Influences

So the question is, "Who inspires you?" "What inspires you?"

There are definitely designers who inspire me, but I am not the type to memorize names and works. Rather, I remember the work and why it inspired me. Because of this, I have a collection of different works and designs in the melting pot that simmer together and I won't be able to tell you what came from where. What I can tell you are the THINGS that do inspire me.

For example, really detailed or realistic paintings/illustrations inspire me because I am thinking of ways to improve my illustration abilities. While vector drawings, cartoons, and simple drawings are very inspirational as well, I am more drawn towards realism because that is the type of illustration I tend to to draw. Whenever I see a composition with interesting technique or lighting, I am inspired by it.

Photography is a recently acquired skill of mine, and because my talent in it is still in its infancy, I am always looking for an opportunity to utilize it in order to become more acquainted with it. Beautiful photographs have always inspired me. At first, what drew me into photography were those macro shots of objects/insects/flowers up-close. Then portraits became the next thing I was drawn towards. It is really hard to capture the perfect lighting! Not too long ago, I went to a photo exhibit and was really inspired by these vast, beautiful landscape photographs, so that is something I'm excited about now, too. I would say anything photographic, as long as it is somehow visually interesting, is something that inspires me.

Design-wise, I am really drawn towards work with clarity. I know a lot of times, designers like to make things very 'simple' and 'minimalistic', but sometimes the clarity gets lost because the design has been reduced so much to the point that the message is nearly gone as well. I think the goal of these designers was clarity. They may have just gotten caught up in trying to make things 'simple'. I used to get the two mixed up, 'simplicity' and 'clarity'. Something can be detailed and intricate and still be extremely clear. Of course, something can just be a shape on a background and still have the same effect. That would be simplicity and clarity. Clarity is important and that doesn't necessarily mean the work has to be minimal. At the same time, it doesn't mean busy, as well. I don't particularly like designs where my eyes have to continually scan and search to figure out what it is, unless it is scanning for a secondary meaning, a subtext, and the main message is clear. For example, the FedEx logo with the hidden arrow is something you have to search for, but you are rewarded for the effort. As long as the main message is clear, I think it is perfectly okay to have many hidden "Easter eggs" as well - which I try to do in order to create multiple layers and depth to my work.

What time of day do you find to be most creative? In class or outside of class?

There isn't a particular time of day I find to be most creativity-inducing. However, I do usually do a lot of my work during the evenings/nighttime, and sometimes in the very, very early hours of the morning (because I have taken an extended nap and woken up at 3:00 in the morning).

It doesn't matter to me what time it is, if I have an idea I'm excited about, I know what to do and I will just keep working. The hardest part is having a great idea come to me. There are times when it is instant and I know exactly what I want to do, but most times I have to think about it a lot, try certain things and see that they don't work, and then keep wrestling with it. And then all of a sudden, right as I'm about to fall asleep, or when I'm taking a shower, at some random moment or juncture, the right idea will come. I think first, I have to try a lot of things that don't work and sift through the coal until the diamond in the rough appears and I can start polishing it into a beautiful piece.

Sometimes that idea will come to me during class and I will be in work-mode for the rest of the class period. Other times it is when I'm at home. No matter what though, once I have an idea I know will work and I'm excited to work on, it will get done one way or the other because I will see it to completion. Most times, once I harness an idea, the project moves along quickly because I know what I want, and I will complete the project ahead of schedule, giving me a day or two to just relax and look back on it after some time and see if I see anything that needs tweaking or adjusting. This period helps me to fix small, tiny details and make minor changes that end up making the composition even stronger.

How do you define 'graphic design'?

Almost everything now-a-days is graphic design. I am looking at my computer screen right now as I'm typing this sentence, and already, I see all the icons and buttons of the browser, the desktop, and even the layout and design of the word processor used to type up this blog entry. All of these elements were carefully (and sometimes not so carefully) thought out by a designer. A lot of the graphic design we're exposed to on the computer is UI/UX design, but that is still graphic design.

Walk outside and scan with your eyes from left to right. Chances are you have just seen a vista of graphic design. From billboards to signs and logos, graphic design is ubiquitous in the world - especially in the digital age. Swipe your phone and you will see that everything on the screen was designed by a graphic designer.

Even basic necessities incorporate graphic design. All the packaging for food, all the advertisements for clothing, and catalogs for real estate, houses, and apartments all have been created by designers.

My point is that graphic design now molds how we see the world. I can create an advertisement to make you see a product in certain light, and all the elements from type choice to photograph of illustration, layout, and composition will all play a part in affecting your perception. Graphic design is the means of shaping perception, which in turn, communicates an idea. Good and effective design have clarity and is able to communicate a message to the viewer, forcing the viewer to realize a point, feel an emotion, become informed, or have their perception changed.

Identify contemporary designs that influence and inspire you.

Before class, I didn't know who this artist was, but after seeing my self-portrait, Stan introduced me to the work of Anthony Goicolea. When I saw his work, I saw how similar it was in technique to my efforts in my self-portrait piece. But after seeing a few more pieces, I started to question how he would do certain things and found limitation in my own technique. This drove me to further explore photography and image manipulation and now there are several pieces in my head that I would like to compose to see if I can accomplish them. Now, my intention isn't to mimic his work, but because I was inspired by his work I think I can refine my own process even further and it will be a test for that refinement process.

Here is a link to his website. Anthony Goicolea