Concentration: Shapes (Design)

I chose shapes for my portfolio concentration. I would like to creat designs using different shapes. Also I believe that shapes/ designs can express many different things not just simply picture but emotions. I would like to create designs that shows different perspectives.

CONCENTRATION:People's stories

I love taking pictures of people especially when they are doing something they love. Capturing the look of contentment on their faces and their stance gives me a sense of satisfaction. Photographs of people are always intriguing and I believe that photographs always have a story to tell. By taking photographs of these people i hope to tell someone's story.

WORD: STORY

Edgar Degas

I chose Edgar Degas, an impressionist artist from the 19th century, because his work concentrates mostly on women and artists, and has a prominent structure to it. I like how he manages to catch things in motion; like ballerinas dancing or musicians playing. I also like how there is one vibrant color in most of his paintings; it better emphasizes the emotions of the subjects.

For more information and to his body of work: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dgsp/hd_dgsp.htm

Concentration:Geometry

My concentration for this portfolio will be geometry and the medium/theme I'm using is Urdu and Arabic calligraphy. As a kid, I always felt like the greatest achievable honour for me was having a beautiful Urdu handwriting and after 3 years of training with a professional calligraphist I found that what makes Urdu writing visually appealing is symmetry. This is why I chose geometry as my concentration. However, I find that there is symmetry in almost everything around us though it is not entirely obvious. My work won't seem "geomtrical" sometimes, but that will be a part of the mystery I'm trying to create. Because geometry, a lot like beauty, confuses me.
Word: Mashallah (Urdu word said to protect one from the evil eye)

Kiki Smith

http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com/kiki-smith
i like how Kiki Smith uses parts from mythology, fables, fairytales and folklore into her art.

Photoshop Tutorial - Cropping, Levels, Image Resize, and Saving for Web

1. Open a digital photograph with Photoshop.
2. Using the Crop Tool, drag the crop box so that it selects only the part of the photo that you would like to keep.
1. Note: If your photograph is crooked, hover over the corner of the crop box until you see a bent arrow. Once the bent arrow appears, you can turn the crop box until it aligns with your photo.
3. Once your image is cropped correctly, you can adjust the Levels (value) of your photograph. You can access the Levels window by going to Image > Adjustments > Levels. (Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + L)
1. Note: When adjusting the Levels, keep in mind that the goal is to give the most accurate representation of your original artwork. Do not over-adjust!
4. After completing all adjustments, you need to Resize the Image. Access this by going to Image > Image Size. The AP College Board recommends the following file sizes:

Image size: The image sizes below are recommendations. Your image sizes may be different. Landscape orientation: ·        Recommended maximum size: 530 x 780 pixels (7.36 x 10.83 inches) ·        Recommended minimum size: 480 x 480 pixels (6.67 x 6.67 inches) Portrait orientation: ·        Recommended maximum size: 780 x 530 pixels (10.83 x 7.36 inches) ·        Recommended minimum size: 480 x 480 pixels (6.67 x 6.67 inches) Maximum file size: 3.0 MB per image. (Your image files will likely be considerably smaller than 3.0 MB.)

    5. To Save for Web, go to File > Save As.

1. The edited file needs to be saved as a Jpeg.
2. Save the new edited photo with the extension “web” on the file name (i.e. IMG_2543.jpg becomes IMG_2543web.jpg). Always keep your original file!

Mark Jenkins

http://www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/outside.html
Mark Jenkins is an American artist who is well known for his street installations. He mainly uses box sealing tape to create his sculpture and uses the street as a "stage", where on lookers (passerby) transform into actors. I really enjoyed looking at all his art work and I hope you guys enjoy it too.