Light Adjustment Images

Considering how long it takes me to alter these images, I decided to keep it simple.

Whoopsy-daisy! Here are the "before" images:

Money, money, money, money

This is my true research:

These are simply some European 

coins I quickly snagged from 

Google, to get started with.

This image is probably similar to the one that one of you has, but I found out that these bank notes were issued in the countries that Japan had conquered during the WWII era. So they most likely are a combination of the countries' original currency form and the Japanese government-approved redesign layout, but I speculate. It's not a journal entry.

Here is the actual Japanese yen.

I was curious to see what 

Canada's money looks like.

Rolling Stones

You are right, Abbey, the rubber duck image did become a bit redundant. But at that point I had spent quite a few cumulative hours playing around with Photoshop (which I am virtually new to) that I was tired of busting my butt and decided to f*** with that duck so I could go home. Plus I've been sick. But I'm glad for the feedback and that several of you liked at least one or two of my images. I really was just playing around with the "farmer brown" and "bathroom horror scene" images; those were fun. I messed around with the clone stamp on "farmer brown". The "bathroom" image was unintentional, but I liked the way it looked and ran with it. (I like my post titles to sound epic.)

Any Ten

   I can't call myself a gamer, since I don't play a lot or own many games, but I have to say that I love Final Fantasy. I only have experience playing four titles, but in all of them the graphics for their generation is top-of-the-line, drop-dead amazing. This one, for example, is a cut from a movie scene from one of the pre-21st century Final Fantasies, I think.

  Final Fantasy XIII. This I believe is one of the most realistic titles. All the graphics look like this, and seeing them makes me wish I had a PS3. Plus I know what great story lines they always have. 

   One none-video image: a painting by Albert Bierdstat. At least I think it's a painting. The lighting, the mood, the perspective, the realism and attention to detail-- every thing is perfect. I would like to learn to create this type of photorealism in Photoshop, just to add a skill to my belt; especially since I may never learn to paint like this on canvas.

 Here is a scene from one of the titles I own; I should have found an animated one. The opening movie cut-scenes are beautifully rendered, particularly for the PS original. Watching games like these has made me consider the possibility of going into video game design, but I doubt I will. Anyway, it would be nice to learn how to create such a flawless series of animation frames with realistic, yet romantic, lighting.  

  I love this game; it's the first Final Fantasy I ever played, and I finished this one. The graphics are breathtaking; I know that FFX was a 1999-2003 project-- right at the turn of the century in cutting-edge computer graphics. In this image, which is also the cover for the box in the U.S., one can see the complexity and luminosity of the landscape. Learning how to layer all that information without subtracting from certain aspects of it, like the part of the character submerged in water, is goal of mine in this class.

 Back to Final Fantasy 7. All the great qualities I spoke of in black-and-white! It gives it the quality of an old film and adds the element of the dramatic. Coupled with the music this scene is kick-ass. Too bad I only have this still image.

  FFX again. The focus in this one for me is the graphic symbol on the title. It transfixes me; somehow the Final Fantasy team comes up with a unique, amazing graphic design logo for each title! I hope to learn to produce phantasmic images like this one. I love the character standing to the left of it too.

  I'm too long-winded for my own good, so in honor of brevity: retro. I think it's important to know how to create the retro backdrops and graphics before learning to do anything else.

  Lord of the Rings? Damn. That's not all I can say to those special effects- gory, realistic, and enchanting. This isn't a special effects class, but I see it as the first step to learning how to design and create realistic CG and CGI effects.

Here I go...DM105

I have to admit that this is rather fun, despite my slight aversion to the dominance of technology in our lives. The biggest trick for me, I think, is to not spend so much time on an image; it took me forever just to make two. Warning: the first one is complete crap.

"At Semester's End"

I almost forgot to do my last post.

     It's that time again-- the end of the semester. For some reason, I don't really start "getting it" until around the end of semester; perhaps that is because I don't practice in my sketchbook the way I should. Oh well. I'm going to try to bring in a good haul this year; I'll try. Frankly, I keep digging that hole that traps me in low-budget time constraints. Not deliberately from laziness, more like from a mismanagement of time that causes priority battles and trepidation in the hours I should be working. For instance, that charcoal-- I can't stand it! It makes lovely drawings, but I never finished! At first, the prep took me too long, and then, I had to learn to dig with that eraser. Sadly, the first few weeks attacked my stamina as well. I kid not when I say that I need to work out. As a result of this, maybe one or two of my charcoal erasure drawings are actually finished, and they, as well as the others, need touch-ups. As far as charcoal practice in the sketchbook, that is actually something that I should have had a few two-page spreads of, but I spent too much time thinking about the best time and place to do it because I wanted to spray fix it and let it dry properly. You know how I am about charcoal dust. Alas, this conceptualization caged me, and I never actually did it. Unfortunate, I know. Drawing 2 has really made me appreciate line-only drawings.
     Which brings me to my next topic: the homework and portfolio. There are several homework assignments that it would have greatly benefited me to rework. But again, I waited too late to do it, so that won't happen either. I've got too much going on with 2D and 3D design for that now. On the bright side, seeing the drawings in their mediocre state at least serves as visual evidence of my process, pacing, and progress throughout the semester. As for the portfolio, I'm going to try to work at some of my in-class drawings a little before turning it in, as a lot of them are far from finished. I hope to come out of Drawing 2 with, heaven help me, a "C". At least I'll pass.
     Despite my disappointments, some good came out of the semester for my growth as an artist. I've slightly picked up my pacing, and I think that some of the experience has edified my confidence, so I hope to perform even better in my future classes. It takes two, baby-- two semesters. Also beneficial, of course, was the exposure to different drawing techniques. The ink wash was a lot of fun, but it was not exactly easy either, simply because of the drying process and the danger of over-inking. I killed the leaves in the center of that plant. Most of all though I'm going to miss our group; we became almost like a little family. I hope that every one has a relaxing and safe Christmas holiday.