Graphic Design Reflection

I learned many useful skills starting with making a pattern. We learned how to make it from start to finish. We created a pattern and then found where it repeated. From there we isolated it and made it into a pattern so we could apply it on other shapes. We learned many other skills from how to add a shadow, to creating layer masks, to making a picture in photoshop look painted. One of our bigger projects was our logo design where we sketched out lots of logo ideas in our sketchbook and then took the best from each one and incorporated it into one on illustrator. From there we continued to tweak and critique until we came up with our final logo. The main skill we focused on and learned was the process behind designing and how to sketch before bringing that into illustrator. This ultimately creates a higher quality final result.

These skills we learned are important because they are applicable to more than just graphic design. Lots of ecomm focused on the process or how to work well as a team and that will always be a useful skill. Then on top of that the skills I learned from photoshop, illustrator and indesign will continue to be useful as I pursue animation.

Some of my greatest strengths are that I can work well with photoshop and illustrator when I know what I’m going for. With that you could probably guess that my main weakness is actually coming up with the idea to work from.

I feel like I have improved more everyday. I started this course barely even knowing how to use the adobe suite if at all. From there I have managed to become quite proficient and if you give me a task I could complete it quite efficiently.

From what I have learned, I will continue to apply it to any work environment and more specifically apply my adobe knowledge to any future projects in ecomm and after. The adobe suite is very useful to know and could potentially land me a job in the future.

If there were anything I would change it would be my attitude towards it. I feel like I could have put a lot more effort into it but i didn’t realize until the end how beneficial this class will actually be in the long run.

I would recommend this program to anyone, it is very helpful and I learned a lot from it. I plan on continuing to use this knowledge in the future.

Animation Final Reflection

Throughout animation, I learned many things. I came into this year knowing how to make an animation in keynote and how to model in Google Sketch up. I am now able to proficiently use Photoshop, illustrator, after effects, and Maya.

2D Projects

In 2D I now know how to create layers in Photoshop or illustrator and then layer them in after effects to make a simple animation. An example of this is the multi-plane animation we made. Other projects we did were the ball bounce, where we created a ball and an environment in Photoshop and then in after effects we gave it the illusion of bouncing. This was done through the use of easy ease on our key frames and the squash and stretch principle on the ball. The next project we worked on was the inchworm, where we utilized the puppet pin tool to manipulate the worm and create a life-like inchworm affect. We also created a walk cycle. This started with brainstorming a character, which we then drew on paper and scanned into the computer for animating. We animated this by creating key frames for the legs to follow and then parented them with the body so they would follow it. The last 2d project we did was our story project. This project had lots of freedom. We just had to include the techniques we had been working on to create a 2D story. During the second semester, we learned about special effects and made 2 different explosions. We also learned how to properly light and key out a green screen.

3D projects

We ended first semester knowing how to model objects in 3D. During the weeks leading up to it, we followed a tutorial series to introduce ourselves to Maya. After that we created what is known as a poly shape, which was essentially an irregular object where our mission was to light it using 3 point lighting. We also learned to model in Maya through the construction of a castle and a hammer. The instructions for our final were to find a pen and model it to the best of our ability using all we had learned thus far. We learned how to create a path with the pen tool and then revolve it into a 3D shape; this was done through the saltshaker project. Next we were taught about the symmetry settings when we made 5 different snowflakes and then animated them to fall at different rates and repeat there fall cycle to give the illusion of an endless fall of snowflakes. Other projects we did include the motion path rocket, 3d bounce, ice cream animation, 3d logo, container project and a toy.

Our final project required us to use all the skills we have learned up to now and even learn some new skills. We created characters and a storyline and then had to include a green-screened component, a 3d animated component, and a special effect component. This was by far my favorite project because it allowed us the most freedom, and we were the most proficient at this point.

  

Purpose of Skills

All these different skills we learned are important because they are the same skills and some are even on the same technology that professionals are using right now in the industry. Not only that but the skills we learn build off each other. Even from the first thing we learned about, key frames, this is an essential and everything we learn adds on to this.

Strengths and weaknesses

My greatest strengths are that I can learn quickly and I can understand what I am learning, this has helped me when I don’t completely grasp a concept I am able to learn how to get there and why it is like that. This is a useful strategy to be able to learn new things.

           

My weaknesses are that sometimes I expect something to be a lot easier than it is or I follow the lesson but don’t write any of it down. This causes me to oftentimes miss instructions.

Application of skills

I have mentioned quite a bit how I have improved, but essentially, I have been taught many more skills. That’s really all there is to it.

With What I have learned so far, I am going to continue to build on it until I can’t learn anymore. I will use this knowledge and apply it to as many things as possible. These programs I am learning also share similarities with other programs so I will most likely be able to learn new programs a lot faster. Whatever I end up doing, the skills I have learned will be to my benefit.

I can’t think of really anything I would change. If anything it would probably be using my sketchbook more and with that, taking more notes.

Overall, I would recommend this class to everyone. It is an amazing outlet and a great way to express yourself. 10/10

magazine

 

Something that really sets apart my magazine is the fact it is not a real picture of me, this is not only due to the fact that I'm not, aesthetically pleasing, but I found this style and I really like it. The artist's name is laurent beuten, I came across his stuff and found this would be a perfect chance to try the style. So overall I really like the art. On the other hand, my subtitles are clearly lacking.

Animation - Professional Project Review

Chris Jones "Ed" online video. YouTube. Google. 24 September 2014. Web. 6 May 2016.

This project's goal was to achieve a truly life-like head. They demonstrated a few different facial expressions, and even managed to tell a story. What makes this model best is the great use of texturing. They were able to get all the correct colors and the reflectivity gives an amazing illusion of skin. I would assume at the beginning where it shows the eye, the skin under it is bump mapped to look that way. In that case, the texture as far as smoothness and contrast in depth is also spot on. The story that this project told was emphasizing the man made theme behind it by saying that this real looking head was actually designed an manipulated by man, which is shown through the puppet. Something to take away from this project is that everything has an impact. What I mean by that is that if there is a blue box sitting off to the side of the camera, regardless of how minimal the apparent effect is, it reflects blue light on the subject. That is only an example, in this project, if they would have left out a few shadows or glares that seemed insignificant when isolated, it would have greatly taken away from the whole project. considering this project is focused on detail, I have included the basics of it on most all of my projects. The creator clearly did well with modeling and texturing their head, and then giving it lifelike and incredibly real movements from his neck joint to the dilation in his eye. I think the only way to improve this project is to add more. It cut off at the base of the neck. I cant find any glaring errors or room for improvement. I cant wait to see stuff like this where it is no longer just a video devoted to showing it off, but it becomes accessible to use in games or movies
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjHiC0mt4Ts

movie poster

I am very pleased with the final result of this. I had trouble trying to make his head proportional in illustrator, like it was in my sketch. as I got deeper into this idea, I feel like I began to stray more from the saul bass feel. There are still some traces of it; however, it is nowhere near as minimalistic as saul bass's were.

I wasn't actively trying to create my own for throughout the duration of the project. As I began to copy the same letter to use other places i began to develop this blocky, imperfect font that really matches the style of my poster.

My idea with this poster was to introduce the character Captain Kirk. The story line of the show/movie is they're searching the galaxy for knowledge so I used the star in the top left corner as the sort of goal or motivation of their mission. I also included a famous phrase from the intro to the shows, which is "The Final Frontier."

In the end, even if it didn't follow the expectations exactly, I was very pleased with the final product.

basic carton

The packaging was not my favorite project, and by that I mean I didn't really enjoy it too much. It does give insight to how much thinking and work goes into a package, and it helps me to appreciate package designers. For this design, I tried to follow more of a natural herb feel. To accomplish this, I used tea boxes as inspiration. I also looked at other hair products and tried to match their level of sophistication and lusciousness.

Phone

In this project, we spent a lot of time planning the idea and working on the functionality of it; therefore, less time was put into the actual package. So it isn't our best work but we still had inspiration for it. usually phone packaging is very simple and minimal and often times white. We tried to make our package fit this new trend.

 Our package is a phone case that doubles as a speaker. Now yes, you may be thinking "wouldn't that be very expensive and complicated?" and that would be because you're thinking of electric speakers. Our phone case has no electricity involved. It uses natural amplification by focusing the sound much like yelling through a cone. we found examples of this technology being used and translated it to fit our package and design. Our prototype has minimal to no effect but with further tweaking, the concept would work wonderfully.

individual project

For my individual project, I made a record cover for one of my favorite bands: The Beatles. My goal was to use the andy warhol and pop art style to create some sort of image. To customize this project more towards me, I decided to make a Beatles album cover. I had already done a movie poster and making just a picture didn't seem satisfying or applicable enough. I initially was just planning on making the front of it but then I got to making it and decided I would do the whole thing.

I feel like I did especially well on Ringo's face (far right), unfortunately the picture was at an angle so it didn't split evenly but it still looks nice. On the front, in order to give it the feel of variety of color, I checker boarded it with warm and cool colors. I tried to make the middle and back follow the same style but there is a clear lack of planning shown. I do still like the back though. My idea came from the fact that the front the top half is their heads, knowing the quirkiness of the Beatles, why not make the back bottom half their legs? This could have been done a bit nicer but in the end it works quite well.

Now, as far as the top right hand corner goes I could not think of any ideas that hadn't already been used on other records, I am nowhere near pleased with it but due to time constraints and a change in plans theres not much I can do about it. for clarification, the black part would not be printed, it is only meant as a place holder for where the record would sit.