Weekly Update 5 20/02/2016 - 26/02/2016

Weekly Update 5 20/02/2016 - 26/02/2016

This week has been very productive, I have spent time creating multiple initial ideas and completing the 3D model of my Chess piece, Practicing painting in different tones to describe distance and also learned how to more effectively sketch with lines.

I also attended a short one on one with my tutor Tony to walk about his process when creating illustration, I learned many new techniques and it was greatly beneficial to my studies, the effective use of the lasso tool and gradients is especially useful when creating lighting, I also learned of a few new artists, i will be sure to look them up when I am referencing

I also found myself a nice pocket size sketchbook (A6) to sketch when I am n my downtime, (Bus, Videogame Loading screens, etc)

I have also found a new great you tube channel by the name of Scycra which has great insight on to how people practice their art and drawing skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0ufz75UvHs

This link has helped me greatly and I am seeing improvement because of it.

I also learned how to effectively Harvard reference so I can finally finish my essay, (It is very close to being finished)

I have also created 2 more versions of my 3D chess piece.

S.W.O.T

Strengths
A very productive week has allowed me to focus on a great many things that help me with my artistic progress, and my university work, finding new resource is always helpful and learning a great deal about a practice schedule.

Weaknesses
Because of me focusing on my own drawing skills I have let my uni work fall behing, I wanted to have my essay done.

Opportunities
Scyras video about initiative drawing inspired me to get a sketchbook and start to improve, I also learned a lot more about Adobe Photoshop and processes to be used within it, ans also a large amount of 3D techniques for use in 3Ds Max

Threats
Everything costs money, of course by now this is a threat that will always be apparent, however a threat that involves learning new techniques is the time it takes to put them into practice
I am worried that my new found skills will take too long to work our for me, and I have deadlines coming up

For Next Week:
FINISH the essay, continue with my sketching and print my 3D model out and see how that goes
I am also going to check out an event found at this URL: http//tinyurl.com/zxajfpu

 Sketches:

Chess Piece:

3D Models:

 The Bishops hat is attached via a peg that looks like the Soviet Union Hammer and Sickle

Form and Distance Practice

Weekly Update 4 12/02/2016 - 19/02/2016

Weekly Update 4 12/02/2016 - 19/02/2016

This week I have spent time practising my drawing skills, I created Weapon Silhouettes and A short kind-of skeleton tool-kit for the future so I can more easily understand bone structure, as I have a weak understanding of anatomy as of this point.

I also have began a Essay that involves a Duel between Traditional and Digital art, using opinions to argue for me to draw a conclusion at the end,

Still as I sit here snacking on crumpets and tea I feel like my artistic drawing skills are not where I want them to be, this is why I spent alot of time last week also watching Feng Zhu, Draw with Jazza and a new artists I have found called Xia Taptara who is a fairly new artist that paints using a digital workflow on his YouTube channel.

S.W.O.T

Strengths:
Allows me to gain more drive watching the artists and gain inspiration from their processes, Creating Silhouettes helps me understand form and appeal for the future and the Essay has become an interesting study topic, some people actually call Digital art "Not Real Art" needless to say I was slightly offended. Still it is good to see other people opinions

Weaknesses:
The more time spent practising, watching videos and procrastinating, the lest time I ave spend actually doing work and creating art, I have deadlines I need to hit, and I need to hit them well.

Opportunities:
I obtained some new Photoshop rushes from Xia Taptara and learned from him how to use them in certain situations to obtain the look I want, I was also able to create a nice image of a skeleton using a scribbling technique which I don't normally use, so I feel that has given me the opportunity to use that technique.

Threats:
Less and less time on my deadlines if fast approaching and I need to pick-up the pace, I will still get them done but I do not to make them feel (and look) rushed.

For next week; I am going to try and finish my essay, then that is one weight off my mind, I am going to learn how to Harvard reference and use it effectively in a bibliography for all my references.

Skeleton

 Weapon Silhouettes

Art of the Week!
Shanty Town

I was watching alot of things about junk yards and the very clustered urban-jungle NewYork city streets, It was designed to be a safe haven from the outside world which is why the town is so clustered and tall, but it has long been abandoned.

Weekly Update 3 06/02/2016 - 12/02/2016

Weekly Update 3 06/02/2016 - 12/02/2016

This week I spent time creating an illustration of my rocket chess, this eventually evolved into just a rocket, just practice perspective for when I try to create my final art for the design, I also attempted to create some 3 D models that are relevant to my 3D chess piece as more practice

S.W.O.T

Strengths:

This is a good way to practice, it is enjoyable as I learned new skills in 3DSMax which I have neglected in my other assigns focusing on a more illustrative role, 

Weaknesses:

This process stops me creating work for the actual hand in that is presentable and is actually relevant, I spent a lot of time researching and studying this week and not actually getting any work done, 

Opportunities:

I leaned many new keyboard shortcuts for 3DSMax and wrote them down in a pen and paper format. Practice makes perfect.

Threats:

My funding is running low, I almost cannot afford my Photoshop, 3DSMax, Microsoft Office subscriptions, if I don't hurry my progress I may not be able to continue working and get anything done at home.

We were also treated to a  big pile of inspiring artwork from our tutor at college, which gave me drive to create more of my own and adopt some of his techniques, but once again, none of this matters because we have an approaching deadline and 4 Modules so time to be creative is very limited.

For next week:

I need to make a start on my Essay, I still and not quite sure on what subjects to write about, but after a talk with my peers some good ideas have came up such as: Virtual reality and its effects in the Gaming Industry, Storytelling Through Game play and my own idea is: How Concept Art Was, Is and Will Be Created for Games.

Hopefully finish it so I don't have to worry about any more writing, I must also learn how to Harvard Reference before I finish my bibliography so give credit where it is deserved.

Rocket Silhouettes and Illustration:

This was just to get in the mood of the Russian Spacerace subject matter, I was trying get an idea of what I wanted everything to look like, the colour scheme, the silhouettes are just early designs to help with my 3D modeling process.

Here is one of the 3D models I created to practice my designs

Created using the mirror tool and extruding , beveling and using Movement scaling and rotation to form a bottle shape, I also found out how to add text into a 3D model to create a front design.

Another piece of art to talk about, This one was created for the Concept Art assignment back in year 1 of my foundation degree.

I called it Last Stand

This is one of my favorite pieces I have ever done, I think the composition, colours, subject matter and pointed character features highlight the image very well, and they all appeal to my personal taste, This was done using a combination of skills I gained using techniques given by the great Feng Zhu from his online YouTube school.

I learned much when creating this image, mostly about how I can use elements from the foreground to highlight the point of interest, I spoke to my tutor Tony about this piece and he thought that the best place for this point of interest would have been the foreground zombie, directing the viewers eye to my intended point of interest, I agreed with this and I will adapt this idea for the future, the point f interest doesn't have to be the most well detailed and well-drawn, it simply has to be the most interesting.

The Contrast in colours allows me to highlight the silhouettes of the the party at the top of the mound, creating a point of interest and image depth, I also attempt to use an effective use of light to highlight the point of interest.

My Creative CV Ideas

My turn to try to create something different, 3 Small sketches to try and map out a layout for my CV, I am not particularity happy with the designs, I will however choose one and make my CV based on my choice, I would like to make a creative CV inside flash and make an animation but for now I will just stick to a flyer-like version.

 Finding a mix between creativity and information display can be difficult so my idea is to have a police report at the LFPD( Looking For Professional Designer?) this allows me to link creativity whilst keeping everything formal and easily readable

The font is called Terminal which matches a police report.

5 Creative CV's

Now,at this point in time I do own a CV, a regular normal CV that a lot of job seekers will have, nothing unique in design terms, so I don't think it will be very effective at looking for a job within the creative industry, the jobs will be looking for skilled artists with an eye for design, so why not reflect that in my CV?

So I have 5 CV's that I have used as research and inspiration for when I create my own Creative Industry CV

Design and Layout
I personally love the design and layout of this CV, it is creative and casual, yet with a sense of formality and structure that is easy to read and interesting, The name of the writers"freelance company" Red Balloon Design matches the imagery the writer has chosen to display and she inputs the programs in which she is knowledgeable into the balloons, a nice idea.

Colours
Keeping it simple but different from the drastic contrast of black and white, Keeping the writers subtitles a nice alert easy-to-read red helps readers find the information they need quickly. It is pleasing to the eye and not threatening, not trying to throw design down the employer's throat.

Information
The information is quite relevant to the writers job application, however there is a lack of company names on work experience, this would be a useful idea for references as the writer doesn't seem to process any referees who can confirm the work or grades

Inspiration obtained 
This particular design has led me to believe that is is okay to have space on the CV as long as it is neatly formatted with pleasing colours, with an interesting design just to grab attention.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Design and Layout
The design and layout is commemorative of the old western wanted posters the layout is clearly meant to involve that knowledge and use it as appeal for the CV, an interesting idea this particular CV is not the best, but the idea for it I enjoyed.

Colours
I personally do not like the colours, if the design aims towards old western, then colours should have been used that also commemorate that time in human history, I feel like lots of browns, grays blacks should have been used to make it look more like a real wanted poster would have, she has done this for the image perfectly, but I feel like the rest of the design is missing that element which, for me would increase its appeal.

Information
Obviously this CV is extremely lacking, I like to think of it more like a portfolio folder front page, used to introduce the employer to the stream of information behind it, it would also perhaps work well as a double sided CV with the design on one side and the details on the other. Also Reward $500 doesn't really make sense, she won't pay the company to hire her, she will be working for them, in my opinion it should say;

          REWARD
"A Valuable Employee"

Inspiration Obtained
The idea is great, linking it back to something in the real world that people can identify is a nice way to gain appeal, however if you are applying for a job as a designer, perhaps it would be better to create your own design instead of just using a wanted poster from western times, so personally I don't think I will use this as a CV but I would use the idea for a folder front page.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Design and Layout
This seems to defiantly be more design then info. once again the idea is great, at first glance you think its hair, but the things coming from the lady's head are actually feathers, I think it is highly likely( or at least looks like) the individual who created this CV has just taken these feathers from the internet rather then create something himself in an attempt to create a interesting design, nothing is wrong with that only I think the fundamentals of CV writing were lost in creativity, The layout is all misshapen forcing the employer to rotate the paper every time we wants to look at some new information

Can you imagine something trying to read this; it would look like someone turning a left on a junction in a Range Rover.

Colours
Pretty colours, I love the fact no colours are used repetitively, just looks nice, as an illustration the idea is fantastic and looks good, only I don't feel like having all the info in boring black on white was a good idea, makes it seem like people are just reading normal CVs but on an angle

Information
All relevant information is present on the CV, but as I have said before varying font sizes, rotations and curvatures make the info more annoying to read.

The use of logos of software packages is a great idea, if only the rest of the design could have been done in a similar way

Inspiration Obtained
Don't be too overzealous with design, the information has to be neatly extract able without much effort, no one wants to rotate a piece of paper around while reading.

Maybe the idea of something coming out of the head and listing Info is a good idea, because it looks like everything is coming out of the brain.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Design and Layout
Very pretty in my opinion, i love the use of the image of himself to guide the format of the font down into a nice, easily readable, straight design It looks interesting and different, the stance of the image will be something you remember, in displays relaxation showing this individual doesn't stress about a working environment and it shows confidence, a desirable trait that employers will appreciate.

Colours
Quite nice I can see that the designer has a strict colour scheme in mind, it works well and doesn't detract from the information but highlights it, I do however feel like a coloured figure .would have been a nice addition.

Information
lacking unfortunately, No information about hobbies and interests, education or previous workplaces, this looks more like a flyer when you look at it from an informative way it would be nice to see such an innovative design backed up by informative information.

Inspiration Obtained
Perhaps I should create a drawing of myself for my creative CV, a kind-of Avatar that employers would recognize as me. could be an interesting way to get my name out there.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Design and Layout
Nice looking, I know I said before about how annoying a rotation could be, well I am going to contradict myself, this is very presently formatted to a nice smooth uniform rotation so relative information is all where it needs to be.

The avatar is also created out of many different letters and forts which is very innovative and different, he can be remembered for that quite easily.

Contact details are neatly placed on the top of the CV next to the name which i think is the perfect place for them.

Colours
Attractive use of a small amount of colours attracts attention to hot-spots that the employer needs to know if they are interested, I think this is expertly done.

Information
Everything necessary is right there where you need to to be in a nice easily readable format, however there is no indication of his interests and hobbies, a small criticism but still would be a useful addition for interviewing purposes.

Inspiration Obtained
I love the format and layout of this CV, I think it has everything you need to know and a nice design to go with it, its formal with a hint of casual, structured with a bit of design, a perfect balance to create an attractive CV, I am going to attempt something similar with mine I think.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Update 2 01/02/2016 - 05/02/2016

Weekly Update 2 01/02/2016 - 05/02/2016

This week, I spent time reviewing old work and reflecting on previous endeavors to create illustrations, It is a helpful thing to do now and then to see my progress, it gives me drive to improve further seeing the improvements gradually increase in quality over time.

S.W.O.T analysts of this:

Strengths:
Able to see progression in an obvious way that generates drive and motivation, knowing what you would do instead a second time is very comforting and helps improve over time.

Weaknesses:
Sometimes I remember old work that I can no longer find, this disheartens me wishing I kept my self better organised at the beginning of my education, having the very first few pieces I had created would be a great thing to have for the future so the scale of advancement would be greater.

Opportunities:
I sometimes like to re-create old pieces and allow myself to see how far I have advanced, sometimes this doesn't work our so well, but most of the time it is a definite improvement, this will help me build my portfolio for future job applications and perhaps even events/competitions that involve the subject matter of the art.

Threats:
Equipment breaking not allowing me to continue this workflow can be very annoying, replacement drawing pads, USB's that cost money Files and bits of paper getting lost, these can all be avoided now in the future but in the past I have been known not to be so passionate for organisational skills, I feel like I have improved with this over the last few months.

A piece of art I have been working on this week using the above workflow:

This was originally done as a piece of portfolio work for my interview to get onto my Foundation Degree course, I use the tower and the overgrown plant to lead the viewers eye around the image, the flat edge of the tower stunts the viewers vision for a second so they look at it more then most objects, this is also another reason why the tower so so highly detailed in comparison to the rest of the area.

This is not intend as a piece of art, but as a show of understanding of eye-leading technique.

My Target for next week will be to create some concept art that is presentable for my Alternative Techniques Module, it has to be presentable enough for my peers to enjoy/ gain critical information from.

This is what I have done this week, just a quick brief idea sketch for some of the pieces.

Weekly Update 1 29/01/2016 - 31/01/2016

Weekly Update 1
29/01/2016 - 31/01/2016

The first week isn't really a week, the 29th was simply the date this module was given to us, In other news, I have been working on a new piece of concept art that revolves around Russian Space Race Rockets!

It is going to be a kinda Vodka bottle with Thrusters attached to the bottom, I think its good enough, It is also supposed to look similar to a bishop form a simple game of chess, I still need to think of how to get this to work, so No images yet but next week I should have something to post up here.

I also heard about a new exhibition at the Newcastle Life Centre, Its supposed to be about all the movie robots throughout the years, like the Terminator and even the robot from Paulies birthday from Rocky, I will save up to go here for inspiration in one of the future weeks.

So just to fill this space with some art for your viewing pleasure;

 This piece I named Ocean Blue, It was created while I was practising the use of lighter shades of colour to indicate distance and a use of shadows to make the foreground appear closer.