A PAINTER
VERSUS PHOTOSHOP The story of a semester long struggle of a painter in an Introduction to Design course. Based on a true story.
Created by Kathleen Collins
Dot-Line
The assignment: The Dot-Line assignment was the first the class was given. We were to create four images in a small square of paper mounted on cardboard to express four of our chosen words. We were given a choice of words to choose from to express. The project was to be done in black, white, and gray paper. We needed to cut out either dots or lines. We were not able to illustrate anything that physically portrayed the word. In addition, the craft obviously needed to be high quality.
The process:
First, I picked my words. I chose words randomly, since I didn’t think any particular word would be ‘easier’ to express than others. I chose energetic, oppression, stability, and longing. First, I created thumbnails based on small and poorly crafted dots and lines on white paper. I did not want to venture out too much and use a lot of variations of the (limited) color pallet, so I opted to use primarily black and white. I found no problem creating many different expressions of the four words, even given parameters. I had an abundance of sketches and many ideas.
The Sketches
The Final
Throughout this process, I realized I have no ability to cut circles. Tracing, cutting, tracing again, fixing, and then redoing, I continuously ended up with the same mediocre results. So I went with it, decent circles and all. Glue stuck to my hands and hair. I noticed mistakes are very visible in black and white. Color seems to distract from small imperfections. I was proud of the layout and the final expressions of my four words and most of the guesses of what they were ended up being correct. My execution was the aspect of this project that was lacking. I am less of a perfectionist (when it comes to art) and more of a sketcher, I realized.
Stability
Energetic
Longing
Oppression
What I would fix
I would redo my circles and use much less glue if I had time to improve this project. I am happy with this project and it’s content.
Expressive Text The Assignment
In this assignment, we were to again pick a word from a word bank to work with. This time, though, we were actually going to write the text in whatever manner we felt appropriate. This assignment was also to be done in black and white and we were to create for iterations of the same word. I chose the word flow. I was particularly excited about this project, since I had never before worked with words and had previously seen them as “cliché.” This project changed my mind.
The process
First, I blindly chose a word. I did have preferences, but I needed to assure myself that I wasn’t scared of a challenging word to work with. I then made mind-maps of the word to draw out my associations and thoughts about flow; what it meant, what it could mean, what it is, what objects flow, what emotions flow, and so on. I created many of these mind maps. The most successful seemed to be the ones that focused more on the emotional qualities that accompany the word flow. Nature, serenity, and positive energy. I also thought about the feeling of disrupted flow, which I related to anxiety and chaos. I stated to paint and sketch. I created many different iterations of the word in many different ways. It seemed that the more I worked at it, though, the less successful the work was. My best work (which are now the final pieces) were the ones I created during the middle of my sketching and painting. I wanted to branch out and try something in real life, so I poured water on the concrete. I was very pleased with the outcome of this project.
The sketches
The Final
What I would fix
I loved my idea of water on concrete and working on something other than paper, but I hated my camera. If the quality of the picture had turned out better, I think this piece would be much more successful. However, I know my limits are where technology comes into play, and like the variety of my iterations. Each iteration was created with its own unique process.
Object Iterations The Assignment
This assignment was the beginning of the end, for me. It was to be completed through the use of Photoshop and InDesign. This was the first assignment I would do primarily using computer programs, and I was scared. Each person in the class was able to choose any item with moving parts or any animal. We were to come up with different iterations of our object using a variety of techniques such as continuous line, reflecting two master artist’s styles, collage, text collage, and geographic designs. These iterations were to be completed in black and white.
The Process
This proved to be a long process for me. I started by choosing an animal, which ended up being a humming bird. I studied the hummingbird closely and sketched many images of them. I tried different poses and angles and different surroundings. The hummingbird seems to be best identified if the viewer is able to clearly see its beak, making this a challenge. I opted to show the hummingbird at eye level, but facing different ways. I then sketched the humming bird at the angles I had chosen using blind contour and continuous contour. I then chose Pablo Picasso and Käthe Kollwitz as my two master artists. I chose two images of theirs and made depictions of my hummingbird in their likeness. I made many collages for my own amusement, and my first one was my most successful. The text collage was less appealing to me, but I tried to play with the different sizes of texts to create the hummingbird. I used long, small text for the elegantly long beak and thick text for the plump tail. Being technically challenged as a millennial has never served me a great purpose, and this proved to be especially true in an Intro to Design course. Creating the geographic bird took me the longest, by far. It was not because of the style, I had come up with the idea in sketches fairly quickly, but the execution of it through the computer was my biggest hurdle. After hours of clicking, I made three geographic hummingbird iterations. After more countless hours of work and frustration, I was able to successfully scan, upload, tweak, and assemble my iterations through InDesign without losing anything out the window.
The Sketches
What I would fix
Since this project, I have learned a lot more about computer programs for art purposes. Even with that being said, I would not change anything about this piece after my final revision of it.
The Final
Tutorial Editorial The Assignment
This was the first project my class was able to use color in. We were to write up a tutorial on something we had knowledge about and incorporate it into a poster-like piece. The piece was to include images to aid the text.
The Process
First, I chose something that I was knowledgeable about. The first and most obvious answer to what I am most knowledgeable about it coffee. I wrote the instructions out on how to make a caramel macchiato. Then, to aid this, I sketched the images of the steps it takes me to make my daily caramel macchiato. I then had to, yet again, battle with Photoshop and InDesign. It was a battle that lasted many hours with a few hours worth of work appearance. I scanned the images, pasted the text, revised the images, placed them, printed it, and fixed them again.
The sketches
The Final
After the long battle with computer programs, I emerged with hours of work spent on this piece and not much payoff. Since I lack in ability through these programs, I feel that my work is not as strong as the conceptual ideas I possess. That being said, I am happy with the work I have created under the circumstances (mainly that I was able to create anything on photoshop).
What I Would Fix
I would not fix anything about this project. I was able to create a tutorial to the best of my ability using the knowledge that I had. When I gain more skills, I will create more intricate designs for future tutorials.
CARAMEL MACCHIATO (Caution: It’s Not A Caramel Latte) By; Kathleen Collins
Step 1:
Gather materials. You will need an Step 5: While milk is steaming and the espresespresso machine, steamer, milk (2%, soy, also shots are pouring, pump vanilla syrup into the mond, skim, etc.), vanilla syrup, and a thick cara- bottom of the coffee mug. The amount also varies mel sauce. among personal preference, but is normally around 4 pumps for a 16 ounce cup.
Step 2: Begin by choosing your desired size of the drink (16 ounces being the “average”). Step 6: Milk should be steamed. Pour milk into coffee mug using a large spoon to hold back a majority of the foam. Step 3: Steam the milk (which should be about 75% of the desired size). Take the steam wand, and place it right below the surface of the milk and pull lever. Let bubble for approximately 5-10 seconds (depending on the size) and then set the wand at the bottom of the metal milk cup until the milk reaches around 120 degrees Fahrenheit Step 7: The espresso shots that have been drawn (temperature can vary based on the consumer). should be immediately poured over of steamed milk. The foam should not have any large bubbles and The espresso shots start to lose their rich taste and should look soft. become bitter after about 10 seconds of pouring.
Step 4: While the milk is steaming, the shots
of espresso should be drawn. Select the desired amount of espresso shots and let them pour into separate glasses. Selecting the amount of shots varies for the size of the drink and personal preference. The ‘average’ amount is two shots.
Step 8:
Top off the macchiato with caramel drizzle. The amount of caramel drizzle is also dependent upon size of the drink and personal preference, but a helpful rule is to cascade it lightly onto the small amount of foam for about 5 seconds.
Step 9: Do not let this drink sit for too long, or it will lose its rich taste and beautiful layers. Caution for hot liquid. Put this delicious source of caffeine to make more art!
Children’s Book The Assignment
My class was instructed to illustrate a children’s book in collaboration with an english class. The class wrote the stories and we were to construct the rest using online programs. We were given more design choice freedom in this project than we had gotten in previous assignments.
The process
The first step of this project was to meet with my assigned author. She gave me the text and told me her recommendations. The communication with the author was the most challenging aspect of this process. There were many miscommunications and barriers to overcome, but, eventually, I was able to move forward with the text. I then wrote down the most important aspects of the books and what I thought would be the most interesting to depict. I compared these two lists and decided on the illustrations I would be making. After creating all of the illustrations, I separated the text onto the pages which had to be in multiples of four. This was fairly tricky to accomplish, although it sounds only like simple math. After moving text around, I added more illustrations to the book to make the pages multiples of four. I then scanned and revised my images and added them into the book. This seemed to take longer for me than creating the images themselves, which were not quick to do. After, I catered to the fine details of the book like creating a cover, colophon, finding the correct text, and text size. The small details such as those were never ending and the most difficult part of the book. I had never imagined all of the small, yet important, decision making that creating a book held. After the first print out, I changed the book three more times. I changed minor aspects of the book that went unnoticed on the computer.
The sketches
The Final
What I Would Change
Although this project was time consuming and frustrating, it held great payoff. I am glad that I was able to create a project in which I had to illustrate someone else’s writing. Although there were a few miscommunications, it was overall helpful and beneficial to practice this type of professional collaborations. I now have much more appreciation of illustrators of children’s books.