Make Sure to Tag your Blog Postings - Request from teacher.

Just a reminder to self. Make sure to tag blog postings.

Links:

Using Categories and Tags Effectively on Your Blog
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/09/27/using-categories-and-tags-effectively-on-your-blog/

Creative Peoples Websites

I am on another search for even more inspiration. I am looking at what other designers, artists and illustrators have on their websites.

I am not only looking at how creative they are as individuals, but I also analysing and studying to see how they have built their website and how creative these websites are.

Here is a list of other designer's, artist's and illustrator's portfolio sites.

Jay Halfling - www.jayhafling.com
Chris Spooner - www.spoongraphics.co.uk
Jeff Sarmiento - www.jeffsarmiento.com
Mike Kus - www.thethingswemake.co.uk
Dan Noe - www.noedesign.com
Evan Eckard - www.evaneckard.com
Wong Yeng Kit - www.kitfolio.com
Marc Simonetti - marcsimonetti.artworkfolio.com

Honourable Mentions

Here is list of creative people who don't meet all three criteria to be on my list, but for some other reason, their websites are great.

Leonardo Tatari - www.leotartari.com
Daniel Hamilton - danielhamiltonillustration.blogspot.com.au/
Marisa Passos - marisapassos.com/index.html

http://simpleasmilk.co.uk/ - Nice Layout

There was a criteria that had to be met, before you made it onto my list.
1. The website needed to be owned by an INDIVIDUAL, not a group of people
2. The website needed to have a PORTFOLIO area, and not just a blog.
3. It had to be AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, well at least to me.

I can tell you now, that many sites I looked at, did not make it on my list.

Setting up a website - Some really useful articles

Even though, I have built websites in the past. I felt that I had been left behind somehow, with the advances in website technology. I know a website in essence hasn't really changed much since when I used to build them, but they seem to be a little more advanced and "polished" these days. So I feel like I need to brush up on my skills.

Here are some online articles I have used (read) when I started researching and building my portfolio website. They seemed like a good place as any to start.

Links:

Setting up a new website (updating an old website)
www.methodandclass.com/article/guide-to-setting-up-a-new-website/


12 Tips for Creating a Great Portfolio Site
www.noupe.com/design/12-tips-for-creating-a-great-portfolio-site.html

Inspiration - Other Artists Websites

I have gone looking for inspiration. Sayting that I will build a website is one thing, but actually builing a website is another thing. I feel like I need some inspiration

I have decided to search for some websites created by individuals, who are artistically talented. Their artistic style may not be to my liking, but their websites definately are.

So here is a list of artistic websites I like:

Kelli Blickman: http://kellibickman.net/

Austin Kleon: http://www.austinkleon.com/

Adline: http://www.adline.ro/

Charlotte Tang: http://charlottetang.com/

W. Brett Wilson: http://www.wbrettwilson.ca/

Morten Strid: http://mortenstrid.no/

Links:

Artists Websites
http://artistswebsites.org/

9 Great Artist Websites
http://theabundantartist.com/great-artist-websites/

My Online Portfolio

I would love to create my very own online portfolio. which will be used to show off my work.

I want to use this portfolio to gain work, on a Freelance level. As I am not quite ready to quit my 9-to-5 office job, but I am happy to do design work on the side.

I would also like to use my portfolio site as means to display my work to my peers so that I can get constructive criticism and feedback on my work. I am sure this can only help me improve and grow as a designer.

I have found some useful websites (see links below) which have great advice as to how to setup and what to include in an online portfolio website.

Links:

7 Things You Should Include in Your Web Design Portfolio Website
http://speckyboy.com/2011/09/11/7-things-you-should-include-in-your-web-design-portfolio-website/

10 Steps To The Perfect Portfolio Website | Smashing Magazine
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/02/26/10-steps-to-the-perfect-portfolio-website/

How to develop a great portfolio | Webdesigner Depot
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2013/01/how-to-develop-a-great-portfolio/

12 Tips for Creating a Great Portfolio Site
http://www.noupe.com/design/12-tips-for-creating-a-great-portfolio-site.html

What Digital Design Area Will I Choose?

Having being asked in class to find a topic to research in the 'Digital Art/Design' world, seemed like a daunting task at first. There were so many possibilities to choose from.

After thing about this request for a few days, I did manage to come up with a few ideas and areas of Digital Art, which I was interested in pursuing and subsequently researching. These areas are:

1. Digital Illustration / Concept Art - Photoshop, Corel Painter
2. 3D Modelling & Rendering - 3D Studio Max, 
3. Animation - 2D - Flash, ToonBoom, Anime Studio
4. Animation - 3D - Maya, 3D Studio Max
5. Website Design - Dreamweaver, HTML, Joomla

I would be happy doing ANY of these topics, but I can only choose one, so I will have to do some research and discover which one of the above topics I would like to follow through for 16 weeks, to my final project.

The way I personally tackle such a question, of having to choose only ONE item from a difficult list. I use the process of elimination. So here goes.....

Eliminated in the following order:

1. 3D Modelling & Rendering - Eliminated because, I didn't feel that the scope of this unit was to learn 3D modelling. This is to be learnt in a dedicated 3D modelling class, where the emphasis is specifically on this topic. I still want to learn and study 3D modelling and rendering but not in my Grad Cert course.
2. Animation - 3D - This was eliminated for the same reason as the first topic. Not the right venue for this topic.
3. Animation - 2D - This topic was a little harder to eliminate. After thinking long and hard about this one, I felt that I probably wouldn't have a finished product if I did this topic. And the final item, would not be as useful to me, as say a website. I could do more with a website, then i could with a 2D animation.
4. Digital Illustration / Concept Art
- I would be happy spending 16 weeks, simply drawing and creating digital art. It would be fun, I would learn heaps, and I would have lots of portfolio items to show for my time. But couldn't I just do this at home, in my spare time, or as simply a way to unwind and relax from busy life. I would still need a website to show-off my work. So guess what I chose?

Website Design - A website was indeed chosen as my final project to study and research. Even though this might not be as creative as some of the other topics, it would certainly be the most practical item to end up with, after 16 weeks of study. This also ties in with my initial reason for doing this subject, which was indeed to learn about HTML, CSS and the current way of designing websites. 

I now have my topic...whooohooo!

The Research Blog is Born - Start Here

I have created this blog, for the sole purpose of recording my research in my Digital Art/Design subject at Holmesglen Tafe.

This blog will be submitted to my teacher as part of my assessment. It is due on Wednesday 26 June 2013.