Pixel paint

Title: To-mah-to

I found this thing online after clicking on some links a few days ago. It's a pretty neat Jackson Pollock web paint thing. Anyway, this is a tomato that i tried to paint with that technique. I know it's probably supposed to be more abstract, but it's fun however way you want to use it.

The additional text wasn't there before the screen shot, so I guess it's programmed to show the signature. You can try it by visiting www.jacksonpollock.org, or clicking on the following link. DRIP TECHNIQUE

Because Redbull gives you wings.

Product placement? I think so.

Nuff said.

What I've learned so far

1. Film is still a young medium. Actually, I was pretty amazed when I realized that movies as I know them today has only been around a few years more than me. Before that time though, movies were vastly different from what they were before the 70s (Hitchcock and thriller movies exempted).

2. Understanding semiotics is very important in communication design. Certainly one can over think the meaning of things, but it's easier to defend your work if you have a rationale for it.

3. One person can make a lot of difference. This has been said before in class, but since Anonymous' demonstrations against Scientology over the last couple of months I could actually see how much one person can achieve by doing so little. (I will comment on a separate blog about the Anons later.)

4. Design is a field I may not be suited for after all.

10 things that make me happy

1. Watermelon
2. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
3. Painting
4. Reading a really good book
5. Being with friends
6. Spending time with my boyfriend
7. Silly conversations
8. Sleeping in
9. Holidays
10. Summer

Design is...

Design is a conversation expressed in various methods through the utilization of our individual senses or a combination of two or more. Like conversation, a design can be influenced from other sources, such as outside stimuli (previous design movements, music, fashion, etc.) or through internal reflection. Just like conversation, other people can respond to a piece of design as if there is an ongoing dialogue. In fashion for example, it can be said that the minimal design in clothing lacking embellishments such as the mini-skirt is a reflection of the popularity of sans serif typography. As a response someone could swing into the polar opposite of the clean simple designs and create a dirty disordered look. Of course there are other factors to consider other than just fashion and typography before stating that the current fashion trend was the result of those events.

Web design tips

10 Principles of Effective Web Design
There are some really useful points in this article. Kevin (interactive design instructor) said the same things and I thought that they are worth repeating. I hope you guys will also find it useful.

Here's a list of the headings to give you an idea what it's about.
1. Don’t make users think
2. Don’t squander users’ patience
3. Manage to focus users’ attention
4. Strive for feature exposure
5. Make use of effective writing
6. Strive for simplicity
7. Don’t be afraid of the white space
8. Communicate effectively with a “visible language”
9. Conventions are our friends
10. Test early, test often

Obviously the list doesn't mean much, so I encourage anyone interested in web design to visit the article.

Less is more

VS

Images by Denis Kortunov. The article can be found at this address.
http://turbomilk.com/truestories/cookbook/criticism/10-mistakes-in-icon-design/

Some useful advice on icon design. But the best thing about this article is the beginning.

"...apply a systematic approach to criticizing, make a numbered list and prepare illustrations, it will be regarded as a fully-fledged analysis!"
- Denis Kortunov

I better get started on my own list.

On my wish list

The Easy Reader
Way to go genius. Okay this blog is garbage, but if I have to relate it to design, let's say "no" to everything. On the other hand, customer reviews are win.

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die...

Sarajevodentalfloss by Juan Francisco Casas

We looked at the pencil, now it's time to shine the spotlight on the mighty PEN! Pretty realistic, huh? You can tell this guy really knows his stuff. Some people might think it's nothing because he's only imitating photos, but there's great skill in how he's doing it.

First of all, I love how incredibly silly the subjects are in the artist's composition. Second, the realism is unbelievable ;-). Each time I look closer at his drawings I'm astonished by the way he uses a simple ballpoint pen. The number of strokes he must have made to create those subtle gradations, and dark values must have been extremely time consuming. The highlights underneath the eyes, the nose, the fingers, and the floss are so perfect.

And that's just his ballpoint creations. His paintings are pretty amazing too, but that's another story.

Media Consumption

Internet
20 hours a week on the internet (2.8 hours a day)
10 minutes checking e-mail (replying to friends, deleting junk mail)
30 minutes talking to friends on MSN
The rest spent watching videos and general internet surfing

Television
28 hours a week watching television (4 hours a day)
Weekday
2 hours of Food Network or TLC
1 hour of SPACE
1 hour of miscellaneous shows
Weekend
1 hour of Stargate Atlantis
1 hour of Terminator

Music
52 hours (7.4 hours a day)
50 hours on iTunes
2 hours on iPod

Reading
22 hours a week (3.14 hours a day)
Newspaper
1 hour a week
Textbooks
10 hours a week
Novel
12 hours a week

This is a rough estimate of how much time I spend on various media. I haven't been faithful about recording my consumption everyday, and some days I avoid some forms completely and binge on one type. But I'm not surprised about the amount of time I spend on the web, or how much I watch television, although I would like to allocate more time to reading. As for music, I may be underestimating the amount of time I listen because I have it on all the time.

"What are you looking at?"

Big Man by Ron Mueck

Disturbingly accurate. Yes, I think those are the words to describe Ron Mueck's sculptures. They are amazing, beautiful, huge, anatomically correct, fleshy giant things. The details in these sculptures from every wrinkle, chest hair, the white in the nails, the colour of the umbilical chord is remarkable. All his works are stunning, but my favourite is Big Man, hands down. The expression of irritation on his face is so lifelike that it seems like a reaction to his situation. I almost feel guilty staring at him.

Well Met

Tourney Cat by Jeff de Boer

That's what we would say during Medieval times if we were to greet each other. That's what this cat would say if he could speak then. But if you were looking for an armour for your cat during those days, you would be out of luck because the guy who makes these lives in our century.

A jewellery design major, Jeff de Boer used his skills and his interest in metal work to create his first animal suit of armour for a mouse. Although his works can be worn by animals they were created for the artist states that they would cease to be works of art and become mere objects. As an instant fan of his works I would have to disagree. These are some of the most interesting and beautiful things I've seen.

Print Media

At least once a week I read the newspaper, but most of the reading I do these days come from my text books. To relax I try to read novels recommended by friends, and sometimes I borrow copies of WIRED magazine from my boyfriend.

Now that being environmentally conscious has become a lifestyle and not a just a trend it seems that we could be moving towards a paperless age. Except that WAL-MART bookstores, junk mail, and endless office printouts multiplied a zillion times by skyscraper floors across the continent show exactly the opposite road taken. Maybe digital design is even making us have more print media. Think about the booklets that come with a purchase of a digital device.

Unless paper is outlawed sometime in the future, I don't think print will ever die. It seems that important documents (contracts, laws, etc.) must be printed as if having a hardcopy of such documents makes them more credible. Maybe it will die someday, but not soon. The most that could happen is that we continue to print important documents and the rest digitally produced and carried on iPod/Blackberry like devices.

Pointy things.

Threnody by Jennifer Maestre (click on the name to visit her website)
Pencils have contributed in the process of creating art only to be bitten, snapped, and discarded in return. But in Jennifer Maestre's sculptures they can finally say "Look at me, I'm beautiful too."

Constructed using a peyote or gourd stitch, these pencils are strung together to create these interestingly organic shapes resembling a piece of coral, or sea urchin. Through the shapes they take, these pencils become creatures from another world.

WooooOOoooo

The Singing Ringing Tree
By Architects Mike Tonkin, Anna Liu

A futuristic tree sculpture that sings. The sounds are produced by the wind blowing through the pipes of various length and the addition of holes (Sort of like a recorder.) The sounds it makes are a little spooky but appropriate for the location. Apparently the sculpture overlooks Pendle Hill, where witch trials occured in England.

The story of Platform 47

Platform 47, by Cybergooch.

At first glance I thought this image was a photograph. This piece is stunning, judging from its visual merits alone. The use of light and perspective to convey the sheer size of this platform is inspiring. Although this picture is really well done, the accompanying story narrated as if it had actually happened added an interesting twist.

Even though I usually strive to create images that are self explanatory, Platform 47 illustrates that adding a story can be a part of the piece and can greatly enhance a picture.

"Welcome to Rapture"

Admittedly I have only played the demo version if Bioshock, I am truly impressed of the extent the developers went at to give players a believable experience. Aside from the creepy atmosphere and eerie audio, the game is visually beautifully designed. Elements from the Art Deco movement is easily apparent once the player enters Rapture, a city somewhere under the Atlantic ocean. If the developers had dumped the Chrysler building in the middle of Rapture, the building would have looked right at home.

For the first time, I have never wanted to play a game more, not because of its graphic quality or game play but of its visual in game design. Finding another level in which to appreciate video games is illuminating. Without a design education Bioshock would have been just another pretty game.

An interesting connection you might like to check out sometime:
In the beginning of the demo the player is contacted by a man named Atlas. This may be a possible reference to Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged, in which the story shares similarities with the setting of the video game.

Something Beautiful

Branches with Almond Blossom is a very different look from Vincent Van Gogh's usual style. This painting shows the influence of Japanese art. As a gift to his brother Theo, Van Gogh excitedly completed this painting to celebrate the birth of his nephew.

Way Open Concept

Imagine being able to pull up not just one, but two walls across from each other and letting nature breeze through an entire room in your house. In this condo you can.

At first I thought, "Amazing concept, but will it keep the elements out?" After doing some googling I found some people with the same concerns. But upon closer inspection, the walls appear to have a second set of glass paneled windows that slide up to the ceiling along with the metal shutters.

Like skyscrapers, this condo adopts the same outward appearance of flat nothingness. Clean lines and absence of ornamental design this modern piece of architecture reminds me of sans serif typography. At a starting price of an easy $3 million even you can have Shigeru Ban's Metal Shutter Houses.

Want to know more?
Shigeru Ban's Website
Wired Magazine article

Hello, spaceship Laing.

Observing Renee Laing

Auditory & Vocal
• An extremely laid back person, Renee speaks in a calm and unhurried manner.
• The friendly tone of her voice invites others to have a conversation with her, a sign that she is easy to get along with.

Visual
• Overall, Renee is a tidy person. She has neatly groomed eyebrows, face clear of make up, and nails free of polish.
• She seems to be a sensible person because she is wearing a turtleneck underneath her zip-up sweatshirt. By doing so she has given herself an option to easily remove a layer of clothing if she grew too warm indoors.
• Large earphones give the impression that Renee enjoys music and would not sacrifice quality sound by using inferior earphones that would decrease her listening enjoyment.

Tactile
• Careful not to invade others' personal space, Renee keeps her arms and limbs close to her body.

Olfactory
• Renee does not seem wear perfume because has no detectable scent.

So, this one time...

...nothing happened, and nobody cared. I know because I was there.

True Story.

Don't look at the time, I'll tell you what it is. It's 4:40 AM.

By the way don't give limes away unless you mean it. They're for keeps you know.

Shades of gray

A movie review

RENAISSANCE
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386741/

Let's get this stuff out of the way first.
1. The movie was not my choice.
2. I swear it was all a coincidence, it was only halfway through the movie that I recognized Daniel Craig's voice as the protagonist.

And so...

After watching this movie on the weekend, I've developed a new found appreciation for gray. Though I have to admit this movie is visually interesting in its use of black and white, I found myself wishing several times for a little bit of colour, or some gray. The style got in the way of viewing this movie because it was constantly reminding me that I was watching a movie. At various times throughout I was forced to step back and think, "What the hell am I looking at?"

The plot, I found, was as black and white as the images. In the end I wanted the bad guys to win. It felt like the character development was lacking and the writers waited too long to introduce another cause to fight for.

Fighting the good fight is all well and good, but in the end the bad guys are still cooler, and shades of gray are worth looking at.