Thursday, March 9, 2017

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes. Making my "How to Video Project"

How to Make an Origami Paper Star, the Process

My how to activity began with me in my room, preparing to make another one of the many origami paper stars that I have already made. Ever since I was young, origami and kirigami have been my go-to activities. For my idea, I figured it would be nice to introduce people to the creation of paper stars to perhaps be the gateway into origami and making multiple stars for their own good luck. An origami star is essentially a 3-D paper star created with a thin strip of paper. I was inspired to do this video after thinking about the multiple hours I have spent doing origami and all the fun that I've had.

The process was rather simple; I set my phone onto boxes of tea that can actually be seen in my video. I could not fit it on in a way that did not show parts of my tea box. It did not work when I tried to hold the phone in one hand since the origami takes both hands to use. My finished product looked exactly like my storyboard. However, my storyboard only consisted of one box since this was just a one shot take. Originally, I planned to do a voice-over but figured it would make more sense to explain it while I was doing it for a more authentic feel.


*I do not have a storyboard, it only contained one frame*

My audience is directed towards those trying to begin origami or simply learn how to make an origami star. It is rather simple for both beginners and experts. This is usually geared towards more artsy people or people with more time on their hands since the goal of origami stars is usually to make as many as you can. If I had to state it generally, I would say this is for those who are already interested in origami. This video is different from many other videos because there are not actually very many origami videos for this certain star. I also feel my video is straight to the point, which I do not find common in many other videos. My sequel would simply be "How to Make an Origami Heart," since it is made with the same kind of paper. Overall, this project taught me how much work a Youtuber must actually do in order to produce a good, well-thought out video.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

My Story

This Is My Story
A Speckle in the Universe


I am an imperfect being and a product of the universe. A mixture of atoms and stardust; a complex idea to comprehend. I am a part of the universe and it is a part of me. Flawed, yet so beautiful at the same time. I used Adobe Photoshop and Intuous Pro.

Friday, September 30, 2016

My Hero

My Hero is My Cousin Ellie

Ellie Saronamihardja is my hero. She has been a positive influence on my life and she inspires me to always put my best foot forward and always do my best. She has gone through many trials and tribulations throughout her life, and seeing all the obstacles that she has overcome encourages me to also keep going and do my best. Her kind demeanor and unceasing honesty has gotten me through many situations. Ellie currently resides in Ontario, California. 

Exploring four portrait techniques, I tried the ones below: 
#1 is a grunge effect with cute stencil brushes and splattered paint
#2 is a smudged paint effect with fire-styled brushes
#3 is a vintage photo effect with black and white and leaf brushes
#4 is a paint splatter and watercolor effect done with brushes with outer glow

The tutorial I found challenging was the paint splatter effect with outer glow, #4. It was very difficult working with all the layers and achieving the desired look I wanted. I had to use many brushes and explore various rotation and sizing techniques in order for it to look both nice and realistic. I eventually figured things out by looking up youtube tutorials and simply playing around with photoshop.

The tutorial I enjoyed best was #3, the vintage photo effect with leaf brushes. I enjoyed this because it made my photos blend in with the texture of my paper background, and the leaves allowed the whole picture to have a splash of color added to it. The brushes really completed the whole look. 


In designing my Hero portrait, I finally decided on using the watercolor effect tutorial for the basis of my project because I felt that it best reflected my hero. I could use watercolor and paint smudges around her to exemplify her glow, and by using the watercolor filter on her, it became more aesthetically pleasing. 


Ellie Saronamihardja



Monday, September 12, 2016

Vision For My Future

Vision Board
This is what I have planned for my future, created using Photoshop and my determination to make it happen.