Reflections for Day 2 and 3 - Tan Jian Hui

1. I chose this project because… 

I have explored Photoshop before and not fully understand all its basic essential functions. Besides, I am also interested in what is digital painting? How is it different from conventional painting? 

1. My role in the group… 

NA

1. Challenges I encounter when working on this project in the last 2 days and how I overcome these challenges… 

Occasionally the Prof Martin uses keyboard shortcuts too quickly and I could not get a glimpse of what the functions are. This is however understandable as he has been using Photoshop for very long and is well-versed in its programme. So as he is much more familiar with it than us, he knows how to tweak the small little details that could significantly increase efficiency when making the digital painting. 

1. Through this project, I discovered… 

The many faces of Photoshop and how it is such a popular programme. Other than editing photographs, it can be used for web designing and graphics designing. Basic functions, such as the brush, layers and masking are just some of the many learning points I this project. Of course, our products were not the best of the best, and I can certainly say that what we did was barely scratching the surface of the potential of Photoshop. After taking a look at Prof Martin’s work, it was incredible that just a normal digital painting could take up to two weeks just to refine the details. It really looked like a scene from a game and I was totally awed by it. I borrowed a few books from the library to read up and get a glimpse for myself before the project and it goes way more than what we did. It called for sketches and editing and painting to a great amount. It looked similar to Prof Martin’s work. Therefore there are still a lot more things to master before we truly know what is digital painting. It was also gripping to see how images were doctored and the many “secrets” of digital painting scenes. For example, Prof told us that in post-apocalyptic films, scenes that feature dilapidated and destroyed buildings were just normal digital paintings. As well as a “noise”, which can be in a swaying tree, rippling water or a flock of birds flying by. 

1. As an individual, how I have benefited from this programme… 

This programme has provided me with an awareness of image editing and the similar yet different painting. The skills I have learnt here will be a great asset as digital media is rising rapidly. Some of these quick tips and tweaking can allow me to make some minor adjustments that could prove to be crucial in design. And the vital learning point is that digital painting could do much more than conventional painting, with its editable layers and fast navigation, unlike conventional painting. However I still believe that these two types of paintings are on par with each other. 

1. My Aspirations… 

My aspiration is to further explore Photoshop and grasp the digital painting techniques, the true graphics in a game or film. It could all come from random pictures, but with editing, it could be altered to a totally new product. Resources are therefore very important.