SCANDISK CONTEST

So here’s your final exam:

Write me 2 paragraphs. One with 3 things you like most about the class, and the other with 3 things you would change if you were the TEACHER and wanted the class to be the best it can be (producing the best artists with the highest skills).

Have that, and [...]]]> WOOOHOOOO!!!! It’s over!!!

So here’s your final exam:

Write me 2 paragraphs. One with 3 things you like most about the class, and the other with 3 things you would change if you were the TEACHER and wanted the class to be the best it can be (producing the best artists with the highest skills).

Have that, and your certiport contest entry entered HERE, and you’ll be in GREAT shape… 60% of your grade will be this essay, and the other 40% will be the Certiport entry (which is pass or fail- You do it and upload it, 100%).

See you guys in the lab! Another year down, gang!!!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH A HAIL MARY EFFORT- HERE is where you can download Photoshop CS5 trial.

1. Fun Image of your choice (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/) 2. Photoshopped image of broken Schwartz (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/) – 4/8 update 3. Pin Designs – 6 different designs (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/) 4. Photoshop Contest (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/) 5- Sony [...]]]> This is the last week. Exams start Friday, so there’s no more time… But you’ve had very little since Midterm!!! Here’s the list I wanna see on Exam day:

1. Fun Image of your choice (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/)
2. Photoshopped image of broken Schwartz (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/) – 4/8 update
3. Pin Designs – 6 different designs (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/)
4. Photoshop Contest (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/)
5- Sony Acid Song- Discussed in class and at http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/cash-for-schoolwork/
6- Image about the difference you make in the world: (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/05/t-minus-3-weeks-and-counting/)

If they’re not in… it’s a Zero for that project. Do the math! Every project is almost 2 letter grades drop!!! You’ve had a ton of time to work on all of these, so make sure they’re wrapped up!

NEXT CLASS: Make sure you have the certiport contest entry. This project is your chance to win some cash!!  This project counts double, and should be reflective of your BEST WORK. You get to show me in one project what your grade should be for the quarter! How much have you learned this year? SHOW ME!!!

NEW CONTEST!!! Check this out. Download CS5 trial version, make something cool… Get thesoftware for free!!! (well, if you win). Details HERE. This is NOT A class project, but if your certiport entry is good enough, you can probably just submit it here as well! (few so far have been that good- work harder!!!)

So what’s this year meant to you? What have you done this year to make yourself a better, stronger person? What have you done this year to [...]]]> It’s SO close to being over. Another school year. Another year closer to graduation. Another year closer to real jobs and taxes and all that boring grown up stuff.

So what’s this year meant to you? What have you done this year to make yourself a better, stronger person? What have you done this year to make the world a little better for yourself and the people around you? How did you contribute to life this year?

Sometimes we forget to ask these questions. Some are to immature to care about even asking them (no matter how old they are- there are immature “adults” as well). And if you haven’t done anything worthy of writing about, why not? It’s not too late to fix it. It’s not too late to take responsibility for yourself. It’s not too late to make a difference.

This week, I want you to take the time to make a poster about how you’ve changed the world this year to make it better. (No ideas on how to start? This should help).Don’t be detailed- be general. Encourage generosity or service. Encourage excellence. Encourage perseverance. Don’t specifically talk about how you helped raise funds for a charity- share the hope that the charity represents (curing cancer, SADD, children’s hospital, hospice, etc). Don’t talk about how you gave blood… talk about how giving blood saves lives.

You’re not a child anymore. In 3 years at most, you will be an adult and active part of society. You want to be treated fairly and have good things happen to you- but it’s give and take… If there’s no give- then you have no right to take. You want to be treated fairly- then give your fair share back.

Next week, we’ll be putting the portfolios together for finals and so you have all your work from this year. If you want your files, back them up- these computers will be gone next year, along with all your files.

DO A GOOD THING NOW… One of our students, Marqueshia Stallworth, is in a contest to be student of the month… All you have to do is click here, scroll down, and vote! Easy to do, and you can store up a little doing good today with just a couple clicks of the mouse. You can vote once a day from home… even share out the link to friends and family maybe so they can vote once a day?

 This week’s challenges: Here’s a new one inspired by this. The more I do, the faster they go- and I’m learning a new trick every day. I’m TOTALLY not taking any more flack about how you guys don’t have enough time or how hard it is. Granted, I have more experience- but I’m just following instructions. If I can do it in 1 hour, you can do it in 10. The more you do, the more you re-use tricks and learn different ways to do it. I used the levels trick instead of bringing into illy.

I hate to be a drag- but there is little focus on excellence across the [...]]]> Like Yiro’s picture to the left- A lot of you guys have no focus. Yiro did it on purpose for an artistic effect… But I suspect when painting or photographing with your life, you guys are probably looking for more clarity.

I hate to be a drag- but there is little focus on excellence across the board. I don’t even just mean in class… I mean in life. Everyone expects everything for nothing, and to do whatever they want with no consequences for their actions. It’s absolutely an epidemic in the US. Mediocrity is everywhere. I see it when I go out to local shops and restaurants, and especially in schools- from both students and teachers alike.

I don’t know who to blame. I’m not sure it would do any good to point it out anyway- because falling into mediocrity is a choice. You get to choose how high your standards are set for yourself. You get to choose if you’re amazing or not. You get to quit when YOU choose to quit.

Sometimes students get frustrated at their grades… but it’s not because they disagree with them- but because they just want a free pat on the back for mediocre work. Even that confuses me.. If you haven’t done your best- and someone says “wow- that’s excellent!”- why would you accept that as a compliment? YOU know it isn’t excellent. YOU know you didn’t do your best. so what does it matter if someone else says it’s great if you know it really isn’t? You quit before you gave it your all… no matter what anyone else calls it. So you’re OK with getting props for junk? How will you ever be more than you are? Only an absolute narcissist would be happy with that kind of treatment.

And the reverse is true. Who cares if you get a “D” on something you poured yourself into and did your best? If YOU know you did your best- then you can rest in that. So maybe you’re not a digital artist or a mathmetician or a scientist or a doctor. You tried your best- and that’s all you can do. It doesn’t reflect anything about YOU that it wasn’t up to another person’s standard… It just reflects how your WORK measures up to their standards. But if YOU tried your best- then YOU win. Maybe that vocation isn’t for you. Maybe you just need to practice more and learn more. Maybe you needed to learn where your weaknesses are and now you know. But it’s nothing to loose sleep over.

Be your own judge. Excellence takes time. Spending a couple hours on a photoshop document is NOT a lot of time. Excellent work takes a dozen hours or more. It takes the patience and excellence that is never satisfied with “good enough.” It keeps going until it’s just right. It’s about not stopping until you simply can’t pick out anything that’s not just how you’d want it in your work.

And this is not just about digital art. This is about life. Dancing. Cooking. Housework. Saving the planet. World peace. Being a teacher. Being a student. Being a Parent. Being a child. Being a friend…

It’s about BEING.

This is about life. What kind of grade do you deserve? What makes you any better than anyone else? You want to be treated like you’re special… What do you DO to deserve it?

I choose not to participate in the games anymore. I refuse to be mediocre in my own life. I refuse to accept it in my lab. You may get out of here with a D if you do the bottom limit of what’s required- but that will be the best. If you want higher than a “C” in here- you need to earn it.

This week- Finish your Certiport contest entry. DO NOT rely on what you already know. Learn something new to incorporate. I am giving you about 10 hours to work on this one project- I expect that your entry will reflect 10 hours of work- half of that should be new things you learned on your own. HERE IS A LINK TO TONS OF PHOTSHOP TUTORIALS TO USE. It is a great resource to get started on your trip to excellence. Of course, if you were really committed to it- you would not need me to point out the way- you’d be on it already.

UPDATE: I’m being called to the floor by students saying I don’t ever show you guys any of MY work… So I will complete a weekly assignment also- and I expect that your projects should reflect the time, effort, and energy that mine display. HERE is my first entry. Tutorial inspired, then tweaked to what I needed. Done today in one class period. Not finished, but a good start.

HERE is number 2 for the day… done during the next class period. If I can do these in 90 minutes, you should be able to knock ‘em down in about 2-3 hours, easily. I’m just following the simple directions on the tutorial pages and making modifications to suit my own image and my own style. I also often mix up things from earlier tutorials in the newer ones. Easy to do when you’ve done a bunch and have some great ideas! (Updated image after more work)

Another day, another image… I’m NO LONGER accepting excuses about how the more complex looking projects “take too long.” I have no more than 4 hours in any of the images here so far… And I’m just experimenting (with the same ideas, I know) with different textures and images. Next week I’ll go for a different “feel.” But If I can do three in as many days, you can do one in five.

What gives? School’s out in 5 [...]]]> You have had the link to the contest for 14 days now… I told you guys Friday and Monday to keep working on the Contest. If it’s not done Monday, The best you can hope for is a “C.” By friday I will not accept them and record a zero.

What gives? School’s out in 5 weeks, not now. You can relax then. I’m really disappointed.

Here’s what I will be checking for next moday/tuesday:

1. Fun Image of your choice (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/)
2. Photoshopped image of broken Schwartz (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/welcome-back/) – 4/8 update
3. Pin Designs – 6 different designs (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/)
4. Photoshop Contest (http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/late-to-the-gate/)
5- Sony Acid Song- Discussed in class and at http://brainbuffet.com/2010/04/cash-for-schoolwork/

You guys know that you need to check brainbuffet for assignments. We’ve been at this a year now. I have had some extras in class that I didn’t post (sony acid and the pins)- but those are the ones you guys have… the ones I post AND discuss you’re trying to tell me you didn’t know about?

That excuse simply won’t work. Have this stuff ready. You’ll lose a letter grade a day on every project that’s late.

PHOTOSHOP CONTEST INFO: You can upload your own images as long as they’re 10 megs or less. You can see the size of an image in the bottom left of the photoshop document window. You can upload HERE. I want to see your images before you upload- make sure you have it opened and saved. Call me when you have the image on screen and the form filled out and I’ll put in the Testing Center number. My email is SPAM@brainbuffet.com (change “spam” to “rob”).

As mentioned last week, there is a contest for anyone certified as [...]]]> Ya know… I’ve offered this many times in the past, and I have no idea why you guys don’t take advantage of this oppportunity… Go to school, get your grade, AND get money. Yeah… Real money. Why don’t you guys ever do these projects?

As mentioned last week, there is a contest for anyone certified as an ACA in Photoshop. Bottom line- Create something cool- submit it to me, I upload it. If a lot of people like it, you get $500 at the apple store, a $2500 scholarship, and the creative suite worth at least $500. Why not enter? There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. Since it’s blocked at school- Here’s the best competition right now from the facebook page.

If you enter and get more than 20 votes, it’s an automatic A… Look at the rules and you’ll see that’s easy to do. Just make sure your piece is WORTH entry. I don’t want anything lame representing our school!!!

For those that don’t want to try- you can keep working on Sony Acid this week… Just remember that you WILL have to do this entry. So get ACID out of your system and then get ready to ‘Shop your entry.

Comm tech 1 Students- Continue to work on your Pins.. Don’t forget our talk about bleed space, and on showing only the right layers before printing.

Comm Tech 2 students- Keep [...]]]> Sorry outsiders, we’ve been late to post this week. My fault. Missed 2 days last week and then hit the ground rolling when I got back!

Comm tech 1 Students- Continue to work on your Pins.. Don’t forget our talk about bleed space, and on showing only the right layers before printing.

Comm Tech 2 students- Keep working on the Illy designs for the Laser Engraver. Some cool stuff developed so far!

And ALL STUDENTS THAT HAVE THE ACA Certification- Get ahead for next week with this contest- REAL CASH AND PRIZES for the winners. Check out the ACA championship at THIS LINK TO CERTIPORT CHAMPIONSHIP.

4/8/10- I’m [...]]]> Hey gang! Welcome back from Spring Break! Let’s get into the groove here by taking the first day back to create any image or media that shares with the viewer a feeling about your spring break! You pick the media (Photoshop, Illustrator, Web Page, Cinema- whatever!!) Thanks to Davis for a quick first entry!!!

4/8/10- I’m out sick today… Actually not sick, but injured- It’s tough getting old! So here’s another quick and easy job… Create an image (like the first one you did this week) that represents how old and broke down I am. Pretty sure there’s some images of me in the common items folders… and if not, you can just use another image of a similarly old, bald, and broke-down old guy. Have fun with this one! I expect to laugh at these when I get back!!! (hopefully tomorrow).

Illustrator: (these were all assigned in Early January.)

Web Design (Assigned and online since Feb22)

Extras (assigned 2 weeks ago)

And remember- If you [...]]]> Here’s what I’m looking for for this quarter:

Illustrator: (these were all assigned in Early January.)

• Self Portrait
• 2 tutorials (robot, trendy, or spooky)
• PSA for the World

Web Design (Assigned and online since Feb22)

• 5 page site with links and graphic headers
• DHTML on your pages

Extras (assigned 2 weeks ago)

• Doodle for Google
• 2 tutorials of your choice (from FCAT week)

And remember- If you ahve your journal up to date (with entries for each assignment, not each day), that will be worth an entire letter grade. An “A” means “excellent” in here- way beyond average… Doing what you’re supposed to do is simply average. We’ve been through this a million times. There’s just about no way to get an “A” without doing the extra stuff. We’ve discussed all that, too.