1st Half of Semester

I really enjoyed the first hald of this semester.  It got me thinking in ways I never had before, such as in the Scott McCloud reading.  I've always read comics and understood them, but I never noticed that they are a single image in time, yet time is passing with the words that are said.  When explained like that, comics really shouldn't make sense to us, yet they do.  Another class that got me thinking was when we watched Memento.  It was crazy to see the ways your mind can play tricks on you, and how Leonard's memory problem was manipulated by others to get him to do what they wanted.

I liked the reading with activities on right-brain/left-brain switch.  I've felt this happen to me, but I never knew what it was.  I'd just think that I'm "in the zone."  From now on though, I will focus on the techniques needed to make that switch when I'm doing art.  Some of the tips were to either go away from  people, or to zone out their conversations and listen to music.  I've always done the latter and it's done me well.  When I think about how I draw with the left brain, it's always bad.  I overthink and judge myself.  Sometimes it's hard to let your mind take over, but from now on I definitely will trust my right-brain to make me some good paintins.

three artists

Jenny Saville
http://www.gagosian.com/artists/jenny-saville/

Saville was born in England in 1970. She has exhibited her work worldwide, and is well known in the US and in Europe.  She currently lies in Oxford, England.   

I want to study Saville because I really like her painting style.  I think her style is a more exaggerated version of mine. I like how her strokes are loose and abstract, yet how she still focuses on details such as eyes.  I want to incorporate some of her style into my upcoming piece, whatever I decide to paint.  I'm sure I will either be focusing on a portrait or on a figure, while emphasizing my brush strokes.

Simon Birch

http://www.alivenotdead.com/simonbirch

Birch was born in Brighton, England in 1969.  He is a self taught painter.  Birch has lived in Hong Kong since 1997, and is a well known DJ and graffitti artist (cooOOoolll!) I learned on this site http://www.hongkonghustle.com/art-design/483/simon-birch-painter-hong-kong-art-exhibit-out-of-darkness-louis-vuitton-gallery/#more-483 that Birch is a recent cancer survivor too! This dude is the man.

I really like Birch's use of drips, and I actually tend to incorporate them in my paintings. (Or tended. I haven't painted since high school...which was only like 5 months ago, but it feels like longer)  I like his use of color.  What I like is that we know that human skin isn't green or blue, and doesn't have flecks of red, but that doesn't matter because it's all about the value.  I want to do that in my painting, along with the drips.  I'm not that into painting realistically, and both of these styles are what I identify most with.

Kareena Zerefos

http://www.escapeintolife.com/artist-watch/kareena-zerefos/

Zerefos' work plays on whimsical fantasies of childhood and the make believe. She graduated from the College of Fine Arts, and she works in a variety of media.  She works on projects for music, fashion, and advertising along with her career in the fine arts.

I'm upset because I couldn't find a bunch of her pieces that I really loved.  They were a series of portraits of women, and their faces were  realistically drawn with pencil and their hair was ridiculously painted in watercolors with bright colors.  I really liked the contrast of realism and abstraction.  I don't know that I want to include this in my work, But I really liked her painting style, and I wanted to experiment with water colors in that way.  I also really like her use of watercolor in the first image I posted of Zerefos' work, and I tried to mimic that in my comic.  I don't feel that watercolors are my strong suit, but it was fun experimenting with them, and I always enjoy using them.  

10.5.10

In class on Tuesday we watched two videos that each had the same picture, but different music playing in the background.  We noticed how the variation in the music made us as viewers feel a certain way.  I liked the music in the first video best, because it was calming and easy listening, whereas in the second video the music was fast and made me feel stressed out or anxious.  I think it's so cool how music can alter one's mood subconsciensely.  Lost is one of my favorite shows and without the music my emotions wouldn't be as intense.  Same as in scary movies - music is a big part of what makes me feel scared, and when I hear that music without seeing the visual, I can still recognize it as scary music and actually still feel scared.  Anyway back to class, we also started collaging our nude drawings.  I'm pretty happy with mine so far, and I'm excited for the finished product.

The Scott McCloud reading was really cool.  One of my roommates actually owns the book, so I flipped through more of the book.  It's basically just a really long insight on comics.  I think it's awesome that we understand the way comics work, yet don't realize the thought that goes into them, and what is implied, such as the idea that time is passing while characters speak, even though they are frozen in one frame.  Unless, that is, "motion" is drawn.  After reading this I realized I knew that, but never recognized it.

On pg. 97, I thought McCloud's comic where he broke up the same panel (so it would operate as several panels) ruined the visual because it cuts off information such as the bored look on the little boy's face.  I want to know if that should still be done to a comic if it cuts off important information like the boy's expression.  On pg. 102, I was confused by the question, "Ever noticed how the words "short" or "long" can refer either to the first dimension or the fourth?" I never knew there was a fourth dimension, so I looked it up and it is said to be hypothetical.  Here is a good visual that will describe it better than my words can.

I'm just confused because I don't know how the words "short" and "long" refer to any dimensions at all? I think Scott didn't explain this well, but if anyone understands, plz let me know. :)

For one of my research questions, I wanted to know why music can make you feel a certain way.  Music eliminates "excercise-induced fatigue"and upbeat music can help one to find extra energy.  Music that is not harsh will calm someone and not distract them.  Any sound can be made.  Different notes evoke different emotions as well as different beats.  Faster beats will make your heart beat faster, and that is why athletes like to get pumped up with fast paced music that has a strong beat.  Music can be made to control one's feelings using the tone, pitch, and loudness.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_dimension

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-fourth-dimension.htm

http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/music.shtml

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/timbre.html