AMAZING ARTIST: Justin M. Maller

Justin M. Maller BLOWS MY MIND is an understatement. Amazing. Breathtaking. Impeccable. are simple adjectives that define his detail-oriented work. With hard work and dedication, I hope my future work and skill level will be able to come close to his. My fingers are crossed.

*Please click image to enlarge.


OMBRES ET DIAMANTS
This is a beautiful photograph to begin with. The pattern design further enhances her curves. At first glance I thought the model had a full-body tattoo. Goes to show when selections are carefully done, patterns can be made into skin.

VENUS

There's a special place in my heart for urban art and this piece comprises of just that. Plus her hair gives off a futuristic vibe - an eminent style of Maller.

SKYE HARBOUR

It's hard to miss the amputated foot. This looks like it came off the movie set of Narnia but in a twisted and grotesque way. The choice of colours is a perfect fit for winter. This piece looks as if my finger were to touch the screen, it will form into an icicle.

RICH SOIL (clothing design)

I would wear the t-shirt if I saw this design on it. I love the imagination that goes with animal hybrids. Although this may not be Maller's intent, the lion looks like he's got mermaid fins and it's diving into an ocean located in space. Too bad Rich Soil Clothing have yet to include a women's collection.

BREAD AND BUTTER

A perfect harmony of randomness. It has everything - from the Eiffel Tower to Mallard ducks. Because it's so busy with images, the overall black & white colour scheme really shows off the detailing.

WEBSITE: http://superlover.com.au/

AMAZING ARTIST: Kevin Lucius

There's something about Kevin Lucius. His vintage style grabbed my immediate attention, while his hybrids of people with electronics & animals assured me that he is a definite source of inspiration.

*Please click image to enlarge.


SO I TURNED HER OFF

I have a deep fascination with pinup and although a tv replaced her head, I couldn't help but laughed at the title of this piece. The colours work well together to fit the vintage feel. It reminds me of an old postcard.

LELLY

A damsel in distressed on a skating date with an elephant man. A lot to take in and the simplicity of the overall piece works nicely.

CRUEL MELODY

This piece stands out to me because it's different from the rest. I really take a liking to the dynamics of black & white designs. And it doesn't hurt that I also fancy deers and birds in mid-flight.

BRAND NEW
An old film projector with the body of a business man. It obviously does not belong there, but why does it look like it does? The blending job is superb. The background looked like a page torn from a dusty book and the white splatter looked like someone accidentally spilled whiteout on the page.

WEBSITE: http://www.kevinlucius.com/

COLOR WHEEL: Subtractive CMYK

TEXTURE: paint splatter

REVIEWING ELEMENTS: Value

For my Value Assignment, the opposite objects I chose was a rock and feathers. One of the properties of Value is the visual illusion of weight and my attempt of showing this was through contrast. The rock is designed to look heavy compared to the feathers because it is a solid grey while the feathers are see-through or of various transparencies, thus they are made to appear lighter in weight. Things I could've done differently would be to draw the feathers better (look again - don't they look like chili peppers?) and to have the feathers in various sizes instead of just the one.

I learned and love how an image created with just the grey scale can provide such impact and how the use of low and high contrast (especially when overlapped) can draw the attention of an observer.

A risk I took was that instead of floating feathers (which is a common image), I chose a rock to fall from the sky instead of it belonging in its usual habitat, being on the ground. Additionally, I'm trying to communicate that although the rock may initially seem to be stronger than feathers - the feather pile, though soft, will "catch" the heavy rock and provide it with a safe landing.

GOAL SETTING

What are your professional or personal goals and what do you hope to achieve by completing the DGD program?
Who doesn't want to get paid for doing something they love? I'll be thrilled to work in a marketing or magazine firm and have my own freelance business. Any job that allows me to design, I'll be down for. As a personal goal, I would want my design work to be a source of inspiration for others - that way, I'll know I'm doing something right.

What do you consider to be your greatest source of inspiration?
It's nearly impossible for me to pinpoint just one. Inspiration comes from everything - from tigers to tattoos to teapots - but I think it boils down to beauty. Everything and everyone is beautiful in their own way. And it is important to try to find beauty in everything we see. It sucks that it rains so much in Vancouver, but have you stopped and listen to the rhythmic sound as the drops hit the pavement? Have you looked down from a building and see a swarm of colorful umbrellas? Have you noticed that the air is crisper after a rainfall?

Everything is beautiful. The question is, What do you see?

Some things that inspire me:






List 5 measurable results that you feel will best indicate that you have achieved your goals in the DGD program:

• To build a portfolio that I am proud of.
  
• To be confident with my skills in most, if not all, the programs in CS4, such as being able to use all the tools and knowing what their functions are in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
  
• To build a website from scratch so that I can use it to display my portfolio for other artists and potential clients.
  
• To effectively communicate my design work to clients and be able to take their ideas and turn it into works of design.
  
• Develop friendships with other students in the program so that we can inspire each other and work together in the future.