Creating a Logo with Illustrator

I found a great website that offers several tutorial videos for making logos with illustrator and other various programs. The website is great because it gives several options for making all kinds of logos. I probably will only use the basics that it provides, but I will definitely come back to this site for other assignments or in my future classroom. I reviewed a lot of the information about 3-D words and objects and I may use it in my own design during the weekend.

Here check it out:
http://www.ndesign-studio.com/tutorials

Working with Illustrator

As a beginner with Illustrator, I found the instructional videos very helpful. I am somewhat familiar with Photoshop and realized Illustrator uses a lot of the same tools. However, I learned quite a bit about creating and manipulating lines and shapes by watching the videos. For example, I thought it was interesting that you can change the number of sides or points to the shapes in order to get exactly what you are looking for. Also, I think the pen tool will become very useful considering you can manipulate as you like by just selecting a point on the line and then move it wherever. I am very excited about starting our project for Illustrator and I think it will be great to use in the art classroom!

I found "Selecting and Manipulating Objects" and "Scaling, Skewing and Rotating Objects" to be the most helpful videos considering I have never worked with shapes. I thought that Matthew Richmond is great at teaching step-by-step procedures. He explains everything very well, and made it easier for me to follow along.

Creating A Lesson Plan

While I was working on my lesson plan for Project 1, I came across this website that really helped me understand what is required in a lesson plan. It gives a 10 step guide in creating a lesson plan, which I really needed to know because this is the first lesson plan that I have ever written.

Here is the website:

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/WriteLessonPlan.htm#

I'm using the website for almost all of the elements in our lesson plan format. It really helps, however, if you know of any other helpful websites or resources regarding the construction of lesson plans please comment and post some!

 http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/FX100648951033.aspx

This site shows you a few tips on how to select buried objects in Powerpoint.  I have one slide that I have three different objects on one page over one another and I was having trouble selecting the right objects.  The site helped me find ways to select the right objects. 

A Visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?
There were many works that made an impact on me during my visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Since I took Modern and Contemporary Art classes I have always been drawn towards those movements. For instance, I truly appreciate Abstract Expressionism. My favorite artist from the movement is Mark Rothko. Like many artists at that time, Rothko strays away from conventional form and, instead concentrates more closely on his use of color and how color can evoke emotion. The painting titled “Orange and Yellow,” from 1956 conveys Rothko’s style. Various artists such as Rothko were called Color Field artists. Another Color Field artist was Hans Hoffman. One of Hoffman’s paintings from the Albright-Knox collection is 1955 “Exuberance.” While observing the work, the viewer can instantly feel the excitement and variety the painting presents. “Exuberance” exemplifies the principals from the color wheel and how colors interact with one another by incorporating strong contrasts between colors.

Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?
One of the works that I felt connected to was Georgia O’Keefe’s “Green Patio Door, 1955.” After seeing many of O’Keefe’s work, I found it extremely interesting to see that the Albright-Knox has acquired a work that many would argue different or uncharacteristic of the artist’s style. O’Keefe was always interested in landscape painting and created many works while living at her home in New Mexico. The painting is very reminiscent of her landscape paintings, however many people are unfamiliar with them and assume they closely resemble her flower paintings. I was so glad to see the painting and at such an obscure part of the gallery.

Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?
Some of the works that I found interesting and would like to know more about were from the current exhibition, Topographics. I was very impressed with the context of the exhibition. I enjoyed many of the works especially by the artists Jane Callister, Tara Donovan, Ingrid Calame and Udomsak Krisanamis. I thought the works were different and enlightening. My favorite work from the exhibition was Jane Callister’s “Spiked Beauty,” from 2005. I found her work to be similar to Abstract Expressionists with combinations from the conceptual ideas that Contemporary art focuses on. I would love to study these works further and learn more about the artists.