Apex Logo Contest

This is the logo I created for the town of Apex's contest.  I designed it in Adobe Illustrator.  My inspiration was the train that is so famous that runs parallel to Salem Street in downtown Apex.  I wanted to make it look like the train was coming straight down the tracks, but this proved to be difficult.  The color scheme also posed the issue that I couldn't use normal neutral colors like black, white, and brown to make it look realistic.  I guess you just have to use your imagination and see a railroad, not stairs.  I like the simplicity of the design and the fonts that I chose.  The tote bag is just one example of a product that this logo could go on to advertise for Apex.

Stop Motion Animation: A Toy Tale

For this project, Ambika, Emmaly, and I worked as a group to create a stop motion animation video.  We started out by brainstorming and coming up with a bunch of ideas.  We discussed possible topics such as:  recreating games or Iphone apps, building a house, a tea party, and toys coming to life.  We also debated what materials we wanted to use and had ideas such as:  toy cars, dolls, candy, people, play doh, pipe cleaners, sticky notes, and stuffed animals.


We finally decided to go with the idea of a stuffed animal coming alive when his owner left the room and he plays the "Snake" game on an Iphone.  The game ends as he hears footsteps of his owner returning so he goes back to his original position.  This story can be seen visually in the storyboard that we made.  We were originally going to play another game called "2048," but we later decided that would be too hard to recreate accurately.

 

This project proved to be a challenge.  We were a little too ambitious going into it because we didn't realize how hard it was to maneuver a camera so that it did not move positions and manipulating materials so that they stayed in place and moved how we wanted them to was also a tough task. If I could adjust anything, I'd work on the audio.  We were pushed for time towards the end of our movie, so we had to pick sounds and put them in quickly without paying much attention to the placement of it in regards to the frames of the video.  I feel like our animation could improve on how the story is depicted towards the audience, maybe we could have done more to narrate and move the story along with text or dialogue.  Overall, I am satisfied with our stop motion and all of the effort we put in.  It was fun working on art in a group!

The Art of Ed response- Is Art WIthout Meaning Decoration?

     This reading posed some questions that are rather interesting.  The discussion of the meaning behind art and whether or not it is necessary is something I've never thought about.  When you're in class, it's obvious whose art has more meaning between the pretty landscape and the dark, symbolic, mixed media piece that is super original.  This whole argument can be negotiable to go either way.  Art does have facets that require learning skills and and applying them in new ways.  I think it is important to come up with really creative out of the box ideas, but sometimes working on a piece that almost replicates a photograph whether you're using paints, pastels, or another medium can show your mastery of the materials and ability to imitate images in life.  As for defining meaning, anything can have meaning yet it depends on the mood exerted from the piece.  A gloomy piece with a small bit of color can symbolize despair with hope on the horizon.  Sometimes you have to just go with the first idea that interests and excites you the most so that you will be eager to work on it or even expand on the meaning behind the idea.  Art can also represent where you are in life, and that provides sort of a hidden meaning as well.  I don't think assignments hinder meaning.  Having a completely open topic can make it incredibly hard to come up with an idea that you can picture as a completed project and a success.  While some may argue that that leads to more brainstorming, a better plan, and the fact that failure produces growth,  it is more productive to have a narrowed down topic that still allows plenty of room for creativity. 

Is there meaning?  But it helps practice with lines, shapes, value, and color-fundamental elements of art...but you could come up with meaning like you don't know whats lurking underneath you or expect the unexpected or it may look like smooth sailing but rough waves are coming...

I like barns

                                              (Here is my palette, I thought it looked cool.)






      For this project, we were required to create a piece that emphasizes one of the elements of art. I chose the element line. I used pen and watercolor to paint a barn and a field. I picked this type of media because I was inspired by some pictures I saw on Pinterest depicting cute old houses with whimsical lines and pretty colors. I decided to paint a barn because I love barns and farms! I thought the pen would look really cool shining through, and I've used pens a lot before. I wanted to challenge myself with the water color as well, and I thought it was really fun! It represents line because of the rows of grass and the lines drawn with the pen.

Stop Motion Artist Research

     I enjoy the stop motion videos using clay.  One artist named Alex, or 'Guldies' as his youtube name, makes this videos with such precision and detail that they are really professional and interesting.  He is from Sweden and likes to sculpt, so he makes stop motion videos in his free time.  I chose this artist because I really like how he manipulates the clay to make it look so agile and malleable.  It moves as though it has a mind of its own, and I think that shows his skills.  In different videos he has clay jumping into a puddle of clay and jumping out of a different puddle like it went through the floor or he makes characters that move around.  He does use an animation program on the computer for the most complex movements.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz7XjbC2bIY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uIQpReF1Nc

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

Hi I'm Claire, and you're watching Disney Channel!

For this project, I used a picture of myself with my arm out as an action.  I photoshopped myself in with a magic glowstick wand that they used back on the original Disney Channel.  I loved Disney and always wanted to do that!  I created the Mickey ears and Disney Channel logo as separate brushes and stamped them on (first picture).  After that, I used various brushes to create the values and sparkles seen on tv (second picture).  Lastly, I used another brush to create more glowing glitter all around me to tie it all together (large picture).  I really enjoyed this and thought it was a cool idea.  Using different sparkle brushes helped make the picture look like it was glowing and being made right at that moment.  If I could change anything, I'd make a more happy and surprised face.  The one I made looks only moderately happy.  Problems were trying to get the mickey brush stamp to look 3D and getting the wand to show up.  I love Disney and Disney World, so being able to see myself doing this is like a dream come true!