Keep the productivity going

Yet another new design, this time for a save the date:

Banner Save the Date

This adorable design will eventually have a wedding package to match. With my holiday retail job ending, my Etsy productivity will hopefully increase. :)

Something new...

After filling several sketchbook pages and playing around on Photoshop, I've decided to finally put my graphic design skills to use on Etsy.  I am now offering wedding save the dates, invitations, and thank yous.  These are customized digital files that can be printed via an online company (such as MOO or Vistaprint) or at home.  Only one design is available now, but I have several others that will be ready this week (they just need a bit more finessing before they're ready).

 Postcard save the date

A special thanks to photographer Alex Siebenthal, for allowing me to use her images for the samples!

This is what it sounds like when the doves cry

My website work has taken a backseat to class assignments.  Thankfully the semester is almost over and I'll be back on track soon.  In the meantime, here's what I've been working on this week:

The class assignment was to create a CD package.  Usually these assignments come quickly, but this time I just wasn't into it.  It took me a week to finally decide which artist/band I wanted to design for, and a day of scrapped concepts before inspiration struck.

My biggest problem was over-thinking it.  I originally sketched a collage-style cover with portraits, doves, and that nifty symbol Prince used to go by.  It didn't work.  So after much frustration I did the only thing I could: listen to The Very Best of Prince on a loop.  That worked.

All-in-all I'm pretty happy with how these pieces turned out.  They have a gritty/epic/mysterious feel that invokes Prince's music without using an image of the artist himself.  The overall technique was borrowed from an online Photoshop tutorial I found months ago, with a few tweaks to suit my needs.  It's a cool effect that I can definitely use again.

Just a touch of vanity

 

Self-Portrait.  Created in Photoshop incorporating an online photo mosaic tutorial.

This is my most recent class assignment.  I've never really enjoyed creating self-portraits.  (I guess I must be missing that artist gene.)  This one was fairly enjoyable to create, though I never realized how few photos I actually have of myself.

It's a small world after all

 

Hyde Park.  Sydney, Australia.

Tilt-Shift "miniature" created in Photoshop.

Mother of the Missions

"Postcard" of Mission San Diego de Alcala, created using Photoshop.

A brain is a terrible thing to waste

Class assignment, creating a magazine masthead and cover using Photoshop.  

The image is a sculpture I photographed in Sydney, Australia this past June.  Just playing around with adjustment layers and filters created a dynamic image, suitable for a cutting-edge science periodical.

Photoshop Fun Continued...

This is the next incarnation of a previously posted class assignment:

This cute little guy was photographed at the Koala Park Sanctuary in West Pennant Hills, Australia.

Photoshop Fun

The fall semester is underway!

This semester I'm taking a courses in Photoshop and Flash.  I've been a casual PS user for a number of years, but have never taken a class focusing on the software.  The first few assignments have been pretty basic, but still fun and informative.

This week's assignment was to create a texture quilt using the crop tool and upsampling/downsampling techniques.  I opted to use only images from my trip to Sydney:

I really like the concept of this assignment.  It's a unique way to display vacation photos, possibly as a calendar image or thank you card.

The Flash class is a bit more challenging at the moment.  My only exposure to the software was as an animation intern three years ago.  It will be fun to create some basic animations, which I hope to incorporate into some web design ideas I have.  I'm working on an online portfolio to help with my internship/job search.  Fingers crossed I can get it all together (and looking excellent) by January!

Happy Independence Day!

George Washington Monument from the Potomac River

SYD

(Early) Spring Cleaning

I've been cleaning my hard drive, and keep coming across files from my college days. This is a series of tonal studies done for a computer based painting class using Corel Painter IX:



I haven't used Painter in awhile, and am beginning to become reacquainted with the software. While I enjoy how easy it is to "paint" digitally, I miss actual painting more. My easel and brushes have been sitting in the garage since last May, but I haven't felt the urge to use them until more recently. I think my project this weekend will be making a new palette (I prefer glass palettes, and my old one was unfortunately broken months ago), and finally get going on my mom's Mother's Day gift.

Tilt-Shift Revisited

I'm definitely improving!



A view from the Tokyo Tower. Tokyo, Japan (January 2007)




Wild Animal Park. Escondido, CA

Tilt-Shift (1/30/2010)

Tilt-Shift

A friend of mine posted this on her blog a while ago, and I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. With a bit of Photoshop tweaking, you can make almost any photograph look like a mini-model, a la the opening credits of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

(More photos & instructions here.)

I decided to try it out for myself today, and had some moderate success:




This is my best attempt so far. It was taken from Tokyo Tower in Japan a few years ago. The angle and distance make it a great candidate for this sort of manipulation, but I wish I had a photo taken closer to midday with a clear blue sky (it was pretty hazy that day). I may play around with the saturation a bit more to see if I can compensate for this. I do love how the brake lights on the cars resemble tiny LEDs.




This image was taken in Shibuya, one of the busiest areas Tokyo. The angle isn't ideal (it should really be a downward shot), but I wanted to try anyway because I love the colors. The left half of the photo does look like a model (especially around the tree), and boosting the saturation levels adds to the "fake" look.

I will definitely be scouring my photos for more tilt-shift candidates. I'm also hoping to get some good shots in Vegas next weekend to play with.

Summer Distraction #4: Orange County Fair

I didn't get to visit the San Diego County Fair* this year, but I did check out the Orange County version. Sure the food, rides, and vendors are all the same, but it didn't feel quite right. It's kind of like a knock-off purse: it looks like the real deal, but you'll always know it's a fake. Still, I had a great time with my friends eating deep-fried everything.

One of my favorite parts of any fair are the rides. I won't actually go on any of them**; I just like the way they look when they're all lit up.






*Formally the Del Mar Fair, as it's always been held at the Del Mar Racetrack. Many San Diegans still refer to it as the Del Mar Fair, and will likely do so for years (I still slip up myself). These are likely the same people who still referred to the stadium as 'Jack Murphy' long after it had been renamed 'Qualcomm.'

**For the record, I love thrill rides. I'm absolutely crazy for roller coasters, and despite a fear of heights, I'll try just about any ride once. The exception to this rule is carnival/fair rides. I outright refuse to put my life in the hands of apathetic carnies by willingly going on a ride that is meant to be assembled and disassembled multiple times.

Summer Distraction #3: Birthday Break, Part 3

What can I say? I had a very busy birthday week.

Point Loma (tide pool area):

Summer Distraction #3: Birthday Break, Part 2

Point Loma, CA:

Old Point Loma Light House



Cabrillo National Monument

Summer Distraction #3: Birthday Break, Part 1

My birthday was this past Wednesday, so I've been slacking off a bit. Well, a lot actually. In fact, I think I'll milk this a little while longer and separate the past week into several blog posts.

Presidio Park (San Diego, CA):


Serra Museum

"The Indian" by Arthur Putnam

Happy Independence Day!

Have fun and be safe!

Inside the Jefferson Memorial (Washington, D.C.)

New Blog Banner & Website Redesign

I finally made a banner for my blog. Actually, I made two. After trying out the first Pollock/Punk design I decided I needed something cleaner. The second banner also ties in with a new design I'm working on for my website. I hope to have that finished by next weekend (*fingers crossed*).