Childish reflections

June Fri 25 2010

Category: 60 minute sketch, Workshop

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When I’m sick, I always catch myself thinking that the severity of my “symptom” is not as bad now that I’m older, but lately I’ve decided that my symptoms might be just as bad – I’ve just had plenty of years to get used to them when they pop up. Why do I mention this today? Because I’ve been sick!

And in the process of being sick and reflecting on my experiences as a child, I’ve been thinking about those cool things I used to do in infant (grades k-2) and primary (grades 3-6) school around arts and crafts. Things such a lino printing, screen printing, potato stamps… finger painting…

And then of course, the activity that inspired the 60 minute sketch… coloured paper, black oil pastels and a stick!

I decided venture down the path to find the colours in my life by reflecting on the things I used to find really enjoyable when I was younger and applying them in the digital space. So for the above image was created in Photoshop (and using my trusty webcam), with a mix of brushes, filters, and colour filters.

I feel like I’m a teenager just discovering Photoshop for the first time, but how excellent is that feeling?

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Self distracted

December Tue 22 2009

Category: 60 minute sketch

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I’m so distracted right now – there are a million things going through my mind. Most importantly, we found out where Vincent’s next posting is – Malaysia. It’s really exciting, because Malaysia was one of our preferences, but now starts the search for jobs (for me) and the decision as to whether or not I should try and find work in Malaysia or try and find a contract back in Sydney. Aside from that, there are a million other things to be done between now and Christmas, after Christmas, and trying to  decide when to return to Sydney for a holiday.

So I am 99% sure that this was completed within the 60 minute time limit. The reason it’s titled “self distracted” is the fact that I was also surfing the net, looking up visa information, going through job databases, booking plane tickets, cooking dinner, (intermission overnight to sleep) and trying to phone my sister this morning.

To me the final product looks like I’m waking up with a strong espresso. Kind of sleepy, a little incoherent, and somewhat jittery.

Self Distracted

90% completed in Photoshop, with the cat figure completed in Illustrator.

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A quickie baby

November Sun 29 2009

Category: 60 minute sketch

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I’m almost at the end of my last assignment for the semester (and I sigh when I say that because the next semester starts next week – darn, no break) and am about to tear my hair out with frustration over my apparent writers block.

So to try and recharge the batteries, here is a quick Photoshop treated photo that I took from our apartment in Manila. The camera I used was the one in my mobile phone – LG KC910. I actually really like taking dusk and night shots with this camera, because I find that it treats light differently to point and shoot (which is an Olympus of some model I can’t remember right now).

Sunset in Manila

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Self Portrait – version 3

November Wed 11 2009

Category: 60 minute sketch

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I’ve been practicing techniques in Illustrator again. Once again, focusing on what I do worst… portraits!

This image was drawn in Illustrator first, and then a series of treatments were applied to it in Photoshop to create the muted style. Once again, I was a bit lazy with the hands, which is why one of the fingers looks something like a sausage. Lol.

Self Portrait - v3

Because of the treatments all the highlights I put through the hair are invisible, but I rather like the overall effect.

All of  these recent posts are geared towards one purpose – a new and more cohesive design for this site. Inspiration is still alluding me. First I think I have an idea and then it doesn’t come together. Either that or I create a design that I think is really beautiful but it doesn’t come together once it is translated into HTML and CSS. It’s so frustrating!

Anyway, I’m heading back to Sydney for 10 days tomorrow, so there probably won’t be anything new until the end of the month. Take care until then!

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Preludes

November Mon 02 2009

Category: 60 minute sketch

Tags: ,

I’m absolutely exhausted. My assignments completely wiped me out and to be honest, I’m really stressed about the last one I submitted, because it was such poor quality. I had to spend so much time on my group assignment (group work when it’s over the internet and your group doesn’t seem to want to do any work can be a tiring chore) so I didn’t get to spend as much time on the other assignment as I wanted to. Fingers crossed I at least pass.

Anyway, last week was a really hard one for me. Emotionally, mentally, even physically because I didn’t even get to go to the gym. My mentality was that there was light at the end of the tunnel – after a really hard week we flew to Cebu on Saturday morning, and had a lovely weekend away.

I still have those lingering stress feelings (possibly because I only finished my other uni tasks for last week today), which is why this simple 60 minute composition is well, so simple.

Preludes

The extract is from a poem called “Preludes”, by T. S. Eliot. It was one of my favourite poems in school and I think the juxtaposition of dark and light, soft and hard, really sum up the last few weeks for me.

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