Day Nine

We were working in the IT room this morning, learning how to fiddle with photos in Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 3. It was quite fun and a little confusing and a bit tedious, but ultimately very interesting.

Manipulated in Lightroom 3. Temp +3, exposure -2.16, clarity -100.

Manipulated in Photoshop CS4. Changed the Hue.

Manipulated with Lightroom 3. Temp -100, exposure -3.54, blacks 100, clarity +100.

Manipulated in Photoshop CS4. Changed the Gradient.

Manipulated in Photoshop CS4. Changed the Threshold.

Manipulated with Lightroom 3. Exposure -4.00, recovery 100, blacks 49, clarity +100.

Manipulated with Photoshop CS4. Changed the Saturation.

Manipulated with Lightroom 3. Temp +100, exposure -3.54, blacks 100, contrast +24, clarity +77.

Personally I'm quite pleased with them. I know what I did was simple, but I think it was effective. Need to take more photos so I can manipulate them with a little more refinement and finesse... That, I am sure, will come in time.

Day Eight

Today I got in early again and so thought I would ask for my tutor's opinion on my new concept car... Well, at least I asked her advice before getting it halfway done only for her to tell me it wasn't quite right. It seems my idea is still too Fine Art and not enough Design. Back to the drawing board.

We began talking about fantasy and sci-fi, so I'm going back to one of my original ideas of looking at Syd Meads work and doing a futuristic car. Have to keep reminding myself to just stick with the design and we can maybe work on the aesthetics later. What it looks like is not so important right now, the design of the product is.

I'm more than a little worried. I think I've missed the main point of it all, and also everyone else has an idea of where they are going and are working towards that goal. We have a future fashion designer making an outfit out of cardboard, a future architect attempting to make a structural component, animation students working on models for animation... What the hell am I doing? I really believe I should have figured that out a bit more by now. Yes, I wanted to go into concept art, but what's the point when people just don't get what you're trying to convey? I get more bemused looks than amused looks and I think that's a sign to explore other avenues.

Anyway, back to college and our 3D project. I'm going to be spending the weekend looking at Syd Mead and other sci-fi vehicles, past and present concept cars, the reason for the cars, how much is design and how much is aesthetics, and so on. Maybe I'll even give some deep thought to why I'm here doing this and where I want to be by the end of it.

Day Seven

Today I was a bit late and so missed most of the Art History lesson. There was a good reason for my lateness, but that's a whole different blog!

The second part of the day was filled with 2D art. We had taken a bunch of photos of ourselves last week and we had printed those out over the weekend. We were given a piece of tracing paper and had to quickly sketch a few of those pics out in the composition we would use later.

Then we were given a sheet of 150gms white cartridge paper and free reign over the pencil crayons.

And then we were given 170gms white cartridge paper and free reign over the inks.

Next week we will be working on these a little more, working into the, bleaching them, utterly destroying them and remaking them in a different image... The top inked picture is my favourite, the bottom one needs more work... I'll enjoy destroying that one.

Day Six

Today we had to be in a little early as we had an Introduction to the Library talk. This took about half an hour, and although completely unnecessary for intelligent people I understand there are some true idiots out there.

Then it was photography, and we were split into four groups, one group learnt how to use a cool programme called Lightroom (?) which you use to enhance your photos. One group did some photography research, one group took photos of each other in front of a white screen using filters and lights to get cool shadows, and one group got to use a cool little lighbox that Gavin made. After half an hour on each we swapped round so we got to do all the activities.
The lightbox was frickin awesome!! It's a square box with slits cut into the sides and top to shine your lights through, then black or white paper is placed in the box to give a smooth surface area, then you put a maquette or other object into the box and photograph it using different light effects. Here are some photos...

The afternoon was filled with designing my 3D project, I think I have my final design now, I just have to make it... The design is currently on paper and hasn't been scanned in, but I have no doubt I'll get it up before long.

Day Five

This morning I was a little worried. We were continuing our 3D project and I'm still not sure what I'm doing. Everyone seems to like the cute cars but I was having difficulty seeing where the hell it was all going or what my next step was going to be. Luckily we had to show and tell to the class and get feedback. I say luckily as I now have a few ideas of where to go and a better understanding of what is required from me. Not a perfect understanding, I'm still a little confused, but that's nothing new!
So now I have some ideas which I need to sketch down and figure out, the final model needs to be larger, and ultimately it's going to be the most insane thing I've ever done!

Our chat over-ran and we had lunch late. There was supposed to be a life model who didn't arrive so we ended up drawing our hand. We had to split our A2 page into four sections, then sit on our off-hand and draw a hand without a reference. I am far too confident in thinking I know how to do that, easy peasy. It was fucking awful! I haven't drawn a hand that badly in a long time! Then we had to look at our hand for 5 mins, before sitting on it again, slightly better but still not up to standard. Next was to look at the hand while drawing the hand but not looking at the paper... That was just plain messy! Finally we were allowed to study the hand as we drew.
New sheet of A2 paper. We had been given charcoal, graphite, eraser and putty rubber to use. We had to do a detailed drawing of our hand in charcoal, then a freer drawing of our hand, then another sheet and the same with graphite, then another sheet and we had to do a continuous line drawing, and eventually black the paper out and draw into it using the putty rubber.
These I managed to do well, back to my high standards. I kept getting told how good it all was and the tutor kept pointing it out. I was, for the first time in my life, called a teacher's pet.
It was an odd feeling, but I liked it...

Day Four

In the morning we all trundled in, some with colds, the rest anticipating our own health declining over the next few days. We sat around the central table and our tutor laid out a load of postcards of one artists work and then asked us what century they were painted in. We all looked at each other in the hope someone knew what the hell we were meant to say... we stared back at each other with a blank look on our faces.
Eventually we began to think about it and using our powers of deduction came up with the right answers, it turns out we knew more about art history than we had previously thought. We spent the rest of the morning discussing everything in the pictures, realising that they were all painted in the same room, for wealthy merchants.
It was exhilarating. I had previously thought art history to be boring and not really worth my time, now I'm actually interested in it and looking forward to doing the module.

For the afternoon session we were told to take photographs of each other as we would be using these for a self portrait next week. We were not to take them as portrait pictures thought, and the lights were turned out. We had to distort ourselves and our faces, take photos from odd angles, from the floor, from the table, etc. Out of this bout of fun I have had the best photo taken of me ever! I will upload the picture as soon as I have a copy!
Once we had settled down from our photo shoot we got out our large mark making sheets of a week ago and hung them up to photograph. Then we had to decide with our partners which pieces we were having and cut them up. It is probably the hardest thing for an artist to do, discuss with another which bits to take and then take a pair of scissors or a knife and divvy it all up. I was having heart palpitations.
Needless to say my mark making scrapbook is now a little fatter.

All in all another good day.

The top half was Sarah's and the bottom half was mine, now it's all in bits and glued into our scrapbooks.

Day Three

Today we met in the it department, learnt how to log onto the computers and that if we want to print anything, to not bother, way too much hassle!!
We also began our photography project by going out and taking a few pictures using all the different functions on our individual cameras. I managed to get some interesting blurry effects by taking a photo of a tree a few feet away whilst in macro mode.

We took quite a few photos and now have to take a few more over the weekend. So I am going to be travelling the sights of Bristol, camera in hand, over the next few days. 

In the afternoon we went back to our main studio where we took photos of our maquettes with a brown background and using lights. Here are a few of those beauties...

Once these pictures were taken we painted our maquettes either black or white (I chose white) and have to photograph them against the same colour background (so black on black and white on white). Over the weekend we are to continue improving on our maquettes and also photograph them again, as I didn't get a chance in class.

I may have the rest of the week and the weekend off, but there is so much to do... Now I have to research European art circa 1400-1800... 

Once we were released from college I made my way to the Scrapstore where I purchased some card and a few scrapbooks, as we have to fill a scrapbook for each project, and one for health and safety. Dan, I need more prit-stick...

Day Two

Today we were given a project where we have to design and make an object using cardboard. A number of ideas ran through my head before we were told that it was a DESIGN project, not a FINE ART project, scrap those ideas, start again. I had recently had a conversation about Syd Mead and the F1 was on last weekend and this seemed to manifest in my brain and I began making a futuristic race car. The idea now needs to go along the transportation line and I have to create a number of ideas with this theme. We were also told we need to take photos at every stage and write all our ideas down, do a buck load of research and print it all out. Guess what I'm doing tonight? We also had to look at the work being done by the others in the class and maybe get some ideas from them. So much to think about and do, so little time!!

Today I pre-empted my hunger and bought some tuna past salad with me, so I actually ate today! Yay me! I've bought some sandwich stuff, so I know what I'm having tomorrow. I managed to get a parking space in the student car park, again yay me. Everyone seems really friendly, and helpful, and chatty during breaks or discussions, and quiet during work time, which is perfect for me!

Day Two and I'm really enjoying this, but I am oh so tired! Need sleep...

My first idea was for a futuristic style race car...

A photo of the Race Car, a small box with corrugated wheels, and the road going boat I don't quite like enough to finish.

This is a really weird and wild idea I had for a vehicle that can run on any side. The central feature is a cylindrical seating area which balances out so that whoever is inside is the right way up. 

There will be more ideas flowing once I have done some research on the subject and I will keep you updated.

Day One Part Two

The morning was where we discovered where the emergency exits were, where we can smoke, where the kettle is, all the important things, then we got to business and our tutor, Rachel, gave us information regarding the course and the work we had to do, where we can get our supplies from, books we will need to buy, things like that. By the time lunch came around I was exhausted.

After lunch we were given some paper and a range of charcoals, rubbers, putty rubbers, chalks, and other drawing implements, and were basically told to go crazy, make marks, use all the implements, see what you come up with. Then when that was done we were given bigger pieces of paper and put into groups where we had to draw the person opposite by using the same techniques, we didn't have to draw their face or features, but how we perceive THEM, and seeing as how we had all only just met this morning, that was kinda awkward, but a lot of fun. Rachel found bits she liked from all of our compositions, then we hung them up to look at and we each found something we liked about the others. I even pointed out how I was quite happy with my part, as I usually find I pale in comparison to the others around me, but today I shined just as brightly. I do have a photo taken on my camera phone but we will be taking more photos later. As for tonight, the homework is to cut up the smaller one and stick it into our scrapbooks... This is going to get messy.

This morning I couldn't eat breakfast and nearly leaned out of my car to throw up. This afternoon I was still terrified thinking about all the work to be done before the end, and how little margin for error there really is, and this evening I'm quite chilled, reasonably pleased with myself, and starving hungry! I'm off to make some food.

Mine is the bottom half, the top half was done by one of the other students who's name I can't remember at this time...To see it properly tip your head upside down. We will apparently be taking better pictures of it on Monday and then cutting it up. This is the first thing going into our portfolio. *Gulp*

Day One

And so it begins.

Today is the first day of college. I have pretty  much completed my sketchbook and as soon as all the pictures are scanned in I will post the link to the gallery, although what is scanned in so far is already on the gallery on my WordPress site.

Butterflies in my stomach are making it difficult to eat my toast. Weird dreams made sure I didn't get enough sleep. I'm trying to keep calm.

Breath...

Sketchbook Update 9

http://clairemcarter.wordpress.com/sketchbooks/holiday-homework-summer-11/

I'm sort of moving a few things over to my WordPress website http://clairemcarter.wordpress.com/. It can handle large amounts of images better than I can make blogger handle them. I can even create an extra page specifically for them... I do love blogger and will remain here, updating as and when I can, but WordPress seems a little more...professional?

Anyway. Every page of my sketchbook so far (except the really awful 2 or 3 pages I literally couldn't bare to show anyone but can't rip out) has now been uploaded over there. Enjoy.