ENG 1101 9/10 Class and Lab

I have asked everyone to read selections of the first chapter of Ways of Seeing. Please read from page 7 (the first page of the chapter) to page 11 (stop just before the last paragraph) and from the middle of page 16 through the end of the chapter, or the best you can.

During class we will watch the first episode of the BBC production of “Ways of Seeing.” This groundbreaking television series was the basis for the book of the same name, which is the source of our reading for this class and subsequent classes. (note: some of the words in the captions are incorrect.)

Focused freewrite: What remains with you after watching Part 1 of “Ways of Seeing”? What questions do you have?

We will continue our conversation about how we read images in light of the video and reading from Ways of Seeing.

We will also work on note-taking and annotation of a text, using Ways of Seeing as our example.

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In our lab, we will work in small groups to provide peer feedback for Project #1. In pairs:

  • Review your draft on your own, adding anything you want to add. (5 minutes)
  • Partners then swap projects and read the other partner’s work.
  • After reading, everyone will respond to questions about the draft:
    1. What does this bio provide so you learn about this person in an academic, pre-professional context?
    2. What are the author’s goals, interests, and aesthetics?
    3. Does the author describe his or her avatar in detail? Try to imagine it just from the description–what do you understand and what is missing?
    4. Does the author identify meaningful ways in which someone might misunderstand their avatar? Offer your own possible interpretation.
    5. What does the author say this OpenLab profile will do to represent him or her? What is missing? What does not come across to you in terms of the assessment of the profile’s purpose?
    6. Is there anything about the way this was written that you want to comment on? Remember that this is a draft, so some pointers can be helpful, but some might be too specific for this stage in the writing process.
  • After answering the questions, swap back and review the responses to your project.
  • After reviewing the responses, take turns asking any questions you have about your reviewer’s experience reading.
  • Collaborate on making an action plan for each partner’s revision.

It would be helpful if you upload your latest iteration before class on Wednesday, 9/16, so we can discuss any issues that arise as you continue to work on your projects. Final versions are due on Monday, 9/21, by the start of our 9:00am lab.

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In class we brainstormed some techniques for annotating a text. As you read “Univers Strikes Back” by Ellen Lupton and Julia Lupton, use as many of these techniques to annotate your copy of their essay:

  • highlighting or underlining for things that stand out
  • squiggly underlining for things you aren’t sure about
  • circling words that you need to define (possible glossary entries!)
  • using the margins or space on the page to
    • ask questions
    • agree
    • disagree
    • summarize
    • define words
    • explain

Discovery: Avatar

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Profile: Brandy Ortiz

What I Observe:

  • A Young Girl
  • Hills in the Distance
  • Celestial Lights
  • Plants, Water
  • A Pedestal of some sort
  • Flower petals scattering

Interpretation:

What I see in Brandy’s Avatar is a very complex and beautiful illustration of a very young looking girl in a fantasy-like setting. The girl seems to be holding something of mystical or magical essence, while positioned under a starry sky. I also see her surrounded by flowers, potted plants, and crystal water. She is alone, and looks to be very happy, blissful and feel independent about it. I depict the image as very magical and spiritual, with a sense of mystery as well.  Based on this avatar, I infer that Brandy is regularly a fan of genres like fantasy and science fiction. She may be into books, movies or TV shows about fantasy and magic. I can also infer that her avatar can be a reflection of her character. Perhaps she herself feels like an independent person, who loves the night and connects with everything around her in a very spiritual way.

After Reading Bio:

Most off my inferences were not really confirmed within her bio. Though the Avatar seems very complex and deep (to me), Brandy seems to be a more laid back, and simple individual. Although she IS a fan of anime. Which, being a fan myself, i know consists of a lot of fantasy, therefore sort of confirming my inference on her being a fan of such things

 

Project #1 Introducing Yourself Draft

Jaichan Kirty (Jay) graduated from high school, Hillside Arts and Letters Academy in 2015. He is now nineteen years old and a freshman in college. Jay was born in Guyana but moved to the United States eight years ago. He is a shy and quiet person at first, but when you get to know him that’s when he does not stop talking. Jay major is Graphic Design. He chose this as my major because this is something He really like doing, and he like to expressing myself by designing what he think of. Jaichan is very good at computer graphics. He does numerous of designs. For plays, random videos, and power point. Many people consider his skill is “graphic designing” although Jaichan thinks otherwise. Jaichan claims he does this for “fun” but he is an amazing artist and has a great sense of creativity. His drawing are beyond imaginable. He is the most caring, most wonderful person you’ve ever met.

Jaichan is known for his graphic designing on facebook, and what he has done in high school. The administrators at his high school even asked him to create the official website for the school, which he had the honor of doing all by himself. That is something he is very proud of. You can check it out, its http://hillsidearts.org/ I also created and managed my high school’s facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/HillsideArtsAndLettersAcademy) He created all the material posted on the page. He is mostly proud of the videos he created for my school. You can watch some of them on the facebook page. Many people tells him he’s talented when it come to that. Jay is very passionate about his works, especially graphic designs, his style is random really. He creates what inspires him. When you are down in the dumps Jaichan is always the one to make you rise like the sun bursting with joy and happiness. Although it may rain on Jaichan end, he never lets the rainy days get the best of him. He’s super smart, fun to be around, likes to mingle and always the one to laugh or make a sound. In five to ten years Jay sees himself owning his own designing company and starting to be known around the country.

Avatar

The avatar I chose to represent myself is a hot-air-balloon. Firstly this picture of the balloon is not a photograph, it has been graphically designed, which is my passion. This picture means more to me than just it being graphically designed. The balloon is rising in the air just like how I will not give up on something that I put my mind to accomplish. The balloon is rising just like how I like to soar in life.  I said I am very creative and as you can see in this picture this graphic is also very creative. I like how the designer uses the colors to make the subject pop out. This balloon is by itself, just like how I like to be by myself sometimes. I like to work in a peaceful and quiet place with no distractions. This balloon is the only thing recognized just like how I like to be recognized also. This is why I choose this subject as my profile avatar.

My avatar could be misleading to some because you really need to dig deep and think deep to understand how it connect to me. People may see this picture and think I like to ride on hot-air-balloons, which I never even tried in my life but something I can see myself doing for fun.

My complete profile will convey that I am a very creative and hard working person. My passion is graphic design and I have a lot of experience is this field already. I will not give up on something that I put my mind to accomplish. I express myself throughout my works because that’s the best way I know how. This matters because if someone is to hire me for a job they need to know that I give my best. I will work day and night if I have to do give the best product the client will love. They need to know I am very good at what I do and that will give me recommendations and more jobs.

 

 

Discovery: Avatar

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Members avatar:

Brandy Ortiz

Observations:

  • Majestic
  • Colorful
  • fantasy
  • calm

Interpretation:

  • She is out going
  • She is calm
  • She likes to fantasias
  • She likes things that stand out of the ordinary

This avatar caught my eye because it seems like a lot is going on in it. It speaks to me and says, I am a free person. The way the girl is letting go of, to what looks like glitter or gold, feels like to me that it represents she is outgoing and adventurous. Since it also looks like the girl is on a cliff way high in the clouds it makes me feel like Brandy might be a bit of a day dreamer and enjoys fantasy stuff, which we have in common. The background is very easing to the eye because it looks like a beautiful sunset, which makes me also think Brandy is a calm girl that enjoys her alone time even if it is watching the sun set.

How do we read an image?

  • color
  • lighting: natural or artificial
  • point of view, angle, vantage point: where is the subject in relation to the camera?
  • focus: where the viewers’ eyes are drawn
  • foreground
    • space, complexity
  • background
  • location: urban/rural,
  • time: era (history), time of day, season,
  • subject:
    • people in it
    • their clothing
    • features, facial expressions –>emotions
  • actions: what are they doing
    • is there a narrative that the image tells?
  • objects
  • context
  • metadata: artist, collection

Comment on ” The Tool”

This article gave me a great feeling of those people who invented airplane. Aircraft for society now is just an ordinary transportation for people to traveling from a place to place. This article made me comprehend the difficulty of making the aircraftfrom the beginning of invention until the moment of seeing it flight into sky. Many difficult problems were out during processed the aircraft, as compared the past and modern technology there were a big difference. So it was difficult to invented a aircraft during that period. They have to deal with thermodynamics, and the swarm of preoccupied draughtsmen tackle their work. But in the end they still invented. I admire their perseverance and teamworkthe moment the airplane took off makes me the great sense of accomplishment. I learned a lot from this article. As long as there is determination to do something it will succeed.

Project #1

Comment on: Wind, Sand and Stars “The Tool” by Antonie de Saint- ExupĂ©ry

 

The Wind, Sand and Stars “The Tool” by Antonie de Saint -ExupĂ©ry, tells the reader how design is not to only to add, but to take away as well. This sentence from the chapter “to refine the curve of a piece of furniture, or a ship’s keel, or the fuselage of an airplane, until gradually it partakes of the elementary purity of the curve of ‘a human breast or shoulder
”, shows that there are elements that are necessary to make an object function to achieve its purpose. It connects to our graphic design principle and our everyday life, because in drafting it will take many hours and it will not be complete if elements are missing from the objects. The key is to start with something simple where you can go back and change. It will eventually take you another step closer to the finish line.

Urban Artifacts: Phase 1 Discover

From my journey, the three artifacts that I discovered was a caramel candy wrapper, a small green candy wrapper, and a green stick.

Caramel Candy Wrapper: I found this artifact in front of the City Tech main entrance. Someone must have been eating the candy before going into the building and just threw it on the sidewalk. The wrapper is kind of crumbled but wasn’t ripped open. The shape of the wrapper might be organic.

Green Candy Wrapper: I found this second artifact at the corner of Tilary Street.  The candy wrapper is small and has Chinese writing on it. It’s also opened in the back. A person must have wanted something to snack on while going somewhere. While opening the candy they probably dropped it without realizing. The shape of it is a geometric shape.

Green Stick: I found this third artifact in front of a gas station. I’m not sure what is it exactly, but I’m guessing it’s a stick you mix your coffee with. It’s dirty and looks like it’s been stepped on. While filling up their car with gas, the person probably bought a cup of coffee while waiting. When they were done with it, they just threw it on the ground. The shape of the stick is a geometric shape.

Sketches: The each of the sketches took around 10 minutes

Ambiguous:

IMG_2451IMG_2450  IMG_2452IMG_2449

 

Stable:

IMG_2453IMG_2454IMG_2455IMG_2456

Discovery: Avatar

Ruky's avatar

Avatar: Ruky’s

Observation:

  • A tranquil facial expression
  • The mouth is being covered
  • a halo
  • one angelic wing and one evil looking wing
  • sort of a light pink background
  • Hair color is red

Interpretation:

  • He has more than one side to him
  • Walks around with a calm expression
  • He’s probably shy
  • He likes anime
  • He’s probably passionate

Ruky’s avatar caught my interest because of the evil wing that is mixed in with the soothing vibe that I get from the rest of the picture. Without the evil wing I would think he’s just a shy, nice, calm person. Now add the evil wing in and it sparks an idea of there’s more to his character than from what I’ve just mentioned. That wing kind of gives off a mysterious feeling to his character. The hair color being red also adds on to his personality. Red is a color that is usually associated with passion so he probably has passion within him. Usually shy people are just seen to be shy and nothing else but over here there is more.

When I read Ruky’s biography he didn’t really go into detail of the kind of personality he has. The one interpretation I can get from his bio is that he’s passion is most likely linked to his interests. By the things he’s interested in he seems like a pretty cool guy.

 

 

Oscillate

Verb

1. to move in one direction and then back again many times

2. to keep changing from one belief, feeling, condition, etc., to an opposite one

3. to change in strength or direction regularly

Source: Merriam-Webster

I’ve come across this word from the reading expert Wind, Sand and Stars “The Tool” by Antonie de Saint -ExupĂ©ry. I picked up this word from this sentence, “The indicators that oscillated on the instrument panel warned us of a thousand dangers.” Because it connects to our graphic design principle and our every day life. To achieve, we have to put our efforts in. Just like drawing, drafting will take hours to reach its final completion. The key, to this sentence is to start with something simple which you will go back and change. It takes you another step closer to the finish line.