Advanced feature news story

 For my first project in video, we did a feature news story. My group chose to do it over NAHS (National Art Honors Society), which is an art club at Olathe Northwest. I have a friend who is in NAHS so that's how I came up with the idea. The scripting and interview questions fell together pretty early on in the production process which was very helpful later on. We filmed my friend, Anna, and then we got another interview, Vic Kepner, which was very fortunate considering nothing we filmed of Anna had actually recorded. As this was my first project, I was more of a shadower and I imputed ideas and things I felt needed to be said. This was a very effective way to do things because I will much more comfortable and confident for the next project. We communicated well and got all filming done inside class and everyone was sort of the leader in our group. We collaborated well and probably could have had better project management on day one but we got our stuff together soon after. Next project, I will probably work to be a little smarter with time, otherwise this went really smoothly. Especially for my first project, I think it turned out really well and I'm happy with the results.

Written News Story

Pop Sensation Justin Bieber Finally Settling Down?

Beliebers all around the globe had been hearing whispers and rumors of pop singer Justin Bieber (24) and model Hailey Baldwin (22) getting married in a quiet wedding but no one was sure. On Thanksgiving, Bieber finally confirmed the rumors with a post on his instagram,  “Happy late thanksgiving to everyone. First thanksgiving as a married man, first time hosting thanksgiving. First time both sides of the family has come together." Fans, naturally, were ecstatic but nothing was more exciting then when several days later, Baldwin changed her instagram to @haileybieber and Bieber posted a picture of the two captioned “My wife is awesome.” It was later released that Bieber had proposed in July and the two had gotten their marriage license in New York in September. It is clear the two are quite happy with the marriage and intend on making it a long one as Bieber talks about being in a “healthy stable marriage” that his little brother and sister get to see. Here’s to a good marriage between the two!

I wrote my news story based of what I personally want to read about which is what the public wants to read. I have been wondering about the relationship status of these two celebrities for a while now and when I saw on Justin Bieber's instagram, that they are in fact married, I was ecstatic, it was the perfect thing to write about. The key in writing anything is to write about what you are passionate about and what you would like to read, because there is someone who wants to read the same thing. When actually writing it, also put the most important details and elements at the top because that's the eye catcher.

I enjoy being able to write about whatever I want to. It's really fun to dig though the internet to find evidence and information, especially when it is something/ someone you WANT to write about. One thing I think I need to work on, but I did a pretty good job of on this one, is to not add "fluff" or pointless information on a news story. I need to just report facts and other information with importance to the story. I feel like I have a fairly credible and believable voice established which is critical in writing anything. I also have good word choice that corresponds well to the story.

Writing this news story I was able to explore my voice and the way I present my information. I believe that it worked and suited me well so I am very happy with it.

Watercolor Transfer Prints

For this project, we started off by choosing two of our favorite previous projects,  cropped them, and then printed them out. Next, we did the most fun part and watercolor painted a rectangle piece of watercolor paper.  Once our paint dried, we began the actual printing process. Cutting our picture, we left a 1/2 to 1 inch border of the white paper around the image. After that, we applied mod podge to to the front side of the paper then placed it face down onto the watercolor paper.

The next step was using the squeegee to smooth out the picture and remove all bubbles and imperfections. This process required us to bevery careful becuase we couldn't get any mod podge on the back of our image. After the mod podge dried, we used water to wet the back of the image and then started rubbing it to move the white paper which left behind the ink on our water color paper. After rubbing off the barest hint of white paper, the transfer print was complete.

This project was a fun and interesting experience for me. For me, the most difficult part was choosing what image to use. I had several pretty good projcts but I ended up settling with the panorama project. I thought I did a very good job with figuring the most effective and efficient way to rub off the paper. All in all, I really enjoyed learning how to use old print making methods to create a cool end result.

Pop art

We began the pop art project by taking pictures of our partner. After choosing an ideal spot in the courtyard, I took several shots of my partner, Ava, and then uploaded the best into photoshop to begin the editing process. After studying the picture, I added a filter over Ava's body. This gave it some cool texture that really contributed to the overall "pop art" look. Next, I colored each individual brick on the brick wall background different colors. This pop of color really spoke for itself when it came to being pop art.  

Going into this project, I didn't have any initial design ideas or color scheme ideas. I liked pink and orange so I did end up incorporating them into my work but that was my only idea. I ended up using many bright colors such as pink, orange, and bright blue. 


My work was probably inspired most by Roy Liechtenstein's work. He used dots and bright colors to show simplicity and yet, also complexity at the same time which was what I was going for. 

This was a very interesting and new type of project. I had to use different techniques then what I enjoy and am used to using. I learned a lot throughout this experience and project. Filters now are easily located when I need one and there are so many different brushes that I can use. This was a very cool project and helped me broaden my comfort zone.

Multi-Exposure Panorama

I take a deep breath as I step onto the plane. Nine hours and I will be in Brazil. I've been planning for this trip for a month and it was finally here! I had made sure to pack all the necessities including swim suites and dinner outfits. Shortly after boarding, I feel the familiar rumbling of the engine and the pilot begins his usual pre-flight speech. I sit back in my seat and turn on my music, trying to relax as I know this will be a very long flight. I feel myself drifting off, just as the plane takes flight, getting transported into dream mode. After a strange dream about being chased by burgers, I wake up to find the beautiful country of Brazil smiling up at me from the ground. The rolling hills, the busy street, I could almost smell it already.


We had a full day ahead of us after we checked into our hotel at 8:30 am. What's a better way to spend it then right across the street to the beach? The moment I stepped outside I could smell the  salty air that I hadn't smelled in so long. A cool breeze lifted my hair up off my shoulders as my family and I walked across the bustling streets. My got our chairs that the hotel provided us and my sister and I tore off towards the water. Oh how I've missed that feeling of the sand between my toes! I jumped into the ocean and started swimming out. I tasted the salty water as I dove under, feeling seaweed tickle my leg and the sea shells crunching under my feet. Five times, I got knocked over by the monstrous waves but each time coming up laughing. This was glorious! Then, we ventured into the heart of Rio where I got to get up close and personal with three popular sights; Sugarloaf mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and Escadaria Selarón, the popular steps. Along the way, I got to witness the incredibly amazing, but also dangerous, Favelas, named due to the fact that when the poor people of Rio were offered no government aid, they had to build their own communities. The land they chose to build on, which was up a mountain,  was covered with favela trees. The name stuck and even today these civilizations are still called the favelas. After the tour, we went on a helicopter ride in which I got  to fly over Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana beach, the view was breathtaking and I loved the thrill of being in a helicopter.  
After hours of playing in the waves and relaxing on the shore, my family headed down the beach in search of lunch. Luckily, we happened to be near one of my parents favorite seafood restaurants so were more then happen to drop in and eat some food. We ordered fried jumbo-shrimp, garlic shrimp, and my picky sister got a burger. As I bit into the shrimp, a rich, buttery taste filled my mouth. Yum! All of the food was fantastic, even my sisters burger, just as my parents had said it would be.
I ended up really loving my finished product. It was so fun to make and the pictures all seemed to be in favor when it came to fitting together. I spent a lot of time blending the pictures together so it looked natural and all like one continuous image. I blended several buildings together and I also blended the favelas image with the helicopter view image. All in all this project was fun, exciting, and turned out great!

Printing Processes

Relief

Relief printing is where you cut away at a surface, creating an image from the raised area.  The process is quite simple, first you draw directly onto some kind of surface such as a wood block. Then, you cut away all that you have drawn, the actual lines will be white and the empty space will be inked. Next, you coat the surface in ink with a roller. Lastly, place a piece of paper over the block and apply pressure so the ink transfer onto the paper.  Let the ink dry, and the process is complete!

Intaglio

Intaglio printing process is where the image area is below the flat surface, meaning the cut out part. Two different types of intaglio are dry point and etching. The first step in this process is to start by polishing and cleaning your surface so nothing obstructs your work. You also need to add a ground which protects the white parts of the image. You then smoke the plate until the surface black. Next, you scratch away the ground on the plate to reveal the metal surface on which you are working underneath it, these scratches will be the black part of your image, because the ink settles into it. Next you etch the plate, which eliminates all bare metal areas on the plate. Next you clean the plate, removing the ground. You then apply ink to the surface and clean away all the extra. Lastly, you place a sheet of wet paper on top of the plate which you send through the printing press, finally revealing the finished product.

Lithography

The lithography process is made up entirely of how water and grease resist each other. You start by using a pencil specific to this process called a "lithographic pencil" to draw your image on stone. You apply gum arabic and TAPEM to the stone, then begin etching it. After that, you reapply the gum arabic, a process called cooling the stone. You then use a cloth to make the stone absorb the chemicals.  Next, use lithotine to wash your drawing, this will cause it to seemingly disappear, creating a "ghost image". Now you add on asphaltum then go over the image with a wet towel, dry towel, then sponge. Follow with applying ink immediately to the surface, making the image appear. Put a piece of paper on top of the stone and press the ink further into the stone. Lastly, put a dampened piece of paper on the stone and press the image on the paper.

Conclusion

I would like to try relief print making sometime because it seems to be fun, relaxed, and made the most sense to me. This older methods helped give current artists a base to build off of and grow from.

Coding Challenges and Process

So far, this year in web design the biggest challenge I have faced would be on the very first assignment when I didn't even know what HTML meant. I had absolutely no idea what to do, despite having intricate explanations and a step by step tutorial to follow. After the first one or two projects though, I began to develop a basic understanding of how to code, with a lot of help of course. Now, I can do nearly all of each project completely on my own. I would definitely say that I overcame those challenges. Coding becomes much easier when you know what a "tag" is. 

I was most surprised by the fact that I wasn't very behind in relation to rest of the class. Naturally, there were several people who had a very advanced understanding in HTML and CSS but most of class had little to no experience which made me feel more welcome and comfortable. So far, my favorite thing about coding is simply being able to type seemingly nonsensical things into the computer but then ending up creating something that I never thought I could do. I have learned so much even just in this first quarter but nothing compares to the proud feeling I get when I can figure out what I did wrong and fix it all on my own. I can't choose a specific thing to further explore, as I would like to enhance my knowledge in everything we have covered so far. Although I found a lot of interest in using the hexadecimal code of a color to change the text color of my writing.