I can’t believe it, but it’s true. Fall 2010 has come to an end. Many thanks to our professor, Nicole, for her help and feedback this semester, and to my classmates for their kind comments. I feel like I learned a lot in this class, although I think I may have gotten a bit more out of it had we met in person each week. It was, at times, challenging to go beyond the tutorials and learn more than what was expected when it came to the design software programs. All the same, I’m much better off than I was in September : )
Before signing off for good, I thought I’d leave everyone with one final design-related link. While this class may have been painful for some, check this link out and consider how much worse it could have been and thank your lucky stars for computers, the Internet, and Adobe, God of Graphic Design.
That’s all, folks. The show is over…
Happy holidays!!!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Chateau Grimaldi
While studying abroad in the South of France, I was fortunate enough to visit—on several occasions—an old chateau in a small coastal town called Cagnes-sur-Mer. This castle on a hill, known as Chateau Grimaldi, was one of my favorite finds on the coast.
Anyway, just something to consider. Thoughts? : )
In one room are about 40 paintings of a Parisian cabaret singer, Suzy Solidor, popular in France in the 1930s. The paintings, all done by different artists, are such a captivating sight together. Each painting is so unique, yet so obviously illustrating the same subject. At the time and, again, now, it really makes me think about different viewpoints and how perspective differs from person to person and place to place. It’s amazing that one subject can be seen in so many different ways—change the light, change the angle, change the outfit. In a way, it reminds me of our latest project. By zooming in or out, what is seen of 3D object can change dramatically, and may or may not even be recognizable.
Anyway, just something to consider. Thoughts? : )
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Artists That I Heart
Pablo Picasso – A eccentric Spanish painter. Founder of the Cubist movement. An inspiration to artists today all across the globe. Why I love Picasso? The puzzle-like shapes, the distinctive lines, the bold colors, the bizarre caricatures.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir – A beautiful French painter. Style changed from Impressionism to classicism during his era. Celebrated beauty and the feminine sensuality. Famous for his focus on people in intimate situations and his paintings of female nudes. Why I love Renoir? The soft touches of color, the unique brush strokes, the picturesque scenery, the close-up view into his subject’s soul.
Auguste Rodin – An inspired French sculptor. Criticized during him time as his most original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. Why I love Rodin? The detailed curves, the textured surfaces, the size and scale, the character and emotion.
Edgar Degas – A celebrated French artists, famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. One of the founders of Impressionism. Portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and depiction of human isolation. In many paintings dancers were shown backstage or in rehearsal, emphasizing their status as professionals doing a job. Why I love Degas? The beautiful dancers and stage scenes, the delicate use of color, the bold brush strokes.
Paul Signac – A fabulous French painter. Helped to develop the pointillist style. Many of his paintings are of the French coast. He loved to paint the water. Why I love Signac? The pastel colors, the beautiful scenery, the interesting textures. See my first blog post on Paul Signac.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir – A beautiful French painter. Style changed from Impressionism to classicism during his era. Celebrated beauty and the feminine sensuality. Famous for his focus on people in intimate situations and his paintings of female nudes. Why I love Renoir? The soft touches of color, the unique brush strokes, the picturesque scenery, the close-up view into his subject’s soul.
Auguste Rodin – An inspired French sculptor. Criticized during him time as his most original work departed from traditional themes of mythology and allegory, modeled the human body with realism, and celebrated individual character and physicality. Why I love Rodin? The detailed curves, the textured surfaces, the size and scale, the character and emotion.
Edgar Degas – A celebrated French artists, famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. One of the founders of Impressionism. Portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and depiction of human isolation. In many paintings dancers were shown backstage or in rehearsal, emphasizing their status as professionals doing a job. Why I love Degas? The beautiful dancers and stage scenes, the delicate use of color, the bold brush strokes.
Paul Signac – A fabulous French painter. Helped to develop the pointillist style. Many of his paintings are of the French coast. He loved to paint the water. Why I love Signac? The pastel colors, the beautiful scenery, the interesting textures. See my first blog post on Paul Signac.
Project 5: Google SketchUp
This was a fun project for me, but it was not without its challenges. The tutorials were easy to follow and the program interface was logical and, for the most part, user-friendly; it just took some getting used to : )
Unfortunately, I'm not able to upload images of my project for some reason (technical difficulties) BUT my design is my dream bedroom - a tiki hut with an over-sized bed taking up the entire space, perfectly positioned on my favorite plot of beach in the world in beautiful Antibes, France. I swear, I could be happy forever with just a bed and roof over my head if I could live in Antibes permanently. It is the most amazing place on Earth!
I tried to play with different shapes, colors, and textures, without getting in too far over my head. On the roof and support poles, I used brown wood textures. On the screens and headboard, I used lattice-like fence materials. I designed a comforter for the bed and placed a few pillows on the bed to make it more realistic. Without rendering these pieces, they still look a little boxy and don’t have the proper light applied, so I’m hoping to have someone at work teach me to render this in Podium soon.
I’m so happy we got to do this project. For work, we are having a company in India model our designer-created furniture pieces in 3D using SketchUp for the software program being built, so it’s nice to now have a better understand of the process.
Anyway, I hope you like my creation : )
Unfortunately, I'm not able to upload images of my project for some reason (technical difficulties) BUT my design is my dream bedroom - a tiki hut with an over-sized bed taking up the entire space, perfectly positioned on my favorite plot of beach in the world in beautiful Antibes, France. I swear, I could be happy forever with just a bed and roof over my head if I could live in Antibes permanently. It is the most amazing place on Earth!
I tried to play with different shapes, colors, and textures, without getting in too far over my head. On the roof and support poles, I used brown wood textures. On the screens and headboard, I used lattice-like fence materials. I designed a comforter for the bed and placed a few pillows on the bed to make it more realistic. Without rendering these pieces, they still look a little boxy and don’t have the proper light applied, so I’m hoping to have someone at work teach me to render this in Podium soon.
I’m so happy we got to do this project. For work, we are having a company in India model our designer-created furniture pieces in 3D using SketchUp for the software program being built, so it’s nice to now have a better understand of the process.
Anyway, I hope you like my creation : )
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Websites That I Heart
www.facebook.com – Obviously : ) This is my favorite and, perhaps, most frequently visited site. It keeps me connected and thoroughly entertained. As a marketer, Facebook is a great way to get the word out about our company and to get feedback.
www.anthropologie.com – This is the website for my favorite store. Not only is it a great store to shop, it’s a great website to shop. The navigation is easy to follow and they have a lot of fun features that make the site more interactive and interesting to visit.
www.opentable.com – If you’re not familiar with Open Table, it’s a great site to use to check restaurant availability and make reservations. It’s also a good place to start if you don’t know where you want to eat as it provides restaurant listings for different cuisine types by location and price point.
www.kayak.com – Kayak is a fantastic travel search site that will help you get the best deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and other vacation packages. It’s super easy to use, and allows you filter your search to get exactly the results you’re looking for.
www.dcist.com – This blog is where to start to find anything you need to know about DC. From crime to culture, food to festivals, they cover it all. Like it, tweet it, tag it. It’s the talk of the town!
www.anthropologie.com – This is the website for my favorite store. Not only is it a great store to shop, it’s a great website to shop. The navigation is easy to follow and they have a lot of fun features that make the site more interactive and interesting to visit.
www.opentable.com – If you’re not familiar with Open Table, it’s a great site to use to check restaurant availability and make reservations. It’s also a good place to start if you don’t know where you want to eat as it provides restaurant listings for different cuisine types by location and price point.
www.kayak.com – Kayak is a fantastic travel search site that will help you get the best deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and other vacation packages. It’s super easy to use, and allows you filter your search to get exactly the results you’re looking for.
www.dcist.com – This blog is where to start to find anything you need to know about DC. From crime to culture, food to festivals, they cover it all. Like it, tweet it, tag it. It’s the talk of the town!
Monday, November 8, 2010
ilovetypography.com
The other day I came across this blog on typography that I thought was definitely worth sharing.
http://ilovetypography.com/
The blogger, John Boardley, posts interesting mini-articles related to typography—on everything from typeface histories and analyses to the announcement of new typefaces on the market. Overall, his blog layout is visually appealing and very appropriate for the subject. Interesting graphics are incorporated throughout and illustrate the article concepts well. While some of the articles may seem a little dry, the blog is purposeful, educational, and surely worth reading.
Enjoy : )
http://ilovetypography.com/
The blogger, John Boardley, posts interesting mini-articles related to typography—on everything from typeface histories and analyses to the announcement of new typefaces on the market. Overall, his blog layout is visually appealing and very appropriate for the subject. Interesting graphics are incorporated throughout and illustrate the article concepts well. While some of the articles may seem a little dry, the blog is purposeful, educational, and surely worth reading.
Enjoy : )
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Washington Design Center
This week I was fortunate enough to visit the Washington Design Center with a few colleagues. We attended two lectures on marketing for interior design and a chair build demonstration. The lectures and demonstration were pretty interesting and informative, but really, my absolute favorite thing was walking through the showrooms. They are A-MAZING!
Each showroom is like entering an art gallery for textiles. Perfectly staged rooms, set with beautiful furniture and accessories. Walls draped in rich, colorful fabrics. Glamorous designers, impeccably dressed and playing their roles flawlessly.
My favorite showrooms were Duralee and Kravet. The fabrics these companies carry are out of this world. There are too many to classify with a few adjectives, but the combination of them all draped along the walls and showcased on elegant furniture pieces is certainly a fabulous sight. I was a kid in a candy store : )
Unfortunately the Design Center is not open to the public—you need to be accompanied by an interior designer to get in, but if you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it!
Here’s the link to the Design Center website if you care to learn more!
Each showroom is like entering an art gallery for textiles. Perfectly staged rooms, set with beautiful furniture and accessories. Walls draped in rich, colorful fabrics. Glamorous designers, impeccably dressed and playing their roles flawlessly.
My favorite showrooms were Duralee and Kravet. The fabrics these companies carry are out of this world. There are too many to classify with a few adjectives, but the combination of them all draped along the walls and showcased on elegant furniture pieces is certainly a fabulous sight. I was a kid in a candy store : )
Unfortunately the Design Center is not open to the public—you need to be accompanied by an interior designer to get in, but if you ever have the opportunity to go, I highly recommend it!
Here’s the link to the Design Center website if you care to learn more!
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