Photoreal Still Life

This is a still life I created as a sample for the Advanced Digital Imaging and Illustration class I teach. I had a lot of fun working on it. One of the things I love about doing composite work is playing with the subtle effects - reflections, lighting, shadows, etc. It's the little touches that really makes it all come together for me. While I could probably keep tweaking this image I have learned that sometimes it's best to call a thing 'done' - else you'll always find something else to do to it.

Also included is a thumbnail breakout of all of the original elements used to create the final piece. Enjoy!

Having Fun in Photoshop

I know, it's been a really looooong time since I've posted, and even before that I'd been lax in my posting. Life has been really busy, I've been teaching new classes and prepping new classes, but I know, that's no excuse, I need to get on the ball and get back to blogging! I'm working on it.

To start off what will hopefully be more consistent monthly blogging once again, here is a fun little composition I did over the past few days in Photoshop CS3. Using some of the images in the Digital Imaging class library, I whipped this up for some fun and additionally as a means to demonstrate what you can do with that is available. Partially inspired by some recent surreal work by some students, partially driven by my need to create, I had a lot of fun, especially since this took on a life of its own and actually ended up in a different direction than I'd originally intended, but one that I enjoyed all the same. Hope you enjoy it too!

Student Work: Photoreal Illustration

Student work by Jeremy Bransford
Commentary by Instructor Cori Ratliff

Photorealism is one of my all-time favorite art styles, so it's no surprise that I'd like to highlight this piece by Jeremy Bransford. Jeremy recently took my Computer Illustration class in the Fall of 2007 and did some amazing work during the semester. He really had an eye for detail, and put a lot of effort into his pieces. This one in particular is a challenging illustration due to all of the highlights and gradients on the boots and all of the little details. This was Jeremy's first introduction to using the mesh feature in Illustrator CS3 and I think he did an outstanding job for his first attempt with the tool.

Student Work: Surreal Composition

Student work by Ashleymarie Sey Debondt
Commentary by Instructor Cori Ratliff

Here is another great example of a surreal image created by an outstanding student. "Sey" creates a wonderfully ethereal feeling image that makes one stop and look. I love the use of the paper clips - not something you would expect to see in most compositions, but it really adds to the overall surreal quality. The overall effects applied to the image gives the piece a dreamlike quality and the color scheme produces a serene feel. Here is what the artist had to say about her composition:

"I titled this piece, “The Wait.” I found it to be one of the most difficult compositions I have yet to create. At first, I wanted to use a violin and an egg, but for some reason, the placement, or idea just wasn’t sitting right with me. I went through three complete layout changes in this project, and I am surprised with the result that followed. This surrealistic composition actually holds more meaning than an egg or violin.
“The Wait” is about the unexpected paths our lives brings us too; it is that one pivotal point in time which we are faced with the unexpected future.

To understand this, we must break down each part. The first thing we see is the waterfall. Water is often associated with life and death. In this case life, because blue is a calming color and the waterfall isn’t harsh, but almost like heavenly clouds.

The three paperclips symbolize the three aspects of life (past, present, future) and how we try to organize ourselves to be prepared for it. However, they are not holding anything to organize. This means that no matter how hard we try, we can never be ready with what the future has to bring us.

The snail on the window frame represents time. Eyes are often referred to windows of the soul. In this case the window frame is the window to the future, and the snail on the window frame represents time. The waterfall is part of the future coming in on the present.

In short, “The Wait” is the unexpected, unknown, and unprepared present worried about the future to come. However, no matter how much we worry, we can never organize or be completely prepared with whatever path life takes us on. All we can do is live it. We only have one life, and there is nothing wrong in understanding that we do not have a complete hold on it. Sometimes we just have to go with the flow."

Check out more of Sey's work at: http://amithystblade.deviantart.com/

Student Work: Surreal Composition

Student work by Patricia Green
Commentary by Instructor Cori Ratliff

While not a huge fan of skulls and “dark” imagery, I really loved this particular piece of work by former student Patricia Green. This assignment is a surreal composition project where students take a series of images and place them into a single background scene. The goal is to make the scene look natural, with realistic lighting, shadows, and perspective. Many of the photos used in this piece were taken by Patricia herself. I thought Patricia did a really great job creating a surreal scene, and one that is highly creative. Her blending of objects and the subtle use of imagery gives this image a wonderful overall appearance. I love the reflections in the orbs, and I really liked the overall lighting and the ambience of the atmosphere. I think one of my favorite elements is how Patricia blended the skulls into the rock formations. I also enjoy the lighting on the goldfish, they really pop out to me, but they seem so real, they look like you could reach out and grab them! This was an outstanding piece of work in the Digital Imaging class. Definitely a fun assignment!

Postcard Design

Another round of postcards for Cerro Coso College. Again I presented 4 designs all created in Photoshop CS2 (since I'm waiting for my CS3 to arrive). The design selected was the one with the multiple small thumbnail images with the blue footer that says "Education, for your world." My personal favorite! It's always nice when your personal favorite is selected and you get to see it come to life. The other designs were also liked and it was said would likely be transformed and repurposed for other productions. Not surprising since nearly all of last years postcard concepts have also come to life in some form or another in a variety of different designs, from theatre advertisements to the inspiration for brochure designs. Enjoy!

Student Work: Advertisement

"Attack of the Killer Origami"
Student work by William Deem
A Review by Instructor Cori Ratliff

This is the second time I've featured the work of William Deem. There are definitely some new pieces from the recent class that just completed I plan on highlighting, but I love this piece, so I wanted to make sure it was included. This was a piece I found not only outstanding, but totally hilarious. This assignment was to use between 5 and 7 images to create an advertisement. The subject matter is totally up to the student. The goal is to successfully apply the elements and principles of design to create a visually compelling layout that utilizes effective use of typography and graphics. The students combine at least two images into a background texture, and then the rest of the graphics are up to them as to how they choose to implement them. Something I really liked about this piece was that the graphics really grab your attention and the use of lighting and shadows make it appear realistic. The cracked glasses and the blood, all added for the graphic effect, along with the running figures being chased by the origami in the background all add to the sense of drama in the piece. In my opinion William did a good job at capturing the feel of a movie poster, and really put the flair of "horror" into the design. I also thought the use of color with the limited color palette worked very well for the overall design and contributes to the sense of unity in the design. A really nice example of student work in my book.