Interview with Chris Leavens Vector Artist

Jan 16th in Interviews by Sonali Vora

Chris Leavens is a talented vector artist born and raised in Pennsylvania who now resides in Los Angeles. He graduated with a BA in film and video and initially worked in the film industry. Later Chris decided to take a break from the film biz and began working as an illustrator, graphic designer, and web designer, focusing primarily on educational material for children.

Chris creates vector art entirely in Adobe Illustrator including textural elements. Chris's work incorporates absurdity, anthropomorphism, and a healthy dose of humor. For those who don't know he has also written a tutorial for Vectortuts+ .

In this interview he talks about how he got started in the design industry. He gives an insight into his creative process, talks about the awesomeness of vector art and Adobe Illustrator and much more!

flow/state Phil Renato

Documentation of the objects, process, and installation of Phil Rentao's sabbatical exhibition at Kendall College of Art and Design Main Gallery Jan 12-Feb 6 2010


This is a piece made on a 3D printer, See the interior honeycomb structure.

Make sure you see this show.

Kendall College of Art and Design Main Gallery Jan 12-Feb 6 2010

Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom,

What is Fair Use?
Fair use is the most significant limitation on the copyright holder's exclusive rights. Deciding whether the use of a work is fair IS NOT a science. There are no set guidelines that are universally accepted. Instead, the individual who wants to use a copyrighted work must weigh four factors:
The purpose and character of the use:
Is the new work merely a copy of the original? If it is simply a copy, it is not as likely to be considered fair use.
Does the new work offer something above and beyond the original? Does it transform the original work in some way? If the work is altered significantly, used for another purpose, appeals to a different audience, it more likely to be considered fair use.
Is the use of the copyrighted work for nonprofit or educational purposes? The use of copyrighted works for nonprofit or educational purposes is more likely to be considered fair use.
The nature of the copyrighted work:
Is the copyrighted work a published or unpublished works? Unpublished works are less likely to be considered fair use.
Is the copyrighted work out of print? If it is, it is more likely to be considered fair use.
Is the work factual or artistic? The more a work tends toward artistic expression, the less likely it will be considered fair use.
The amount and substantiality of the portion used:
The more you use, the less likely it will be considered fair use.
Does the amount you use exceed a reasonable expectation? If it approaches 50 percent of the entire work, it is likely to be considered an unfair use of the copyrighted work.
Is the particular portion used likely to adversely affect the author's economic gain? If you use the "heart" or "essence" of a work, it is less likely your use will be considered fair.
The effect of use on the potential market for the copyrighted work:
The more the new work differs from the original, the less likely it will be considered an infringement.
Does the work appeal to the same audience as the original? If the answer is yes, it will likely be considered an infringement.
Does the new work contain anything original? If it does, it is more likely the use of the copyrighted material will be seen as fair use.

Exercise Assignment : Creative Collage

Exercise Assignment: Collage Creature

Create a figure out of vintage digital images.

Go to google images and download 10 to 15 images of humans, animals, insects, or plants, which you will use as source material.

Select images that are at least 300 x 300 dpi.

Save images to your flash drive
.
Open images in Photoshop three at a time.

Create a new file 5” x 7” 300dpi

Save the new file with the name of your Collage Creature. save as a psd.file ( Photoshop file)

Select sections using the select tools and copy selections and paste or drag on to the new blank file.

Use the transformation tools to scale, rotate, flip and or warp the selections.

Place different images together to create your figure.

See Maggie Taylor’s Web site for inspiration. www.maggietaylor.com
However, I want this piece to be your creation.

Your creature must have at lease 7 different elements form different images.

Show Work in progress on Monday
Final due on Thursday Jan. 28th Be prepared to explain how you created your piece.


Remember to save your file often!

Jerry Uelsmann Did Photoshop Techiques : Before the Time of Computers

Untitled, 1969
SGP ; 11"x14" ; 16"x20"

Uelsmann's surrealistic body of work is distinguished by its complex and poetic multiple image composition, revealing the extraordinary effects that the process of photography can accommodate. In a review of Uelsmann's 1975 monograph Silver Meditations, the critic Hilton Kramer said Uelsmann was abundantly endowed with "technical mastery and ... flawless confidence in ... the inspired energies of the imagination." Text from The Photography Encyclopedia



Jerry Uelsmann has been a master print maker since the early 1960s. He creates composite photographs with multiple negatives and extensive darkroom work. He uses up to a dozen enlargers at a time to produce his final surrealist images.

Maggie Taylor

Patient Gardener by Maggie Taylor


You do not need to know everything about Photoshop: Read what Maggie Taylor says about Photoshop.


When asked for her advice to someone learning digital imaging she had this to say, "I have met a lot of people who seem intimidated or frustrated by the many features of Photoshop. Keep in mind that you don't have to be able to use every part of the program. Don't be reluctant just because it seems too complicated in the beginning. Learn about a feature at the point that you need to use it. That's when it will make sense to you."

Computer Aided Design,