So yes, my strengths. I think I'm pretty good at the hands-on stuff. The non-computer comping and thumbnails and stuff. At least, that's what I really enjoy. It's hard for me, though, to try and come up with ideas that I could eventually do on the computer. I think it's good to do thumbnails and marker comps, but because we do now have the technology, that it's okay to make changes on the computer if you find out something looks better a different way than the original thumbnail had it. Anyways, back to my strengths: I'm pretty stinking good at illustrator, almost a master with the pen tool and the gradient mesh tool these days :) I've improved a lot with my creativity within the design process in indesign, though I still have a lot to learn. Weaknesses: photoshop....in general. I'm just not good with photos. There's some really cool stuff you can do in this program, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Also, I need to work on making my stuff more interesting. My work is usually pretty straightforward, to the point, but also a little on the boring side.
Yeah, so I am dropping my viscom major....just going to stick with psychology for now, I think. I don't regret taking this class, though. I've definitely learned a lot this semester. One way I can use what I've learned here in future courses is the client interaction. 1) I may not always get to do what I think the best option may be. 2) I've learned how to give helpful criticism 3) I've learned how to accept helpful criticism from others. Also, I've just become a more creative person. I've learned how to take an idea (like chili) and come up with thirty different concepts for one topic. (Really, after thinking about chili for so long, I can tackle anything!)
It's going to be sad not to be apart of Truman's amazing art world anymore, but it was definitely fun (and a little crazy) while it lasted!

This is my best photoshop piece. It's from the mood assignment we had. I have a lot to learn in photoshop, but I feel that this piece fulfilled the assignment, and shows I can use a gradient, masking, color and brightness/contrast, and color schemes to control how people feel about a certain situation. pretty cool!

This shows my proficiency in illustrator very well. Out of the three programs, I've learned the ways of illustrator the best; I'm very comfortable in this program. I used the gradient mesh, normal gradient, and the pen tool to create this cute little masterpiece. I tried really hard not to let it look too cartoon-y, but rather as realistic as possible. It worked out pretty well, i think!

Yeah, this definitely shows my proficiency in indesign. I already wrote a lot about it in the earlier post. I created the mickey hat and the map in illustrator and placed them in. I also adjusted the photos in photoshop to get the right resolution and placed them in, too. I used a four column grid for the layout. 

This is one of the best creative concepts. It grabs the attention of the audience with a familiar triangle shape and large interatactive heading. It's also great because the triangle points down, towards the more detailed text, leading the audience to the important who/what/where/when/why information. Also, it brings something familiar to the audience (bowling) and makes a connection to the poster's promotion of something not so familiar (chili soup testing.) I would have really liked to take this piece to the next level, but unfortunately, we don't always get to choose our favorite layouts to design.

This is my best use of typesetting. The large CHILI immediately drays attention, and because it's so elongated, it brings the focus down to the rest of the page. It overlaps just enough with the bowl of chili to create interest, but not confusion. Below the chili bowl lies the simple command "EAT IT." It' s in plain block text, but it stands out boldly on the page. It truly captures the audience's attention so they can then read what the event is about underneath of the larger headings. The types are all different, but not to the point of distraction. In this design layout, the type plays a huge role because it takes up a majority of the page. It makes a loud enough statement so that no other graphics are needed.

Disneyland! Okay, this is the best of the best of my work (in my opinion.) And here, I'm using it for the best over-all design. First Page: The enlarged disney hat is the eye-catcher that creates immediate audience interest. I placed it diagnally, with the "marceline" heading overlapping the ear so that they're connected. That's the important connection people need to first see. Then, the details of the hometown and walt's magic come into play in smaller font, yet large enough for a heading. I stuck with a red/black/white theme for the booklet cover. Page 2/3: The booklet opens up, immediately presenting a map of the town. Again, the overlapping text is used, to show the use of the map. The pages are divided into five large blocks; text in the four corners, and then the center map. Four photos are used in each text section, pertaining to one of the attractions in that area. The audience can then look for the attraction on the map. Clarity to the audience was a main focus for this piece. On the back is all of the other information. It's livened up with some red headlines. The picture is made more interesting with the three verticle red lines behind it. Overall, the best design elements are the diagnal hat on the front, the overlapping text, the use of just two fonts, and the clarity to the audience.

So this is my best copy fitting job. When compared to the final product, they look almost identical. The only thing that really changed is the photo on the left. But, when looking at the copyfitting, it's almost perfect. I feel that when copyfitting, it would be cheating to go back and do it after you've already done it on the computer (you wouldn't even have to use the right technique.) So I didn't re-do mine, and it actually turned out pretty well. However, the final did come up a little bit short, so to compensate, I made the Headlines a little bigger, to take up more space. From this project, I learned how to copyfit the right way, and it turned out pretty well.

So, this is my best marker comp. It's also the very first marker comp I did. It's a replication from a lipstick add in a Teen Vogue magazine. I like it a lot because this high-heeled shoe actually looks three dimensional, which is hard to create with the markers. I feel I correctly used the layering technique of the markers to capture what the shoe really looks like. This is especially seen in all the way up the back of the shoe. It's good. It's sassy. I like it!