Banana Sketch

For this sketch we had to draw a piece of whole fruit plus a dissection. I chose a banana because it had an interesting shape and color. I like this drawing because of the contrast between the black pen and the yellow marker. If I did it again I would make the outside of the dissection more round instead of angular shaped as I have it. But overall, I like how it turned out. It was fun to use my favorite mediums to draw my favorite fruit!

Flower, Vase and Candle Sketch 1

For this sketch we had to draw 3 home accessories, two different ways. I chose a flower, vase and candle because these are 3 accesories I feel are important in a room. The smooth texture of the vase and the ice cube-like quality of the candle holder made this sketch interesting and unique. In this sketch I got to explore how light can create shadows and the different ways of expressing those shadows. If I did this sketch again I would vary the darkness/lightness and thickness of the pencil to make certain areas stand out more. I would also use more sure lines instead of many sketch lines.

Flower, Vase and Candle Sketch 2

My Heritage Textile

This assignment was my favorite of the semester. It was the second project we did using Photoshop. The assignment was to research our heritage; specifically what qualities and images represented the heritage. We then applied our research into a textile design.

Although I am made of many cultures, the Irish heritage is the one I associate the most with. Some qualities of the Irish heritage are the color green, clovers, the Celtic Cross and the Irish Blessing. I chose to incorporate those qualities in my design. The Cross and the Irish Blessing have special significance to myself because my religion is very important to me. I felt this was a way I could express who I am.

When incorporating these elements together I came across a dilemma. I wanted the Irish Blessing to be seen but I didn't want the design to be chaotic so I changed the opacity level. The result was it faded into the background, yet was still readable. It turned out exactly as I had envisioned. After I had perfected my textile design I then transferred it to InDesign to create a 3x3 pattern. I don't think I would change anything if I did it again. I am very happy with how it turned out.

Through this design I was able to gain skills in Photoshop and InDesign as well as research and apply qualities of my heritage into a textile design that is special and unique. This design expresses who I am and where I came from. It is exciting to be able to express such a unique part of myself to others.

Photoshop Quilt Pattern

This was the first assignment I did with Photoshop. Once I got over my fright I enjoyed all the cool things Photoshop could do. For this assignment I had to take pictures and manipulate them so they were unrecognizable. I then applied them to a quilt pattern. Some of the pictures I chose to manipulate were from my favorite architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. I chose to use a picture from Falling Water and a design of one of his rugs. I used one of Kandinsky's works in addition to two flower paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe. I also manipulated a picture of my dream car-a red mini cooper. My last three pictures are of the mountains and of my favorite place-the beach!

Looking back on this assignment I think it turned out well and allowed me to get introduced to Photoshop. The overall design is a bit chaotic so next time I might try to unify the colors more but overall it turned out well and I enjoyed manipulating the images!