InClass Assignment 3: Juxtaposition

In this assignment we were given the challenge to illustrate three juxtapositions. 

The first is comparison between the modern day Sign Holders and Pan Handlers. They share common interest and themes but differ in their status.

There are many words in the English vocabulary that share the same name but have different meanings. Here's is my second example, Mousse – Mousse, the play on words between the animal and the dessert. Yum!

For my last, I wanted to compare the similarity of hand signals that sports officials call between Baseball and Football ... and how this affect the fans. 

I had fun illustrating but I've realized now that I don't often think about juxtapositions often enough to make strong examples. I'm pleased with my post but in comparison to the examples that I saw in class these are pretty mild. I'm hoping to take this new understanding, learn from it, and expand my horizons. I'd like to become better so that I can be more effective in the future at a design agency.  

Project 2: New Yorker Phrase Narratives

The story behind this project was to create a cartoon to be featured in the New Yorker. I was given the phrase "Miss! Oh, Miss! For goodness sakes, stop." I cleverly thought about these two scenarios in which this quote could've been used.

 The first illustration is of a lobster trying to avoid becoming a meal. He holds out his wallet photo album of his children and wife.

And the second illustration is of an obnoxious karaoke singer. I feel as though I missed a crucial detail in this one—i'm missing the member of the audience that is telling her to stop singing. Both were sketched with pencil then inked with a felt tip marker. 

I'm pleased with both designs overall concept. A few artistic mistakes such as the wallet in the first image looks strangely familiar to a watch off of the ladies wrist; and the forgotten audience member in the second image. I do like the lady in the first image; I like how I captured her attitude with a pose. It definitely looks as though she is giving slight concern but is waiting to hear out his last request. 

InClass Assignment 2: The Paper Game

The Paper Game was fun, similar to bad game of telephone. You'll start with a quote and by the time the paper pad reaches the last person, there should be something more interesting than what originally started. The pad was passed around in a circle, one pass at a time. Every pass alternated between "a quote" and "an illustration." Only the previous page was allowed to be looked at, you could not flip through the rest of the book. We passed the book 11 times. So you can imagine how skewed the message became.  Displayed before you is the first quote and the very last illustration.

My quote was "Stay Class, San Diego!" The classic Ron Burgundy (Anchorman) sign off. It was a surprise to see this illustration, it was nothing that I could've imagined. However, the classiness still remains, with the "classy" wine theme. The snake is wrapped around a wine bottle and it's also grasping a wine glass in it's mouth. 

Overall I think it was another fantastic game. I'm really loving these drawing games because they're  inspiring and fresh, and I can incorporate them into parties, too.

Project 1: Shape Potential

This project tested my patience as it seemed more and more difficult to turn the same shape into something new. In short, I think I've got a good looking set of illustrations. 

Speed & Movement: A paper airplane & a motorcycle

Enter Here: A look into the living arrangements through a unique window & the battery door of a remote control

Shape Reflected: An owl & the back end of a boat. Created with my shape reflected.

Sports: Basketball dunk & Miniature Golf

Unique Perspective: A cow lifted by UFO and my childhood meets today's technology

It wasn't till I took all the images into Photoshop that I realized I had some continuity with themes, such as movement and sports. I chose these final images because their characteristics became more expressive the more I explored them. For instance, in the last image of the example of the iPad, the figure of the boy using his suction-cup-arrows in the reflection came to me after outlining and shading. Similar fate with the boat and it's overhead speaker system and the unique living room ... which is a small taste of what my dream office would look like. The details that followed afterwards is what I like the most about this batch. 

On the opposite of that, I had several other ideas that I aborted because the imagery just didn't expressive itself like these before you. The one's I aborted: Tiki Statue or Easter Island Statue, Rain Coat and Shirt collar. Not very expressive as you can see. So very happy with the final product. Hope you think so too. Thanks

Day 1: InClass Projects

Exquisite Corpus

Day 1 InClass Project: Exquisite Corpse 

 Today we covered all the essential first day of class topics (syllabus, materials, projects, etc) and then we started on some sweet projects. Our first project was called Exquisite Corpse. This method of illustration allows artists pure imagination and complete randomness ... a recipe for success. 

 We were assembled into teams of three, each of us had our own 11"x 17" paper. We folded the blank paper into thirds. Each third of paper was going to be illustrated by a different artist, and with a different theme. The top third was for the head, the middle third was for the body and the bottom third was for the base/feet. Each illustration was timed before passing our paper to the next artist. We also drew guides so that the next artist knew where it would connect. We were not allowed to look at the previous illustrations, we were to draw with no fear or sense of restrain. The result that something unthinkable for one mind, unimaginable for one artist and just  down right great! 

In my exquisite corpse, I started with a sunglass-framed dude with a raging headache. The headache is coming from the infestation of snake-like creatures in the back of his head. He is also being followed by a couple off UFO's. The middle turned out coincidentally nice, with the feature of a name tag and the strange body type and appendages. Lastly the bottom successfully creates the movement needed for this dude to escape the UFOs. 

With a project like this one, I hardly believe that accuracy is a concern. Just get the ideas on the paper and don't stop to think, just draw. However, yesterday, i thought differently. I thought my illustration was embarrassing and that I was creative enough and no one would like it, even I didn't like it. Then today when I looked at it again, I was in love, actually blown away. I realized the potential of this exercise and I believe its a great project with great purpose. I plan to do more of these for fun and when I'm out of ideas.

Shapes

Day 1 InClass Project: Shapes Practice

And here is my second InClass project called Shapes Practice. On this hand out was a triangle (top left), a square (top right) and a circle (bottom half). The objective: to use the simple shapes to create something imaginative and unexpected. 

To be honest, this project gave me trouble at first. We were given 40 mins to complete all three and I think I spend 10 mins just staring at the paper because I couldn't imagine. When  inspiration hit, I started with the square and added a "lid." The box was a good place to hide or to escape danger and so I drew ladders. Soon after I kept thinking teddy bears ... teddy bears. So the teddy bears are escaping from a nearby danger that isn't seen from the frame. The teddy bears are wielding machine guns and rpg's. The one closest to the viewer is unable to walk on it's own because its leg had been ripped off and stuffing slowly falling out. I then added a few other helpful teddy bears all engaged in their own dilemma. The idea for the rocket engines came last when I thought, "these bears to an exit strategy."

The triangle came next, which started with the beard. There is something habitual about me drawing a beard or tentacle-like shapes when I have a mental block. I started there and then led up to the cycloptic eye. Originally I wanted him to be wearing a hood, Jawa style. Since it didn't start well I continued the flow into his shirt vest, which has fur trim around the piping of the sleeve and middle. The idea for the light bulb came from Chase's remark about the Illuminate. The cyclops has a slight love interest for the light bulb.

I drew around the circle last and I had alway imagined it as a lizards eye. So I drew everything I knew about lizards—scaly, organic spot patterns, a tail, strange extruded eyes. The very last detail I added was the teddy bear leg that was ripped off, which ties those two stories together.