InDesign Videos for Portfolio

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/make-it-with-creative-cloud/creating-a-portfolio-for-print-pdf-and-the-ipad/

This video was most helpful for setting up my document. It also gave a brief reminder as to how to change the background color and insert text, which is always a good thing to remember. Another part of it also showed how to create identically sized frames to place photos inside.

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/make-it-with-creative-cloud/adding-your-work-to-an-indesign-portfolio/

This video showed how to insert pictures into the document and how to make them fit inside the frames we already created. You can use the space bar to change the space between the pictures, but they will keep an equal distance between them. It is very informative on how to insert text that will fit the page and still look professional.

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/make-it-with-creative-cloud/publishing-print-and-interactive-pdf-portfolio/

This video showed me how to add hyperlinks and such to my portfolio so that I can make it interactive. It was another way to make your portfolio interesting.

What challenges did you encounter while creating your portolio and how did you over come them?

While creating my portfolio, I did end up encountering a few problems. I struggled a little bit with where and how to place things on the pages. There were multiple times were I got frustrated and needed to take a break. I have learned that these programs don't come easy to me and that I need to keep practicing. Eventually, I got a little better with keystrokes and such which really made things easier.

What do you think of your finished portfolio?

For now, I'm satisfied with the way my portfolio turned out. There are still many things that I want to fix up and potentially change for the future, but I'm proud of what I was able to do with the little background I had with the InDesign program. I know that I need better quality photos for my actual portfolio and that I need to add more things, such as an artist statement and teaching philosophy, but that will all get fixed by the end of next semester. I'm glad I got a head start on it. 

Street Art Powerpoint

What is the theme of your presentation and why did you select that?

I chose to create my presentation on Street Art. I feel as though it's a growing epidemic and is becoming fairly popular. I also thought that I would be an interesting topic to teach someone about and to teach a potential class about.

Did you encounter any challenges when creating this presentation? Please describe them and how you overcame them.

My only problem while creating this powerpoint was finding good information to put into my powerpoint. I think the most important part of any presentation is having enough accurate and interesting information to present to the audience. It is definitely a time consuming process to gather the information and present it in the best way possible.

What did you enjoy the most about this project and why? The least? and why?

The part I enjoyed most about this project was arranging all images and the words. I love the layout process of creating the powerpoint once I have all the information gathered. 

Do you think you will use tools like PowerPoint in your art classroom? Why or why not?

I think I'll occasionally like to use Powerpoint in my classes. I don't want to focus on them, because I still believe that students are bored with things like that because they use them in every other class they go to. When I need to present images to students though, I think they will come in handy and be a good way to organize what I want to show them.

NEA Arts Article

1. What are the similarities between the artists interviewed in this article? What are the differences?

Each one of these artists has experienced success and failure. They have had things they are very proud of, things they would like to go back and change, and things that haven't gone the way they intended to. The difference between them is what they are working with. Some are writers and some are performers, while others are musicians and artists. They all experience the same type of feelings, just with different kinds of materials.


2. Is there anything discussed in this article that you can relate to?

I think the one thing I really related to in this article was when Perry Chen discussed what failure was to him. He considered failure to be when something is one way in his brain, but comes out completely different. It's not what you intended, even if it isn't that bad. I often feel this way. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head and I try to put them on paper sometimes, only for them to not come out the way I thought they would. 


3. Do you believe that taking risks and pushing boundaries is important to the creative process? Why or why not?

I definitely think you need to take risks and push the boundaries. In high school, I stuck to the same old thing with every painting I did. I painted houses, landscapes, etc. When I got to college I realized I needed to do more than that. I started playing around with the human body and explored my emotions. I wanted to put myself into my paintings. 


4. Do you experience fear of failure? When? How do you think it has impacted you positively or negatively?

I sometimes experience fear of failure. I think about it before I start each piece. I try not to dwell on it though. I'm always pretty excited to start my idea so I don't think about it too much. I also get nervous about failing when I enter my art into shows or put them up for a critique. I want my art to move other people and grasp their attention. As an artist, I think a lot of us feel as though we need the acceptance of other people in order to be successful. I think it all just keeps pushing me further though. I have a desire to be the best that I can be and I'm not going to stop that now. 


5. How do you think you can support your students as their teacher when they encounter the "fear of failure"?

I think the best thing to do in order to support students who are afraid of failure is to encourage them. They better they feel, the more confident they will be with their work. They should understand that not everything will come out the way they intended and that it takes a lot of practice to get to where they want to be. I want to encourage my students to keep pushing and practicing and to push themselves farther than what they think they are capable of. 

My Newsletter

1. Do you think creating a classroom newsletter is an effective way to communicate with your audience? Why or Why Not?

I do see classroom newsletters as an effective way of communication. Maybe not for everyone, but I know personally that when I see something like that, I automatically feel the need to read it. I especially want to read something when there are interesting images on it. I feel like it would be an interesting way to give students a little extra information on certain topics. 

2. What did you think about the process of creating a newsletter using Adobe Creative Suite Tools?

I found this process to be a little bit difficult, just because I'm still getting used to the tools. The more I worked on it, the more comfortable I got. I still feel like I have a lot to learn about the program and that I could enhance my work if only I knew a few other things I could incorporate. 

3. How did this project strengthen your digtial /new media skills?

I think this project gave me more confidence to create things like this for my students. It's something different I could use to mix things up. Using this program forces you to understand the computer and make it your friend instead of fighting with it. I'm not usually very good with technology, but this is teaching me to have patience with it.  

InDesign

What's the most important fact from each video that helped me in using InDesign?

Building a Newspaper:

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-indesign-cs6/creating-a-newsletter/

The most important thing I learned through this video was how to add text, but at the same time keep adding it in order to view it all in different text boxes. Sometimes the text boxes will run out of space, but you still need to see the rest of your text. This video helped with that.


Wrapping text around objects:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/indesign-wrapping-text-around-objects.html?set=indesign--fundamentals--work-type

This video showed the best way to allow text to wrap about the through the graphics instead of keeping the text covered up. By going to the Window menu, then Text Wrap, it'll give you options to change your text and adjust it to the best positioning.

Placing Graphics:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/indesign-placing-graphics-graphic-frames.html?set=indesign--fundamentals--create-artwork

This video helped me figure out how to place images into the document. Each image needs a frame before it can be placed within the document. The dimensions of the image can be changed, along with the frame.



Videos I chose:


How To Draw Shapes:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/indesign-drawing-objects.html?set=indesign--fundamentals--create-artwork

This video was helpful in the sense that it showed how to make different shapes appear on your document. Using the rectangle tool, you can select and create different shapes on your document. Using smart guides, you can make sure the shapes are the same size if you want. I found this video gave me new ideas to add into my next project.


Colorizing Images:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/indesign-colorizing-images.html?set=indesign--fundamentals--apply-color

I found this video pretty cool because it showed you how to take an outside image and add it to your document in a color that it is not originally. Making sure the image is black and white first, place it in your document where needed. Then, by selecting the image itself, the photo can be altered to a different color using the color swatches. I think this would be a cool element to be able to incorporate in order to make images more exciting.


How to Add Pages to your Document:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/indesign-basics-pages-panel.html?set=indesign--fundamentals--page-layout

This video discussed a basic tool for using InDesign and that was adding pages. I was always confused on where and how to do this. There are so many options once you get into a program. When originally creating a document, you can select the number of pages that are in your document. Other than that, you can click the icon on the bottom right with a paper and a folded corner on it. Clicking that icon will add another page. If you click Command while clicking on that icon, there will be options for adding pages to the document.

More Human Than Human

Watch the More Human Than Human video and answer the following questions on your Blog:

1. What are the most interesting discoveries you made watching this video?

-A lot of the images we see that are meant to represent the human body, are just that; Representations. Many sculptures and everything to advertisements are mostly just representations of the body. They don't exactly look like a humans. 

-These things started long before our time, when people made the first drawings and sculptures. The same idea has been present. 

-Over time, the image of the body has changed with the time period. The styles have changed, but the underlying intent of the body not looking realistic is still there. 

-The body is there to represent the body and get the point across that there was one, not necessarily to make it look realistic.

2. What do you think about Vilayanur S. Ramachandran theory with the chicks?

I believe Ramachandran's theory with the chicks is that they are mesmerized by the stripe on a beak the way we are with certain artworks. His main point is that their eye is attracted to something for a reason and the more they get of it, the more they can't keep their eye off of it. Same goes for humans. Certain things attract out eye more than others and therefore some artwork affects us more than others. 

3. Do you see any connection between the art/subjects  in this video (Venus of Willendorf, the Herring gull chicks, Egyptian images of the human body,Kritian Boy) and the way the human body is portrayed today?

The connection that I made between all these things is that we make art in the way that is most appealing to us. The things that we see as most important, become the most important. Whether they are realistic or not, we represent them the way that we chose to. We each decide what we see when we look at the human body and put that into context. 

Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts

Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

1. For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

http://digital.films.com/play/M27YLB
-Art used to be viewed for beauty and not for aesthetics.
-Order, symmetry, and definiteness became popular.
-More people tried to determine was beauty was
      -This changed a lot over the years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0TKYxAYGGA

-People started to miss the point of art
     -doesn't need to be realistic
-laws of art

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/15/health/art-brain-mind/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

-We see the elements of artwork, and our brains communicate them to be actual objects/works of art
-Art is appealing and draws our attention to it.
-Art is telling us there is something there even though it's really not

2. Which philosopher's theroy on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosphers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

Aristotle (4th Century B.C.) came up with the concept of paying attention to composition. He figured there were certain rules to follow in order to create the beauty that we saw. He saw that defining technique was important. I think this was the start of us beginning to care more about what artwork looks like and not just creating because we can. 

3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture? 

Both of these speakers have talked about the way art and science somewhat go hand in hand. The brain has a way of interpreting artwork and over the years it has changed immensely. We have changed our laws of thinking and started to apply those rules every time we look at art now. 

4. What is your opinion of the films and article? 

I found the videos to be rather dry. There was a lot of good information in it, but it was really hard to spend so much time watching. They clearly had a lot of insight and knowledge on artwork though, which I appreciate, it just wasn't something that was very good at keeping my attention.

The article wasn't bad to read though and it gave a lot of information. It started out talking about what we know about art and what we see when we look at things. It discussed the way that even though it's just lines and shapes, our brains communicate it to be something real and engaging. 

5. How do the theories discussed here relate to "Visual Culture"?

The theories discussed have summed up the way we got to this point in our visual culture. Everything started out so basic and on a different level than what we are at right now. It has shaped us to appreciate and understand what we think is important today. All the theories have really had an effect on the way we view and interpret visual culture, whether we realize it or not.