Final Project

           Before I started my final project I really didn’t have that many ideas. I’m not exactly sure how I came up with the big idea of the use of photo shop in the image industry, but once it came to mind I decided to just kind of run with it. I think my main inspiration was aesthetics of appearance class I took last spring. During the call the teacher slightly spoke about photo shop and showed us a YouTube video of a self taught photo shop artist. In the video she started with a plain bald picture of Penelope Cruz and with the use of photo shop she somehow miraculously gave Penelope a full head of flowing gorgeous hair. I thought this was really interesting but never thought I’d be able to try it since I’ve never really used photo shop in the past. I figured now would be a great opportunity to try it and see what I could do.

            At the beginning of my project I ran into many frustrations. Initially it took awhile to find several plain faces online. I wanted to use a random person so that way I wouldn’t be bias if I used a person that I knew. After I choose faces I started with makeup. I never realized how difficult it would be to make painted on makeup appear somewhat realistic. After a few trial and errors with each picture I think the makeup came out well. The other challenge with my pictures was the addition of hair. I used many online tutorials to guide me in making the hair look as real as possible but my hair never turned out as well as the examples online.

            After finishing all my images I was pretty satisfied given my amount of experience with photo shop. I never realized how difficult it was to make changes on photos to make them appear real. After doing this project I now understand while photo editors get paid so well because it is not an easy task to do. I really enjoyed during this project because I didn’t have any restrictions or guidelines and could do what I wanted. The freedom really allowed me to play around with the photos and get the images that I finished with. Looking back it was pretty difficult to get the images to where they are now and I’m pretty happy that I was able to make that much of change in the given amount of time. I’d like to learn how to make the changes in the photos even more realistic in the future. I think it’d be cool to be able to make changes almost unnoticeable. This project was kind of like baby steps in learning how to do so. 

Final Project Brainstorm

In media today celebrities are often said to be "photoshoped" to take out any flaws and appear to be close to perfect. For my final project I wanted to try and photoshop average people and make them go from plain to glamourous. Since my major deals with the image industry I thought this would be a creative way to display some of the photoshop skills I've learned over the quarter. I've learned in previous classes and online how to use certain tools in photoshop to add things like makeup and hair to a photo. A person can find lots of tutorials and videos online that display how to use these tehcniques as well.

In my final projects I haven't decided on if I'd like to focus on different tehcniques in different pictures or if I want to use them in all the pictures. I plan on incorporating modern makeup designs, adding makeup, and possibly altering skin complexions. Although I have learned a lot in the course I plan on searching online on how to do some certain changes.I've always been interested in the aspect of photoshopping pictures to take out people's flaws and make changes so I'm happy that I finally get a chance to try it myself now that I actually know how to use photoshop.

I plan on pulling random face and body shots of people from google images. I think it'd be easier to do random people I don't know instead of people I know to avoid bias. I'm debating on if i want to display both the before and after pictures once I finish the project or if I should only display the final product. I think it'll be fun to do research on some crazy modern makeup and hair styles and see what I can do with them in photoshop.

Microproject 5

The object I decided to use was my bed and nightstand. I decided to use these objects because they're something I use on a daily basis. I not only use my bed to sleep in, I also use it as a desk, couch, and a place to eat. I find my bed to be incredibly comfortable so I end up spending lots of time in it. I also used my nightstand because I usually throw everything onto it when I first enter my room. The word I was assigned was "to hang". When I first heard this was one of my words I completely blanked. After a little brain storming however I came up with the idea of having my bed hang. A lot of thought when into my idea after deciding what object I wanted to use and where I wanted to place it. The first thing that came to mind  was having my bed appear almost like a hammock. One day i was using the website stumbleupon and came across a article that talked about people building a hanging jacuzzi from a bridge. The view was beautiful so I decided to use the picture for my project. I also liked the picture because it looked almost like it was near sunrise. What better way then to have the sunrise wake you up in you're hammock bed? I found it a little ironic because I'm deathly scared of heights but I thought the idea was creative. The process I went through while making this photo was originally used photoshop to place my images. Afterwards I used a photo editing website call picnik to alter the colors of the landscape and add the text. I really enjoyed the turnout of my piece and if it's possible to build a hanging jacuzzi I'm sure it's possible to build a hanging bed.

Microproject #4

If i could have a superpower, I'd want to have x-ray vision. I'm often lazy so I would love if I could just glance over and look through my fridge door instead of having to get up to open it and look. I think the power would also come in handy with getting dressed in the morning to see what I have hung in my closet and to look through my purse or bag to find something I'm looking for instead of digging around. Along with this power, I also brainstormed some other super powers including teleportation and the ability to make money grow on trees. I chose this power however because I felt like it would be a cool idea to display through a picture. With my piece, I like how the contents of the fridge turned out and how it actually looks like an x-ray. If I could change anything I would want the rest of the image to look more animated or cartoon-ish. Overall I'm pleased with my piece and think that it easily portrays x-ray vision as a super power.

Microproject #3

For my sculpture I decided to use an oversized plastic hanger accented by pink spot lights.  I chose these objects because fashion plays a large role in my life and whenever a person sees a hanger the first thing that comes to mind is clothing. I also decided to use pink spot lights to give it the aspect of more feminine clothing instead of just clothing in general. I chose the tree area by the Wexner center because people often argue if fashion is considered art, so I thought it was a good idea to place it by an art center to maybe raise thought about the debate. The sculpture is simply just made of plastic like any normal hanger, a black wooden stage with a skirt, and then pink lights installed around it. I would like the viewer to interact with the sculpture in an observational way. There will be no signs around it telling what it is about or for, leading the viewer to come up with their own inference about the sculpture and it's meaning. 

Microproject #2

If i could sum my image into a couple words I'd say cluttered with a little hint of pink. Funny enough, those words could probably describe me as well. With the use of asymmetric organization of my pictures and words I tried to depict how cluttered, busy, and all over the place my life tends to be. I'm usually always doing something so it's nice when I get the time to sleep. I chose these pictures because they're things I tend to encounter,use, or appreciate the most. Fashion is a large part of my life and plays an important role. I also work part time and while it may be difficult to work during school it helps me afford things I enjoy the most. Some of these things include my car and iPhone shown, and also going out to eat often. It was hard to pick objects that depict me as a person, but with my finished product I hope the viewer is able to get a better insight of what kind of person I am. For one thing, the viewer can definitely tell I'm not very masculine, and sports don't play a role in my day to day life. In general I'm just a girl who enjoys aesthetically pleasing things.

Objects :)

I chose my favorite pair of wedges because I love to dress up and go out with my friends. I decided on a pair of wedges instead of normal heels because I usually don't wear stilettos out in the fear of rolling my ankle. I've learned from experience it's better to wear sensible shoes.
Fashion Experience

My closet/wardrobe is one of the most important things to me, as sad as that may seem. I've always had a thing for fashion and clothing, enough so to make me change my major to fashion retail. It's hard to describe the feeling of buying new clothes and matching things to create a perfect outfit. A girl can never have too many clothes.
Passion for Fashion

In order to have a large wardrobe, one must go shopping. Whenever I go to a mall Forever 21 is always the first store I visit. Sometimes I go to the mall just to visit this store. Forever 21 has always played a large role in my wardrobe and it was also one of my first jobs as a teen. Although I'd probably never work there again, I still enjoy there clothing and shopping environment.
Shop-A-Holic

There's no place like home whether it be temporary or permanent. This is  my room in my house on campus and I love coming home to it after a long day of class and work. I love decorating, so I feel like my room slightly shows how important aesthetics are to me. It isn't always this messy, I promise. I also can never get enough sleep, hence the focus on my bed.
Dream Pink

I'm a huge animal lover and I have always loved dogs. This is my dog at my Dad's house and her name is Brooke. I always love coming home because my dog will always come up and snuggle with me and often fall asleep. I know this is the one thing that will always be happy to see me.
Puppy Love

There's nothing like the sound of ocean waves, palm trees, blue skies, and the warmth of the sun on your skin. This is a picture I took during my  spring break trip senior year. Not only do I love the beach, but this picture always reminds me of the best vacation of my life.
Fun in the Sun

Tiffany's is always a classic piece of jewelry. Not only is my necklace one of my nicest piece of jewelry it also has great meaning to me. My mother surprised me by taking me to the Tiffany's store to pick out a necklace as my graduation present. I'll always remember the feeling of utter surprise I had when she took me to the store. I now almost always wear the necklace because I love it.
Moments Remembered

This car is my baby. I just recently bought her back in June and named her Pearl. I'm paying for my new car by myself and whenever I look at it I see how hard I work to pay for it and how grown up I really am. Most people my age can't afford car payments and insurance, so it makes me feel rather independent.
Workin' Girl 

I'm not going to lie, I LOVE to eat. I'm usually open to different types of food and l always enjoy trying new things. I have a wide palette and my fridge/pantry is always full! You'll almost never see me turning down food.
Food Fanatic 

Like previously stated, I love food, but I even have a softer spot for chipotle. I could eat chipotle everyday, but due to the nutrition of it that probably wouldn't be the best of ideas. The smell of chipotle is so appetizing and whenever someone else has chipotle in the room my mouth literally waters.
Weakness

My phone is always glued to my hip. Often when I don't have my phone I almost have a mini panic attack. My phone is basic my lifeline to the outside rule and I use it for almost everything. Some major things I use it for calls/texts, alarm clock, iPod, and facebook. It's almost unhealthy how much I'm on my phone.
Team iPhone