Artist's Statement Final

For this piece, I wished to create a more realistic Time themed project. With that in mind, i tried to incorporate fewer element in this project than in the last time project in order to focus on the realism. To start, i wanted to use an open space with no human interaction, so i chose the open ocean. From there i wanted to create some sort of feeling of escape but also have the sinking, trapped feeling somewhere. The sinking is created through both the open sea and stopwatch clock sinking?/floating?, its up for interpretation. The escape comes from the birds that are flying quickly away, bursting out of the stopwatch/clock. They are not white, but they are not evil either. After breaking free, they fly away from the sun into the bleak open air. The clock, both clock and stopwatch, represents a form of captured time. Some will control the time, some will be controlled by the time. This piece has a sort of dark mood and un-revealing aspect to it. Although there are many interpretations, there is no correct thought process when it come to art, and my piece is meant to represent what you make of it.

 To start off the piece, I found all my pictures and backgrounds for the image and named them the correct respective layers. I then split the background, which was the ocean and skyline, into separate sky and ocean. Hiding both, I then placed the stopwatch where i wanted it to be. The stopwatch components other than the stopper and the other lap function were erased. Then i placed the clock face with numerals onto the stopwatch and re-sized until it fit. To make the face more realistic, i created a new layer filled with white and used the burn tool on highlights with an oval selection to darken the edges where a shadow would be cast by the sun. Also upon the top, I then selected both the image of the stopwatch and the clock face in order to cut the bottom. To cut the object out and make it look buoyant in the ocean, I used the bright edge of the waves to trace around. Then the object was cut so the ocean would show through where the clock would be under water. Creating a new layer of gray for the burn tool on midtones, i burned the clock and the ocean in order to create the darkness i needed to seam the images together. i then used the pen tool to make a selection around stopwatch and used the gradient tool to create a dark to light fade on the stopwatch. After this, i then created a shadow for the clock by creating an oval on the ocean where it should be and used the perspective function on the transform controls to flatten the image against the ocean. To place the shadow in the ocean, i erased the edges where the waves would be negating the shadow. I then created a very slight gradient on the shadow to make it more realistic going from dark near the clock to more transparent away from the clock. To align the shadows with the sun, i also brushed in black around the clock stoppers to create a bending shadow due to the clock surface.

Next, the pieces of clock were created for the explosion. I used the birds to create a new brush for the eraser tool. i erased small, medium, and large birds out of the clock, and created different selections of clock to place outside as shrapnel. The birds brushes were also used to create smaller birds around the explosion area. I duplicated the birds multiple times to get the amount i needed and moved them around to make a random flying effect. To gain perspective, i blurred some of the birds and the ocean to gain a sort of focus, as if the shot was taken by a camera. From there, i created shading on the birds with a textured 'sand'? brush, including the wings and other. Next, i realized the clock did not actually look like it belonged in the image. To fix this, i created a color overlay on the areas of the clock that would be reflecting the ocean. I faded the color of the ocean into the color of the clock so that the clock reflected both the green of the sky and the blue/black of the ocean.

To finish the piece, i used the gradient tool to create a vignette around the edges to create a sort of 'story' look. The lens flare was also created to give the image a comprehensive dynamic feeling. I had to erase some of the flare and change the opacity to blend it without overpowering the image as a whole.

I really enjoyed creating the image even though there where rough spots and hang-ups. Overall the image turned out well for it purpose and serve to fit my imagination. I hope other find meaning in the art and happen to enjoy a sense of creativity.

Blog #5

My most significant accomplishment in my final is the creation of something that actually looks real. In the midterm, I attempted to make the photo look realistic but it was tougher since my techniques were not as structured. In the midterm i tried to use the brush instead of using the gradient tool and dodge burn. The brush makes lines and blending defects as compared to the gradient tool and burning. In the final, i have used the dodge and burn on separate layers so that the blending and erasing are more directly editable.

The most challenging project was quiz 4 or the face retouching. Since i had never done frequency separation, i had to try and fail several times in order to understand the actual process. I realize how the technique is used now and will use it to speed up many editing jobs that will come up. Since Photoshop is used for faces and skin quite a lot, i believe the technique will come in handy. Although it is good to do something the easiest way, understanding why it works that way is more important to me. Many people can do something they learned online, but some do not know how to tweak the action to make it fit to their needs.

In my larger projects there is more meaning than in my quizzes because of the time restraints. This is due to just showing skill on quizzes because i usually do not have some intense deep idea about a quiz, but the projects i try to put more meaning into them. Like in last quiz, putting faces on other people does not carry a message, but in my projects i use the color and objects for the meaning of the piece. Like in my final, I am using crows for the birds flying out of the clock to represent a kind of foreshadowing or future. there are other messages but ill leave that for interpretation. Color is a main detail in my photos, and i hope to convey a meaning though this color and overlay

Artist's Statement (quiz 4)

For this quiz i chose to do the mash up of Mean Girls and Rambo. I wanted to practice using textures and colors, so i decided to put Sylvester Stallone's face onto all the girl's faces. To do this, I used frequency separation. To separate the layers, i copied the image of Rambo and used apply image>offset:128 blending mode:subtract, then blending:linear light. This allowed me to place the texture of Rambo's face upon the girl's. I used this and an eraser to blend the faces together. For the first face, i erased her features but kept the colors generally intact. To do this I blurred a selected area of the face until the details where gone. The second girl, i had some trouble matching the colors so it doesn't look exactly right due to time constraints. The third girl was next with the incorporation of the  headband. For this, i highlighted her hair with the lasso, then changed the color to black with brightness and contrast. Then i used the picture of Stallone and erased away all the hair i did not need to blend the two together. Matching the hair with Stallone's, I played with the blending tool and curves to get the colors to match. The text and title were done with the text tool, editing the size and spacing in between letters to match that of the original. Then a gradient was applied using the original colors from the poster to achieve the original effect. After this, I ran out of time to edit, so the image is not perfect by any means.

Blog 4

For my final project I want to do something relating to our big idea and surreal representation. Hopefully I can accomplish this with new ideas and inspirations from artists like Dali and Ernst. Through this piece I want to convey a sense of darkness, but also an uplifting side to counter the sense of loss. To accomplish this, I wanted to make a watch or clock that is sinking/floating out at ocean but it is tearing off into flying pieces avoiding the fate of the rest of the clock. This work would be used in publication for a book or magazine for a cover. It could be used as any type of art, even stock images for random needs.
My big idea, time, is influenced through the work of Dali, a surreal painter, and many other sources. Some of these include 1000words, the website for photoshop users,  and DBH, a weekly design competition that hosts a variety of artists from all different styles.

 

In this piece I will try to do a new explosion effect with the watch like in this tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyqiRLVDXk4

The tutorial deals with exploding a face, but I can transfer the technique onto the watch and incorporate the birds as I go.

Quiz 3

In this piece, I edited a picture of my own face using frequency separation. To separate the image I first copied it twice and blurred one of the images(color) to get a smooth color. The other image(Texture) was applied under image>apply image, with a blending mode of subtract and layer focus on the color layer. This effect allows the editing of the texture and color separately. After it was separated, I lightened the areas under my eyes by using the clone-stamp from my cheeks. Then using the patch tool, I selected the texture layer and erased away all the blemishes and red marks I could manage in the time allotted. First the area would be selected then dragged to a new area of the face to gain a clearer patch of skin. Next, I lightened certain areas of the photo such as the eyes and cheeks with the dodge tool on the color layer. Then the burn tool was used to darken certain areas to give the photo a more dramatic effect. The eyes were cut out using the pen tool>make selection, and I increased the saturation and upped the contrast to make them dynamic. The stray marks were erased, as well as hairs and dots around the face. After that, I applied the filters: curves, saturation, and vibrance to add to the image's coherence. This completed the image for this quiz.

Blog 3

One of my favorite artists has always been the unique Dali. Salvador Dali appeals to me because the creativity and abstraction behind his ideas. His ideas include many subjects like time, dreams, and the unknown. These ideas he projects onto a canvas using a flowing style to create a visual masterpiece. Sometimes I wonder what the painting actually meant to him, but sometimes the interpretation is different for every person. I hope to learn from his eccentric yet organized style to create new ideas influenced by his design. With surrealism, Dali is able to create a dreamscape that seems very real with altered physics and proportion. most of the art work starts off small then is added onto to create something bigger. This helps because the artist is more detailed in creating each new part. I think that I can learn from many of Dali's works both stylistically and idealistically .

http://moromicentldwr.blogspot.com/2013/01/salvador-dali-most-famous-paintings.html

Shorra, a worth 1000 member, is a great photo editor whose photos look incredibly real. Her Images have the best lighting and blending of photos to make the image come to life. She has a fun style that portrays many things out of their own contexts. I often wonder how she blended the photos so well with the lighting of each. This artist will help me with lighting and overall photoshop etiquette to make pictures seem real. I hope to learn more lighting and brush techniques from her work. She seems to work off of her background then add into the foreground. Her images are very impressive and I wish mine look alike someday.

 

http://all.worth1000.com/artists/Shorra

http://www.shorra.com/about.html

Time. (Artist's Statement)

For this piece, I wanted to create inevitable effect time has upon everything. From time, I thought of something trapping, inescapable. I used a hole that would be modeled after the shape of  a black hole to create a sense of unavoidability. For the actual substance, I decided upon sand because of the "sands of time" thing, and the hole would also look like an hourglass. Representations would be placed around the sand being pulled into the endless trap of time.

The sand and its textures were created using different textures and paintbrushes. For the main ground, I used background of brown on a layer, then generated light brown clouds from the render filter. Then, I smashed the sand down about 3/4 its size. To create a rounded edge for the horizon, I used the pen tool to make a selection and delete. From there, I decided the best way to make the hole would be to use a gradient and mask. This I did, then I 'paintbrush'ed and blended a few spots to make the hole more dynamic and realistic. Blending the far side, I created a sense of focus and gave the sand more detail. I then laid a clock into the image and 'magicwand'ed the numerals to place them on the sand. With warp and adjusting, I split the layers into two horizontally and laid them into the sand in correct proportion. I lowered the opacity of both, and blurred the far size numerals while darkening the closer numerals. The sun was placed in the top right basically right in line with the hole. The sand where the sun hit was lighted on a new layer to give some reality.

Next, I decided to start the first object lying in the sand. The army soldier was the first and largest object I decided to work on because it had the most emotion. Starting with the image of the soldier in the mud, I cut him out with the pen tool and erased the little blips and edges. Next I placed him where I wanted him and warped him slightly to go with the curve of the slope. I wanted him to be "unknown" so I found an army helmet and paintbrushed it to match the sun's light and his coat. I blacked out his eyes and the shade of the helmet with the brush as well. The foreshortened hand was a little bit trickier. I found an image of the correct expression of hand, but the lighting and placement was backwards. I intensely airbrushed, blended, and erased to create a hand that had grime and matched the correct lighting and color. I then used the clone tool to create the rest of the jacket leading up to his arm. To eventually place him in the sand and create pouring sand, I erased the parts of him covered by sand and brushed in sand. To create the sand "airbrush", I used an image of falling sand on a blue background and cut out a circle of it. Then I used the threshold filter to create white sand on black. A gradient was used to fade the circle to black., then the brush was created from 'Define a brush preset.' I used this brush to brush different shades of sand falling from his hand. His shadow was created from multiple copies of him just blackened out and lowered opacity. I traced this combined shape to create a new simplified shape that was easier to warp and change the transparency. To create a more committed image, I used the color-mixer filter to increase his reds and yellows to convey anger and frustration. Curves was used to make the image darker and increase color through saturation. The lighting was created from lighting in the render filters and placed where the sun was positioned. To finish the man off, I used  the blur tool to match the sharpness of his helmet, and correct some of the image damage.

After the man, the car was next to be thrown into the pit. I cut the car out via pen tool and positioned, slendered, and warped the car to fit the physics of the image. The lighting was terribly off, so I duplicated the layer to create lighting effects via render. Then I darkened the other car from the other side and erased away the lighter car to correct the lighting. The sand around the tires was paintbrushed (with the 'sandbrush')in with a darker shade than usual since the shadows would be on that side. I then used a lighter brush to create a texture. The track of the tire was done the same way just with the brush. Then to finalize the image, the shadow was placed. The shadow was created from a copy of the car with a color over lay and transparency turned down. The rest of the shadow was airbrushed.

 To create a sense of disorder, the political buildings and statue were placed in under the sand. For Big Ben, I used the color range tool to select the blue background as best I could and delete it. Erasing the rest of the blips, I finished the image with color effects(hue/saturation/curves) and set it where I needed it. Then I cut the top of the tower off with the lasso tool using jagged strokes. It was placed on a new layer and repositioned and rotated. I made sand pour out of the cracks and holes with the paintbrush, and created a impact bump in the sand with the brush. Deciding duplicating layers was too hard, I just paintbrushed the shadow of the tower onto the ground. To work on the building, the bottom was erased to look as if in the sand, and the lighting was done via previous methods. The lighting in the sand was done with the paintbrush and burn/dodge tool. I wanted to create an explosion or fire to show the building was destroyed and give the picture some action. The fire was placed in with screen blending  and color corrections. I duplicated the layer multiple times to make the fire realistic(wind). I wanted to make another time reference with the addition of black and white. I copied the layers and made them black and white by turning down the saturation. To create a blend, the images in B&W were erased with a low opacity eraser. The clock was another reference to time, so I decided to 'melt' the hands with a paintbrush and eraser to blend.

After, I placed the statue of liberty in the sand quite a ways under the surface. I did not do the lighting on the statue because it seemed adequate. I used a replicated image and the color overlay as well as opacity and the transform tools to create the shadow. The arm was created by duplicating the original image and making the color bronze/copper with the color mixer filter. I did this because when the statue was first born it was brown before it tarnished. Then the top is black and white by using the same process.

For the background of the image, I wanted to use a picture of mountains. This represented the immutable stay of the mountains as we see it, but they will also be consumed by time. I used the filters like color-mixer to make the whole image black and white. The sand was decided to be flowing out from the trees to tie in the image with the sand.

The money piles were put into the picture to create a feeling of loss and worthlessness. The piles were already on transparency, so I just placed them and color corrected as well as warp and reposition. Taking the pen tool, a bill was cut out of the pile, and copied to a new layer. Then I copied this layer multiple times and spread them out in a random pattern, merging them into a group. These groups were easier to flip, copy , paste, reposition, and shrink quickly. I darkened the smallest and deepest dollar and faded upwards to create a depth.

Then, to create a whole blend feel, I duplicated the whole sand layer and made it black and white with the color-mixer filters. Erasing the layer, I created a blend with the black and white with the color to create a past to present look.

 The whole image was then color corrected and a vignette was added. I used the curves adjustment above all the layers to make the image a bit darker and saturate it a little. Then the vibrance adjustment was added for some color, and a red warming adjustment created a anger/danger/rustic feeling. The vignette was created with the rounded rectangle tool, then a inner glow was added with black fading to transparent. Some noise was added to the inner glow to give it some texture and roughness. The vignette finalized the image to create a focus and get rid of extra space within the image.