Mandala
In Digital Media, we were assigned to create Mandalas in Adobe Illustrator using reflective and symmetrical patterns. I first designed a black and white mandala with an ocean theme, then designed a colored mandala with my own inspirations. I also created a process video to see the different steps of the designs I created. I’m grateful for freestyle academy to allow us to showcase our artwork on various mediums, as I was able to print mine on a pizza board.
I really enjoyed this Mandala assignment as I’ve never actually created digital art before, and I was able to express my creativity through digital drawing. I think I grew as a digital artist as I not only learned how to use Adobe Illustrator in new ways but also how to create smooth lines as well as convey meaning through images. In regards to our Reflections unit overarching question “Who am I?“, I learned that my personal values and interests come out in the work I create, and I learn I can do things I have never tried before. In this particular assignment, I decided to depict the ocean in my mandala as I’ve always loved the water, and I learned I could draw octopus tentacles, which I had never done before.
Photoshop Art
In Digital Media, we learned how to create art in photoshop: digital painting, compositing images, and creative surreal art. I valued learning the different mediums of visual art within photoshop and letting my creativity loose.
I created this digital painting by using a photo of my friend and me at “Hunter’s Point” overlooking the view as a reference. However, I didn’t draw the landscape we were overlooking, but rather only the sky and a few plants near us in order to make ourselves pop out more against the simple background. I added a star that my friend was pointing to in order to make the painting more interesting. I’m pretty proud of the final product because I managed to make ourselves look a bit like cartoon characters (especially our shorts).
Before this project, I had never attempted any digital painting, though I had seen many online and on social media. Growing up, one of my favorite novels was a graphic novel comprised of digital drawings and paintings, so I gained a greater appreciation for it with this project as I learned how difficult it is to produce even one painting. I plan to explore different styles of digital painting in the future as I had a lot of fun creating this piece.
This I Believe Video
Using the “This I Believe” Essay we wrote in English, we were assigned to create a visual video to illustrate our message. Using Adobe After Effects, I timed images and words to my voice reading aloud my essay.