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Assignment Final: Color Analysis

This project was interesting, considering it was a collage entirely based in Photoshop. My direction for this project was to experiment with something modern and cartoonish. After browsing news articles, I found an interesting image by Jess Ebsworth. It related to the article which discussed the effects of highly processed foods on brain health.

At first, I completely misunderstood the parameters of the assignment. I used shapes that were entirely too small, which resulted in an odd construction. After some feedback, I scraped the entirety of my first attempt and focused on quarter inch squares and triangles. I selected dominant colors within those small spaces, and the end product was quite satisfying. It showed Ebsworths’ pop-inspired color scheme, which featured shades of bright purples and yellows.

As for the collage, I wanted to make an image that looked almost as if it was being transformed. I deleted the corners of the color analysis to create a blending effect, then I selected shapes from the original image to clean up and place on top of the colored shapes. This resulted in a piece that looked as if it was a moment captured in the middle of a pixel transformation.

Overall, I enjoyed the project. After fixing my mistakes, the process was very relaxing, almost like a color-by-number puzzle. I am compelled to experiment with more collages in the future.

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Inspiration Post: Color Analysis

Pop Art

I’ve always liked bright colors and dynamic art, so I just had to go with something Pop Art-like for my final project. The article I chose is definitely colorful and modern, and it’s a joy to see the range of colors and the interesting color schemes the artist chose.

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In Progress: Color Analysis

This project is digital in its entirety. Because I’ve already taken Digital Communication Class, I’m fairly familiar with Photoshop. So, the actual work related to the project is pretty easy so far. I chose a Pop Art article image relating to how Americans consume too much junk food. So far, I am making steady progress! I had to start over due to a misunderstanding, but I think the end result will be worth it!

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Reading Post #4: Albers

This reading discussed the connections between Abstract art and Realism. Most modern artists, despite how obscure their art is, claims to create in the realm of Realism. His reasoning for this claim is because abstract art is merely a depiction of real emotions and experiences based on the perspective of the artist.

In my opinion, Albers has a point. Everyone experiences life differently, and everyone has different ways of expressing it. My only critique is this: How would we then define Abstract art? It all depends on how you interpret the word, so much like the art these artists’ make, it’s up to the audience to decide the meaning.

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Inspiration Post: Retro is Back

This is a cup from the Starbucks Summer 1 2023 release. It is a design that celebrates pride, and it takes inspiration from the 70s and 80s. Personally, it reminds me of Lisa Frank. I ended up getting both cups they had in stock, just because I loved it so much. This design makes me want to experiment more and research more into the world of Retro. I think fun art will result from these experiments.

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Reading #3: David Zwirner Podcast

In this podcast, the host discussed a painting created by Matisse. Supposedly, the painting was finished, and then Matisse struck the painting with a large red mark. The host conversed with five artists about the subject, and each had interesting insight on the methods Matisse uses and how that related to their own.

Personally, I found Matisse’s choice inspiring. There are supposedly no rules for art, so who says a painting is finished at any certain point? People change, experiences happen, and emotions shift, and I think Matisse’s painting style reflects that.

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Final: Exercise #5 Emotion In Color

This exercise was very fun! Creating a nonobjective design was interesting, as I took inspiration from flowers. The actual painting and developing of color palettes was a challenge, but an enjoyable one. I wanted to create a regal, almost playful tone in the first painted rendition. In the second, I went for a more limited color scheme to convey melancholy emotions comparable to a rainy day. Overall, I think my experiment was successful.

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In Progress: Exercise #5

For this exercise, we were tasked to create a nonobjective design. Then, we were to paint the design in two instances, where each instance should convey a different emotional feel.

I was somewhat inspired by flowers in my design, but I had to figure out a way that it was not recognizable, as this was to be a nonobjective piece. It was a fun challenge, and Im pleased with the final design.

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Reading for Exercise #5:

This article was actually very interesting, in my opinion. It expanded on the different types of sadnesses and how to correlate them to colors. Connections between types of sadnesses, specific experiences, and colors were made, and it painted a clear picture on how color can convey a deep emotional atmosphere.

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Assignment #2: Book Cover

For the second Assignment in Color Theory, we were tasked to design book covers and change the colors with paints, colored pencils, and color aid paper.

The first portion of the assignment was the sketch of the base design. We could pick whatever favorite animal, place, or plant that we wanted. I decided to go with a Wendigo, a creature from Native American legend originating in the Canadian woods. The Wendigo isn’t a real creature, supposedly, but I always admired the lore and form of it. So, with approval from the professor, I chose this “animal.” I altered the design a couple of times, including expanding the feather and removing ornaments on the creature’s horns. The final design was creepy, interesting, and a cross between organic and geometric.

The next portion of the assignment was to create Bezold color schemes using color air paper. This, in my opinion, was the most difficult part. Cutting such tiny shapes and trying to keep curves was a nightmare. In hindsight, I probably should have made my design more cubic. However, I am overall pleased with the final result. I changed the feather from green to its complementary, red. The change in emotional effect was almost unsettling.

After the color aid was the triad color scheme. I selected brown, blue, and red. While these colors do look good together, they also have specific meaning in Cherokee culture. Blue stands for the North, and brown stands for “down under.” The myth originated in the North, and the creature is Hellish, hence “down under.” Red was used to create an intimidating contrast in the painting. The final piece came out more garish than I expected, but I am pleased with that result.

Next, we had to use a monochrome color scheme. I decided on shades of brown, as these colors are present on the creature’s origin animal, the deer. It also is a color that comes up a lot in Cherokee culture. This section was satisfying, but more difficult than I anticipated. It was difficult to vary the browns enough to make the piece look geometric. I love how the eyes look empty, and there is an illusion of space in my piece.

The last part of the assignment was to put it all together in Adobe. This was perhaps the easiest step, as I have become familiar with Adobe applications through other classes.

Overall, this has been my favorite assignment in the class by far. I am glad to be able to express the Native American part of my identity and experiment with the design of the Wendigo.

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In progress: Assignment #2 Book Covers

This is definitely my favorite assignment by fair! I get to experiment with the Wendigo, a creature from Canadian Native American folklore. I enjoy seeing my design in various colors, and the process is very relaxing.

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Inspiration Post: Book Cover

This is a painting I am doing in my free time. I love creating dark, skeletal art, and the Wendigo is a perfect subject. I am experimenting with loose charcoal, and I intend to add a splash of color using oil pastels.

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Assignment #3: Research Presentation

For my presentation, I selected Lisa Yuskavage. She is a very interesting, modern artist who focused on the female form and experiences related to being a woman. She has a thorough education background, including Yale, and she is still creating today. This is a painting from her Bad Babies series:

Many of her paintings are very graphic, so I can’t post them here. However, I implore you to research her work, as it is very inspiring.

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In progress: Exercise #4 Nonproportional Color

This exercise is very relaxing and fun so far. The only challenge is keeping my painting supplies away from my cats!

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Exercise #4: Nonproportional Color

This exercise was definitely my favorite so far! I loved walking outside and finding interesting things to base my paint work on. I found the cutest little flower, and I had a lot of fun creating a composition out of the colors. I have a fascination towards cubism and abstract art, so I went in that direction. The final result was very satisfying to look at!

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Exercise #3: Bezold Experiments

This particular exercise was a challenge for me. The required medium was colored pencils on paper, and I’m not experienced with colored pencils. I prefer oil pastels or paints. However, it was interesting to see the effects of colors and changing them.

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Final: Paint Pixels

These are the final physical aspects of my project! Color matching with my limited supplies was definitely a challenge, but I had so much fun! The 3D rendering came out a lot better than I hoped, and I LOVE the gradients in it! I think I found my favorite new way to paint: In 3D!