Tuesday, April 29, 2014

REVISIONS WOOOOO

Sup?

I've made a few small refinements. Here they are:

















Wasn't that  a great time? I thought so.

Anywho, when it comes to the two jackets, my class liked the white version the best out of the three colors that I presented. So I kept the original white version and made one that goes a little better with the title page and table of contents. I'm curious to see which version they like best.

For the table of contents, I actually didn't revise much. That was my favorite between the two, and I just moved the text in a little more and shortened the black line.

And for the title page, I revised my publishing logo. I decided to fill in the white spaces to make it more visible. Here is a better picture of it:














I also created a few inside cover pages (the pages right before the title page):
















Also a works cited:













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Saturday, April 26, 2014

More Fun Things to Share

Greetings!

I've got some updates for you all on the title page, table of contents, and book jacket. GET EXCITED.























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Monday, April 21, 2014

SO MANY NEW THINGS TO SHARE

Sup fellas?!

Over the weekend, I had lots to design. SO GET EXCITED BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO SHARE WITH YOU!

Refined Essay Spread:


















Three Table of Contents Spreads:





















Three Title Pages:























Welp, there they are! I'll keep y'all updated on refinements and fun things like that
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Painted Elephant

Hello!

Remember when I said I've had some small design opportunities here and there? A good friend of mine, who I know through my older sister, is a graphic designer, and he has been sending me small job/freelance opportunities. His is Jared Dunn, and his work is incredible. Absolutely incredible. I've been so lucky to work alongside him!

Over the past month or two, Jared and I collaborated on a logo project. The objective of this project was to create a logo targeted towards 20-40 year old athletes who have an interest in yoga. The logo was to produce a sense of community and togetherness.

For about 3 or 4 weeks, Jared and I sent work back and forth. The client was, to say the least, very exact and almost stubborn about what she wanted. There were definitely a few moments of frustration with the client because Jared and I just weren't completely sure what she was looking for.

But, everything ended up working out great. Jared refined and cleaned up the final design. Here it is:




















We felt that a more abstract elephant figure would be appropriate. This logo has two subtle
meanings. First, the elephant ties in with the name of the studio. Secondly, the infinity symbol is easily recognizable, signifying that yoga is something you could do forever. The benefits of yoga are limitless (personally, emotionally, physically, mentally) Since the infinity symbol is forever   connected, it represents the sense of community and togetherness that the Painted Elephant Yogo Studio brings.

It was Jared's idea to use the infinity symbol (which was genius), and I messed around with it to make it look a little less symmetrical, more organic. Jared messed with the type, and I did the pattern on the elephant.

Although I do like the logo, Jared and I had some really awesome ideas that the client shot down. If I were the client, I would've wanted a few of the other options, but hey, if that client is happy in the end that's all that matters.

It was such a good opportunity to experience working with a client and watching how Jared interacted with the client. I definitely wouldn't have learned all that in a classroom.

I'm beyond thankful for the experience.
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"Dare to exhaust yourself with all the opportunities this day day offers."

Monday, April 14, 2014

Spready Speads Spread

Hi, again.

Welp, I've finished my three double page spreads to share with the class tomorrow. I'm feeling good about them, but I do know that there is plenty of room for them to improve. So I'm looking forward to receiving critiques from my super cool classmates tomorrow.

I know you're like "AHEM HELLO DO I GET TO SEE THEM?" Yes, yes you do. Here they are:



























































My main goal between the the three spreads was to keep them simple and clean because Paul Rand is known for his classic, clean, and simplistic designs. I will keep you all posted on refinements throughout this week.

HAPPPPPYYYY MONDAYYYYYYY
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"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

More and More Book Layouts




Hi friends!

I've been searching for more inspiration on book/page layouts. I found these two on desperation.net today. They're pretty neato.


I loved the circle theme throughout these spreads. Circles are simple , and if used correctly, they are classic and clean.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I love about this one is the left page. I just think that the model is placed in a powerful spot. Her placement with text behind her is striking to look at.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Paul Rand is the COOLEST

Hello!

I have picked a graphic designer to do my last project on. Famously known for designing the ABC and UPS logo designs, Paul Rand is a well-known designer across America.

Here he is! Isn't he the cutest little old dude? Gotta love the cute elderly people.



















 













After looking through Rand's work, I really liked him. Rand uses basic forms and colors, and his simplicity is quite beautiful throughout all of his work. I admire the way he can make something so simple, so appealing.

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Book Layouts

Here I am, sipping on coffee and browsing Pinterest.

Just a normal sunday afternoon. I'm getting super excited for our next project. I will be designing a book! HOW COOL DOES THAT SOUND? By mid May, I'll have a book that I designed MYSELF. WOAHHHHHHH.

Anyways, I found some great book layout ideas on pinterest, and I want to share them with you all.

I really love the overall look of these layouts. The diamond theme here is
really interesting and engaging, as a viewer.  I love the way the diamond is
continued from page to page. It gives the book unity and balance. I'm also a big
fan of the color scheme used here. 

I love this color scheme a lot as well, but what I love most about this layout is
the color overlay on the pictures. It makes the pictures a little more
interesting, and all the of colors used create a sense of harmony. 











































I'm so excited to start on this project. I think I will really enjoy it. Also, I almost forgot to mention, there is no process book for the project! I have a love/hate relationship with process books. I have fun designing them. Sometimes I spend too much time thinking about what I would like to do with the process book, but I can't seem to help it! It will be nice not having to worry about another component to the project though. I can put all of my energy into the book itself. 

I will keep you all updated. So STAY TUNED.
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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Project Three: Completed

It's me, again. 

Welp, the title says it all. Project three is finished! The semester is almost over, and that is seriously the weirdest thing. Last I checked it was February.. is this real life?

ANWAYSSSSSS this project has been enjoyable for me. I got to experiment with photography, and that's something I've always wanted to do! Here is my final product:


In case you haven't been keeping up with my project updates, the overall concept of my collage is to capture the progression of time through clothing. On the left, she is wearing clothing for cooler weather and on the right she is wearing clothing for warmer weather. I have decapitated her (lol that's weird to say) because I want the focus of the collage to be on the clothing and not my model's face. There are certain spots within the collage that I've zoomed in on to stress the difference in her clothing between the left and right sides. I've zoomed in on her sweater, scarf, coat fur, hat, t-shirt neckline, strapless dress neckline, and her bare feet so that viewers can really make sense of the difference between the two sides. The collage is literally 5 feet tall (by the way, that's literally how tall I am). So it's quite large. Let me just tell ya, carrying this from my dorm to the design building on a windy day was NOT a good time.  The wind was trying to take my project from me, and I was just riding the struggle bus all the way to the building. IT WAS SO DIFFICULT GUYS. PEOPLE LAUGHED AT ME AND EVERYTHING. Haha but hey, at least I got it there in one piece!

I know I've already mentioned this, but it's literally freaking me out how fast time is flying. I'm anxious to start our final project. It's a graphics project, and I'm looking forward to finally doing something in graphics! After turning in my project and taking an art history exam today, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It's been quite a stressful week, but looking back on everything I've created and finished, I feel pretty accomplished. Facing stressful weeks and obstacles really do force me to grow. As much as I hate admitting that, they really do. In a weird "I can't believe I'm saying this" sort of way, I'm thankful that I have stressful weeks here and there. Without it, how would I grow and learn? 
And with that,  I leave you with this:
I hope you have a grrrrrrrreat weekend!
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"If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you."

Guess What? ANOTHER Reflection!

Whoops, meant to include this in the last post.

One more reflection! WAHOOOO REFLECTIONS ROCK



//Errol Morris “On Photography” Reflection//


Morris discusses how to observe a photograph. By making observations, people can begin to understand the image as well as the photographer’s intentions. All photographs are posed. This means that people can only see what the photographer chooses. In other words, photographs are swatches of reality, and the viewer can only see what he or she is viewing by investigating and seizing the details placed within the image. Iconic photographs, or photographs that are well-known to viewers, have a particular power over people. The photograph captures something that naked human eye was not able to see before. Iconic photographs cause people to become curious about that particular image and photography as a whole.  In these photographs, the photographer has chosen what viewers are looking at. There is always something outside of the photograph that people do not see. The perception of an image is the photographer’s choice. The role of viewers is to recognize this particular perception. 

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Reflection Time

Hola!

I turned in my photography project today, and I plan on posting about it this weekend. Until then, here is a reflection for you all to enjoy (because I know you enjoy reading them so much):


//James Brooke Reflection//

Brooke discusses how to look and reflect on a photograph as a viewer. There are several steps a viewer must go through to completely analyze a photograph. Brooke states these steps as the following: description, formal analysis, interpretation, and then evaluation. Within each step are suggestions as to how the viewer should go about each step of the process.

The description of the photo forces viewers to come to conclusions about the photograph. Viewers must look at what is in the picture. Things like the content, the pictorial details, and the psychological/historical aspects of the picture. Viewers must not overlook any details. It is also important to pay attention to the lines, planes, volumes, and tones, or the items that make up the form.

Next, viewers can begin the formal analysis of the picture. The formal analysis is tying together some of the facts gathered from the description. For instance, viewers look for parallels, repetition, and rhythms. Rhythm is a source of pleasure in a photograph, and rhythm aids in unifying a composition. Contrasts are also something to search the photograph for.  The contrast in a picture can be formal or conceptual. While looking for contrasts, the photograph’s sense of balance will be obvious to viewers. Searching for the balance in something is a psychological need. The loss of balance is frightening; however, the photographer might intend the loss of balance.

The interpretation is an important step in the process. This is where the viewer determines what the photograph has to say, or the statement of the photograph. The statement can be specific or universal. It can be about specific things shown in the picture or the statement might encompass a broader message. Symbolism is a way of figuring out how many levels of meaning exist in the photograph. The viewers should not consider every element of the picture to be a symbol. There should be solid evidence that a higher meaning exists when it comes to symbolism.


The last step is the evaluation of the photograph. Viewers must judge or evaluate the picture based on photographic standards. A good way to go about evaluating a photograph is by asking questions. Should the central character be gazing at the viewer? Or would the picture be more effective if the central character was gazing in a different direction? Viewers should not confuse what they would want displayed in their house with photographic standards.
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