Introduction
The Reflections Unit was a chance for me to reflect on the person I am and how my experiences have molded me throughout my life. I visually translated these experiences through various mediums such as Adobe Photoshop, Maya, ZBrush, Adobe Illustrator and after Adobe After Effects deepening my technical and communication skills. With all the stress of college apps and keeping up senior year grades, I’ve learned from this unit that I am truly still a child at heart running around being creative.
Mandala
In many cultures mandalas are a form of meditation. In Hinduism and Buddhism they are visual representations of your universe. The circular designs represent the connection of all life and it’s never ending pattern. The mandala project in Digital Media was an opportunity to express how i visually represent my own universe. Both the colored and black and white mandalas were created through Adobe Illustrator. I applied a technique that creates a symmetrical design all round the circle using several layers. Both mandalas were finished within about 30-40 minutes.
I have made mandalas in the past, but this project was a completely new and freeing experience. Previously I have made mandalas in the traditional paper and colored pencil method, however for this mandala I used Adobe Illustrator. I learned to value patience and I eventually began to sink into a meditative relaxation. By drawing a mandala on Illustrator, each line reflects around in a circular pattern overall taking less time to fully complete but allowing the artist to create more dense designs quicker. Drawing people and characters is my passion and it comes very easily to me, yet abstract art feels like a chore. I discovered that abstract art isn’t as terrible as I made it out in my head to be. I feel comfortable now creating something that has a random abstract element.
This I Believe
In English I was assigned to write an essay titled “This I Believe”. The purpose of this essay was to write about a concept I truly believe in and explain why. By writing this essay I developed insights into my own experiences learning how to communicate them to others. Once completing this I used a Tascam recorder to record myself reciting my essay then took this audio to Adobe After Effects. In After Effect I created a short animated video pulling images from my childhood to go along with the rest of my essay.
I believe in Disney. Looking at life with infinite possibilities is how I plan on always seeing the world.
Disney became a huge part of my childhood and still holds a significant influence on my life today. Growing up my family and I would take a trip to Disneyland nearly every year. Like many other children, the themed food and lovable characters are very nostalgic memories of mine and if Covid-19 hadn’t posed an issue, I would have gone this summer. Not only did I constantly watch the movies, but I would strut around in a Princess Jasmine costume everywhere I went. While Disney heavily impacted my childhood, it also inspired me to pursue my artwork as a career choice. I truly became obsessed. It led me to believe I could make a living as an artist that didn’t just have paintings hanging in museums. By the age of seven I had my mind set on working for Disney Animation Studios and I’ve been striving to achieve this goal ever since. However, I eventually realized I wasn’t obsessed with Disney itself, but the morals it stands for.
Children see the world in a way that is undoubtedly unique in comparison to adults. It’s not that adults didn’t experience this childhood perspective, but as you begin to grow up things change. This loving carefree attitude slips away slowly and suddenly “acting like a child” is wrong. Children live in a world filled with limitless opportunities. Stress and anxiety don’t reside in this world. There’s this undeniable faith in their imagination where magic thrives. This is the same concept introduced in the Disney’s classic, Peter Pan. In Neverland children never grow up, and the motto “faith, trust, and pixie dust” grants Peter and his friends the ability to fly. The belief in the impossible makes it possible.
All I’ve ever wanted to do with my life is be an artist. As a kid, adults told me that being an artist is a “great idea”, but as I began to mature they attempted to steer me in a different direction towards a more “successful” job. In the minds of my parents’ generation, being an artist means slapping some paint onto a canvas and selling it to a buyer. I can agree this is not a steady form of income. However, I have grown up in the generation of computers where being an artist has opened a plethora of job opportunities in the digital workspace. This is something people believed impossible twenty years ago when computers were a just clunky machine on a desk.
Disney’s entire message is “if you can dream it, you can do it”. As a child this is a very important lesson to learn but I am convinced it is a principle every adult should live by as well. Growing up shouldn’t mean we lose our ability to dream and imagine boundless possibilities. If anything, adults have more power over their life decisions than children. I don’t ever want to stray away from this childish mindset. I believe in making the impossible possible.
Photoshop Art
Recently in my Digital Media class I have been experimenting with a variety of Photoshop painting techniques including watercolor, pastel, and oil. I have experienced digital painting through an app on my iPad Pro called Procreate, but as a who traditionally uses paper and canvas, I valued the pro of being able to undo painting strokes without having to paint over it. Mediums such as watercolor, pastel and oil can be tricky to blend and undo mistakes, but with digital painting it’s as simple as pressing a few buttons. I also learned how to make photos look as though they were painted with filters and other effects. Photoshop is versatile in the projects you can achieve.
This definitely is not my first digital painting. I often use the app Procreate on my iPad Pro at home, however this was one of my first digital paintings using Photoshop. There are many similarities between both applications and it was very insightful to learn how Photoshop uses the same techniques. At the time, one struggle I faced was having to turn on and off the layer to use the eyedropper tool to collect colors. I realize now that I could have made the art board double the size and have my painting and the photo side by side. This is something I will of course use next time. Looking back I would improve the lips and hands since in my eyes they still seem a bit wonky, but I am over all proud of the whole piece especially my use of texture in the hair and background. I plan on using the skills I developed during this project to further educate myself on photoshop painting to make sure I wait a few hours before turning in in case there are mistakes. In addition to these projects I learned how to composite multiple photos into one cohesive image. By taking several photos of skateboarders I used multiple effects to create a singular image with each skateboarder in the same bowl.
3D Modeling
In animation I have been learning how to 3D model using applications like Maya and ZBrush. Maya is much more rigid than Zbrush which allows for 10 fold the amount of detail but Maya is great for quick objects and landscapes. Both applications allow the user to sculpt virtually created a three dimensional model. 3D modeling like this is a vital skill used in the game and animation industry as well as as others.
The Reflections Unit has let me channel my creativity into new and exciting ways. I have valued all the new skills I have learned through expanding my techniques in familiar applications to experiencing new ones. I have learned a lot about myself and my abilities. With that said I am looking forward to what comes next.