Faces

I did some practice on human faces today and ended with a quick self portrait of myself! I'm not very good with faces which is exactly why I'm practicing. It started out pretty rough today, but after I warmed up and got to the third face, I think it came out really well. Sometimes it surprises me what comes out of the ability that I have.

I'm not used to drawing self portraits and I don't like drawing self portraits, but I thought I'd give it a go. I think I just don't like how I look on paper..haha..I don't like looking at my face. Funny because that's pretty much a parallel in my life- in any given situation, I'm always the one behind the camera. I don't like being on stage very much. I don't like drawing my face.

Hmm.

Needed to brush up on my digital drawing skills. Plus, I had nothing to do. Also, who doesn't love Kiki's Delivery Service?

Tarot Card Etchings

Sarah and I are working in conjunction to create part of a deck of tarot cards! We are planning to etch them eventually, but we will deal with that when we get there. This is my half of the concept art.

Sleep No More

Over the weekend, I went to go see a show called Sleep No More with a couple of my friends to celebrate my upcoming 16th birthday.

It's run by a British theater company called Punchdrunk. They bought down this entire old hotel and turned it into an interactive, immersive work of art. With a little over 20 actors, the show is silent and everyone wears masks. Spectators are allowed to explore and snoop around everything.

I loved it and I had a great time. Sleep No More is loosely based off of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the theme is very film noir and 1940's. I think my favorite part was the jazz bar. I felt like I was on the set of a movie or at least running through a level of Bioshock. Pricey, yes, but worth it. I would see it again for a cheaper price/date.

Constellations Mural

Since I still haven't seen North by Northwest, Mr. Ganes exiled me from class today and shunned me into the STAC room. I took this time and practiced some human body sketches. They were originally in pencil, but I decided to ink them with sumi after.

Epiphany on Dubstep

I was in the middle of dance (play the gag reel), and were doing African. I was listening to the music and the sound of drums when it suddenly struck me- a plausible reason as to why some people love Dubstep, house music, EDM.

As homosapiens, if we trace back our roots, we all came from Africa. In Africa, the drum and the beat of the drum is quite significant throughout its culture. This actually holds true for other cultures as well. That being said, EDM often involves very heavy and distinct beats and booms that could emulate the boom of a drum.

And that's my epiphany of the day.

Mind

I've been trying to adopt a new way of approaching life. After being more than halfway through The Untethered Soul, I've gradually began to feel more at peace and more zen. To achieve perfect harmony is to be aware of being aware. I'll work my way there.

I'm trying to seize every opportunity that comes my way that may benefit me. Push myself to move outside of comfortable boundaries. Embrace challenge as a gift, as a chance to expand and extend my knowledge and ability. Be happy, make peace, complain less, listen more.

How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: A Photoshoot

I shot Andrew's photos for the school play, and I must say, I think that came out quite well. Here's the raw photos, then the doctored photos. Overall process (shooting to photoshopping) took maybe 4 hours.

The Wolves, the Women, and a bit of that Old Song

So, I got assigned this little weird project. My partner in crime is Shiana, which is cool. I haven't worked with her before, so I assume this might be interesting.

I don't know how I feel about this project in general; it makes me feel whimsical and playful in a good way, but it feels very far out. It's so relaxed, and I guess that's a good thing.

My first pick was "Amazingly Good-Looking Cut Paper." This is what I came up with- magazine pictures of women wearing sunglasses, where the lens are cut out in designs.

Herricks 53rd Scholarship Fund

Myself along with a couple of other people were originally assigned to work on a poster for the Herricks Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner.

Eventually though, it turned back into my project. This is my second big poster project, and I believe it turned out quite well! It was not strenuous in the least, and it was quite fun to do.

The only different thing was that this was carved into a much softer linoleum and it wasn't mounted on anything. I wasn't used to carving it since it was so soft, haha. I think I still like carving linoleum blocks, but it requires more energy.

Practice with Humans

Just got to keep practicing.