#i did add extra orange shine to the light side of the dark stripes so it's warm a;kljv thank you im so happy it looks sunny and shiny!!

[georgesmithyear2motiongraphics]

Plastic Infographic Project: Asset Creation

15.02.19

So today I finished creating all of the assets that I would be using in my final After Effects animation. I created them all in Illustrator with a little help from Photoshop near the end. 

To start with, I created the boat that would be travelling in the opening scene. I read about the story about the ducks, and came across the actual name of the boat that was transporting the ducks from Hong Kong. It was named “Ever Laurel”, so I searched for images online of the boat, and found the exact boat that carried the ducks. I decided that I would use an image as a reference to try and recreate the boat, in my own style. The basic design of the boat does resemble the real thing, but isn’t as detailed. I created the bigger part of the boat using the pen tool, since shapes couldn’t exactly capture the design I imagining. I gave the boat a nice gradient using a couple of different greens. I then added the text onto the side, which reads “Evergreen”, and then the orange strip at the bottom which I did so by using the pathfinder tools to cut into it. The cargo on the top was easy to create, as I just used the rectangle tool, and coloured them mainly shades of green, and the large white cube on the top of the boat was also easy to create, which I also gave a little bit of an angle to. The kind of tricky part was the order of layers—I knew that I would be using this boat in two scenes at the minimum, and that the cargo would be falling off the boat at some point, but for it to be in front of the white cube but also behind the slight grey railings on the sides of the boat was slightly confusing. I ultimately decided that separating the white cube and the cargo on the far left would be best, and I would just parent the layers to the boat in After Effects. 

After creating the boat, it was time to make the first scene. I imagined this scene to be a nice peaceful-looking ocean scene with clouds and a blue sky, so I tried my best to pull this off. It would kind of act as the calm before the storm (very much literally). I made a shape that covered the artboard, and gave it a nice blue gradient to imitate a beautiful sky. For the clouds, I simply went crazy with the ellipse tool, and then combined them to make some cloud-like shapes. The clouds in the foreground were the lightest-coloured ones, and they would move fast. The ones that would move slower were behind these clouds and were more of a blue colour. Then in the background are some clouds that kind of fade into the background and will be moving the slowest. I was trying to imitate how things appear to move slower to us the farther away they are. For the sea, I had this idea that I would create multiple different levels of water, and each would be moving up and down at different times, to imitate waves. I also gave them all a gradient to add more detail to the scene. That was everything that I created for this scene, but I planned on adding some sliding text or something that read “January 1992″, which I would add in After Effects. 

This next scene was the storm I was referring to in the last paragraph. To create this, I did the same thing really, created a dark sky, and some larger clouds that I created using the ellipse tool again. Call it lazy if you will, but I didn’t feel the need to create new waves, so I simply took the waves that I’d created in the last scene, and changed the colour and gradient to match the rest of the scene. The next thing I would create was the lightning. To do this, I just used the pen tool and made a sharp-looking shape, I then gave it a gradient going from white to transparent at the top, so it looked as though it was coming from the clouds. I did this again twice. Afterwards, I created a splash, which I did by using the pen tool and just made a bunch of points. Then I used the selection tool to round the edges slightly, so it didn’t look like some wacky hair-style. That was all for this second scene. 

After creating both of the opening scenes for the animation, I decided to get to creating the ducks that I would be using for the remainder of the animation (or at least I assumed, based off of my storyboards). So, if you refer back to the storyboards that I created, you will know that my plan is to create a kind of turntable consisting of ducks, all in the aim of showing that there are no apertures, therefore they cannot sink, and will eternally float. I started experimenting with shapes until I got a design that I was happy with. I used various different rounded shapes using the ellipse tool and the pen tool (pen tool mainly to create the duck’s beak/bill) The side wings(?) were also created using the pen tool, along with the tail. I used a yellow-to-orange gradient for the duck’s body, and also made a small ellipse that was coloured a very light yellow, and given a slight glow. This was to give the effect of a shine. I used the pen tool to create a small shadow-like detail under the duck’s head too, and then again at the bottom of the duck. I made an eye using the ellipse tool. 

When I finished the first duck, I got to creating the other four ducks that I planned on using. These ducks would be at different angles, and I knew that some would be difficult to make. The second one was surprisingly easy to make, and I think that it’s my favourite out of them all. I did create a new body for it, a new tail, and a new wing on the left hand side. For the beak, I placed it behind the head, to make it look as though it was at a certain angle, and with the eye, I squished it so that it looked like it was looking in the other direction. Also, I made a slight darker shade above the body so that it looks like the head is slightly behind the body. The next duck was fairly easy to make, and just required me to use existing parts from the previous duck, and also that there be no trace of the eyes or beak, since it has its back to the viewer. The next duck was the most challenging, as I’d expected. I tried my best to make it look like it was midway between being backwards, and being upside down, which I think I kind of pulled off, though it still looks a bit out of place. The last duck may actually have been the most challenging, now that I think about it. It just uses the body from the first duck, but shaped a little differently using the selection tool. The head was supposed to look like it was above the body, and the beak that it was being viewed from the underneath. When I’d finished, I moved onto the no holes part, where I took my favourite designed duck, gave it a hole, and placed it underneath a no entry sign to signify what I mean. Also, I thought I would make a simple background to make the ducks pop. I went with light pink shades and stripes as I plan on using some kind of upbeat track to play along this scene. 

Moving onto the individual ducks, I started with the blistering heat scene, where the duck would be sweating. I had the duck centered in the scene, with a pure blue sky with no clouds and a bright sun. It was here that I first opened up Photoshop for this project, and I wanted to give the sun a lens flare, to make it look more realistic. So I set a really bright lens flare and took it back to Illustrator. I made some small sweat drops using the pen tool, and placed them over the duck. I plan for these to move down when animating. 

The next scene was about the duck getting struck by lightning. To do this, I essentially just duplicated the assets from the lightning scene, as I thought there was no need to just recreate everything again. 

Now for the freezing scene. I wanted to make a landscape in the background that looks like it’s somewhere in a very cold climate. I made some ice mountains (or just icebergs, whichever you think of first) for the background and coloured the ones in the background darker than the ones in the foreground, so I was sticking with the whole movement perspective thing again. The duck itself needed to be trapped in ice, so I created a block of ice that kind of went around the basic shape of the duck using the pen tool. I gave the ice some depth by joining the lines to each other at the center and colouring every other segment lighter. I also grouped the ice together and lowered the opacity so that you could see the duck still. I rotated the duck slightly upwards too, just as an extra detail that differentiates it from the previous two scenes. 

Now for the travelling part of the animation. I started by searching for Alaska by itself online, as I didn’t want to make my own version because it would definitely be inaccurate, and I want to stay as truthful and factual as I can. I did give it a colour overlay in Photoshop though, as it did have some small details that I deemed unnecessary for the animation. I then made a small box with the name “Sitka” in, which is where the ducks first appeared. This was to pop up a little after Alaska itself appears. 

 Next was to add the remaining locations. I did use images again since if I were to create my own, they would no doubt be inaccurate. On Google, I set the tool to transparent and large, so that I could find a good image, and then I could alter it in Photoshop. I chose to make them all a shade of red, just to keep the simple colouring theme going. To do this, I just took all of the images to Photoshop and gave them a colour overlay. I also had to erase some of the outer things like words that were unnecessary. Then I needed to create the flags that I would be using. I actually already had the flags of the UK and US from a different project, so I decided to just use those. Australia was fairly easy to make, I just duplicated the UK flag and resized it and added the stars. And then Japan was easy to make since I just needed a red circle that automatically aligned in the center. My plan was to have these flags act as little icons that popped up off of the country once the duck reaches it, so I thought that I would put them in little speech boxes, to correspond with the duck. Also, I made a dotted line using ellipses that I just duplicated a lot. I thought this was better than using some straight line as it adds a bit more character in my opinion. 

Lastly for the animation scenes, I needed to make the classroom scene where the duck is shown as the instructor. To be honest, I’d already created a classroom scene, so I used elements from it but took some away and also created some new things for it. The whiteboard and window are relatively the same, but what’s on the whiteboard and the characters are different. I made some wavy creations using the pen tool, to simulate ocean currents, or just currents in general. I wanted the duck to be teaching, so I used my favourite duck model that I’d created previously, since it looks as though it’s already facing the board, and gave it a chalk stick (And also a little stool since it’s so short and can’t reach the board). Finally, I made a graphic of Curtis Ebbesmeyer. This was more of an easter egg as opposed to what I had planned on in my storyboards, since you don’t see his face. I thought I would do this instead of my original idea of having the animation end with a profile of his face, because I wanted to include this teaching scene, but then to transition the shot of Ebbesmeyer—it just didn’t work well, and I think that I should leave it a bit open-minded, instead of forcing it. 

(Post-animation). I created a simple thumbnail for the YouTube video, since I didn’t want to just use a shot from the animation. I used the duck graphic, resized it larger, and gave it a drop shadow. Then for the side, “The Journey of the Friendly Floatees”. Friendly Floatees is the name given to the ducks by the way. I just messed around with the text as I made them smart object layers. 

[fashiontrendin-blog]

I Asked 10 Women to Show Me Their Ultimate Summer Look

https://fashion-trendin.com/i-asked-10-women-to-show-me-their-ultimate-summer-look/

I Asked 10 Women to Show Me Their Ultimate Summer Look

S

omething I really like about summer is how the weather provides an occasion to really get dressed where there might not ordinarily be one. Despite temperatures and humidity levels that might reasonably demand basic, sweat-wicking materials, it seems like people really take advantage of the vacation-like energy that appears magically in June. Maybe we’re nostalgic for the time in our lives when summer meant no school, no homework, no obligations. Maybe we’re just that sick of utilitarian coats. Either way, at least around New York, summer seems to have a way of encouraging us to add an extra earring or try out silhouette we normally wouldn’t. It provides an excuse to wear only swimsuits or break out the thing we’ve been saving, because if not when the sun is shining, then when? As a result, even in the least amount of clothes, everyone appears so much more fully dressed in June, July and August. And it’s so much fun to look at.

Because I can’t get enough, I asked 10 women to show me their Summer Looks, capital S, capital L — the outfit they keep wearing over and over because it so perfectly captures who they right now — plus what inspired them, how they feel in them and, for very important context, their go-to summer drinks.

Senior Market Editor at The Cut, @chupsterette

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Be Mistaken for the Art Teacher, or Most Likely to Be Twinning With My Art Teacher.

Why is this your Summer Look?

I HATE summer about as much as I hate wearing color, which is to say: a lot. I can’t imagine myself in bright floral prints, off-the-shoulder tops or any other warm-weather trends — it doesn’t really suit my personality or style. Instead, I’ve figured out that I like a uniform year round. It always centers around something avant-garde looking, usually by a Japanese brand. If it’s a top, I’ll wear it over jeans or trousers, and if I’m in a crazy skirt, I’ll tuck in a camisole or sleeveless turtleneck. And no matter what, I always choose comfortable shoes.

This outfit ticks all of the boxes since the Pleats Please top feels like something an extremely hip Tokyo grandma would own in triplicate. The Tibi culottes are a really old pair of pants that have held up well and have enough volume to strike a balance with the tank. I would normally wear flats, but I had to run around today to a few appointments, so I swapped in these low-heeled Céline mules that play off the black-and-white palette.

If I weren’t in this, I’d most likely wear a (probably black) Comme des Garçons skirt with pleats or crazy ruffles, coupled with a camisole and Nikes or sandals. It’s mindless but still looks like I put in effort.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

Winter is my favorite time of year since I love a good turtleneck, snowboarding and feeling perfectly climate-controlled. Come summer, my only goal is to wear the least amount of clothing against my body without feeling like I’m over-exposed. Also, I really hate anything that clings to my figure — it only serves to add to the sweat levels! So I’m always trying to figure out how to do that and still look like I work in fashion. I’ve discovered that choosing stuff on the fringes of whatever is currently trendy helps me do that and also keeps my budget in check. I can rewear this over the next three years and it won’t look outdated, which makes it worth the price tag.

I always joke that I want to become Rei Kawakubo, especially as I get older. I really hope this is a step closer in that direction. She’s so damn cool.

How does it make you feel?

Like I can survive the next two months? I just need it to be snowy and dark!

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Iced coffee with oat milk during the day unless I’m being super fancy and indulgent, and then it’s a milk tea with grass jelly, pudding AND boba. If it’s nighttime, then all I want is an orange wine that’s super funky and turns off most people around me.

Illustrator, @Jennymwalton

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Get Detention for Showing Too Much Stomach.

Why is this your Summer Look?

It’s my summer look because it’s so comfortable, but it still feels fun.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

From wanting to combine all of my most comfortable pieces and then style them in a way that still felt fun and not boring. To do that, I knotted the top and added a fun statement earring and a cute bag to match the striped shirt.

How does it make you feel?

Like I could go from the beach to a party! (Even if I’m just going from walking my dog to picking up a salad.)

What’s your go-to summer drink?

I think I overdid it on Campari last summer, so now I’m onto the Cappelletti Spritz instead. But I’ll still have a plain Campari soda every once in awhile. It’s so simple that it’s hard to beat.

Founder, Man Repeller

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely To Be Worn on the Way Home From a Long-Winded Meditation Retreat So As to Demonstrate Without Having to Say Every Twenty Minutes That You Are Now an Enlightened Individual.

Why is this your Summer Look?

This dress isn’t necessarily my summer look so much as the color (or lack thereof) palette is. I find that I’ve been gravitating towards combinations of white and ivory in whatever form they want to take. The majority of the time, they’re cotton shorts and linen button-down shirts, but sometimes they’re dresses or drop-crotch pants or T-shirts. My guess is that I am after simplicity — a lack of complexity in what I wear that does not suggest I am “simple,” but rather, it highlights the multidimensionality of being human. Whoa, I stopped thinking for a second and just let my fingertips type, tbd on whether that actually makes sense but we are going to go with it for now.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

Nazareth.

How does it make you feel?

Put-together — like I showered this morning, even though I haven’t showered since last week. Like I have time to stop and smell the roses. Like the luxury of ordering coffee “to stay” is one I take for granted because I am afforded its stillness so regularly.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Oat milk over ice. I feel like I was sleeping when Oatly blew up, so I’m doing my part to make up for the time I missed.

Glossier Editor, @minamigessel

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Make Her Own Almond Milk.

Why is this your Summer Look?

The sleeves are linen, so it’s breezy and keeps me cool. Sneakers, because comfort.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

German milkmaid discovers comfortable sneakers that make her look taller than she actually is.

How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel cute and sexy.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Shake Shack’s watermelon basil lemonade with a dash of Sprite! Hella fresh.

CEO & Creative Director of The Apārtment Global Group (arva, The Apārtment & Fole Studio) Personal Instagram: http://instagram.com/abimarvel The Apārtment Instagram: http://instagram.com/theaptmt The Apārtment Website: http://theaptmt.com arva instagram: http://instagram.com/arvastories arva website: http://arvastories.com Fole Studio instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folestudio/

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Be Underestimated.

Why is this your Summer Look?

It’s comfortable, and I think it’s also quite casual, but I guess due to the color palette and accessories, it can also be worn in pretty formal environments too, making it perfect for most occasions, which is great because most of my days take random turns.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

I recently spent lot of time in Majorca, Spain, and everything from the overly relaxed way of life, which encourages neutrals and comfort, to the sunny weather, which inspires light and soft fabrics, to the fun and entertaining side of the culture, which probably led me to explore wearing more jewellery than I typically do, has made me gravitate towards pieces that represent how my time there made me feel.

How does it make you feel?

I know I keep saying comfortable, but it really does make me feel comfortable! But alongside the comfort and practicality, it makes me feel mature, confident and ready for wherever my day takes me. Plus, with the jewelry, I feel quite fancy — probably because I never wear this much!

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Aperol spritz slushie!

Editor at ZEITmagazin and founder of C’est Clairette

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Get Denied Access to an Italian Cathedral.

Why is this your Summer Look?

This summer has been the most incredible I’ve ever experienced in Berlin – we’ve basically had sun and heat for three months straight. I’ve been in a swimsuit the whole time because sweating doesn’t feel gross in it. Plus, you’re always ready to join a pool party or dip into a fountain. The dress I found in a lovely vintage boutique during a work trip to Florence is the result of my newly developed passion for Italian style — you know, the beautiful patterns, the feminine dresses, the fun-loving atmosphere around it. There’s something equally effortless and over-the-top about the way Italian women dress. I’ve worn this outfit during aperitivo hour on my balcony and buttoned it up to go outside (society here in Europe requires me to do so).

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

I think it came from a fantasy. I’ve been picturing myself lounging in an olive garden in Puglia all summer, probably because I’m actually (finally!) going there in September (after seemingly everyone has been on vacation except me). And if a swimsuit paired with a Missoni dress and hoop earrings isn’t the perfect outfit for this kind of setting, I really don’t know what is.

How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel so free! Not only because it’s basically just a swimsuit and a shirt and takes me five seconds to put on, but also because it offers a way to let my thighs breathe without having to put them in shorts or denim cut-offs (which I love on everyone except me).

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Daytime: homemade ice tea (made from Earl Grey, lime juice and a few drops of maple syrup). Evening: Campari orange, always and forever.

Managing Fashion Editor at Nordstrom, @preetmasingh

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Make a Comeback.

Why is this your Summer Look?

I’ve been on a mission to streamline my life this summer, and my closet has been a big focus of that. I wanted to stop thinking, “I should keep that in CASE” … I wanted my closet to be things I could pull together almost at random that could work for the majority of places I go on the regular. Basically, I wanted to front load the effort so I can be lazy about dressing but still look polished enough. A denim pencil skirt and polo with a low-heeled sandal and crossbody bag is that boiled down to its essence: kind of casual, kind of dressy, kind of classic, kind of trendy, very easy. Looking for classic pieces with unique details is an easy hack to get there.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

This is how I dressed in high school! I loved denim pencil skirts, I loved polos, I loved a thong sandal — and I still do! There are some pieces that are part of your style DNA and I feel like I’m (re)discovering those in the great closet purge of 2018. Some things you just always feel good in.

How does it make you feel?

Good! But seriously, I feel like I don’t have to fuss or worry about something being out of place, which is paramount. I get really fidgety and anxious otherwise. The Sagittarius rising in me also feels like I could be spontaneous in it — like I could go to a nice dinner on a whim or to the beach…or just to work, which is most often the case.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Rachel’s Ginger Beer in Seattle makes delicious coconut dark ‘n’ stormy slushy drinks. They are dangerously yummy and strong.

VP Design, Proenza Schouler, @elizabethgiardina

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Obviously Knocked Up.

Why is this your Summer Look?

Because I am pregnant and I seem to feel the happiest in a bikini or a caftan.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

Necessity. And I don’t like maternity clothing. Also I love the colors of this Kanga cloth.

How does it make you feel?

Like I am channeling my inner earth mother.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

Club soda with bitters and lime. Damn I miss a stiff drink.

Digital Talent (Instagram), @slipintostyle 

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Be ET’s Date at the Leopard-Themed Senior Prom.

Why is this your Summer Look?

It’s my summer look because it’s super easy to get in and out of and I can wear multiple versions of it with different tees and different wrap skirts every single day and no one one will ever notice, I promise.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

During summer, it’s too hot to wear long sleeves, but at the same time, I need to protect at least one part of my body — my legs in this case — from mosquito bites, so a T-shirt and a midi skirt sounds like a good compromise.

How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel all sorts of ways: glamorous because the skirt is silk, cool because I’m wearing a “Space Cowboy” T-shirt and a bit like a modern-day Marie Antoinette because of the big velvet bows on my silver mules.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

A creamy and thick piña colada with a pink umbrella and pink sugar on the edge. It’s the only way to make me feel like I’m really on summer vacation.

Model and Student, @musegold

If you had to give this outfit a high school superlative, what would it be?

Most Likely to Ruin My White Top by Lunchtime! (I love white but am terrible at keeping them clean.)

Why is this your Summer Look?

My summer look will always be a tee-and-mom-jeans combo. A silk scarf material keeps me cool in the summer. The straw tote has been a staple this summer — my favorite trend of the year! As for my shoes, sneakers are always in and comfortable for a long day of meetings and running around the city.

Where did the inspiration for this summer look come from?

Comfort! I’m inspired by things that make me comfortable and are versatile. I like wearing something that I can dress up or dress down depending on what I’m up to that day.

How does it make you feel?

Beautiful! You always feel good when you find jeans that fit, right?! Pants that fit me in all the right places can make me feel like I’m on the moon.

What’s your go-to summer drink?

I make a mango smoothie every morning! I love smoothies because they reminds me of summer and they’re refreshing. I’m also an iced coffee addict and proud. French vanilla or caramel are always a good idea.