The Extreme Always Seems to Make An Impression
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Starting ProcessAt the beginning of the project, I wanted to create painting, but I felt that that medium was overused. At the end I decided to continue creating a digital piece. The thing that I needed to do was to find an artist. I researched artist movements, but I didn't find them appealing enough to compliment that theme that I had in mind. I then remembered that I wanted to create a psychedelic piece, not enough to make someone have a stroke, but bright and bold to stand out. I searched psychedelic artists from the 60s and I came accross with Victor Moscoso.
Then, I began sketching. 1). The first sketch was of a girl with a confused and worried look surrounded by the word "what". This sketch was to show a simple representation of how the young mind is trying to figure out the world. 2). The next sketch was of a girl posing boldly while looking up. This was to show that teens need to remain strong despite all that feeling of opression and actually make a difference in their lives. 3). The last one was of an arm clenching its fist. This is a representation of strength and that teens should hold strong because they will pass all the hardships that they are facing. |
Sketches |
Artist InspirationFor this piece, I was inspired by Victor Moscoso and the Counterculture of the 1960's. Since the theme that I wanted to empasize centered around the voice for the youth, I wanted this time era in which the young people were trying to rebel against the norms, to be applied in my piece. Out of all the art that many artists created, Victor Moscoso was the artist in which I was more inspired by. During the 1960s, values and norms that were crucial in society, started to break away, specially around the young. Other young people simply “dropped out” and separated themselves from mainstream culture through their appearance and lifestyle. Attitudes toward sexuality appeared to loosen, and women began to openly protest the traditional roles of housewife and mother that society had assigned to them.
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Process (cont.)
The first thing I did was to use the quick select tool in order to cut out the main subject of the picture. When the subject was selected I made a copy of it onto a new layer by pressing ctrl + J.
I then left this alone and proceeded on creating a new page. The background color was selected, I chose a deep red color. Afterward, I started to create a spiral by using the pen tool in order to create a triangular shape. I copied and pasted the same shape all over the page. Then, I used the twisting tool in the tab of 'filter' in the subcategory of 'distort'. I adjusted the intensity of the twist. Then I went to layer style and chose 'color overlay' and clicked on the tab with the color to change the color of the whirl. In this case, I chose blue. Then I went to shape and chose the rounded rectangle and began to put it ontop of the piece and right clicked and chose the 'starter path' tab which made the border white. After this, I went to 'layer style' and selected 'color overlay' and picked a color. I ended up with redish pink despite choosing green at the beginning. Then, I went to the 'stroke color' that made a small outline around the border. I then went to the 'shape' tab and chose rays and made sure that it covered the whole piece; this made some bits white. I made it red. The object of the piece was then pasted. The tricky was yet to come, making the object the same color as the background. I chose 'gradient map' and clicked on each end of the color bar to make the same color scheme that i have created. After this I made its outline. This was done and I moved onto the words. I had the font 'Moscoso' and began to fill the whole page with words of encouragement. I selected each of the words and adjusted them to be disfigured but still readable. I then changed their color the same way I did with the object of focus and its outlines.
I then left this alone and proceeded on creating a new page. The background color was selected, I chose a deep red color. Afterward, I started to create a spiral by using the pen tool in order to create a triangular shape. I copied and pasted the same shape all over the page. Then, I used the twisting tool in the tab of 'filter' in the subcategory of 'distort'. I adjusted the intensity of the twist. Then I went to layer style and chose 'color overlay' and clicked on the tab with the color to change the color of the whirl. In this case, I chose blue. Then I went to shape and chose the rounded rectangle and began to put it ontop of the piece and right clicked and chose the 'starter path' tab which made the border white. After this, I went to 'layer style' and selected 'color overlay' and picked a color. I ended up with redish pink despite choosing green at the beginning. Then, I went to the 'stroke color' that made a small outline around the border. I then went to the 'shape' tab and chose rays and made sure that it covered the whole piece; this made some bits white. I made it red. The object of the piece was then pasted. The tricky was yet to come, making the object the same color as the background. I chose 'gradient map' and clicked on each end of the color bar to make the same color scheme that i have created. After this I made its outline. This was done and I moved onto the words. I had the font 'Moscoso' and began to fill the whole page with words of encouragement. I selected each of the words and adjusted them to be disfigured but still readable. I then changed their color the same way I did with the object of focus and its outlines.
Experimentation
I only experimented with the colors that could fit with each other. The different shades of blue was a thing that I wanted to change because I thought that some blues that I found were not intense enough. I chose lighter and bolder blues, until I came accross that perfect blue.The intensity of the swirl was another thing I came accross when I tried to make it a reasonable intensity in order for it to not become a full circle.
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Meaning |
Reflection |
The meaning behind this piece is that teens are often oppressed of what others want them to be. They often don't get a say in to what they really want to do with their lives. I have come across with the same situation with a friend in which she is forced to be who her parents want to her to be. Even though parents do what they think is best, they can reach a certain limit concerning the pushing they do in order for their children to become someone successful in life. Kids get all the burden on what they are supposed to do in order to accomplish the things that their parents are bringing upon them.
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As a result of this project, I have learned a lot Photoshop skills. When Photoshop CS6 was first introduced to me in my junior year, I was intimidated because I never worked with it. I've heard of the program before, but I had limited knowledge and a negative view of it. However, I still tried to understand how it worked when I created my first digital collage. From that day, I haven't worked with Photoshop because I was still intimidated by the program. In this year, I tried to give it another chance in order to find out if it was something that I would later enjoy. The process was long and difficult, however, I managed to create a new thing and I particularly enjoy.
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ACT Questions
1). Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
Victor Moscoso used these psychedelic colors that stood out greatly in other people's eyes. The same theme is in my piece since it is about young people doing what they think is the best for them and to only think about how they can contribute into making a better place.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach that I can make out based on my research of inpisration is that he created thesevarious posters for that culture of young people that started to go against the norms.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I came with the conclusion that no matter the culture, it always has that one group that feels oppressed, much like the young people in the 60s.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea was to show the opression that some teens can have and what others, not only adults, but people of their age, make them go through based on competitiveness.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
I have concluded that Victor Moscoso was a great influence in the counterculture back in the 60s, inspiring other artists to create.
Victor Moscoso used these psychedelic colors that stood out greatly in other people's eyes. The same theme is in my piece since it is about young people doing what they think is the best for them and to only think about how they can contribute into making a better place.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach that I can make out based on my research of inpisration is that he created thesevarious posters for that culture of young people that started to go against the norms.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I came with the conclusion that no matter the culture, it always has that one group that feels oppressed, much like the young people in the 60s.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea was to show the opression that some teens can have and what others, not only adults, but people of their age, make them go through based on competitiveness.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
I have concluded that Victor Moscoso was a great influence in the counterculture back in the 60s, inspiring other artists to create.
Works Cited
- https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/the-sixties-1960-1969-29/counterculture-221/art-and-music-1234-8459/
- https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/history/us-history-ii/the-new-frontier-and-the-great-society/the-counterculture-of-the-1960s
- http://www.victormoscoso.com/about.htm