The portfolio homepage

My homepage. I made it more simple with one of the artworks.

Home page & navigation system sketch

I'm trying different backgrounds for the home page but I'm still not sure what the tabs should be or the navigation system. I'm doing a homepage for an artist portfolio so it would nice to use one of the artworks of the artist.

E-Card: Return of victory gardens

I tried to not write as much in the E-card. I feel the images should say more than the words. Since I was doing about Victory gardens, I wanted the colors to be vivid and warm hues to give that feelings of spring and summer coming soon. I think I achieved that with the colors. I used lighting effects to emphasize the focus of the image, especially for the tomato. I also used blending for the inside to blend the different graphics.

E-Card sketches

Still trying out different ideas. I'm still not sure which direction to go towards. But I have different ideas for each.

Art Tatum- Book Cover

I think simplicity makes a bigger impact when it comes to biographies. I didn't want to use to many colors, more pastels and light hues. The images are sepia or black and white. Also, I wanted to use camera focus in order to blur the some of the image and focus on the main subject. 

Book cover sketches

My musician is Art Tatum, jazz pianist. Jazz is mellow but at the same time it has a strong symphony of instruments. Therefore, I want to make use of black and white and monochromatic colors for the most part but add another color for emphasis. I think the book cover should lean more toward minimalist: not too many items, just strong concepts of content. In the back, I plan to add a little more; I want a background, and photographs to make it more real.

Indigenous people social justice and rights

My social awareness issue, as I mentioned before, is social injustices to indigenous tribes/people in South America, Pan American. Many of these people are not allowed to own property, or carry their cultural traditions. Most of them make a pittance, and others live in poverty. A lot of counsels are working towards making agreements with various governments to give the indigenous people of these countries rights they deserve.

I use in my work blending options such as exposure of light in certain areas and the subtraction of others. I also thought it would be great to use the colors and the textile patterns they use on their clothing, specifically red. Also, a big part of what defines them is mountains since they mostly reside there. Therefore, I use the image of Cotopaxi (Ecuador). I use lighter hues for the mountain and hands since it's a more peaceful portrayal.

Social awareness issue

I decided to use the concept of hands in my work. Hands can express a lot. There's different hand gestures but they show the sign of zero or very little which shows social issues like poverty and injustices. Inside the hands it will display a realistic image. I want to use colors like mustard yellow or very somber colors but with also a variety of backgrounds or landscapes to have a deeper impact.

Cassette Blues

Cassette is a symbol of music before CD's were introduced. Cassette blues applies more for an Indie band. The color tones are more warm, not as bright. Also, the image of image of the cassette emphasizes the reminiscing of memories, depicting a feeling of nostalgia. Likewise, the image of the couple dancing creates a heartwarming feeling. My final image did not turn out how I had planned. I utilized some ideas or concepts from my previous sketches; I tend to not stick to my initial sketches. My sketches tend to help me more with thinking and forming ideas for the final artwork. In the artwork, I use a lot of blending and opacity. Also, I decided to use images that already carried the concept of lighting, such as the leaf, so the viewer can naturally focus on that area.


*All artwork is mine: painting and photographs.

Photomontage sketches

I'm trying out different ideas for photomontage. Most importantly, I need to think of what photos I will need to choose to achieve it. It's hard for me since I'm more used to painting and sketching which is easier than having to find a photo to create the idea in your head. I still haven't decided which path to take, however.