This was taken in my 3-D studio class. We cut the foam into smaller squares, layered them, and glued them together. Now we are working on carving the foam into something that’s recognizable.

I have taken a camera into all of my classes, and no one has ever said any negative comments about it. I’ve found that my professors think that it’s a little strange at first, but once they are in the passionate parts of their lecture, they become oblivious to the camera.

My drawing teacher encourages the use of the camera in the classroom. A lot of our still life drawings take 9-15 hours to complete, and we’re only in the classroom with the real still life objects set up for three of those hours. So, you know, the drawings need to be finished outside of class, and it’s hard to get everything exactly correct from memory alone. Additionally, the camera is extremely useful for converting three-dimensional objects onto a two-dimensional plane. For me, a student taking her first ever drawing class, it is mentally exhausting to look at the three-dimensional world and try to replicate it in two dimensions. It’s something that takes time, practice, and experience, but a digital camera is little guide to give a push in the right direction.

Photo Set: Big Blue Foam Project

The next English paper that will be turned in (five weeks from now) is to be written using a technique called Mystory. This technique was first created by Gregory Ulmer, a professor at the University of Florida Basically, it combines several different topics and looks at each topic through the lens of the other topics.

My professor requires my class to have 5 topics, a few of which are pre-selected.

1. Future career: Graphic Designer / Print & Layout
2. An idea from the book Escapism by Yi Fu Tuan
3. A narrative to respond to
4. Option: Photography
5. Option: Visual appeal and the flow of font

This might get hairy.

In my 2-Dimensional Studies class, our current project is a twelve panel collage. Each panel is 5 x 7.5″, and all of the panels have to reflect a common theme. My theme is “Urbanization.”

My professor said that we can do the collage by hand or on the computer, so I jumped at the chance to use Photoshop and Illustrator. It takes me five times as long as a lot of good photoshoppers, but I’m not going to complain– it’s a learning experience. I have never really used Illustrator before, so after creating only a couple of the panels, I’ve already tripled my knowledge of the program. Handy!

I think that my art classes are just as difficult as other classes, but in a different way. Forcing out creativity for so many hours every day, all week long, is exhausting. Also, art, unlike research papers, can not be slapped together the night before it is due. It is very time-costly.

Update

View all of the panels here.