Book Cover Projects

         

    For this winter season, creating an book cover for a chilling short story, written by a dear friend :)

Loving Watercolor & Gouache

              From the light wash of color to a solid medium to emphasize the importance of color theory. First couple of months was creating these Eyvind Earle thumbnails. You may recognized his style from the Disney Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp animated movies.

Eyvind Earle thumbnails A, 1"x1"

Eyvind Earle thumbnails B, 1"x1"

            One of our final projects, for the class of Information, images and ideas class, was to illustrate a movie poster, displaying our knowledge of visual communication through artwork. The movie, Tin Man, is an interpretation of the Wizard of Oz, from the Syfy channel 

Tin Man thumbnails,  5"x 5.5"

Tin Man poster, 17"x 11"

           Also, another project was to design a poster for our art school, with the use of contrasting colors such as shades of yellow & purple.

Montserrat poster A, 7"x 11"

Montserrat poster B, 7"x 11"

The End of the Semester

           You now the sensation that school days go by the so fast? Well, just imagine those days going by faster in an artist perspective. The time when final exam projects are coming forth and the scale of the pieces have to be as big as your size. When you have to show your learning from this semester into these large time consuming art pieces.

            The time that is spent on these finals is much more than studying for a final exam. Personally, the time consumption on these pieces was around four hours to the entire day. Not to mention, the amount of materials that would be used and cost to create these pieces. I'm not sure how much it cost but probably over twenty dollars. 

            My final exam pieces for Drawing was an observational piece of sea shells, emphasizing the colors in realism, color value, overlapping and mark-making technique. Then in the 2-D Design project, a symmetric design of geometric and organic shapes, reputation, color values and contrast. Overall, what I learned that when creating a large art piece it is better to be designed in pieces to they can piece together and be easy to transport.

  

 Pastel, 48"x18"

  Paper collage & Tracing paper, 30"x 36"

How soon is Halloween?

Honestly, I really need to a better way to motivate myself to write in this blog; just like my room mates who has to write a blog everyday about her particular projects. When you have a journal, you have the job to put into. So hopefully in the future I will put to affect into it.

Anyways, Halloween coming up, and it gets very crazy here in art college. This time is the prefect opportunity to create your own costume. Here you can be expressive, beautiful and your creativity in your artwork. Since these costumes are actually art pieces, something that interacts with its environment and mediums fluidly. So far our generation has recycled cardboard and plastic to painting your entire body in make or paint. So far  I seen people as deer, zombies, video game characters, furies, angels, ghost, and many more zombies. Really, they got the make-up and the zombies bites prefect, not as good as the walking dead but very close to it. I can't wait to see how different it is going to be in the far future.

What is Halloween anyways, bases the day of treating yourself in to night time. There are many ideas about what this event started at, such as the Salem witch trials , which gets very crazy here in Beverly. Actually, it gets very empty here because everyone will head over to Salem on thursday night. Although, I did here that there is a dog costume parade so I am excited for that and it will be quiet that night so I get some sleep. Okay, Halloween was first called Samhain and celebrated by the ancient Celtic as the end of summer and the beginning the harvest, which is the period of the living and dead are balanced. You could say that it is very similar to the day of the dead, celebrations of the dead citizens but with different cultures. With the Celtic, they did many animal sacrifices in animal skins and do fortune telling. Then when the Roman empire conquered the Celtic, their halloween combined with their, which changed to a two day celebration. The first day was the 31st of October, when they honored the death relatives and friends, and the next would be honoring the Roman goddess of fruits and trees, Pomona, where the tradition of bobbling apples. Then, in America, they bought up the creation of ghost stories and mischief making, so you can thank your country for toilette papering and egging people's house. If you want to see for yourself, check out the link below to see the origin of halloween.    


Resources:
"Halloween". History. Q&E Television Networks, LLC. 1996-2013. Web. 27 October, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/halloween

Well, I wish you all a happy and safe halloween on Thursday night, make sure you spend it wisely in your awesome outfits.

Day 37_Mice Expo

I got to say that I had my moment, the instinct that you get inside you, that really inspires you the most. Honestly, I couldn't believe how many graphic novelist there are that have a successful full-time job as a freelancer or illustrator for their client. Just a little background, the convention in titled The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo MICE that is held at Cambridge's University Hall, where numerous of illustrators display their artwork and merchandise to the public. There were over 100 artist from all over the western coast, who have graduated or currently in school. There are panel talks with different illustrators and creative workshops for the youth, so it isn't just a large panel of artist to look through. But what is great about this is that you can talk with the illustrators, whether you what to know how they illustrated the graphic novels or where they went for their education. I got to meet with a selection of them so I will give my input from what they said, be free to check out their websites for those who are into illustration major.

First, there is Ira Marcks who has the most beautiful watercolor illustrations in his work. As you know, digital art has taken over half of the meaning of graphic so it is really nice to see traditional work in novels, and well all of his work was done in watercolor. His cartoon characters has a great sense of color and memorizing characters that his viewers could recognize. The book that I purchased is titled Witch Knot, which is actually his web comic story that put together in a blinded book. I assume that web comic were just digital comic strips with comedy or style but this proved me wrong. You can slow put a story together in three panels and build them up into an unique novel.  You just got to see his watercolor pictures because they are just amazing, which mix the sense of traditional and modern art in the illustration department. Ira Marcks is currently residing New York where he actually teach cartooning classes so check him out :)

Another creativity illustrator named Jerel Dye, who illustrated short stories like One Android series. He does impressive work in digital but I do like his hand drawn illustration the best. In the page layout has a great sense of rhythm where traveling from panel to panel, for example where there is a threatening creature shown the page will display the reaction creative. Also Jerel has a great collection of character creativity, showing the vivid expressions and features on the fictional creatures. The technique that I want to follow is that you draw and ink the picture, and then scan them in the computer so you then color them in on photoshop. Coloring on the computer can be difficult but this is a great opportunity to experiment with color, style and tone values for the finish print.

Then, to my surprise, I met Joel Christian Gill. How I know him is actually from the pre-college program at the New Hampshire Institute of Art who taught the graphic novel class for high schoolers and also peeked at my portfolio during my junior year of high school. It is just made my day that he remembered me and get to see him advertise his passionate art to the public. I do feel bad that I don't have him as a teacher for foundation since I am at a different school but I feel like that will see him in the far future if I continue on this path. Anyways, his illustrations expresses his love to his culture and I love how he show it in his graphic novels. His characters are stylized were professional, as well as the defined contrast of colors in his panels. He does the same technique of scanning and coloring on the computer in order to get to vivid details. So big shout out to him and hope to talk to him soon.

Finally, Carl Antonowicz, thank you so much for your knowledge. He is a cartoonist/ illustrator who did liberal arts in Texas university. His illustration are stylized very personal, showing interesting mark making and designs of page layouts. By even illustrating the myth of a black dog that preps you for death combining a supernatural plot hole can be a creativity story to read about. But what was very helpful was that there was an actually art school that teaches cartooning, creating graphic novels, not to mention find a career in what you love. The Center for Cartoon studies is located in White River Junction, Vermont, which is some where in the small town in the wilderness. I had no idea about this about this but everyone at the expo said a positive comment about the school. Carl,and even two illustrators named Amelia Onorate and Lena H. Chandhok, said that it was wonderful to attend. By the way, big shout out to Lena for asking to looking at my sketch book and giving great feed back on my illustrations. Lena illustrations cute short stories, who just captures the emotions and imagery in her book "Abominable" :) Then Amelia Onorate illustrations are creativity stylized in her novel Rockail, with such vivid pieces in each panel. Right now I just am motivated to go attend this school, right after completing college, go there and get connected with the cartooning community.

Finally, there were just some really fascinating artwork that stuck out to me from these illustrators. One is Rosemary Mosco, who created a great blend of biology and art as she designs cute interpretations of nature creatures. The color are beautiful and she just has a great sense of humor in her art. Next illustrator, Eric Feurstein, draws these creativity characters in "Rutabaga, the adventure chef". Just imagine a story about a hero who travels around finding the best recipes with his giant kitchen and his animated cook cauldron. He illustrations very creativity, and his line work is just beautiful in each panel. Lastly, Writer Erik Carlson and Illustrator Bill Hewitt come together put create Tiki PI, Hawaii's only supernatural detective. I got to say that Bill Hewitt's art really makes this character come alive, showing right shades and value in every panel.

So lastly, I will wrap this up soon by telling about the panel talk I attended, which was about Comics and the Career department for illustrators. The representer were Collen AF Venable, Joe Quinones, Shelli Paroline and Dan Moynihan. I can't quite remember what they said but I can list the notes I took when they answered the questions.
- Be outgoing and passionate in the cartoonist/ comic community
- Continue to read books and discover web comics for inspiration
- Research other illustrators, learning from their styles or choices in their artwork
-Find ways to show off your exhibit in a gallery, expo or anywhere else
-Don't start big, start off with a mini stories, which could be put together in a book
-Start a web comic so you can get connected in the social media
Have a good relationship and connection between your co-workers, other artists and clients
-Figure out stuff with your editor, and learn to say "no" once in a while
- Time management!! Have an estimation on how long it takes you to finish a project
-Don't de-value your art ability to jobs for no money so much
-Teach or go on school tours for children
-As a illustrator, you are devoted to your art but have at a least to relax and communicate with your peers
-Find your editors and publishers at expos or online
-If you fear that you won't finish your project that specific deadline, tell your editor immediately
-Be connected to the illustration community, so you can work off one another and draw with each
-Ask yourself WHAT'S YOUR BUDGET?

They all are helpful to follow, but I think the first step I will take from these guideline is to do a web comic. Something that I can build up and show off online so editors can actually look me up in the future, and see my past artwork. My only hope that my college life doesn't consume this task to happen, I just feel this would be a good start to go for.

Overall, all the artist I saw did have unique talent and I wish them all the best in the future that they continua with their art. I do recommend this to you for attending and see how successful illustrators can be. By talking to them or viewing their printed work was just the best moment to feel as a young artist. Now my future goal is to join them at the expo, with my illustrations professional printed :)            

Day 36_So far too good

Well, I am definitely getting that college feeling, you know when you have to motivate yourself to go out or think for yourself. Especially in an art school, you really are pressured to make those decisions and have evidence why you are doing this in your artwork. It isn't a negative idea because people can comment on your ideas, bad news is that you have to criteria your thought.

At Art school, it counts as participation score to critic each others work, saying whether it meets all criteria or that its needs to be rotated, added or removed from the piece. Here's a sample, through this month of 2-D Design we worked in the medium of paper collage to learn negative and positive space. From geometric shapes, bio-organic curves, torn paper to overlapping folds, our hands were stain with dry up glue and paper bits. I still have learned a new sense of this concept but I will have to have a misinterpreted piece that doesn't work. I have gone through three glue sticks, I have a little break to purchase more because we are doing tone in acrylic paints. Yay, painting tiny squares of tones make my night.

I got to say that I am happy to be in the Information, images and idea class with my professor. Everyday, so many doors of knowledge get open in my class when he speaks to us. Combining the teaching of graphic design and illustrating makes a great class for artist to takes, in order to understand how an image can define an idea or message. In our recent classes, he introduced us to Mary Blair's artwork, best known for disney color schemes. Honestly, every class he is showing use all his favorite artists so we can understand what they are showing in their art. One of his belief that everyone must know Saul Bass and three different type of every artist. Moving on, in his class he showed us a video about the knowledge of Helvetica. Here your fact of the day: Helvetica font is used in advertisement, traffic signs and warning messages world wide but it actually means Switzerland. Mind blown! All you artist should have motivation to from your artist instructor so you can forwards in your art. Recently, I have been doing research and sketching illustrators' artwork for the far future.

Now, I know it has been 36 days, but a small town can really get so close to you. Even when it is so close to the urban, superstition community in Massachusetts. There have been tons of people I met that have embraced their love for witchcraft or psychic powers here. There isn't nothing wrong with it, it has benefit those who were able to find a place where you are accepted for those powers or they don't really care about. Although this means that "everyone will remember you for doing that stupid mistake and it will take forever for people to look past that" but that the chance that people took when they came here.

This small school will have you know artist's faces and their names, your instructors will remember you and you get around the campus much easier. The cons are that there will be vicious drama between your room mates, tight security, and many more that will be pulled out of my head later on. Right now, I still figuring out whether to focus on my priorates or think about what seems right for college life. Pretty much, being 18 doesn't make things better for this seminar.

Oh, yeah, I was suppose to talk about the whose line is it anyways night at Art school. To make it easy, imagine the actually television show just with college kids but with a lack of improv. There were some good moments, especially in the movie situation ones (where the situation would move on through different film themes like romanic comedy, musical, horror, soap opera, etc). But next time they need to think more outside the art college area, at least have creative situations not always based on the campus.

Next time, which means tomorrow, I will explain my trip to a Boston gallery . . .      

Day 23_Another island

I thought I had everything was at my fingertips; that I could change, I could be someone else. That I could live another life here at art school because being accepted by four different art schools was the greatest spark for me. I know that I was going to art school, because I had them most supported family behind me: loving parents, siblings, two artist aunt, and the artist community back home. But they couldn't be the ones to decide which art school.

 But honestly, it wasn't emotional as I thought that I would dream of. I didn't throw art supply, I didn't run out of the house and drove off in the car. I let all that stress consume me in the room, knowing that all my education would come from that specific school. After a hour or so, and stormed downstairs and declared that I would go to Montserrat. If you don't know, this is a small art school in the town of Beverly, MA. This town is located right out of the large mayhem towns like Boston and Salem. What I like about this school is that it acts as a community, very powerful influence on living an independent life and bonding with professors from numerous different schools (such as Rhode Island school of Art and Design). 

Today, Sunday, the 15th of September, I wanted to explain my first day of living in Beverly when the art world doesn't consume you. There is a difference between living as a student and living as a small adult. Homework can really that up your day; I broken down my homework schedule like this. I have 2-3 hours on still life's, 45 minutes on small paper collages, 20 minutes on research, 1 hour on rewriting notes, 30-50 minutes on re-editing and at least 1 hour to procrastinate. I'm even able to motivate myself to do my illustration drawings and self-teaching to use drawing tablet. Its an easy routine to follow on the weekdays and long weekend, except today. Saturday boredom gave me the motivation to finish all my art homework which made Sunday, my first free day.

 

That would be the day where you would jump on the friendly comfort zone, the couch, just to watch Netflix, play on your video game system, eat your bag of chips or find a day to go out with your college friends. I wish I had that day. I honestly tried to set me in that by eating two handfuls of honey flavored chez mix and watching a bunch of adventure time, just like a college student would do. But that isn't me, I can't always put myself in that position. I will always wanted to be doing something besides artwork. I then decided to wander around Beverly, going out further than my regular routine and finding new paths to follow. Afterwards, when I was resting in the commons or in front of my computer screen, I'm resigning on another island.

Back home, I lived in the middle of the forrest separated from my town. I see it as an island because deep into them is another part of the world that you decide to explore. The only way to go out my neighborhood was in a small vehicle, biking was the most annoying and stressful way to getting out to go to work, school, shopping square or a friend's house. Here in Beverly, this is an island, if we need to go into the excitement is to have a car or train, aka money route. However, even though Montserrat is in the middle of the town around the sketchy alleyways and the rich beach neighborhood, I am not in the woods. I might be on an island but I should use the best of it by interacting with the art community and the town. I am not going to waste it by hiding out in my apartment. I will not waste my college time on this island, which I can find time to escape Beverly to visit other parts of New England coast.

But today wasn't waste, from a particular club meeting to a large fair of games. Think of high school spirit day but taken outside and games titled college mature. This featured dropping mentos into root beer bottle, swinging balls to knock off cups, balancing chocolate cupcakes on someones heads, grabbing a dollar underneath a cup, wrapping someone up in paper and many more. All I know is that made my day, especially the people I worked with, Team Spirit :D Made me want to look forwards to the college activities that it opens up. 

Coming up, Whose line is it anyways college skits . . .