Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the concept of video editing.     

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think this piece is successful because I think I used the video editing software well to show pollution effecting the forest.

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

While working on this piece, I learned a lot about using Aftereffects.

What challenges did you face?

I had a hard time at first getting the video software to gradually turn green.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

I finally got it. 

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I might do more substantial sound editing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqEU2EoBaGw&list=UUY3o5FKPs-FSOUSoJWYA3kg

Digital Artist:  Rado Javor

            It is hard to get a lot of background information about Rado Javor because he is Slovak and his biographies all seem to be written in that language (or French, for some reason).  All that I could find out is that he works in Photoshop, Corel Painter and 3DSMax, he studies physical copies of many of the historical things he draws, and he is inspired by Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes, colonial America, Halloween, and Star Wars.  Fantasy Worlds of Rado Javor. 2010, Sept. 14. Weird Existence,  Retrieved from http://www.weirdexistence.com/fantasy-worlds-by-rado-javor/

            Javor’s digital art looks a lot like old paintings.  His work is very detailed and mostly kind of monochromatic (in either blue-gray or tan-gray).  He seems to create either historical scenes or futuristic scenes, but they both have the same look, which is kind of dream-like.  One of his ship pictures (and he has a lot of ship pictures) that I really like is the “Susan Constant.”  I like the monochromatic color scheme, the detail, the light, and the peacefulness of it.  Digital Painting Gallery from Rado Javor.  Gods of Art.  Retrieved from http://godsofart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Susan_Constant_by_Radojavor.jpg   I also like his “Prometheus” which is his fan art of the movie. I like these kind of movies too, and I think Javor has a great look for a dark, futuristic movie (although I guess you can’t make one in Photoshop).  Retrieved from http://godsofart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/prometheus_by_radojavor-d4kispb.jpg

            Other than the information discussed above, I could find out little about this artist.  He does appear to sell his art on the internet through a dealer (price not specified).  Rado Javor.  Fine Art America.  Retrieved from http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/rado-javor.html  Much of the work that he makes is concept art for video games, like Empire: Total War.  But there is something about his pictures that works on its own—and he has made several “best digital artists” lists.

Digital Artist:  Karl Sims

          And now for something completely different.  Karl Sims is a specialist in computer graphics and a software engineer.  In addition to creating art, he started a company that does special effects for movies.  He studied life science at MIT, but went on to computer graphics (also at MIT).  His science background is an important part of his work, and computer programming is too.  Sims, K. (2013).  Karl Sims.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/index.html

            What Sims does is program his computer to make art, using scientific principles.  Some of it is really beautiful.  I loved his whole “Fractals” series, which he generated “by iterated function systems related to Julia sets” (whatever that is).   Sims, K.  (2013).  Fractals,  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/fractals.html  I especially liked the top and bottom images, the top one because of the effect of the light and the shadow on the intricate detailed shape, and the bottom one because who would ever think that this wild 60s type design was created by some scientific principle. He also has had some very cool ideas, like creating an exhibit where computer generated creatures evolve before your eyes. But. Some of his stuff, like the reaction-diffusion series, seems very soulless, which I guess in a way it is, since it was generated by the computer using science, and not the human mind.  Sims, K. (2013).  Reaction-Diffusion.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/rd-images.html  It is almost like the idea is more interesting than the art.  And I thought his clip “Primordial Dance” was terrible—lots of dancing squiggles to really bad music.  At least it was short.  Sims, K (1991).  Primordial Dance.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/primordial-dance.html 

            But I guess I just don’t get it.  Sims has won many prizes and awards—so many that you actually have to scroll way down on the link that lists them all.  One of them was the MacArthur Fellowship.  He writes a lot of articles too, like “Artificial Evolution in Computer Graphics.”  He also has shown at the Center Georges Pompidou in France, and a lot of other places as well.  (Sims 2013). Karl Sims.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9kax2DZ0CY&feature=youtu.be

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the concept of sounds, to make a story of my day.      

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think this piece is successful because I think it accurately describes my day, without me having to describe it in words.

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

While working on this piece, I learned a lot about using Audacity.

What challenges did you face?

My sounds were too dim, too soft, at first.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

I used the amplify feature of Audacity to make it louder. 

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I would get a better audio capture of my class. 

Digital Artist:  Jeff Huang

The next digital artist that I love is Jeff Huang.  Unlike some artists that have a “look,” he works in very different styles.  Some are just interesting fantasy creations.  Some have something to say.   He grew up drawing Dragonball Z characters and superheroes.  He always wanted to be an artist.  Then he picked up a copy of Photoshop, and began to immerse himself in the digital world.  He says that he wants to reach people’s emotions and create powerful images.  Huang, J. (2014).  The Fifth Order: About Us.  Retrieved from http://www.thefifthorder.net/about/

I really love his picture “The Cracked Face.”  It is supposed to be a representation of what we will look like in 2030.  It shows a close up of what seems to be a child, staring straight at you, and wearing a protective mask—but the child’s skin is cracking and flaking off.  To me, it is about what we are doing to the earth.  But instead of showing the earth, or pollution, he shows an intimate and creepy portrait of what we may turn into in the future.  18 Digital Artworks and Illustrations by Jeff Huang.  Retrieved from  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jeff+huang+digital+art&id=BF3D13A70E04D87BE2CA475C75695049B25F3B78&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=BF3D13A70E04D87BE2CA475C75695049B25F3B78&selectedIndex=0itI   Another picture of his that I really love is called “Memoir.”  It is a surreal illustration done in a muted green and orange color palette.  There are many moons, and a deconstructed house that has turned into some kind of space house on legs.  An empty birdcage (and other objects) hang from the raining sky, and big black crows are circling.  I don’t really know why, but I can’t stop looking at this picture.  I guess because it is moody.  It is kind of futuristic surrealism.   “Discover Jeff Huang.”  Behance.  Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/103110/Memoir.

Huang is very successful.  He runs a design studio in New York called the Fifth Order.  He has designed for “The Walking Dead”!  Also, CNN, Broadway, the Grammy’s, etc.  Interestingly, he says that he will help companies with their branding.  I suppose this is by giving them a look.  It is interesting that he can do so many looks, and does not really have a signature style.  Maybe this is more possible with digital art?  

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique of Project 4

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the idea of motion, slow and calculated motion.  This is what the stop motion gives you. 
Specifically, I incorporated a fight.

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think it is successful in that I accurately portrayed the movements. 

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

I learned stop motion skills, like batch processing.

What challenges did you face?

I had to redo many of my slides because I forgot the background.  Also, it just took me a really long time to get the right number of frames.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

Eventually, I did redo the frames.

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I might have paced the last few frames better—but I just didn’t have the time to get back to it.                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZapFRt8ngDE&feature=youtu.be

I think that Tabaimo’s work is successful because you cannot help being emotionally effected by it.  I think this is what she means when she says that the work is 50% her responsibility and 50% the viewer’s responsibility.  To me, it was really creepy, nightmarish, and weird. 

I see her point about the instability of her world in her work.  This is true even in the design of the building she designed.  Yes, it lets nature in.  But it is also a building with a hole in the roof and a hole in the floor.  Talk about instability.  And her idea that public toilet stalls can represent private internet communities (with a toilet that looks like a camera), and that a baby could be pulled from the nose of a woman and placed in the toilet—this is all pretty much horrifying to me. 

But there were also some things that I found very good.  The idea of a women making dinner, who just continues on as she listens to horrible stuff on the TV—isn’t that really how we all just continue living our lives while horrible things are happening around us?  I also liked the almost jerky old-fashioned look that her technique gives to the movement.  It looks a bit like a comic book.  The brains cooking on the stove reminded me of my brain during mid-terms.  And the way she used an area of glowing light with her hands (colored in orange and red) in a black pool also was very interesting.  Her description of the technique involved in producing this was fascinating—and it sounds very difficult.

Tabaimo certainly makes you feel something.  But I doubt that her stuff is hanging on anybody’s wall.  Still, I somehow can’t help but admire her art.   

Digital Artist:  Mathieu Beaulieu  

Mathieu Beaulieu is a digital artist I found on a web site with pictures of top digital artists.  Outlaw, D. (2009).  One Hundred Artworks from the Top Digital Artists in the US & Canada. Tuts. Retrieved from  http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/100-artworks-from-the-top-digital-artists-in-the-usa-canada--psd-4445.  On his own web site, Beaulieu says that he has loved to draw since childhood, and he enjoys “drawing crazy characters set in various funny universes.”  He has a degree in 2D animation, and has worked in video games, animated series, and advertising.  He freelances now, and he is living in Montreal.  His clients include Coca-Cola, Subway, and Game Works.  Beaulieu, M. (2014).  Info. Retrieved from http://mathieubeaulieu.com/

I love the cartoony characters he draws. Mathieu Beaulieu.  Behance.  Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/mathieubeaulieu.   One of my favorites is his “King APE.”   Beaulieu, M. King APE.  Behance.  Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/92570/King-APE  The colorful and cartoony monkey is standing before a graffiti wall which reads “King of the Apes.”  He is “aping” a street hood, with his tough guy attitude, his bling (earrings and crown), his motorcycle jacket, and his belt buckle.  But the belt buckle has an ape skull with its cross bones, and his drug of choice appears to be bananas, because banana skins are scattered all around him.  Like all of Beaulieu’s work, I don’t think there is any “meaning” in the sense of a message—he just likes to create appealing characters in fantasy universes.  To someone who grew up on comic books, cartoons, and video games, his work has a lot of appeal.  Another favorite of his is “Johnny the Normal Guy.”  Beaulieu, M.  Johnny the Normal Guy.  Behance.  Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/276874/Johnny-the-Normal-Guy.  Well, Johnny is not normal.  His head is misshapen, his eye is misplaced, and his knuckles are scraping the ground.  He is a different kind of monster—more gentle, less threatening, and almost nostalgic.  He has the look of a simpler time—and the pictures themselves are simple too, without much detail and with soft colors.  None of Beaulieu’s monsters are really scary, but they are colorful and fun.   He takes you to a fantasy place that is like the cartoons of your childhood.  And his work is obviously very commercial. 

I know what you are thinking—this is not art.  But I say it is.   And it is the kind of art that many people see and appreciate.  I would love to put his art into a video game, maybe even a game for kids, because it is gentle, and not violent and scary. And it definitely has a look.  Obviously, advertisers like it.  I think gamers, especially younger gamers, would like it too.  

Digital Artist: Chris Parks

 

Chris Parks is another digital artist that I love.  He lives in Florida and runs a studio called Pale Horse.  Parks, C. (2013).  Palehorse.  Retrieved from http://palehorsedesign.com/ His goal is to make “planet earth a more interesting place to exist.”  He claims that he “is constantly traveling to other dimensions, where he explores and hangs out with tattooed aliens, super-natural luchadores, mythological deities, mystical creatures, shape-shifting samurais, shamans and magical wizards for inspiration,” and then returns to his tablet to “bring to life what he has witnessed.”  His plan is to “connect with as many like-minded people as possible through his work.”  In order to do that he produces posters, apparel (including T-shirts and even shoes), advertisements, and works “on an endless variety of materials including: layered acrylic glass, wood, canvas, stained glass, skateboards, products and wall murals.”   Parks, C. (2013).  About.  Retrieved from http://palehorsedesign.com/58524/about

 

What I love about Parks is his vivid style.   He works in very bright colors, but uses a lot of black too, as outlining or as part of the picture.  Many people have described it as resembling tattoo art, but I see it as more primitive.  In fact, when I first saw it I thought maybe he was a Mexican artist, because of the colors and because he also uses a lot of iconic imagery, like skulls, masks and animals.  It kind of looks like a black light poster.  His work incorporates a lot of detail as well, using a lot of black lines.  His art is very other worldly, and maybe suggests some kind of primitive religion.  So I guess he has accomplished his mission of bringing to life mythical deities, shamans and wizards.  “La Calavera Catrina” (which means the elegant skull) is a good example.  It shows a woman’s face, painted in black and white in a skull-like mask, with electric blue around her eyes and nose, and pink flowers in her hair.  It resembles “day of the dead” imagery, but it is more electric than dead, and more primitive than really religious.  Parks, C. (2013).  La Calaver Catrina.    

http://palehorsedesign.com/58523/173276/personal-artwork/la-calavera-catrina

 

I love the harshness and vividness of Park’s work, and that it seems almost mythological.   It also has a graffiti quality to it, too.  It is very “in your face.”  Surprisingly (or maybe not for a public that loves tattoos and graffiti art), he is very commercially successful.  This is street style art, and he makes posters, and T-shirts, as well as gallery pieces.  He has created artwork for companies like Hasbro, Nike, and DC Comics.  He also shows at a lot of gallery exhibitions.  Don’t hate him because he is rich.

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the concept of shapes into my work.  I represented the shadows and the different parts of my face as shapes.  Then I inserted the thumbnails into the shapes.  Since there were four different image of my fact, I used different gradients on each one.    

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think this piece is successful because I think I really defined shapes and then filled in those shapes to make it look interesting, colorful, and vibrant.

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

While working on this piece, I learned a lot about the pen tool from Illustrator.  I also learned about gradients and thumbnails.

What challenges did you face?

Because my gradients were all different and colorful, I had trouble making sure you could see details.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

I used the stroke in pen tool to solve this problem.  I made the strokes thicker. 

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I would do simpler gradients. 

Face scan for project

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated my feelings about ivory into this piece. My idea was that while it would be easy to make laws that ban the sales of ivory, that might not solve the problem.  In fact, the laws could build up demand, by making seem more precious or rare, and make hunting elephants even more profitable.

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think this piece is successful because I think it does show the horrors of ivory, but also shows what would happen if we were to ban the trade all together, i.e. that the hunters would get more profits and would have more incentive to hurt the animals.

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

While working on this piece I learned how to create moving pictures using photoshop.  I also learned how to use color overlay and dissolve.

What challenges did you face?

I had a hard time illustrating my point that banning the ivory trade itself would not work.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

I think I did using words and images together. 

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I would add more moving pieces, because I mainly focused on color overlay and dissolve.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Things i like/dislike

Things I like

Television in general                                                      

hot showers

Monk                                                                                   

coffee

Crime dramas                                                                   

pizza

Justified                                                                              

the Sopranos

Community                                                                       

Brooklyn 99

Breaking Bad                                                                     

my computing gaming classes

Game of Thrones                                                            

my computer                                                    

Hannibal                                                                             

my tv

Malcolm in the middle                                                  

Community

Movies in general                                                           

my PlayStation

Quentin Tarintino movies                                            

the internet

Super hero movies                                                         

my I-phone

Scarface                                                                              

Blade runner                                                                                     

Anime in general                                                             

the cold in winter

Cowboy Bebop                                                                

Christmas

Gurren Lagann                                                                 

my family                                                           

Death Note                                                                 

 My friends

Samurai Champloo                                                         

One Piece (anime)

Manga in general                                                      

Pandas

Naruto                                                                         

 Monkeys

Soul eater                                                                  

  Cats

Fullmetal alchemist                                                        

Dogs

Classic rock songs                                                    

  Persona

The Beatles                                                                  

Borderlands

The Rolling Stones                                                          

Chrono Trigger

The Who                                                                             

Weekends         

Roller Coasters                                                                 

Kingdom Hearts

Video Games in general                                                               

Assassin’s Creed

Things I dislike                                                                                                                 

Know-it-alls                                                                                                                       

Bad TV shows in general

Mean people                                                                                                                    

Black Box

Jerks                                                                                                                                     

Under the Dome

Onions                                                                                                                                 

Dads the TV show

Broccoli                                                                                                                               

Bad Anime in general

Fish                                                                                                                                       

Bad video games

Insects generally                                                                                                             

Neverdead

Bees                                                                                                                                     

Rambo the video game

Wasps                                                                                                                                  

Ride to Hell Retribution

Most movie based games                                                                                           

Games with microtransactions

Hornets                                                                                                                                               

Justin Bieber (who doesn’t)       

Mosquitos                                                                                                                         

Twilight

Homework                                                                                                                        

Getting stuck on an assignment

Especially discussion boards                                                                                       

Coming up with lists of 100

Things I like/dislike                         

Math                                                                                                                                    

Movie 43

Physics                                                                                                                                

Anything made by Uwe Boll

Getting up early

The heat in summer

Bad movies in general

Battlefield Earth

Batman and Robin

Jack and Jill

Ghost rider (one of my favorite characters ruined!)

The Last Airbender movie

Dragon Ball Evolution

Pompeii (the movie)

Resident Evil 1-5

Learning languages

Resident Evil 1-5

                I am not even going to pretend that I understood everything I read and heard this week, and it is very possible that I have missed the point completely.  But what a cool idea.  Art doesn’t have to part of the art industry or the art establishment.  Internet art can be a kind of outlaw art.  It can bounce around the internet, from person to person, changing as it goes.  Art in the computer age.

                I am part of the computer age.  I can’t remember a time without the computer really.  I have it on all the time.  I socialize on it, entertain myself on it, and even sometimes do my homework on it.  I love video games, not just to play, but how they look--how the world of the game looks.  They don’t call it video art for nothing. I do believe computer art can be unique, and use the medium to its advantage. 

                I can understand why some people would want to see art in person.  There is power in seeing a piece close up.  But some computer art is unique in that you cannot really see it in person.  Look at pixel art.  It’s actually better when you see it on the computer.  When you print it out, it just looks wrong.  And social media can also have a role in computer art.  Why not?  The internet changes all the time as people add things to it.

                Now, I’ll admit that computer art does not have its “Mona Lisa” moment yet.  But every day people are experimenting with this new art form.  Any day now, we could see something new and earth shattering.  And even if computer art never has its “Mona Lisa” moment, maybe that’s ok.  It is what it is.  It allows many people to see art, and maybe even participate in it.