Visual Arts

There are 111 posts filed in Visual Arts (this is page 9 of 12).

Review: Creativity Now

Creativity Now: Get inspired, create ideas and make them happen now!

I bought this book last year. I wanted more creative ideas and inspiration. New things to try and build my own ideas from.

This book is a great way to get out of a rut, find a new idea, or a new spin on an old idea. If you want to start something new this book will give you many ways to get started, to look at things from a new direction and to think beyond the limits of your own mind.

One of the most creative things, that appealed to me on a personal level, was streetcombing.

“At the Creativity World Forum of 2008, Richard Stomp, innovation and strategy manager in the Netherlands, suggested that to be creative you should try ‘streetcombing’ – like beachcombing, but on the streets. … The very act of looking for interesting stuff to photograph causes a mind shift.”

Don’t stop to edit yourself, rethink what might be interesting to someone else, or wonder if you have the perfect shot. Use it as a time to explore your own mind, your interests and your creativity.

Creativity Now, by Jurgen Wolff.

Make a Visual Guide to your Character

Next time you have a stack of magazines you have read through or found somewhere, go on a treasure hunt. Look for photos of characters you could create/ write about. See if you could find the fashions they would wear. The destinations they would travel to on vacation. The way they would get rid of someone, assuming something drastic happened. Where would they build their home and what kind of home would it be?

Find as many pictures as you can to illustrate a character of your own design. Build up a collage of experiences for your character. Give yourself a visual guide to who they are and how they think. If you get stuck while writing it’s nice to have inspiration you can see right in front of you.

If you don’t have a character you are writing make the collage for yourself. What pictures can you find to illustrate your life experiences, your favourites and things you would like to do someday?

You Don’t Need an Image with Each Blog Post

Why are you adding an image/ graphic/ photo to your blog post? Because someone said to do it that way? Because people are visual and need the extra stimulus? Because the print magazines (or some popular blog you read) does it that way?

Rethink that plan. The images added to blog posts for the sake of adding images to blog posts are over done. Unless they really add something, like instructions, or some other practical purpose, they just add to the general clutter. Blog readers are becoming both ad blind and image blind due to the overload of useless stuff thrown at them.

  • Your words can (should be able to) stand on their own. If not, rewrite, rather than illustrating something that isn’t there.
  • Your blog does not need an image just for the sake of having an image.  Is adding an image worth a slower load time, a cluttered layout? How many times do you read a blog and see images that fail to load?
  • What does the image really add to your post? What does a random image stuck into your post say about you? Does it say you are creative, crafting a well thought out post, or just another blogger following the pack mentality?
  • If you are not creating your own images you are giving a lot of time and space to promoting the work of someone else. You also risk having the original artist objecting to the use of the image, or the way it has been used.

So, what do you do to keep your blog visually orientated and appealing? Don’t be afraid to get creative, it doesn’t have to be a great work of art, it just needs to be something meaningful, interesting and relevant to the post you are making.

  • Use your own work. Make your photos, graphics or images a feature, worthy of having their own post.
  • Start your own weekly/ monthly web comic. Stick to a schedule that suits you.
  • Doodle something. Use your own hand drawn illustration, it will always be uniquely you.
  • Take a look at text art. Use your keywords in a new way. Just don’t go crazy with it. Moderation in all things.
  • ASCII art is a retro text art and takes time to work on. Don’t steal the ASCII art you find online any more than you would another image.
  • Add an image of yourself, the real person behing the blog to illustrate the posts you write. This is, at least, sincere content and gives readers a real connection to you.
  • Go back to basics, give the odd post it’s own unique background. Don’t over use this either. Think of it as a highlighter pen for your best post of the week/ month.
  • Use subheaders to break up the text. Bold a sentence that sums up your post. You don’t have to stick to basic black.
  • If your blog looks bland to you and you want to add colour change your font colours, try out some jewel tones in blue, green, or red.
  • Add a graphic file with your signature to the bottom of your posts instead of using an image at the top of the post.
  • Skip images. Christmas is special because it comes once a year. Why not use that theory for images you add as well. Make them something unusual by not using them everyday.

Visual Merchandising: Window Display Artist

I like to look at interesting jobs in the arts/ crafts area. So many unique and interesting jobs we just never hear about or never stop to think that someone actually does that and gets paid for it!

Have you thought about being the person who creates window displays before? I have. Even back in high school I considered it as a career option. Too bad I didn’t do more about it then. But, you can’t be the person you are now in your past life. I’m still hoping for time machines so I could at least whisper in my ear a few times. Until then… I can research and live vicariously. The best overall name for this type of career seems to be Visual Merchandising.

First, what do you need to get there?

Seneca: Visual Merchandising Arts

Sheridan: Visual Merchandising Arts

Conestoga: Visual Merchandising Arts

Swinburne University of Technology (AU): Diploma of Visual Merchandising

Fashion Academy (UK): Level 4 Diploma in Visual Merchandising

From Schools in the USA.com:

In order to become a window display designer, it is suggested to get some college or university training in graphic design, fine art, construction, carpentry, architecture, lighting, or theatrical design. There are also a few college courses available in visual merchandising and design. Some business and marketing courses would also help individuals promote their skills.

Before going to school, however, consider working in retail. Ask to help with the window displays, as employers look for experience as well as education.

I found industry resource sites for visual merchandisers and retailers:

  • The Asia Society of Visual Merchandisers
  • VMSD is the leading resource for retail designers and store display professionals, serving the retail industry since 1869 (then called Display World). VMSD showcases the latest store designs and visual presentations, presents merchandising strategies and new products, and reports on industry news and events.

Further resources:

Advice for Retailers: Retail Window Displays

About.com: Retailing: Creating Attractive Displays (Visual Display Tips)

eHow: How to Become a Window Display Artist

About.com: Retail Industry: Job Profile: Visual Merchandising Associate

Merchandise Display Artist Job Profile

Visual Merchandiser Job Description

Careers Advice (UK): Visual Merchandiser

M Windows – Visual display and retail design consultants. Visual merchandising as a freelance career. Based in New York City, US.

Following is a real job for a window display artist/ visual presentation technician. You can see what the company wants and expects from someone with this job. This post is taken today from Monster.ca and is for Laura Canada.

Role Summary
The Visual Presentation Technician/In-Store Merchandiser will demonstrate effective in-store merchandising and window presentation techniques in order to support financial and customer service objectives and be proactive in approaching all aspects of store’s visual presentations.

Critical Functions

1. Merchandising Techniques

  • Completes Pre Plan Visual Checklist in conjunction with management on each visit as a coaching and preplanning tool.
  • Ensures merchandising standard is achieved as per Company’s directives
  • Confirms merchandising and fashion directives from Head Office are being followed with appropriate discretion for individual store circumstances.
  • Follow proper placement of display according to traffic flow requirement and symmetry.
  • Ensures display reflects adjacent sections as well as promoting a fashionable message.
  • Maintains standards regarding folding, sizing, usage of hangers and foam strips, removal of excess tags.
  • Analyzes retailers to identify new fixturing and new merchandising ideas.
  • Merchandises the store by using a strong knowledge and understanding of current season’s fashion trends (Look Books, fashion magazines, product Knowledge sessions, shopping competition).
  • Ensures proper placement of all floor bunks, t-stands, bust forms and mannequins according to traffic flow requirement and symmetry.
  • Ensures displays (face-outs, t-stands) reflect adjacent sections as well as promoting a fashionable accessorized message.
  • Maintains standards regarding folding and sizing, proper usage of hangers and foam strips, removal of excess tags.
  • Assists store Management Team in proper execution of all Marketing directives with a high sense of urgency.
  • Ensures all visual elements (when not in use) are properly stored in a designated area in the backroom only, discarding old banners and signage as per Marketing directive.
  • Communicates deficiencies and unsafe store conditions to appropriate department.
  • Orders and replaces light bulbs in the store, stockroom and exit signs ensuring sufficient lighting throughout the store.

2. Window Presentation Techniques

§ Demonstrates creativity in windows by using a strong knowledge and understanding of current season’s fashion trends

§ Ensures mannequins and bust forms placement is done according to standards and all pinning and adjustments made on mannequins result in the most natural and realistic look to the presentation.

§ Confirms Orders, replaces and focuses lights in windows, store, stockroom and exit signs ensuring sufficient lighting.

3. Customer Service

§ Has constant customer awareness and knows to stop, drop and serve.

§ Executes all POS procedures accurately and efficiently (i.e. special orders, no sales, refunds, etc.).

4.   Shipping & Receiving

§ Prepares all incoming and outgoing merchandise in a timely manner.

§ Ensures all housekeeping standards are maintained.

§ Completes markdowns efficiently and accurately.

§ Ensures Health and Safety standards are met at all times

Qualifications:

§ Experience in fashion with a strong background in display/merchandising

§ Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, detail oriented with strong follow-through skills

§ Able to adapt to changes and work on adaptable schedules

§ Demonstrates fashion flair and creativity.

Text Art on Twitter

The biggest struggle with posting ASCII art anywhere was always the formatting. Trying to get your work to use a fixed width font so it doesn’t come out all warped looking. Also, making sure you added carriage returns at the end of each line of text. If you missed one you would soon find out if you posted it somewhere outside of the Notepad file you created the art in.

I don’t know how the Twitter art is posted. That may be as complicated as making the art itself. A lot of the Twitter art seems to be design versus a picture/ image. The designs are nice. But, as an ASCII artist from the olden days, I am biased to love artists who use text to make images and manage to get them to post.

For a quick look at the most recent text art on Twitter search for the hash tags:

  • #140Art
  • #TwitterArt
  • #SymbolArt

140 Artist on Twitter and the site 140 Art.com

tw1tt3rart on Twitter

T_witterArt on Twitter

twart1st on Twitter and Twitter Artist’s blog

Newmoticons on Twitter and a tumblog.

ASCII_Art on Twitter – Not really ASCII Art but Twitter art and text art.

Daniel Rehn has a Twitter Art list.

TwingDings for Twitter

TwitClipArt – Twitter Drawings Library

Squidoo: One Line Art for Twitter – A good start to practice with. Try other ASCII art sites to find more one line art or begin creating your own.

Sunset and Sunrise for Photography

A photo taken at sunset or sunrise is almost always beautiful. The time of day gives even an ordinary scene a special glow, a dramatic setting. Plan and consider a photo you will take at either sunset today or sunrise tomorrow. Take the day to think about it, pick through ideas and locations. Even if you have a busy and chaotic day you always have a moment while you ride the elevator, stop for lunch, some bit of time when planning your photo would give you a creative break in the day.

Don’t make your photo about the sunset or sunrise alone. Have the sky be the setting not the focus. You may take more than one photo, some with flash on and some without the extra light from the flash. Experiment and see what worked best. Most of all, plan your setting, set the scene. Arrange things how you want them, you are your own set director.

Cityscape, Skyline Metropolis?

The suffix of one word can lead to so many other interesting words. In looking into the theme for Doodle Week on U3 this Friday I knew I wanted to draw some kind of city skyline, a cityscape. That led to looking up other kinds of words with ‘scape’ as a suffix. That led me to think of words like metropolis, necropolis and cosmopolis, which I had heard of before. I started to look them up, wondering if they all meant the same thing more or less. They do and yet they don’t. The differences were what made each one unusual.

Metropolis: A city or an urban area regarded as the center of a specific region or activity.
Astropolis: Star-scaled city/industry area; complex space station.
Cosmopolis: A large urban centre with a population of many different cultural backgrounds.
Ecumenopolis: A city that covers an entire planet, usually seen in science fiction.
Megalopolis: Built by merging several cities and their suburbs.
Necropolis: ‘City of the dead’. A graveyard.
Technopolis: City with high-tech industry; room full of computers; the Internet.

    Cityscape: A view of a city, esp. a large urban center.
    Townscape: A scene or view, either pictorial or natural, of a town or city.
    Landscape: A section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint.
    Seascape: A panoramic view of the sea.

      Skyline: The outline of something, as the buildings of a city, against the sky.

      The drawing of the cityscape/ skyline is for Doodle Week. This week the theme is cityscapes.

      The Decadent Red Bedroom

      House Home Garden has made three posts showing photos of a bedroom, kitchen and a lounge decorated almost completely in red. I picked the bedroom as my favourite. It just looks so… decadent. How would you decorate your favourite room in your favourite colour? Write at least a paragraph to describe it.

      Would you be bold or brave enough to actually do it?

      I’m not so sure myself. It might be great for awhile but… if you got sick of it you’d be stuck with it for awhile before you could re-do it all. Still, it would be really stylish while it lasted.

      Bookmark Collectors Virtual Convention

      Do you have a bookmark collection? Do you use bookmarks at all or do you just turn down a corner of the page you are reading and close the book on it (the dog-earred method)? I like having a bookmark. I do buy one now and then. But, being shoved into my purse, moved from backpack to purse and then forgotten on the nightstand awhile, a bookmark tends to take some abuse and get lost. Most of the time I use the folded corner to mark the page I’m reading. But, I really like the idea of having a bookmark collection. Now, I just need to find whatever stragglers are left.

      Bookmark Collectors Virtual Convention: Bookmarks have been in existence for as long as there have been books, and for the bookmark collector their meaning goes beyond their mundane purpose of marking a position within a book. Made out of materials that vary from paper to precious gems, they are pieces of art, souvenirs, craft samplers, time capsules, and cultural flotsam. Although their prices vary from free to thousands of dollars, collectors ascribe value based on personal meaning, judgment of beauty, and fit within a series.

      The convention is planned for February 20 – 21st at 8:AM, PST.