Chalk Cropping Work

This copping (left) was the starting point for the following pieces which I created in CyberArts. With this cropping I recreated the image three times, two were paintings one large scale and one small scale as well as a true recreation done in pastel (the same medium as the cropping) but on a large scale. I chose this cropping because it had an interesting composition (DIAGONAL).

The first piece that I did was the large scale chalk pastel done on a form of newsprint. For this piece I decided to add more value in it then the original cropping. By doing this I feel as though I successfully made the piece more interesting by bringing in multiple lowlights and highlights, which not only added value, but I feel it also added mood, because the different tonal values, I feel help portray the facial expression of the subject matter I was recreating. Changing the size of the piece however, I feel these changes benefited the composition by emphasizing the diagonal composition, making it stronger.

The second re-creation of the cropping was a large scale painting. This was my favorite one because I enjoyed the large area to work with as well as the medium. I was particularly fond of this one because I feel as though I have advanced in brush stroke technique. My lines look purposeful and meaning full and the rough nature of the brush strokes, I feel best portray the expressionistic feel I was trying to show. For this re-creation I was trying to use lose and fast brush strokes to give the piece an expressionistic feel to it. For this piece I also added a large range of highlights and lowlights but I used expressive brush strokes while creating these highlights and lowlights to continue the expressionistic feel. By changing the way I added the highlights and lowlights I feel as though it changed the mood of the facial expression to that of a more concerned one. Also another of the significant changes that I made from the chalk recreation to the painting was a gap in color in the eye. I made the eye in the painting look like a more realistic eye, which I feel added to the change in facial expression of the subject matter. Lastly in the large painting I added small flicks of red pain near the mouth area, to finish off the painting by adding ( which I fee made it stronger) to the expressionistic feel of the painting. However changing in canvas size and medium made it difficult to emphasize the diagonal composition. I feel as though the added value, although adds interest, pulls the eyes attention away from the composition.

My last recreation of my initial cropping was a small paint were like the big painting, was done in acrylic paint. However I found the change in canvas size to negatively impact the end result, because I am not fond of such a small work space. I for one and more fond with a larger canvas, more room for expression as I see it.

There were several things in this painting that I changed from the large scale painting. Firstly I changed my line thickness so that all line were thin, clean and purposeful. I also tried to add more energy into this version, so I purposeful roughed up my lines (unclean) to add in that feeling of expressionism, while still being realistic. Secondly I played with the actual form of the lines to try and change the feel of my subject's facial expression, especially near the mouth ( I tried to make a smirk). Lastly, although it is almost non existent in the photograph, I added in a really light yellow in the whites of the eyes to simply change up the face so that it more closely resembles the original cropping. I feel as though the changes I made from the larger painting to this one emphasized the composition more.

These are the three pieces which I created from my small little cropping, and I am extremely happy with all three pieces. The fact that all of these were done within the first two weeks of the course, I am extremely happy with not only the quality of all three pieces but the simple fact that I created all of these within such a short time frame, I feel, portrays my level of improvement from last year.

Good Vs. Bad Music Videos

Lil John's- Snap Yo Fingas

This first video is an example of a poorly made or bad music video. It is bad for several reasons. Firstly the video has too many things going on, although simplistic in nature the excessive flashing lights make the video almost to intense to enjoy. While watching this video it is enjoyable mainly because it irritates the eye. Secondly, the flashing lights, I feel, distract the viewer from whats actually going on in the video. The lights almost completely distract from the subject matter, which I feel is a negative aspect in a video, especially when the subject matter is the main point of the video. However that being said , the subject matter of this video adds to its negative level. For almost the entire video the camera is focused mainly on " LiL Johns face, which is not only unappealing but boring. Lastly, I believe that this video wasn't made with the consideration of an extremely dangerous condition called epilepsy, the extreme flashing lights could cause someone viewing the channel the video was played to go into immediate shock. This disregard for the health of the viewers adds to the negativity of this video. It is these reason why this is a perfect example of a bad music video.

Highway Of Heros- Trews

No like the previous video, I will not comment on the actual song featured in the music video but rather the video itself. This video unlike the other however is an example of a good video. It has an extremely influential and meaningful message which, through editing, is beautifully portrayed. As well I feel as though this video has a clearly developed mood, which helped me appreciate this video. The last thing that makes this video a good one is the fact that it uses large amounts of imagery to portray its meaning, and when a powerful method like imagery is implemented the true message of the video is clear visible. Which is why I consider this a good music video.

Bambi Remake Trailer Reflection

The piece above (coming soon) is a modified Bambi trailer which I edited with the program imovie. The objective of transforming this trailer was to recreate the mood and the overall feel of the trailer by manipulating and changing the its initial sound. I decided to change Bambi, a sweet hearty tale about perseverance and love, into an extremely intense adrenaline pumping action thriller, filled with excitement of epic proportions.

The first thing I did was extract the audio, in order to have complete control over all the sound, which I needed in order to ensure only purposeful sounds were in the final piece. After extracting the sound, I then proceeded into editing the trailer into various segments, removing any scene that didn't support the new theme of intensity. Once all the video suited what I had in mind for the transformation, I then added the main music that would be playing throughout the entire trailer. Seeing how I was trying to change this trailer into an intense epic one, I decided to use the song "Intense Music" which I downloaded from Youtube.com. After adjusting the sound in garageband I then exported the mp3 into imovie. After having my initial background music, I went to work on putting in various sound effects and noises to add a sense of intensity and seriousness. There are certain points in the trailer were I've put in certain sounds that would normally sound right in that situation but given the background music it was purposeful and effective. One of the main places I did this, is the scene where Bambi and Baline are walking toward each other, when an opposing male enters, challenging Bambi. It was at the point that the challenging deer entered that i introduced a thunder clapping sound, to add intensity and to set mood. When both dears later got into a head butting battle with their antlers, for each impact I added a thunder clapping sound, to strengthen the mood that was set as well as to dramatize the situation. I also added various background sounds ie: dogs barking, fire crackling, explosions, water splashing ect... to not only intensify the scene but to add a feeling of concern due to the multiple destructive things that were occurring. This i feel truly made my trailer a finished piece.

However, other then sound manipulation, to make this trailer look finished and consistent with the mood I was trying to convey, I added various video effects and transitions, to strengthen the mood. For example, there is a section where the screen turns black and white and their is a still frame of the three main characters faces. I did this because this is when the background music became more intense and that effect with the combination of the music, I feel, supported the mood I was trying to display effectively. I also added various "fade ins" and "outs" in certain places to help keep the mood and emotion constant.

If i was able to start the project over, I would have worked harder to find a better video quality trailer because working with an average or low even video quality trailer was difficult, only because certain effects needed to be adjusted in order for it to still look professional. While I was creating the trailer however I came across many challenges. I was unable find the right sound effects that would add purpose and meaning for an extend period of time, and I had to experiment with a lot of different sounds in order to find the best one to use. I also found it challenging to keep the music in sync with certain times of the trailer while still trying to edit, only because once a clip of the trailer is edited the time frame shifts ever so slightly which could have drastically effected the mood, if the timing wasn't complementary to the music. Overall I enjoyed this project and I consider it a success, hope you enjoy.

Audio Recording Engineer

An audio recoding engineer is just one of the many jobs in the cyber arts world. They are the ones behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly and on time (sound wise). Being an audio engineer however means that you are responsible to complete many jobs, to ensure the best sound quality. They set up and test recording equipment, operate recording equipment to capture performances, combine separate instrumental and vocal tracks to create final products, suggest ways to improve sound and they solve technical problems when they arise. All of these jobs make up the job title " Audio Recording Engineer", which is why its such a challenging job. But the beneficial side to being and Audio Recording Engineer is the pay. To the the demanding ours and intense situations that Audio Recording Engineers endure their starting yearly pay can be between 20-80 thousand dollars, however the pay rate increases with experience.

Due to the large demand of audio recording engineers in various fields, such as , radio, recording studios, film and post production companies, audio recording engineers always have opportunities and places to work. Which is beneficial in todays economy, but that isn't the only benefit to being an audio recording engineer. The workplace for an audio recording engineer is usually indoors in soundproofed rooms, though some may occasionally do recordings of live events at outdoor venues.Hours are irregular, and evening and weekend work is common and due to the intensity of the job 20 hour days can sometimes be common. But one of the best things about becoming an engineer, for most people at least, is the fact that no special education is required. All that is needed is a high school education. Anyone, with a little effort, can be an audio recording engineer. All you really need is a "good" ear, a technical understanding of music, creativity, an attention to detail and basic computer skills.

Hopefully this little passage will inspire you to dive into the career of audio recording engineering. so good luck, and have fun.

Top Three Tips To Becoming A Master Jedi.

Tip One- Meditation

The first and one of the most important keys to becoming a master Jedi is the daily practice of meditation. In order for one to truly become one with the force, extensive meditation is required. Meditating stimulates midichlorian activity (microscopic beings that are responsible for the force).

For a master Jedi is strong with the force, so naturally daily meditation shou

ld become a regular practice. Merely spend 1-2 hours a day, in a secluded area, breathing. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts, to allow room for midichlorian influence. When done repeatedly meditation can be used to strengthen one's relationship with the force and with one's self. It is only through meditation that true Jedi mastery can bee achieved.

Tip Two- Force Exercises The second thing you must do in order to become a master Jedi is constant practice of midichlorian manipulation. In order for one to become better using his or her force abilities, the daily practice of force movements and exercises is mandatory. A beginners exercise that is easy to master, yet takes discipline to achieve is force levitation. Order to preform force levitation, one most first clear their mind of all thoughts, let the body become an empty container wanting to be filled. Then one must concentrate solely on the object of interest (try smaller objects like fruits or cutlery at first) and let that object becoming the only thing being concentrated on. Lastly you must visualize the midichlorian inhabiting your body and then leaving (usually out the tips of fingers) and surrounding that object. Before you know it you'll be levitating all sorts of things in no time. But remember, it requires practice, so if not achieved on the first try keep trying for developing force abilities takes perseverance.

Tip Three- Light saber Training

Lastly, for one to become a full Jedi master, one must be able to wield a light saber effectively and with confidence. Now in order to be able to master wielding such a powerful weapon, one must consider the blade an extension of the body rather then a tool of destruction. You must become one with the light saber, this can be achieved easier, if you were to make your own blade. (Saber crystals are found in the ice caves off the moons of Endor). In order to develop a technique however, one must find a Jedi master to serve as a teacher, for technique development is almost impossible without guidance. An easy solution however, if you find yourself without a master is to study the Jedi holocrons, located in the restricted section of the Jedi temple's library. These holocrons can be used as tools to better ones light saber capabilities, for they contain past knowledge from former Jedi.

Hope these tip serve as a gate way for you to truly become a Jedi master. But remember the path to the dark side is one easily followed, but the path to becoming a Jedi master is rewarding. I leave with these final words of wisdom. Fear is the path to the dark side, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate...leads to suffering. BE WISE FUTURE JEDI, BE WISE.

Into The Life Of The Great One

Hi, My Birth name is Jaylen but the name given to me by the universe is kuchaguliwa moja which derives from the swahili phrase, the chosen one. I am intrested in nothing this world has to offer me for i have detached myself from the the meaningless beings on this earth in order to reach spiritual enlightenment. I enjoy only the the pieces written by john william. I eat a lot of food for my stomach is capable if endless expansion. I have a job and I have countless resources of midiclorians at my disposal. So be warned. Im good in school and am considered in academic according to my reputation. If you require or lust for any more information about myself please mail me a request. Lastly on a side note i took cyber arts to better my chances for university, i enjoy photography and have developed quite a skill in it. Also in my spare time i enjoy influencing midiclorians, along with the chi in my body to gain control over my surroundings.

Blast From The Past

How To Make A Pinhole Camera

To make a pinhole camera you must first spray the inside of a tin can completely black so that it is not reflective and it is light proof. When that is done you must drill a hole into a side of the can, then cut out a circle of tin foil and carefully create a tiny hole using a pin or a tack and tape it with electrical tape in front of the hole you drilled. when this is done put a piece of electrical tape over the tiny hole you just made, making your tin light tight. The last step is to cut a piece of photographic paper that fits inside your tin can but does not block the hole, then but the lid on and you have your own pinhole camera.
I learned how to do this on a trip to gallery 44 in grade 9. To take the actual photo you must go outside and set up the camera to face the image we wanted to take a photo of. Then take the electrical tape off of the small hole in the tin foil on the can (aperture) to expose the photographic paper to light, by doing this photographic paper takes a negative picture of the image you placed it to take because the photographic paper picks up the sunlight and takes the image. This process takes about one minute and thirty seconds or less depending on the size of your hole in the tin foil.
To develop the photos you must properly develop them in a dark room. Place the photos in the series of three chemicals. Then put them to dry and when they were done, WALLAH, you end up with your own negative pinhole picture.

Personal Inspiration

Pixel Portrait

This piece is titled Digital Avatar. The applications used to create this piece were Photo Booth and Adobe Illustrator (CS2).Photo Booth was used to take a picture of myself to use as reference, and Illustrator was used to create the actual piece. I feel that this piece was important show to the world because I feel as though it best portrays my ability to learn new skills in a short period of time and use these skills effectively to create great art. The only thing I would change about this piece is the use of the burning tool as a shading mechanism, which I feel didn`t positively benefit the piece. I am particularly happy with this piece because of the way it turned out. I exceedingly like the way my avatar portrays me and I feel as though it actually looks like me, which is why I like it so much, because I accomplished the purpose of assignment. Which was to create a digital pixel representation of yourself. The only aspect of this assignment that I found difficult was matching the actual colors of my face to the colors of my pixel portrait. However once I learned a quick way to extract the same colors from my image and put them onto my pixel portrait I found it easy to complete the assignment, which I found very satisfying.

Shazaam T-shirt Design

Personal Inspiration


This piece is titled Wrongful Separation. The applications that I used to create this design were Adobe Photoshop (CS2), and Adobe Illustrator (CS2). Photoshop was used to create certain affects (filters) on the original photographs, they were then brought into Illustrator where I adjusted certain characteristics of the edited images and laid out my design elements on the page. I believe that this good because it is a good representation of my skill growth from last year to now. I feel as though this piece portrays how much my computer skills have developed since last year because the quality of this piece is far better than anything I believe I could create. I feel that because it looks like something I couldn’t produce it deserves to be recognized because it exceeded all my expectations. It also demonstrates my growth in my Photoshop abilities and my improvement in my Illustrator talents. What I really like about this piece is the bold levels of brightness and contrast and the use of negative space, which I feel is an impactful element and adds more depth to my concept. The only thing I would change about this piece is the missing handcuffs. I would add the handcuffs because it was one of the elements that really strengthened my concept. Unfortunately I was unable to do so because I didn’t have the ability or resources to add it to my piece. I had to overcome a lot of difficulties and challenges in order to finish this piece. I found it difficult to create and position the image of my head in such a way that not only looked good but was purposeful as well. In the end I was able to do so in such a way that made me extremely happy with the end result which was satisfying due to the amount of effort it took to get it to look the way I wanted it to.

Typography

The title of this piece is Hyperbole. The application used to create this piece was Adobe Illustrator (CS2). I think that this piece is amazing because it demonstrates my developed skills in Illustrator and my ability to manipulate words and letters in a meaningful and successful way. The main reason I am fond of this piece is because of the way it describes the word not only in the definition, but in the design of it. It allows you to piece together the main definition of the word without knowing the actual definition. Essentially I really like this piece because it meets my personal expectations as well as the expectations of the assignment. If I could change one thing about this piece, I would change the outline color of the text. I would change it from red to a much more vibrant and eye catching color. The thing that I found most about this project was getting started. It was hard for me to come up with a design that described the word in the look of it and not the definition. However with some help from my teacher I was able to create a good piece that I am very proud of.