Steps carried out to finalize and send InDesign project

There are three main steps that must be carried out in order to successfully send off any InDesign document(s) into a magazine form: 1) export the finished InDesign interior pages as an interactive PDF. 2) Upload/ publish with a full bleed LULU. (a full bleed prevents any pages from having white edges.) 3) Purchase the magazine with a credit card online on lulu.com.
The front cover and back pages that are both single pages should be exported as JPEG images. They should also have a resolution of 300 and be set at maximum quality.
The interior pages that are at least 40 pages long should all be exported as an interactive PDF.
The InDesign document should not have any missing links, protected fonts, or overset texts. Missing links are links that do not show up or have not been loaded properly. Protected fonts are copyrighted and should not be used. Overset texts are any text boxes that overlap or do not fit properly within a box. A new folder should be made on the computer desktop named FINAL PORTFOLIO. This folder should include the two JPEG cover and back images, the complete interactive PDF InDesign document, used fonts, and other necessary components that are apart of the project. This folder allows everything to all be together in one place. Other older folders may be discarded for organization. Register an account on Lulu.com using an email and phone number. Click the "create" button, then "start print book." Choose full color on white U.S. letter (8.5 X 11'), then select perfect bound binding for the book/magazine's binding. Import the cover page, back page, and interior pages found in the FINAL PORTFOLIO folder.  Get a free ISBN to copyright and protect your work.  This IBN number will be on the back page. After putting in some personal information, a confirmation notification will appear on your email to verify that you have purchased the magazine.

Week 14-Mini Series #2, three small animal drawings

For my second mini series I decided to focus my work on three small animals. A pink fairy armadillo, axolotl, and chinchilla were these creatures. For starters, a pink fairy armadillo is the smallest armadillo weighing less than one pound. Tv remotes and phones weigh less than a pound. They also actually have a pink color on their shells. Much like the pink fairy, axolotls are less heard of. Axolotls are multicolored Mexican salamanders. These creatures have a very interesting back story, being named after an ancient god... Finally, chinchillas have some of the finest, thickest, fur of all other rodents. Unfortunately they are targeted for having such fur. It is sad that people make coats out of their coats. All of these animals weigh under ten pounds and are very adorable. 

Glinda

In the Wizard of Oz, the good witch, Glinda, is a powerful and cheerful sorceress who wears a pink gown. I decided to name this small, pink fairy armadillo after this character. Pink fairy armadillos are the smallest armadillos because they weigh less than one pound. Remotes and cell phones typically weigh less than a pound in comparison. By giving this creature a magic wand, crown, and some red wings I was able to play with its unique name.

Chilly Chinchilla

 Chinchillas have some of the finest, thickest, fur of all other rodents. Unfortunately they are targeted for having such fur. Their fur is used in many expensive coats that cost thousands of dollars. Since chinchillas are so small, it also costs hundreds of chinchillas lives to create one single coat. This chinchilla is wearing a chinchilla coat to make a statement about how ridiculous it is to wear another animal's fur. It is sad that people make coats out of their coats. The harsh red background represents blood shed.

Almighty axolotl

Axolotls are multicolored Mexican salamanders. They can be brown, albino, pink, and gray. These creatures have a very interesting back story being named after an ancient god. Xolotl is the god of the dead and the underworld in old Aztec mythology. Since axolotls have the ability to regrow limbs, spinal chords, and their jaw, they have an ability to sort of fight back against death. I gave this creature a pitch fork and a grim reaper-like black gown to represent this dark and interesting aspect of axolotls. 

Week 14- Gallery Post Carrie Ann Schumacher

I absolutely adored Chicago based artist Carrie Ann Schumacher's "Build Her a Myth" exhibit with her array of dress sculptures. She set up these decorative, detailed dresses in the chronological order she created them all in. Older pieces were towards the back area of the gallery while her more recent creations were towards the front. I felt that this was a very organized way of presenting one's work. Schumacher clarified that she loves both fashion and literature, having worked at Downer's Grove Library. These pieces revolved around the idea that paper fades and withers away, just as people and their past experiences unfortunately do. The titles seem profound, yet one dress was named after a Kesha song. This shows Carrie's hip side. A viewer can visualize the different kinds of women that may wear each dress. Some are more conservative with sleeves, while others are more showy, short, and outgoing. I personally would love to wear each and every one, so when Carrie said these dresses really can not be worn, unless you're a size o, I was a little let down. According to the artist, "when you don't know what you're doing, make more stuff." Clearly, Carrie Ann devoted countless hours to each work of art. There are tiny holes on each sheet of paper that she cut individually. After viewing this exhibit I will definitely be following Carrie's blog to keep up with her art.

"Anna and the Ocean Between"- a longer dress.

"Rose Believed She Could, So She Did"- a shorter dress.

"Daphne's Diary"

"I Hope I Made You Cry"

Back of "Ms. Priestley & the Letters From the Secret Admirers"

"We All Just Want to Hear Our Own Stories"- a quirky dress.

Week 13- Mini Series #1, three tall animal drawings.

For my first mini series, I decided to focus my work on three tall animals. A flamingo, giraffe, and kangaroo. At first glance, these creatures seem nothing alike. Yet they all have very long bodies. These heights range drastically, but I consider all of these heights to be significant for a wild animal.  When standing, male kangaroos can be six feet tall. Flamingos stand at a height of around five feet, and giraffes are about seventeen feet tall! It is hard to imagine the way the world must look ten feet (or more) above us. In the wild, an animal's height, among its other attributes, can make or break survivability. In the case of a giraffe, being so large may make them an obvious target for predators which is no bueno. Hands down, the giraffe is the tallest of the three.  Height may also be more intimidating. Kangaroos, for instance, may kick other animals to death with their powerful, long legs. All of these living beings use their sizes in different ways.

Flamboyant Flamingo

This dancing flamingo has some finesse. I made sure to articulate its thin, dainty legs that fit snuggly inside pink ballet shoes. Since pink is a common color in ballet uniforms- on leotards, tights, and shoes, I made sure to use plenty of it. Flamingos just so happen to also be pink. Pink hues play a dominant role in this piece, similar to the shades of gray I used in "Memory Man." A long ribbon encircles its side, drawing more attention to the elegant creature. 

Sentry

A giraffe's extended neck provides a view that most creatures do not get to enjoy. This long neck is both an advantage and disadvantage for the animal. Being so gigantic, it may make them an obvious target for predators. It could also be quite intimidating for smaller animals. Ultimately, I was in awe of this body part. I thought that it would be amazing if soldiers had these elongated appendages. With it, they could foresee any threats or enemies! This guard or sentry has binoculars, combat boots, and some camo to represent his or her commitment to the line of duty, so to speak. A musty, gritty watercolor backdrop accentuates its figure since war is, simply put, dirty. 

Boxing Brute

Many kangaroos are muscular. So much so that they will literally beat up other kangaroos in defense or for other reasons. Therefore I used the word "brute" in the title. A brute is a wild, savage, creature. Many people may not be aware of a kangaroo's brutal nature. There have actually been real boxing matches between humans and kangaroos- gloves and all. This kangaroo has its gloves together, prepared for a punch. I used darker colors to give a sense of fear or dark, menacing emotions. 

Week 12- Collaboration

Original artwork 

My version 

For this collaboration assignment, I decided to draw over a peer's digital drawing. Her work focuses on the creation of original characters. I really love this man's pose. His muscular arms and wavy hair instantly reminded me of a horse... Horses are strong, muscular creatures. Often, their locks sway in the wind, which fit perfectly with this character's hair. Since my pieces are all about incorporating animals and human fashions, I turned this man into a horse. Not just any horse, however. He is a mustang going to a masquerade! I was creating this piece right before Halloween, so I was inspired by fun costume ideas. The orange dress shirt and black cape hint at this. 

Week 11- 3 Different Versions of Clown Fish

Original Piece

Finding Emo

In the Dark

Swirling in the Sea

I decided to recreate my clown clownfish drawing in three different ways. "Finding Emo" is a punk rock fish with a black balloon and nose. I used a black sharpie and selected certain aspects that I wanted to outline more. In "In the Dark," I was in a dreary mood and allowed my emotions to play somewhat of a part in my work. At first I hated this creation, but the more I worked on it the more it seemed to make sense and flow. I used black and white acrylic paints along with my own finger to smear the paint around smoothly. There is a pattern of misshapen gray, black, and white dots. Lastly, in "Swirling in the Sea" I was thinking of Van Gogh's fantastic Starry Night painting. The swirls are so alluring and intense. Using more colored pencils I made thicker lines not only in the background but also on the fish to create a sense of movement. 

Week 11- Art Institute trip- Masterpiece and Disasterpiece

This painting, "Mater Dolorosa" (Sorrowing Virgin) is stunning and definitely a masterpiece. I first noticed the red eyes before every other facial feature. The artist, Dieric Bouts, somehow produced the most realistic, bloodshot, eyes. Looking upon them makes the viewer actually feel empathy and pain with the nun. She appears so innocent and depressed. Bouts mastered capturing such a powerful and deep emotion. It is sometimes more than a challenge to incorporate actual feelings into works. An artist must consider all the content in a creation to consider if certain poses, colors, or values fit a certain feeling. Here, dark and dreary hues fill the painting that contrast with the nun's pale skin and the white cloth. Her downcast head suggests that she is dejected. The dirty yellow backdrop does not feel comforting. The viewer is not able to exactly understand where this woman is. Perhaps she is in a church, or at home. Either way, it is very clear that the sorrowing virgin is in all kinds of pain. 

I consider this painting, "Portrait after a Costume Ball" (Portrait of Madame DietzMonnin) a disaster piece. In my opinion, there is just not enough definition around all of the figures and objects. I love many of the paintings Degas produced that have more clarity and precision. I also understand that this painting is of a dance... When a person thinks of dancing, they typically envision movement. Perhaps Degas was expressing the lively atmosphere in this piece. The colors are unpleasant and messy. An elongated brown scarf takes up too much space while a poorly illustrated, yellow-brown chair also distracts the viewer in the foreground. Brighter, more attractive tones would have benefitted this work. 

Week 10- Piece 5 "Memory Man."

Elephants are incredible. They are the largest animals on land and among some of the world's smartest creatures due to their memories. Many people struggle with remembering what they ate for breakfast, while an elephant may remember the miles they had to walk to even find a meal. Hence, the title for this piece. "Memory Man," is a distinguished gentleman. He is grasping a quill with his tusk to symbolize both his age and intelligence. He also sports glasses and gray hair which match his wrinkly skin. I used Prismacolor colored pencil throughout the entire work and various hues of gray. Gray is a dominant color that may also resemble age.

Week 9- Piece 4 "Clown-clown fish"

Clownfish are popular saltwater aquarium fish. This could be a result from the film Finding Nemo, since the main character Nemo and his father are both clownfish. These creatures have the unusual ability to change their genders. In comparison, an actual clown can merely mask his or her face with bright, dramatic makeup- which is also pretty strange. The fish themselves already possess attractive, bright scales. In this creation, I wanted to make the viewer giggle. The rainbow afro, red nose, and large pom-poms are all comical aspects. Aside from colored pencil, I used water colors to create a more immersive, watery backdrop.

Week 8- Piece 3 "Snake Eyes."

In my third piece, entitled "Snake Eyes," a dapper Honduran milk snake is center beside sets of dice. When a pair of dice land with two single dots facing upwards, it is called "snake eyes" since snakes typically have small eyes. Instead of only using Prismacolor colored pencils, I decided to give water color a spin. The watercolor paper was thicker and allowed for me to paint the gloomy background. I feel that the gray/brown colors evoke a sense of discomfort. Referring to a person as a "snake" is always derogatory. It may mean that this person is an avid liar or untrustworthy. For this reason, the only bright colors are in the snake's scales to provide a contrast. This piece was definitely less controlled, compared to my other two works because I was using water colors. The water marks flowed while the pencil remained neat and resolute.

Week 8- Art From the Heart/ Beverly Art Walk

This Saturday I was able to go down to the Beverly Art Walk/Art From the Heart around noon. Although the weather wasn't that great, I saw plenty of interesting pieces that were in fact, pretty great. Walking around different tents, I was amused with Matt Coglianese's hot dog sticking out of the Willis Tower. This edited photograph was so strange I immediately laughed. People don't typically think about large food sticking out of buildings. Stephanie Weiner's "Revolutionary Lemonade Stand" also caught my eye. Her clothing and accessories are based on current political issues, seeking justice. 

Week 7- Gallery Post Andrei Rabodzeenko

Artist Andrei Rabodzeenko, of the Soviet Union, has worked with all kinds of mediums including sculpture, paint, and drawings, which is quite impressive. Nothing slows him down. He claimed that he is "not obsessed with any exact style(s)." In his exhibit, he showed his Daedalus inspired paintings which were very elaborate. His current set of drawings displayed on brown and white paper, looked like they were done by a completely different artist compared to his previous works. They are not as colorful or realistic, but they still grab the viewer's attention as they are so intriguing...Quick, messy, dark and light lines lead the viewer's eye allover his pieces. One could describe his work as being very "gestural," or surprising. Rabodzeenko stated that switching mediums helped him gain more ideas. The artist's color scheme was a mix of black, white, and orange. Piece number five was one of my favorite works because it feels the most dramatic. It is as though the man is moving with his outstretched arm. In piece number thirteen, one of my least favorite pieces, a black outline fills the center amongst orange rectangles placed in the background. This composition feels messy but loose. A viewer can assume that Rabodzeenko quickly made his marks here and wasn't very concerned about perfection. 

#5

#13

#4

#2

#11

#19

#23

Week 6- Piece 2 "Miss Appear."

Following my morphed panther/woman piece, "Miss Panther,"I created this drawing "Miss Appear." It is a chameleon girl. Chameleons are known for having the incredible ability to change their appearances whether they look camouflaged or intensely bright amongst their surroundings. I must have used around forty different Prismacolor colored pencils and spent about nine and a half hours working. The dress is a solid pink to contrast from the vibrant scales. The dress also has an unravelling tear on the right side for a more dramatic look. It is as though she may come apart and blend into the leaves behind her.

Week 6- "Deathy" art exhibit

Thursday, September 24, I went in to the library around noon and viewed the 

"Deathy"exhibit. I was blown away. The paintings were all very bright, clean, and neatly composed. I also noticed that many books around the art were about famous artists, such as Jackson Pollock. My favorite piece was the very first image that I posted above. The yellow and orange figure is absurdly morbid. The outstretched, severed, arms and dark areas of shading in the body really speak to me. All the works in general had nice color shifts and great use of line. It is always neat to see fellow SXU students artworks honored in our school. I hope to see more art around campus in my time here, perhaps even my own! 

Week 5- Art Expo Top 10 artists

1) Artist Jen Ray created "Untitled, 2015." This is such an elaborate piece. It is watercolor and ink. I love the detail and the tiny people on the bottom edge of the paper. Up close the viewer is able to notice the great, clean details in the faces of these smaller individuals.

http://jenrayart.com

2) Mona Kuhn took this lovely photograph, simply entitled: "woman." It is a c-print. The model's relaxed pose makes her look completely comfortable and natural. The space above the model helps the image feel very spacious. She is so close to the edge it is as though she might fall right off the bed.

http://monakuhn.com

3) "Kneeling," by Gerald Peters, is a $68,000 sculpture that looks so real you would think she was breathing! It was created using resin and oil paint. There is so much detail. The sculpture's chest features slim collar bones and a shiny texture. The eyelashes are all straight and even. You can even see teeth inside her half open mouth.

http://www.gpgallery.com

4) Cuban artist Vicente Hernandez blew me away! He illustrated several books and has won several national awards for his work. The painting, "Tobacco Island," is filled with bright colors and swirling lines. The swirls are enticing and tie in the entire image from both the left and right sides.

http://www.cernudaarte.com/artists/vicente-hernandez/

5) Joseph Paul Vorst died in 1947. This oil on masonite piece, left untitled, depicts the labor-intensive lives of slaves. A man in the right corner fills a majority of the space. He first caught my eye. As I looked more into the work, I noticed the other slaves gathering what appears to be food or hay for  farm animals. The shading in both the people and landscape is moody. The stormy sky is ominous as well.

http://mormonartistsgroup.com/Mormon_Artists_Group/Joseph_Paul_Vorst_prospectus.html

6) The set of portraits all entitled "Deadly Friends," by Patrick Lee shocked me. Lee captured serious emotions on the men's faces, as well as an expletive phrase on this man's forehead. The graphite looks so smooth it is impressive.

http://www.western-project.com/artists/patrick-lee/


7) "Circuito Cerrado," Which translates to closed circuit in Spanish, has so much going on. It is an oil on linen piece created by Daniel Lezama. There is a man lying on the ground with a big belly. A light seems to be erupting from the man's gut, as a girl peers into it. I wonder what is going on inside that bright light. Is this maybe some form of alien activity? This painting really makes you wonder...

http://www.daniellezama.net/ing/home.html

8) Tom Birkner's oil painting "Early Morning," really reminded me of some road trips that I have taken. The foggy, faded trees are highlighted nicely within the foggy sky. I have driven through many rural areas similar to this-with run down diners on the side of the road and shadowy weather.

http://www.tombirkner.com

9) The tall oil on linen entitled "Diego del corral y arrelano," drew me in. It was in the exhibition of Robertis & Tiltan. The flowers encompass the man and even flow over his modern American Eagle t-shirt. Is he standing in front of a moving wall paper? His pose seems confident. The highlights on his neck are also striking and somewhat glossy.

http://www.robertsandtilton.com

10) Last but not least, Jiri Georg Dokoupil's "Untitled #4" was made with soap lye and pigment. The bright jelly fish are just transfixing. The jellies appear to be floating around everywhere- just as they naturally do. Jelly fish are super interesting because they do not have hearts, bones, or brains, which makes them such an interesting subject matter. The yellow, light blue, pale, and peachy colors are quite complimentary.
http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/exhibition/jiri-georg-dokoupil--new-paintings