Kafka!

I feel like Kafka today. This is test post for multimedia exp - hi tylergalloway!

a matter of taste and style

One of the most disconcerting trends I've seen in art for quite some time is definitely the prevalence of the copying or emulation of styles. I've seen this happen with illustrators, photographers, animators, and even designers. Let me be clear though: I am not against being inspired by other artists. I myself read numerous design blogs and other image bookmarking sites everyday. There is a fine difference, however, between inspiration and just plain emulation.

But I believe in one's individuality as well. I often see aspiring creatives in different schools or online communities saying that they "want to be Miyazaki," or "wants to draw like Disney does," or "draws Naruto." As a result, you often see mostly tracings or references of pre-existing imagery. If it's not tracings of the images, you often see modified pieces. For example, if you've ever browsed around places like DeviantART, you'll almost immediately notice the myriad of anime-inspired works. Naruto-themed works are among the majority of this. But I'm not saying fanart is bad; the opposite in fact - I believe fanart is a wonderful show of support for cartoons/shows/movies we love. One of my problems is with people who modify pre-existing characters and call them their own "original" characters. Therein lies the problem.

But does the root of the problem lie in the prevalence of so much imagery? Has the popularity of such styles made "drawing" a convenience, rather than one trying to find their own voice amidst the others in the crowd?

Speaking of convenience though - the notion of convenience is becoming somewhat of an issue amongst artists these days. With powerful programs like Photoshop and Illustrator fairly available to today's layman, art and design has become much simpler. Simpler, yes. But better? Not necessarily.

Designer Wim Crouwel noted that, "You can't do better design with a computer, but you can speed up your work enormously." I think the same applies to art in general as well. The computer is just a tool. (Albeit a very fast one.) But it seems that presets such as filters and pre-generated shapes, art and patterns have become a crutch of sorts to artists.

Finished drawing your character but don't want to draw a background? No problem! Just run some filters over a photo and throw it behind your drawing.

Don't feel like drawing cloth textures? Just copy and paste one from Google images!

Don't draw that well? There's plenty of filters to give photos that "hand drawn" aesthetic.

Let me be clear though - I love the enormous amount of possibilities that computers and technology can afford us as artists. But I'm opposed to the artistic laziness and poor craft it can sometimes instill. I don't believe that a mere filter can truly reproduce the same kind of effect a human touch can. Live-tracing something in Illustrator may clean your lines up, but anyone familiar with the process will instantly be able to detect your laziness. Pre-fabricated effects like "calligraphy" or "ink" brushes still look very digital. If you want to make something look like it was painted or hand inked, then do it by hand.

So what is my point throughout this rant?

To my fellow artists out there:

Make art that looks like it designed itself. Photoshop's "paint daubs" filter is no equivalent to hand-rendered paintings. Use your tools cleverly, not conveniently.

“The difference between the forgettable and the enduring is the artistry.”

-Bill Bernbach

ziba tea sketches

sketches for a user experience project.

oldenburg's wake:: detail shots

(Click to see full-sized images.)

"in oldenberg's wake" - a mapmaking project

A map making project for my User Experience studio class. We were to design a 'poetic' (modes of appeal) map that led a user to Claes Oldenberg's four shuttlecocks at the Nelson-Atkins museum. I opted for a more intimate, personal map. I made a series of watercolor illustrations that noted several points of interest along the way, and printed it on gridded paper. Final artifact takes the form of an according-style booklet. Still needs heavy revising though.

My favorite moment was when I was showing it to one of my friends, and he remarked that the book was even taller than I was when it was fully opened. :D

Ta-dah!

...yea. I'm only 5'2". Therefore, there are going to be a lot of things in life that are taller than me. 

Oh, and I finally managed to download the entire Half-Life 2 soundtrack. Resonance cascades and crowbars ftw!

self-portrait progress

 I don't think I will ever get around to finishing this.

user experience - 01 "practical"

the fucking bike pamphlet. 

this project combined a few things i dislike:

1.) designing an instruction manual

2.) group collaboration

3.) large format printing