Patterns, Lines, and Shapes...ABSTRACT

FOLLOW THE TREND

EMPTY MIND

ORIGAMI

This next assignment involved creating abstract images in Photoshop. To be honest I actually found this quite challenging. I am used to manipulating photos and creating art pieces that are composed of one or more images. Starting off with a blank slate was quite intimidating, but alas here are three creations that I made and how I made them.
The first image is titled 'Follow The Trend', it represents how if one person starts a trend almost everyone will follow. It's almost like an epidemic. This picture represents my point of view which is sort of off to the side, because I try not to get caught up in things like this. Different sized arrows, represent different sized people. I tried to keep a simple colour palette with the arrows obviously being a standout feature. I first selected a grey and white colour and used a gradient for the background. I then selected the arrow shape and stamped it in different sizes, also making sure they are also different layers. I then selected the paint bucket and filled in the arrows with white, grey, and red.
The second image is called 'Empty Mind'. To be completely honest I'm not too fond of this one, and the shapes in this picture are mostly just too fill the very empty space that the original background seemed to create. Yet the hard edge gradient, I really like. It gives the illusion that something is almost in sight, almost like it's in misty clouded water. Which is part of the title meaning. The very empty space represents how empty the mind can be yet there is always something, no matter how small it is, going on. That is represented by the hard edge poking through the misty area. For some reason a word I think of when looking at this picture is 'quiet' and I feel it is the best word to express the feeling in this picture. This picture simply involved a hard edge gradient, and a square shape that is in different sizes. I dropped the opacity and altered the sizes of each. The colours I chose are analogous to each other. Since the colours are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel the image is a lot more pleasing and relaxing to the eye, rather than having a harsh contrast of perhaps an orange colour.
The last, and my favourite picture, is called 'Origami'. I think this is my best one because I found some inspiration for the picture. Even though it is abstract, it can still be a picture of something, it just has to look more natural and harder to identify. This may come as a surprise but this image is inspired by a piece of clothing. The Origami dress by Thierry Mugler. This image is basically the elements of the dress displayed in an abstract image. There are the diamond shapes that represent the origami on the dress and the blocks of colour going towards the diamonds show how beautifully the light reflects off the dress. This picture consists of using the gradient tool with a black and white for the background. Then drawing hard edged shapes with the lasso tool,, making sure they are on different layers. Then finally filling in the shapes with different shades of beige, yellow and white to show lighting in an abstract manner. I really like this image, yet I didn't really enjoy this assignment. Let's not do this again, o.k.? Cool.