Drawing the Marvel Way

Drawing the Marvel Way

Drawing the Marvel Way is a book by Stan Lee and John Buscema that teaches you how to draw in a comic book style I was able to find an online free version of this book here.
Shapes: Shapes are a common tactic to show a new drawer that complicated shapes are just made up of smaller more simple shapes like squares and rectangles or circles and ovals. For example here is a simplified picture of the superhero Daredevil:

Dare Devil in a simplified form without details.
(Not my picture)

People are not 2-dimensional objects they're round If you notice Daredevil's simplified form you'll see that his bicep is made of a cylinder as well as his legs, The most complex structure of the human body to draw is the head.
Most people when they draw a person they try to draw a circle but the thing about people's heads is that they are not a ball or sphere human heads are built differently for every individual. Most heads, in drawing, are based off a cylinder not a sphere.
               A drawing has many different stages for example when you draw a person a dog or any object you start with the basic shape, after that you start with the more specific lines of the object for example a tree branch is a cylinder that gets more narrow the further you go down for a simple shape but tree branches are straight so you have to put in the curves and twigs.
Next is the detail of the object for example branches aren't a smooth object, they have bark,  you have to put the individual lines though you do not need to put to many because you only need a couple of lines inside of the object to give the illusion of texture.
Comic book coloring section:If you are looking for comic books however which is what this is about you do need to stay inside the lines this is because of the comic book style. Comic books completely ignore the next color section. Comic books have been colored and printed since the 1940's and they've been printed with a style of a dotted printing system making all the colors made of individual dots on the paper although in recent years they've been able to color the entire comic due to prices and costs of printing going down.
Next is a general tip for coloring in a art project or art piece, if you want to create a comic book and want/need to color it skip this section (this also has to do with oil pastels): if you chose to use color depending on the style of the drawing,  branches are not just brown, every color is made up of 3 primary colors so that means nothing is just "brown" or "purple" or "black" or "orange" every color have hints of other colors inside of them and that's usually due to the colors around them, for example if you are drawing a tree unless it is the season of fall or winter, though that depends on the tree, you are going to have green leaves. What does this change? You may ask well what it does is it makes the colors blend like with the tree branch if your tree has leaves that are green then when the area is close to a branch draw outside the lines put some green into the branch it allows the colors to blend together and makes the picture look smoother and allows more flow to the picture.

Perspective: Perspective is an essential point to a comic if you want a comic to have depth you must have a point of perspective. Perspective is something that needs to be assessed before you draw a scene if you do not have a perspective then the image has no direction it will look very poor due to the clashing directions of objects in a scene, an example of good perspective is shown in the picture at the below. My Final  Result is also pictured below as well as a simplified shape form.

Perspective

                  

What was the first comic that you read? Who made it? Have you ever tried to make your own comics?

Beginners Robotics, Pt. 1

Hey look! The robot's disassembled! Well, what do we do? Build another one and code a program! Robots of any kind function by using code and coded programs. In the last one, I programmed a sound function when I released the orange button in the center. It's basic programming, I know, but it's usually what people start with. The MINDSTORM kits come with 3 servo motors, motors that are controlled by the main brick, a couple of Ethernet-style cables that link the servo motors to the main brick, and other things like buttons, a color sensor, a shooter, so on and so forth. I built a car with this kit with instructions off of http://www.nxtprograms.com/NXT2/race_car/steps.html with pictures below. Why? BECOZ RACECAR! Education is important, but Racecar is Importanter! But, we shall start with the basics. If you want to pick one of these up, as of writing these things are over 600 dollars on Amazon. It's expensive I know, but they have to make all the pieces, all the sensors, the brick, the servo motors, all that jazz. While these are fun to play with, building and coding take a long time. The car took me like 90 minutes to build, mostly finding the little pieces I had made. I'll be talking about that later. 619 pieces are in this thing! "While the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit consists of 619 pieces, the heart of your robotic creations consists of a handful of key electronic components." (Ford 3) But, let's go over the basic components you'll need to start robotics!

BASIC PARTS:

A. Servo Motors- These "motors"usually drive a certain function. Whether it be driving the power to the wheels, the steering motor, or powering the functions of animatronics. NO, the servo motors will not lock up if they're turned off for too long, Five Nights at Freddy's has TOLD YOU WRONG! Servo motors can lock up on RC cars- happened to my little Halo Warthog (basically a Jeep) and I haven't fixed it yet. Basically, these drive out mechanical forces, mainly driving belts, wheels, etc.

B. Buttons- They do things when pressed. What do you think a button does? It depends on coding; if programmed to turn left or right when pressed, they'll do it. 

C. Color Sensor- This little sensor is part of the kit. It senses color on an RGB interface, kinda like Hexadecimal. Example with the car- when it drives over a certain color, it turns, stops, slows down or SPEEDS UP! 

(See above) Main Brick- This brick is probably the most expensive part of this whole kit. It takes SIX AA batteries, has a USB Port, and houses all the "ethernet" ports. These ports transfer information from the brick to the "ethernet" cables to the servo motors. This is where the programs are stored, within the bricks memory unit. Plug in your USB cable that should have come with the set and get going with coding! (I'm so sorry that rhymed.)

"Ethernet" Cables- I call these things Ethernet cables because that's what the end (tip) looks like. This sends data from the main brick to the color sensor, touch (BUTTONS) sensor, or Ultrasonic sensor. 

Ultrasonic Sensor- I haven't experimented with this too much, but it's basically the ability to see objects to determine their distance. It looks like eyes on a head.

Race Car! I'll edit a video someday lol too lazy.

If you want to dig into robotics, what will you start with? If you start with one of these, you'll be on the right track. If you start with actual computers, java coding, so on and so forth, you win.

Pictures-

Servo Motor (Race car)

Color Sensor (Race car)

"Ethernet" Cable

Ultrasonic Sensor

Button

Values in Drawings

For me, values is one of the hardest details in the drawing, because it is all about the degree of the light and darkness in the drawing (Willenbrink 48). They make form and depth to a basic structure (48). To learn how to give extra form to an object, Willenbrink suggests to take foam white shapes and set them up with a good light source. Next, observe carefully the characteristics of the shapes, the lights and how the shadows fall. You can notice the wide range of values.

Contrast is also, very important to give value to the drawing. Willenbrink says that: "Value contrasts are relative. They appear differently according to their environment" (49). For example, the small square on the right appears darker than the small square on the left, but they are both the same value. The square on the right appears darker because its environment is pure white, which provides more contrast.

To make your drawing realistic you have to include light effects. Lets take a basic shape, an apple. To determine the shading and shadows of an apple, it is important to determine the position of the light source, so you know which direction the light is coming. As we see in this example, light is coming from top. A highlight is when light reflects off an object. In the drawing, this is the bright spot. From shadow is a shadow on an object that gives depth and dimension to its form. A cast shadow is a shadow that is cast or thrown by one object onto another surface. Reflected light is light that bounces off a surface and adds light to a region of the object that would otherwise be darker.

I learned more than I knew before. I didn't notice before that when you want to make something stand out in your drawing you have to use colors that will show contrast. For example, I was drawing sunset with water, and I was drawing a sun. I didn't know how to make the sun bright, so it can stand out, but now I know that I have to use colors that are different in color and darkness from each other.

How do you use light effects or contrast in your drawings? (maybe share some of your drawings).

Simplifying Your Subject (Sketching)

A couple weeks ago, after reading just a few pages from the book Sketching by Alwyn Crawshaw, I found great improvements in my pencil techniques and types of lines. This time I decided to read a different section called "Simplifying Your Subject." I thought this passage would be interesting because I realized that often I get hung up on the little details when I sketch, erasing my lines over and over again. As I learned from Elvira's blog post, sketching is like making a draft of what you want to draw; a sketch doesn't need to have so many details.

Some main points I learned from this section are:

• "Simplifying is something you learn to do as you look at the subject...an artist sees only what is important to his or her sketch" (41).
• A good way to practice simplifying is by doing three-minute exercises. They are a bit challenging, but will really help you only draw the essentials (41).
• Squinting your eyes when you look at your subject (the object you are drawing) will help you see only the darkest and lightest areas, eliminating the areas with a lot of detail (41).

I thought these were some very interesting points, and decided to take on a challenge and do some three-minute sketches.

Crawshaw tells the reader that "Three-minute exercises are fun to do and very important for teaching you to simplify" (48). He also suggests, "Birds are a wonderful subject for a three-minute sketch. Start by copying my sketches..." (48).

My first three-minute exercise turned out pretty well, as I copied Crawshaw's sketches of birds. I was unable to get proper sketching pencils before this post, so I stuck to my normal #2 pencil.

The next step was to try sketching from a photograph of a bird instead of copying the sketches in the book. I tried to squint at the photograph, and it really helped me see only the dark and light values in the photo. I did, however, get carried away; I finished my sketch after a little more than three minutes.

The final result was not amazing, but as Alwyn Crawshaw writes, "There is no secret formula...except of course, practice, which gives experience" (46). I'll keep practicing three-minute exercises so that I can get better at simplifying my subject.

I found three-minute sketches to be very enjoyable, and I definitely simplified my sketches a lot more than before. By only sketching for three minutes, I didn't worry so much about the detail but focused on the main form and shape of the subject. I am pretty impressed with this method. You definitely can learn a lot in three minutes!

Have you ever tried doing a three-minute sketch? In general, what are your favorite things to sketch or draw?



Citation:

Crawshaw, Alwyn. Sketching. New York: Collins, 2008. Print.

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe

It all started back when I was 5. I was stubborn, getting ready for another dreaded day of kindergarten which usually, I would never attend, and did NOT want to wear that fruit filled, JcPenny long-sleeve that my mother had gotten me. I fought and fought for my right to wear what I wanted, which is what I got. I wore the Summer season overalls that I got from The Children's Place, even though it was Fall and rainy outside. Ever since that moment I knew what I'd always choose myself, my apparel. My style. My fashion. Me. It was all my choice, and did I ever let anyone stop me from wearing what I wanted? Never. Even though I was told to not wear high-waisted skinny jeans in 8th grade because they "weren't in style", or they simply just didn't fit my figure. Well honey, I could care less if they didn't look good on ME, as long as it matched the rest of my outfit I was most definitely okay with wearing it. And that my folks, is my reasoning behind why I chose How To Be A Fashion Designer by Marcarena San Martin, which tells the truth about why people dress the way they do and shop where they do. This book will help me produce my own type of style, to become a true fashion chameleon and shower my knowledge of style upon others who read this.

"What is fashion?"(Martin 15). This question makes many wonder. Fashion. "Defining fashion is not easy, because fashion is multifaceted." (Martin 15), that is it. The truth. In this book, I learned that the first step is developing designs that buyers will crave to wear (Martin 11). In this blog, I'll be showing my drawn perspective of the three primary purposes of dressing that I see on a daily basis in public which are:
1) " To make the visible social distinction of a person," (Martin 16).

I decided to choose a celebrity that anyone can easily identify since she wears clothing that help show her body figure. Since Kim Kardashian known for her unique body, it's only natural for her to flaunt it. She also wears her rock on her left ring finger that Kanye had got her for their wedding which is a statement figure, simple yet very out-there.This type of style is made up of luxury brands.
  2) "To express one's taste and personality," (Martin 16).

The reason why I designed an outfit like this is because it's the in-between of the three primary purposes. This style is something that one chooses and makes themselves, from random stores such as Charlotte Rouse, Forever 21, Love Culture, etc. It's not luxury, or basic. It's being adventurous, mixing and matching, and doesn't have to pertain to just one certain theme. To wear this style, you have to be able to remember what you have in your closet before buying, because trust me, I've made that mistake plenty of times by bringing home random mall pick-ups that I couldn't say no to, and realizing that I have absolutely nothing to wear it with.

3) "And to seduce, that is, to fit into a social group." (Martin 16).

This style is one we all see on an everyday basis anywhere we go. It's a casual, sporty, and comfortable style that many girls wear out. It's the hype of teenage girls. VS Pink, Lulu-lemon, The North Face, and Ugg. Of course being accompanied with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, it would all bind together and make other girls stop and wonder why they aren't dressing like that. It's contagious, I mean even I have fallen under the spell of wanting to fit in this "trend" because it's so simple and effortless to pull off!

Question:  What do you dress for? What inspires you to dress the way you do?

San Martin, Marcarena. Field Guide: How To Be A Fashion Designer. Beverly, MA: Paco Asensio, 2009. 

Piano Techniques - Fingering *****Listen to LET IT GO from FROZEN on the Piano!!!!*****

For the next topic in the book Improve Your Piano Playing, Dr. John Meffen moves on to talk about piano techniques. The first technique he discusses is fingering.

Fingering is the act of articulating your fingers to play notes on the piano. There is rarely one correct fingering because it really depends on you and what makes you comfortable (Meffen 42). It also depends on your hand size, finger span, and ability to reach. Appropriate fingering is important because it "allow[s] smooth and accurate movement[s] to be accomplished" (Meffen 45). This way, you can play beautifully and sound amazing without having to worry about your fingers tangling up. It is meant to be simple and helpful, so the transition to your next move is effortless and flawless (Meffen 46).

To practice good fingering, Meffen shares a strategy from Chopin, a famous pianist and composer. Chopin said "Standard fingerings for scales and arpeggios form a strong, safe, and memorable basis. (Meffen 47). Meffen agrees with Chopin's teachings and adds on that fingering used from a scale or arpeggio can be helpful when playing any composition. (Meffen 43). Here are videos of me practicing some scales and arpeggios to help improve my fingering.

                                Arpeggios                                                               Scales

Now that I have practiced, I can apply what I learned to a song. Notice how the precise fingering helps my left hand move up and down the piano.

Let It Go - Frozen

QOTD: What do you think sounds better, scales or arpeggios?

Citation: Meffen, John, Dr. Improve Your Piano Playing. New York: Allworth Press, 2007. Print.

I Challenge You

First off I would like to say that I personally don't like collages of photos because I think they are just too much and overwhelming but diptychs are the one exception.

In Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman's book, A Beautiful Mess: Photo Idea Book, they've created fun and easy challenges for readers to try. As I was going through the challenges I came across the diptych challenge. Diptychs are simply two photos paired together and they are very simple to create. As Elsie and Emma says "You can use photo-editing software to digitally pair your images. [Or] You can get an iPhone app that does it for you" (152). Here I will show you how to create a diptych on your phone and I used the app "Superimpose" but you can of course use any app you prefer.

First, import a blank white image for the background and then import the first photo you want to pair together as the foreground.





Next, stretch the photo to cover about 2/3 of the background.

Third, you will merge the white background and your photo together. This is the most important step because if you don't merge the background and foreground together you will not be able to import the second photo for the foreground.

After merging the background and foreground import your second photo as the new foreground and stretch it to cover the remaining 1/3 of the white background. When doing this make sure you leave a space between the two photos because that is how you get the white line in between.

The last step is to hit merge again and export the photo to your photo album.

 Here is the finish image I created.

Now that we have finished you can see that diptychs are very quick and simple to create, which is one of the reasons why I love this technique. I also love diptychs because like Elsie and Emma says they make images more artistic and gives it more of a meaning by telling a story (152). After creating this first diptych I was inspired to create more and I had lots of ideas of what two photos I can pair together.

The question I have for this blog post is what are your favorite photo editing apps or softwares if you use any? 

Citations:

Chapman, Emma, and Elsie Larson. A Beautiful Mess: Photo Idea Book. New York: Amphoto, 2013.

Print

Goswami, Pankaj. Superimpose. Computer software. Superimpose. Vers. 4.5. Apple ITunes Store, 5 Dec. 2014. Web. <http://www.superimposeapp.com>.