Possibly I'll Answer the Question. Somehwhat.

‹‹How I Do What I Do, Pt. 2››

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6. Where do Ideas like "Drive Mastery" Come From?
Honestly, I have the heart of an artist and the eye of a designer. It causes a lot of artistic conflict. So for me, a lot of my inspiration comes purely from raw experimentation. This is true for 75% of my work. Drive Mastery was something different though. It came, like a few others, directly from the geometry of some of my own photography work. You'll see what I mean when you take a look at the following.

My Original Photo: dl.getdropbox.com/u/1140263/Qu…
Finished Drive Mastery: dl.getdropbox.com/u/1140263/Qu…

It's that kind of geometric endowment, the need for the extra movement outside of the lines inherent, and the challenge to re-communicate the original, digitally, that I found inspiring. So yeah, I'm looking everywhere for new ideas.


7. Do I ever use Anyone Else's Layer Styles?
Nope. No point. More fun to make my own---and often times in looking at other people's, I find that none of them are exactly what I want. I build them all from scratch, mostly relying on gradients, transparency, and the many ways to inner and outer shadow them to give any shape the desired effect. Lately I've even been leaving alone the "bevel and emboss" option, with the exception of needing it to have just a tad more extra light somewhere.

Looking at pre-made layer styles, though, is very good for a beginner. This is because they can open up the Blending Options and tinker around until they get a good feel of what's going on in there. That's how I learned them---even if I never use them in my work.

What's really important to know about Layer Styles though, is that you don't have to use just one on one object. You can use several! And I do. Typically I find that I'll use anywhere from two to four depending on the look I want. I do this by duplicating the first layer and taking out the "fill", and layering over the new Layer Style on top of the old. Once you get the hang of it, I think you'll be pretty amazed at how much further you can manipulate the look of an object... giving you ultimately more control, and a better end result.


8. My Beef with Minimalism
Oh, this. This thing called "Minimalism". This thing where you take out EVERYTHING and just leave what's "important". You know, I think this is great (when done right) for web pages and advertising design... but not for a fucking wallpaper. If someone wants a blank screen with just a color and a blur, they should put on their grandmother's glasses and set their screensaver to text-scroll.
I think to myself: I have a big blank canvas, I have these tools... lets use them!

I don't know about you, but when I walk into a room and it's been interior designed to look "modern", I think... wow. So cool! And then ten minutes later I want to scream because there's no... anything. Anywhere. It's boring and unattractive and ultimately I can never feel like I've finished anything in my art taking that route. It reeks of "I am plain", and I just cannot stand to let a person's desktop say that about them. I mean, this IS desktop art we're talking about here, right? and our desktops have to speak about things we like, because we're all individuals with something to say about ourselves.

If you want to be plain, go ahead. But don't come to me to help, because I haven't the "patience" to give you nothing. Some of you guys are really good at this kind of work, and I apologize to you if you're offended. But I might also remind you that you do cater to the very people I give the finger to, so I suppose in the end we have a fine working relationship, huh?


9. My Work is Rather Over-the-Top.
It is. I admit it. I do it intentionally. I'm a minimalist's nightmare.
My goal has aways been to use as much of my canvas as i can without it looking too cluttered, keeping your interest as a viewer, and embellishing it with as many little things to keep your eye interested as i can. I don't always do this successfully, and any of you out there trying it probably know how hard this actually is to attempt. Sometimes it's just a mess! But sometimes, too, I strike gold and it makes me think... it's a good thing I didn't take out EVERYTHING and just leave what's "important". Erhm.

Still, I think it's important to keep clear the notion that when I'm working in a 2560x1600 canvas, I need to be familiar with the space it contains. That includes every corner, and every negative space I create by filling an area with something. To be able to shape an area that large in a way that is continually filled with embellishments---you have to realize that you're simultaneously changing the constant of the negative space's weights, and well... this is kind of an interesting and fun way to deliberate on (and juggle!) the quadrants within the piece. That's something to keep in mind, you know. That there ARE places in the canvas of your work that you have to keep paying attention to. i think some people forget that once the main part is done.

Of course you're welcome to not bother with it, and just stick a center-piece in and call it done. Lots of people do very successfully. Even me. But you have to admit that after awhile your work starts to look patterned and your style starts to feel the same because of the pattern you've made. Ultimately though, you should realize that if you push yourself you could do more than just be lazy and throw something in the middle to keep our attentions. Variate, damnit, variate I say!

10. It All Looks The Same.
Yeah, I suppose in a way it always will now that I've groomed myself the way I have. This is the price you pay for having a style. Some won't like it, others will love it. Some will beg you to do something different for the sake of your talent, and others will chastise you for selling out. Some people will assume you're only capable of doing one thing well, and others will see the effort within and understand that you just like what you're doing and can do many other things.

But in the end, it's all the same. Why? I'll tell, but here comes your very important advice, too.

Because you'll never change who you are. You spirit is yours and yours alone and this makes you and your art partial to only you. Which leaves, inevitably, that simply your final work is here to be discerned in the same manner as your likability as a person.

Your best friend to counteract this is the diversity of ideas in which you are able to present to your peers. This means specifically: your ability to challenge yourself in order to give your diversity credence is inherent only to that which inspires you the most. Unless you're a lazy bastard. Sometimes I am.



Now I understand there weren't a lot of technical ends here... so just go ahead and hit me with some questions, if you want. I wanna talk Photohsop!!!   






That's that.

See You Soon!
-Jesse

AHiL