SmithDB ART 2104 Blog

I have illustrated several aspects from Wil Mara's novel, The Gemini Virus  (2012), a very graphic and detailed novel about a deadly virus that started in a small American Town, then quickly spread throughout the surrounding cities and states. Because of the amount of disgusting detail in the novel and with the very real Coronavirus pandiemic I thought I'd spare my classmates that amount of gore.  I chose images that stuck with me as I read that I think would give the viewer enough information to interest them in possibly reading The Gemini Virus , themselves. So, I guess it's kind of a promo image. I wanted to show part of my process by showing the copyright/royalty-free images I used from Pixabay.com (left side) and the end results of my Photoshop Illustrations (right side).

Here's my update! I took away the masks and triptych framing, allowing the background colors to blend together giving a softer transition both literally and metaphorically -- as babies transition through development very quickly and seamlessly. I also used one version of my hand-written haiku repeated in the background to make a (hopefully subtle) texture, and to emphasize the message. I feel that the message is important for viewers to consider. I understand some messages work better without "instructions" or precise direction and emphasis, though I thought it would be another design element that would nicely add-to the composition. I also added more to the blue and yellow backgrounds and added a new foot on the middle baby image with my Wacom tablet. For my next set of critique comments I'd like to know do you feel the texture pattern of the haiku works as-is, should I modify it, or should I get rid of it? Also, do you feel this composition works well without...

Cyclical Nature  of Things The theme of this work and composition was my personal traveling routine and transition. As stated in the last entry, on my daily walk I would always stop to admire the beautiful and ever-green moss growing on the branches of trees, mailboxes, and fences as I walked down my neighborhood street. Because it was the highlight of my morning walk I wanted to place that image front-and-center, making it the focal point of my composition. My composition is made with four key images: The mossy branch, the street, a tree I pass on my way to the art building, and the side of the art building I enter for most of my classes. Some additional elements I've added are the sky-blue resting space at the bottom of the image, the streaks of white that can symbolize clouds, shine, or water, and a rendered tree to help the transition between two images. One of my main goals was to integrate the images to form seamless or nearly-seamless transitions. I was pleasantly...

About the work: This is the fourth and [first-] final version of this design made with Adobe Illustrator 2020, that is completely vector. I have taken the record player and paired it with the concept of a time machine, as listening to particular songs or genres of music allow us to mentally travel to a particular event or time in our lives through memory. A walk down memory lane, if you will. I have arranged the record player to be on it's side with the lid open, as if it is large and set in a facility within a room. Set on the record platform is an analog clock representing time, and the arms of the record player are the mechanism that controls the experience as the subject walks through the door into another time and space. On the wall to the right of the device, "Audition for Life", are several years that may be familiar to the general public. Regarding the figure: The figure entering into the unknown through the door is actually Dorothy Gail from the Wizard of ...