We began to learn Photoshop, halfway through our Junior year. Quite immediately, I was taken back by the monumental amount of possibilities that this program offered. It expanded past my artistic limitations, and allowed me to create images and graphics I'd never imagined I could create. This inspired me to download Photoshop at home as well, to improve my abilities when using this program. This first image, I created during our Experimental unit. I took an approach more on creating an image than manipulating a pre-existing image (although a bit of that was necessary). Since it was our Experimental unit, I had quite a bit of freedom in what I wanted to make. The primary effect I wanted the image to have were some very striking aesthetic qualities, usually characterized by bright neon-like colors. Something almost psychedelic, but still fitting the guidelines and using a variety of skills I had learned.

I first created the background, by layering a bunch of different gradients on one another, mixing them together with the difference option, which created the form of high intensity colors and a sharp almost metallic texture in the background. I wanted to add a bit of variety and take off the edge quite a bit, so I began to use the liquefy and smudge tool, until a third of the canvas looked somethng like a landscape. In the background you can see the gradation from the more metallic structures to the flowing landscape. This caused a sort of asymmetry, especially with the negative space that had ben created (in contrast with the other side), so I added a dandelion-like figure in the back to make it fill up some of the space. On a new layer, I used the grass brush to create a silhouette of grass and a tree, and used the leaves brush to add to the tree. I chose a color of dark value to emphasize the importance of the tree, and take waya a bit form the overwhelmingness of the background. Then I placed an inverted image on the tree which had a white background, that would be indiscernible because of the black on black.

For my second major project in my Senior year of Freestyle, I had to create a T-shirt design for my music video. I had become more proficient with my art, and able to control what I wanted to make at this point. One of the most important things that I had learned from all this work was that a powerful design, did not necessarily mean it was complicated. By now I had learned to limit my color usage, and decided to go for something abstract, but still with a sort of organic feeling to it. It was meant to be printed onto a black t-shirt, in order to bring out the colors of my image.

I began by drawings shapes, and applying gradients to the image. Then I used a variety of filters, with different settings like difference, overlay etc. in order to get an organic but at the same time, paint effect After I finally tweaked the image enough until I was satisfied, I changed the contrast and the saturation to create my final product. The difference form my first artwork and my second, show how much more control and mastery over the tools I have, as well as my ability to create, rather than something random, a controlled yet seemingly eclectic piece of work. I have made good use of the filters provided, as well as how to integrate them into the image.

My visual literacy has changed immensely, especially my appreciation of graphic design in images and the such. I understand a lot of the techniques utilized as well as the amount of work put into the creation of the image.  Technologically, I am much more aware of what I can do with the program, as well as able to actually put it into action. In fact, I have made images and requested material for certain forums and users, it is good practice and allows me to put into use what I have learned. For some of the images I create, they take a lot of creativity and planning, especially when they contain inside jokes that would be only understood by those in the forum community. Not only that, but the art I create as well allows me to channel my mind into a work of art. Sometimes, it takes a lot of time and patience to get the final result that I work towards, but that applies to any task that is being done properly. It is a nice feeling to see the work I have created being used by people on different sites. I plan to work in the IT field in the future, and being competent in Adobe Photoshop as well as practicing on guideline based projects, will surely be a great preparation for the future.