Blog #5

1.) The biggest accomplishment for my midterm was focusing on a set of ideas that related to "dreamination."  To be honest this topic was hard for me to explore because its not a word.  I wanted to create a collage that was sincere to my vision.  At first my vision was screened from thinking outside the box on dreamination.  I started my brainstorming with lucid dream ideas and the idea of dreaming.  This was hard because it was an easy way to portray the idea literally.  After putting the midterm aside for a few days and growing to like the word I came up with my idea.  I wanted to create an image that conveyed dreams that we make with the help of imangination.  In my opinion dreams are created by thinking big.  I thought of space, time, change, destiny, fate, and imagination.  This helped me create a meaningful image that was an accurate display of my thoughts.  I was happy with the result and glad I was challenged to a difficult word or the result may have been different. 

2.) I started this class with little photoshop knowledge and I must admit it was quite intimidating at first.  I didn't even know how to add layers the first day.  This was frightening but I stuck through it and learned a lot.  Techniques that I learned and use the most are the cloning tool, eraser and opacity to a layer.  It took me many tries to a layer and make it look transparent.  The eraser tool is useful when I mask parts of the image out and cut in a new image.  A project in class where I was able to master these technques was in the tutorial project.  I researched many different sites on how to apply make up and realized how many ways one task can be demonstrated.  This complicated the situation at first but after finding my own way in learning a technique I knew I was learning. The image I chose was a screen shot from trying the different tools.  This was meaningful to me because I applied these skills to other classes and went back to the steps from this project if I had an issue. 

3.) The two projects I want to compare is the final and midterm because these were the most difficult (not to mention a huge portion of my grade).  The midterm as I explained in a previous question was hard to find meaning.  On the other hand finding meaning for my final was easy because I was able to choose my topic.  I changed my perspective on dreamination and had positive results.  It wasn't so much the techniques that were challenging but the idea itself.  For the final it was quite oppostite because I took on the challenge of scanning painted images into photoshop.  I wanted to create a snapshot of deja vu using paint and transparent images.  For this project I found meaning by incorporating images I created into the project and not just using other images from the internet.  For my midterm I found meaning by trying to demonstrate destiny, dreams and fate in relation to dreamination.  Every image had meaning: the wheel. the woman, and the caroseal all played a role in creating dreamination.  I wanted meaning with mystery with an uncanny approach.  The final was difficult because I was exploring new techniques and came to more obstacles.  I was satisfied when the image captured deja vu.  Both projects were equally as difficult but in entirely different ways.  The midterm was challenging in finding meaning to dreamination, whereas the final was difficult of a technical level.  Overall I am satisfied with both and will carry on my photoshop skills aquired from this class.