mutated tree branches

Notebook drawing

the missing link

This is what I did in class on saturday. It was done in Corel painter, with mostly oils. I believe I did some impasto, and used the pen and felt pen features. And yes, "The Messing Link" is a play off "The Missing Link", so I attempted to give it a prehistoric look. I was going to make it look imprinted into the ground, like an asteroid had hit the earth or something. But, oh my gosh, this in itself, took quite some time.

I started it in Photoshop. And drew the letters in a normal perspective,and then used the transform tool. Which was a life saver. I remember at the time that I was drawing just the basic outlines, we hadn't gotten the Wacom tablets yet and I wasn't using a mouse. Anyways, long story short, transform saved my life, because I was getting pissed having to draw it with my finger on that little square sensor.

This guy was something I doodled in class a few weeks ago. I was going to use this for the line drawing exercise. So, I'm uploading it now, as an original, so that it can be compared to whatever I do with it next.

AND...I also reflected lightening in the water on that piece that's a few posts down. Ha, I had no idea that you could change the opacity of a layer. I just never thought of it--but making something look reflected is as simple as flipping the image and changing the opacity.

Here it tis:

Patterns

Well, I decided to take a stab at the background handout. Using my version 5 photoshop. lol It worked well. The original photo was one that I took about a year ago of some trusses that were lined up on the side of the road. And I had already altered it in photoshop, so technically it's not the original.

And here's the end result--plus two of the same images that I experimented with filters on. I loved experimenting with the filters.

I chose the two that I thought looked the most interesting. The first was underpainting, and made the image more block-like.
The second image I used the bas relief filter--which made the pattern look like that metal that's used for like ceilings and walls. I don't particularly know what its called, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows what I'm talking about.

Aqua Maestro!

Last class period we scanned in our collages, made from pictures, etc. cut out of magazines. I really enjoyed making it! I feel like I haven't done anything like it since I was a kid. I really got lost in it though, and created something reminiscent of what I'd think an LSD trip would look like. The two magazines that I used were, a yacht magazine and Seattle Homes--therefore, my theme is centered around architecture and the ocean. Which then transformed into being about the little pengin in the center, the Aqua Maestro.


Here's the original:





And here's the edited-photoshop version:

It's not much different, but I think I still like the original better. When editing the collage, I used mostly layers, and manipulating the layers with the filters. I did a little bit of other things, like cloning, and copying images.

The other piece I did in class last saturday was a photo that I manipulated by creating layers, and moving other images onto that photo. And after I'd done that I moved it into Corel, fiddled around with it and then moved it back into photoshop. I still want to reflect the lightening in the water. I'm not exactly sure how to do that.

premier

Hi, my name is Kiera Messing.
And I'm an alcoholic...no no just kidding. Okay Let's just say I'm an art-o-holic. I use computers quite frequently, for leisure...for school, and sometimes work. I've used photoshop before this course-- for photos, art projects, cards, etcetera.

I'm taking this course because I want to further my computers art skills. As well as my technical skills. After sitting through the first class, my intentions for learning are a little broader. I would like to revisit my creativity as an artist because for the past few years, I feel like I've lost the passion. Or something...Right as class began, and we'd talked for awhile, I thought of all the projects I'd been grapling with over the last year, and never really had the motivation or means to do them. I've been asked to do a logo for our family band, "The Messing Link", which I began about six months ago and then dropped it because I lost interest. I also had an idea of doing a series of presidential pieces, that would feature different presidents doing activities. I guess that is just my way of linking art and history, two things I very much enjoy. Lastly, I wanted to do some photo restorations, and possibly alter them in certain ways.

I generally work on PC's. The layout of Macs are utterly foreign to me.

I do identify as an artist, most of my art was done in highschool. I've taken art classes all through schooling. And once out of highschool, I focused more on music. I love music. Probably more than life itself.

To ease my journey through this class, and be the most sucessful, I need to be prepared with projects to work on every week. And I need to make sure I drink lots of coffee in the morning. 8:30 am is not my peak time of alertness.