on my own soon. Open lab in the art building? Open lab in the art building!
ART 121-01, Week # 5 (Gah, this presentation.)
So, I haven't gotten word back from Frederator, but I was also late into the assignment when I sent the e-mail anyway, so I totally understand. (I wonder if they have a huge backup of e-mails they have to go through via the one I used- which was like the public e-mail. Others were available, but I was shy on using them. Damn my weakness!)- The good news is that they have done many interviews in the past answering questions that I would ask, so while an interview would had been preferred, there is still the internet.
Turns out Fred Seibert had a twisty turny kind of life. Like, first he worked as a radio DJ, but went on to be a a television producer and executive, then a cartoon producer- and really, at every point he launched great stuff. I didn't know he started Comedy Central and relaunched Nickelodeon ran Hanna Barbara and Chauncey Street Productions. Going in I knew about Cartoon Hangover and all the old Cartoon Network shows- but this guys had his hands everywhere. It's pretty dang neat.
I still have to find out inside stuff, but I wonder if I will be able to find out how many employees work there and what the office environment is like. Places like Pixar showcase that stuff all the time, but I haven't stumbled across anything saying Frederator Studios has birds nest seat cushions or Igloo cubicles or whatever. I will see!
ART 122-01, Week # 5 (Video review stuff for Metropolis)
So, not due for another week now, but my project is coming up, and I gotta schedule lab time to shoot and edit a video. I had to pick a documentary or movie to watch and then assess it and such, via vlog. Metropolis is the movie I picked, the Fritz Lang one from 1927. Just got done watching it this weekend on Youtube, and while I could go on about it, I dont want it to just be a repeat of what will be in the video. However, I will say that it has me curious of Lang's other movies.
I spoke with someone about a movie called "M"? That one is from 1931, and I guess it's about a guy that murders kids? So.. huh. Well, we'll see. That aside, I wonder if there are other silent films that have the same feel as Metropolis. It doesn't have to be sci-fi or anything, but the expressionist stuff is pretty neat. I have Phantom of the Opera on my list, and Nosferatu, but those feel pretty common? I hear about them a lot, is what I mean. Like, I wonder if there are any hidden gems. I do remember coming across a film called "Freaks" I think, which had carnival workers in it. I believe they were real people with disabilities- but supposedly that was what was considered creepy? I dunno how to feel about that. Maybe it's worth a watch? However, that was not a silent film. I know because they said "ONE OF US- GOOBLE GOBBLE" and yeah, that part was unnerving.
This is seriously just a long ramble. ANYWAY- next post should be the video for Metropolis, so yeah.
(ART 122-01 Suzanne Platt Metropolis), reuploaded with intros and endings. This is a vlog I had to do for class. Please ignore the kitchen in the background. Or dont, I’m not gonna know.
ART 121-01, Week #6 (The presentation is ova.)
So, I fell a little behind on blog posts. This is gonna be back to back, but I will try to write in order of our week-to-week bidness.
The presentation was actually pretty alright. I feel like I've met the five minutes needed, and just in case I hadn't via purely talking, I had uploaded a video clip that would have definitely pushed me over the threshold.
Would I actually work for Frederator? Maybe. I feel like the studio is really for the most part just the five to six people. They will be there as permanent employees. So I feel like getting in on that is pretty unlikely.. but they also have creative teams and people can temporarily work for them all the time. I believe it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 11-80 people at a time? It sounds like a big gap, but that is purely dependent on the projects. I like the idea of building up my portfolio, and maybe one day contact a studio like that for animating my own vision for a show. That's what they are known for, and what they pride themselves in. Allowing creators their creative license. Now, I don't know how much money that would bring in, and I don't know what would be considered 'mine' when the project was done, but maybe I wouldn't mind in the end. It's hard to know without at least seeing something in action. I wonder if they have a documentary?
ART 121-01, Week #7 (Designing a restaurant)
Catching up on blogs, catching up on blogs, catching catching catch cacakaaaON TO IT.
Our new project we are working on has to do with branding and design. We were given a restaurant concept and now we have to work with a group to decide on a name for the establishment, and a word map full of inspiration type words that match the theme and whatnot.
So, the concept is this: A place that serves Ugandan inspired food, for college kids, families, and couples. (I think couples? Maybe it was singles. Why not both? Coupla singles..eh.) So, at first I was thinking that this would be an authentic Ugandan restaurant? Apparently though, that may not matter. But I think it would. Like, for the group part of it, we all have to agree on a name and word map.. but after that- we go our separate ways and go solo on the project. I wasn't really sure how to feel about that, since we had 15 minutes to come up with a name.. and a name, to me, is a big deal. I figured we would need some time to look more thoroughly into Ugandan culture and stuff, maybe pick a name that means "Hang out" or something. "Comfort food"? While at the same time double and triple checking in case the name would have another meaning that's offensive or silly. In the end, we decided on 'Grasshoppers', because we all know for sure what those are, and they are a street food in Uganda. While I'm not sure it's the best choice, I can agree that if this was more of an 'American Ugandan' restaurant, than having a name like that may bring in more people who are in the spending bracket we are aiming for. (Casual, hangout place.) otherwise, something unfamiliar may come across as expensive. So this may end of being pseudo or fake Ugandan. (Like Olive Garden is to Italy, I guess.) I dunno.
I'll just have to dive in and do thorough research for the decor and menu and stuff.
Art 121-01, Week #8 (Thumbnails THUMBNAILS)
Ahhh, I didn't get around to doing enough thumbnails!
Okay, this will be alright. I will have time in class, I'm sure. I mean I hope. Ehh..
Anyway, today we were suppose to have at least 10 unique thumbnails for the logo and typeface of the restaurant we are designing (Casual, Ugandan inspired food, setting) And while I have a couple, I didn't get around to doing all ten. They can't be like, a little bit different from each other too- they have to be straight up different one-of-a-kind sketches. I will look over what I can and go from there.
We also had to do a mood board. I have pictures on my flash drive from my time skimming the internet for ideas, but they are not in a physical format. They aren't on an actual board. So I will work on that once I get this posted. I am trying to think of a layout that no one else has thought of, and this may be difficult, because 'thatched roof' and the colors red, orange, yellow and green are speaking to me.. but I feel like that is at the very top of everyone's list too. UNLESS.. they, under pressure and trying to be original, are skipping over that in order to dive deeper? Which would mean I'm in the clear. ..I highly doubt that is how this will be done.
We will see.
ART 121-01, Week #9 (Worked on some stuff.)
I honestly don't have much to say this week. I mean, I got my creative brief done, so there is that. I feel like it was supposed to be more thorough, but I may have been confusing a creative brief with a business plan. We just had to write down what our restaurant is called, what a color palette might be, what logo we went with, and what influenced us to go with our choices.
Pretty much we went with the name of the restaurant because it is a local street food, maybe not THE go to but it is a humble local snack nonetheless. I figure in that sense it is down to earth, humble and interesting? I mean, for people unused to it, it may be strange, but you might be intrigues enough to visit. The people going would be down to earth and in a lower paying range, so it's kind of a blending of worlds? Maybe that's looking to much into it. The color palette was decided because many clothing and fruits featured those colors. Those colors being yellow, orange, red and green. And the aesthetic choices match the dwellings of Uganda. I feel like no matter what though, this wont be as thorough of a look into Ugandan culture as much as I would like. I mean, even with research, there could be something I'm missing. Or it just seems like it will be a knock off to the original.
Eh.
ART 122-01, Week #6 (Catching up on blogs.)
So, uploading the video was a pain in the patoot. Or butt. Or whatever. I'm tired. But yeah, youtube took forever to register it and then eventually it was like 'yeah, you totes uploaded it, yaaah.' and then when I double checked later I didn't see it. Utter rubbish. But on who's part? I will be willing to say both Youtube and myself. The important this is I got it uploaded in time and the class all got to show their videos and everyone was happy.
Except not really. In truth I feel that everyone hated their video. Like, looking at their video, and seeing themselves. See, I liked my video, but then I saw a really well spoken one by a fellow classmate (I think Chris?) and I was like "Crap, that was very well worded and he knew exactly what he was saying and I dont think he said 'um' once, aaaah.' But I figured, hey, it's best not to compare to others. I just hope that my minimalness in regards to creativity wont hurt me to bad. I mean, I watched it a couple of times, and was like.. yeah, making something black and white for the black and white movie? You could have done more. I dunno.
Anyway, I have two more posts to do why do I do this aahh.
ART 121-01, Week #10 (Oh, hey not shabby.)
HAHA, I lied my final logo was indeed shabby.
But intentionally?
I might post a picture later, but pretty much it was the word "GrassHoppers" made to look a little like a grasshopper and then small letters for "Ugandan Bar & Grill". The words were white, but the outline was green, and the background looked like a sunset, done in colored pencil. Out of our group, I feel that Jeremy's was the best, but we all did well.
Everyone had cool names, but "Crimson Lily" was my favorite. Sounds like a fancy hole in the wall. Can holes in walls be fancy? I think so. Precious gems.
Anyway, we were given an idea for our final for the class. I believe this class was the one that was the letter block? Like, we have to carve out a letter out of linoleum. I could be wrong- I sort of mistake the two classes for each other. The other final project was a manifesto. As long as I have both done by Monday and carry them around with me I can't go wrong.
It is bitingly cold out.
ART 122-01, Week # 7 (Catching up on blogs)
So, I am weeks behind. I'm gonna be posting a bunch up til now.
In this class, we have a manifesto that we need to do for our final. It needs to be 200-something words incorporated into a graphic design element.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to do. I've seen the examples provided but I still do not know what to go for that I know how to do. Drawing is my main thing, but computer programs are not- and while it is possible to learn at least enough to get this assignment done, I have four other finals due for other classes- in three weeks. (Maybe four).
On one hand I should try to do something that is outside my comfort zone, but I am afraid of biting off more than I can chew. I will have to mull over what sounds best to me. I'm leaning toward a comic- but maybe I can try at illustrator to do it? But then printing it out and binding it and.. I dunno- it can be done, but I would rather just upload it directly here and click through pages. I will have to talk with my instructor about it.
ART 122-01, Week # 8 (aauughblbl)
Continuing the trek of getting caught up and such and stuff.
So, when it comes to this manifesto I was thinking of doing a comic. However, I do not know if this would be good for the assignment, because the thing I have in mind might be a bit muted and will not come out as optimistically as the assignment calls for. I was thinking of talking about the life process of having this one thing you've always had and worked on, and how up until people talk about careers and jobs and "Who are you?" And "What are you going to do?" All you've thought of was how this was always with you, but the big world has you thinking it may not be. Like, imagine that drawing and animation are your best friend from childhood, and you love to draw and hang out with this entity and the characters and stories in it by drawing and spending time together-- but then as you get older this entity becomes a celebrity and there are swarms of diehard fans in the tens of thousands- and they are between you and it. You didn't know in order to pursue you'd have to wade through this throng and if it's even worth it, because damn, they are hanging out with other big wigs and they seem way more worthwhile than the movies you'd watch at home and the late nights with your sketchbook- so why would this entity need you anyway? So then you have to assess your beginnings and what your relationship meant to you and decide if you want to be in its circle anyway?
I dunno, this is more of a free write. Also, not as concretely focused, more uncertain. Will think on for later.
ART 122-01, Week #9 (Gotta Catch'um up.)
WELL, the end of the semester is upon everybody. We have precisely two weeks. I feel as though I am starting to feel the heat.
In this class, I have a manifesto to finish, and then drawings to put to the manifesto, in a storybook format. I feel like it may not look as polished, but maybe it will? My goal is to have audio playing over it. Either it will be myself speaking over the drawings, or there will be text and some neutral music in the background. I dunno.
In the other class we have stamps to do.
Then in the others, I have a full greyscale painting, a full painting using four colors and their tints and shades. Then four color studies. Then three photography assignments. Just-- feeling the heat here. I take so long to decide on a direction to go, and it's eating up time, and I dunno why it takes me so long? But it does and.. I dunno. If everything turns out great I guess I can justify it.