A Balanced Kitchen

For this week's assignment, I traced random items found in my kitchen on black paper and than cut out the pattern with an exacto knife.  I used the negatives to make a second piece.  This project was a blast and really easy to get into!  It really got me thinking about negative space when I was first laying out my design and I found myself purposely trying to "shape" the space so it would interesting for my second design. 

This was my first piece- the postive.

This is the negative.

These are the two together. 

Attack of the Giant Fish

For this week's assignment, I attempted to create an essence of surrealism by altering the proportions in what might otherwise be a "normal" fishing scene.  Using Photoshop (which I'm just learning...), I pasted two images of fish onto a background and used multiple effects and opacity settings to make them appear to be part of the picture.  I wanted the fishing raft to appear small in comparison to the large fish lurking around it, giving it a spooky, fantasy-like feel. 

Emphasis and Focal Point

For this assignment, I chose all of my examples from my favorite fly fishing magazine, The Fly Fish Journal.  Their photography, art work, and layout is fantastic!

Contrast:

 

I chose this photo of the salmon jumping out of water because the color in the fish contrasted abruptly with the drab color of the water, making it the obvious focal point of the photo.

Isolation: 

To me, the angler in the bottom right corner in these photos was a great example of isolation.  He and his action were emphasized by being isolated in the sea.

Placement:

This image of men sitting at a bar reminds me of placement in that the framing of the photo, the lines created by the wide camera lens  and objects in the room (the table and chairs, beams) all point in the direction of the bar.  

One Element:

To me, this photo represents a strong, single focal point.  In the magazine, the rafter was a brighter blue than it came out here, making it pop against the monotone colors of the river.  Your eye is instantly drawn directly to raft, demonstrating the boaters being alone in the wilderness. 


Absence of Focal Point:

This picture has no focal point on purpose.  By framing just the grass repeating in the water, the entire composition is emphasized rather then just one singular object. 

Unity in through my Eyes

Proximity: This is a photo I took of my boyfriend and his parent's pups (up on Camel's Hump).  I think it is a good representation of proximity because Jake and the dogs are all grouped together, giving the viewer the idea that there is some unity- that they belong in a photo together.

Repetition with an Emphasis on Similarity: This poster design is a good representation of repetition with similarity because it repeats the image of a fairy playing the keyboard in order to suggest unity and make a statement.  (Source: Poster Art by Charlotte Rivers) The magazine page with a spread of photographs does the same. (Source: Frequency Magazine)

Repetition with Variety: This image demonstrates repetition with variety in that it repeats similar shapes (squares and rectangles) and ideas (signs) along with a cohesive color palette while using different shapes, sizes and types of signs. (Source: Poster Art by Charlotte Rivers)

Continuation: This poster design uses continuation to create unity by using lines to connect different elements, thus allowing the eye to move smoothly across the page.  It also uses a grid pattern to create organization. (Source: Poster Art by Charlotte Rivers)

Grid: This magazine spread of a snowboarder (who happens to be my boyfriend...I think I might like him or something...) uses a grid pattern to organize the sequential shots of a pow slash. (Source: Frequency Magazine)

Chaotic Design: This is a friend of mine's painting and to me it is chaotic and difficult to follow.  In my opinion, the eye isn't really drawn to on particular area and nothing stands out as trying to convey a message or feeling.  What do you think?

 Non-objective Expression of Unity: This wood block by one of my favorite artists, Sabra Field, portrays unity by using similar colors in the sky and landscape.  The blue, yellow and black tones make sense in the picture and bring everything together beautifully.  I also love the unity between the stars in the sky and lights in the house- two things so different but very much the same.

Figurative Expression of Unity:  To me, this is a great example of a figurative expression of unity because it using similiar shapes (rectangles) in the same column pattern throughout the page, giving the impression of unity.  (Source: Poster Art by Charlotte Rivers)