Artwork: Digital Collage
Title: Shaping Me
Size: 61 cm x 91 cm
Medium: Digital
Completion: May 2018
Exhibitions text: In my digital collage Shaping Me I wanted to show how many of friends and family have shaped me. Every single one of my friends have a personal story that has impacted my overall being and has made me into a better person. Which is why there is a crack in the face because I am not done being shaped.
Size: 61 cm x 91 cm
Medium: Digital
Completion: May 2018
Exhibitions text: In my digital collage Shaping Me I wanted to show how many of friends and family have shaped me. Every single one of my friends have a personal story that has impacted my overall being and has made me into a better person. Which is why there is a crack in the face because I am not done being shaped.
Artist Inspiration
Due to the fact that nowadays technology has taken over the world. It was easier to find newer artist that have created digital collages. During my digital collage I was exposed to many of these talented artist. Yet, one of the artist that had caught my attention was Sebastian Onufszak. He was one of the artist that had heavily inspired my piece. Sebastian Onufszak is an illustrator, graphic designer, and a direct and is based in Germany.
In his piece Portrait de Femme it is seen that the woman has openings in her face and I truly loved this technical design. I loved it because I was able to put it in my theme which is self image. Another thing that really inspired me about this particular piece was that it had objects all around. I was able to use this idea in my digital collage because I did the same but about the things that had an impact on who I am as an individual.
He also had another piece that I was heavily inspired by, this piece is The Strain. This was heavily influenced in my piece due to the fact that I loved the way that the tree gave it have such emotions. It reminded me of my childhood when I used to live by a cemetery and it had this big old tree that I would always sit by and eat sandwiches. So I decided to visit this old tree once again and I took a picture which was used for the background of my digital collage. I mashed together two of his pieces because together they created a meaning to my art. I decided to keep the background dark and my actual front ground very colorful. His piece The Strain is more of a dark colored piece while his Portrait de Femme was more colorful. So once again I wanted to use that technique that he was using for both of the pieces and mash them together to create my piece.
In his piece Portrait de Femme it is seen that the woman has openings in her face and I truly loved this technical design. I loved it because I was able to put it in my theme which is self image. Another thing that really inspired me about this particular piece was that it had objects all around. I was able to use this idea in my digital collage because I did the same but about the things that had an impact on who I am as an individual.
He also had another piece that I was heavily inspired by, this piece is The Strain. This was heavily influenced in my piece due to the fact that I loved the way that the tree gave it have such emotions. It reminded me of my childhood when I used to live by a cemetery and it had this big old tree that I would always sit by and eat sandwiches. So I decided to visit this old tree once again and I took a picture which was used for the background of my digital collage. I mashed together two of his pieces because together they created a meaning to my art. I decided to keep the background dark and my actual front ground very colorful. His piece The Strain is more of a dark colored piece while his Portrait de Femme was more colorful. So once again I wanted to use that technique that he was using for both of the pieces and mash them together to create my piece.
Planning
Once we were introduced to the project I was a bit nervous since I have never played around with Photoshop. For me it was something that was a bit intimidating. We were given demos on the basics of Photoshop which was really good because with this basic information on how to operate Photoshop was going to help me create my overall piece. Now I wanted to stick to my theme which was self image and this was a bit difficult for me because I wasn't sure what to create that would have my theme self image. I was thinking and since one of the requirements was to use only picture that we produce. I then knew that the easiest thing to photograph would then be me. Since I know myself the best I decided to stick in that relm and explore how to create a piece and have myself in it.
Withing the process I decided to also include my friends because they have been the people other than my parents that I spend most of my time with. They are the ones who shaped me and made me who I am today. It doesn't matter whether it was a negative or a positive it was still a impact that has shaped me. With my inspirations I have been able to put all my ideas together and create my piece.
In my first sketch I wanted to put a picture of my self in the center since it was about me. Then, I wanted to also put my friends all scattered the back ground since it has been a chaotic journey with them. I also wanted to cut my face and be able to represent that they are in a way putting me together.
In my second sketch I decided to regard the whole idea and put my self in the middle and put my friends in a circle holding hands. This was going to represent that it has been a tough game as of now.
My final sketch I decide to just keep the original idea and add a picture of the cementary I grew by. Since a child I spent most of my time there it did have an impact so I wanted to incorporate such an important aspect of my life.
Withing the process I decided to also include my friends because they have been the people other than my parents that I spend most of my time with. They are the ones who shaped me and made me who I am today. It doesn't matter whether it was a negative or a positive it was still a impact that has shaped me. With my inspirations I have been able to put all my ideas together and create my piece.
In my first sketch I wanted to put a picture of my self in the center since it was about me. Then, I wanted to also put my friends all scattered the back ground since it has been a chaotic journey with them. I also wanted to cut my face and be able to represent that they are in a way putting me together.
In my second sketch I decided to regard the whole idea and put my self in the middle and put my friends in a circle holding hands. This was going to represent that it has been a tough game as of now.
My final sketch I decide to just keep the original idea and add a picture of the cementary I grew by. Since a child I spent most of my time there it did have an impact so I wanted to incorporate such an important aspect of my life.
Process
Once I had my ideas in mind I decided to start in Photoshop. Even when I had a demo I was struggling because I kept messing around with the pictures too much that it would then destroy them and make them un-usable. I started with my background picture which was the cementary one and I got a nice picture with a big tree in it which was also part of my inspiration. Then I had outline myself and copied and paste it as a layer in my back ground. Then I used the blur tool to blend the harsh lines. Since the photo I had chosen for my piece was taken in snapchat, it did have a filter so I decide to take of the filter it had. Once that step was done I decided to start layering my friends around my face to represent that they are shaping me.
Experimentation
I decided to experiment in the lighting of the piece. By this I me the exposure of the overall piece and since they were two photos that were taken at different times it was more than obvious that the lighting was different. So I was experimenting with the colors of the piece to make them blend in more.
Reflection
Some of the things that I had noticed was that I could have used a better quality picture of myself. It was kinda hard to make my center picture less pixalated it was very pixalated when I would zoom into it which was a big hassle. Another thing would be that I would make the layers of my friends a bit bigger so there wouldn't be so much space.
Critic/ Compare and Contrast
Critic:
Overall I was pleased with m project it was something that I was proud of because I was struggling to finish it since I kept messing it up when I wanted to change certain things.
Compare:
One of the main things that I noticed that my project had was that they had cracks along the face which was one of trhe things that I was heavily influenced by.
Overall I was pleased with m project it was something that I was proud of because I was struggling to finish it since I kept messing it up when I wanted to change certain things.
Compare:
One of the main things that I noticed that my project had was that they had cracks along the face which was one of trhe things that I was heavily influenced by.
ACT Questions
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
Since my main idea or theme is self image, I wanted to show how my friends and family have been shaping me into the person that I am now. I used my inspiration to be able to crack my face like it had a missing piece and my friends were in a was fixing it.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration
My overall approach would be the mostly for the friends because they have been the ones that have been shaping me and have been able to help me find out who I am.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
With my research I concluded that with my inspirations the artist tend to show reality and emotion.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My theme is self image with my inspiration they relate because they have a cracked face and something coming out of it which shows a message.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research
Some of the inferences that I made was that Sebastian Onufszak used flowers to show his message.
Since my main idea or theme is self image, I wanted to show how my friends and family have been shaping me into the person that I am now. I used my inspiration to be able to crack my face like it had a missing piece and my friends were in a was fixing it.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration
My overall approach would be the mostly for the friends because they have been the ones that have been shaping me and have been able to help me find out who I am.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
With my research I concluded that with my inspirations the artist tend to show reality and emotion.
4. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My theme is self image with my inspiration they relate because they have a cracked face and something coming out of it which shows a message.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research
Some of the inferences that I made was that Sebastian Onufszak used flowers to show his message.