Digital Evolution and the World

As the world is continuously evolving so are the people within it as well as their skills and talents. New ideas are being innovated into every aspect of life and I believe that these tasks would not be completed without the evolution of technology, art, and design. I am relating this blog to this course for the reason that everything that I have talked about in this blog affects every single person in the world, whether they realize it or not. Without the evolution of digital design and art people would be at a continuous stalemate within their daily lives and eventually it would feel like the world is coming to a stop. I hoped that you have enjoyed my posts thus far!

Architecture - Then and Now

Another area that has improved with the advancement of technology, art, and design is architecture. This field possesses programs and artists that can essentially design and build an entire skyscraper building down to the last bolt and provide a detailed visual experience before the area where it is supposed to be built is even surveyed. These highly realistic 3D renders gives the viewer complete walkthroughs of whatever is being constructed. Drafts and blueprints are still required as well as thumbnail drawings in order to complete and design in the third dimension. The following link gives you an idea of 3D architecture and the amount of realism that is involved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EbleSlBd7o&feature=related

Before this luxury of 3D architectural design, architecture and drafting was limited to blueprints, thumbnail sketches of what the finished product would look like, as well as physically built models. Without the innovation of this new technology we would not be able to expand the realm of digital art into the world of architecture.

The Wonderful Cyber World of the Internet

The internet is probably the most important forms of communication and information transfer today. It brings so many resources to the table for people to gain information and communicate with one another. Before computers and the internet people relied on libraries and books to learn new information. Keeping in touch with someone was limited to post and phone. Now with email, social networking, and face time programs like Skype, mail and post is almost extinct. The internet provides endless possibilities for it's viewers in the sense that someone can do all of their shopping, pay all of their bills, read up on the news, watch a movie, as well as send emails to their family on the other side of the world in a matter of seconds without even leaving your computer desk chair. Before these luxuries, tasks like these would take considerably longer and with substantially more effort. With the internet there obviously comes art and design to create the layout for each page seen on the web. Without digital art the internet would be none existent. I am not going to post a link for this particular post for the reason that if you are reading this you are more than likely on the internet so this web page is the example. Special thought has been put into the creation of this page so that it is both functional as well as visually appealing. In closing the internet is a endless abyss of information and design and it is a piece of art that aids everyone throughout their daily lives.

Advertising and Propaganda - Then and Now

As new forms of technology become introduced into society, companies take advantage of these new methods in the marketing of their company to the consumer. There used to be a time when the only way to relay a message about a product or a service to the public was through newspaper, radio, and limited television ads. Now with the infinite potential of cyberspace, graphic design, and other forms of transferring information the public has trouble going a day without seeing some sort of advertisement or promotion. For example, war propaganda and armed forces recruitment during the first and second world wars was limited to posters, radio, and word of mouth. But now there is the internet, television, radio, video games, movies, books, magazines, and many other forms of digital media that aids in getting this information to the public.

World War II Propaganda 

This following YouTube shows some examples of war propaganda used in the WWII. The most common way to dictate the information was through posters and political cartoons, but as you can see from the link Warner Bros. and Disney came up with cartoons to sell the ideas as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwlOwaz2Lqk&feature=related

Modern Propaganda

Like what was said above, as technology has advanced and new forms of transferring information have become available, the list is endless for the different methods used in advertising and propaganda. One of the largest forms of mass media today is the internet, but more importantly social networking and blog sites like Facebook have become extremely popular. Also the site YouTube plays a huge role in the transfer of video and opinions from one web surfer to another. The link provided for this section is a text link that explains modern propaganda and some of the forms seen today:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/examples-of-propaganda-techniques.html

Digital Games - Then and Now

Video games for the past half century have been a number one past time for mostly children and teens. One aspect of these games that is unnoticed most of the time is the amount of digital art and design that are apart of them. As the industry has evolved so has the technology and the ways in which the digital art comes to life on a screen and is able to be controlled by the controller are simply remarkable. There was a time when a fun video game consisted of small pixels chasing one another around the screen and now with the advancement in technology and graphics, these little pixels have become an amazing luxury to the eye. Since video games have reached such a realistic level, certain first person shooter and simulation games are used as training programs for pilots and the United States military. The following link is a time reel that shows how games have evolved from the 1960's and 70's to what we see now in the 21st century:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X9hAvVnJX8&feature=related

Different Ways Digital Art Has Been Expressed

Over the years art has made a transition from paper and canvas and onto your computer, cell phone, and television. With this advancement in technology it has opened doors to such mediums as video gaming, online flash art, and 3D digital effects and compositing on television.

Digital Animation - Then and Now

Then:
Flip Book Effect

This YouTube link shows the very early stages of digital art in the making of Walt Disney movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhfp6Z8z1cI

It shows the processes of how cartoons were transformed from hand drawn sketches on paper to a movable story on a screen. Each frame of the movie is hand drawn out and made into a very large flip book. It just goes to show you how much digital art has evolved over the decades, especially in movies.


Now:
The advancement of technology has opened many more doors for digital animation methods. As seen above it used to just be limited to hand drawn pictures put together in a sequence or set up in frames and the sequence would be projected at very high speeds causing motion within the drawings. Now it has evolved into much more complex methods that require special computer programs and digital effects engines to accomplish more fascinating methods of digital animation. Below are examples and links to some of the methods used today:

Digital Effects and Compositing:

This is a method that takes animated characters or computer generated assets and combines them in a real world environment or vice versa. For example, most of the newer films like Michael Bay's Transformers (2007) used this method where they shoot a scene without the alien robots in it and then design or create the robots in special programs and combine them with the real world shot. This link shows the original shot and then when compositing is added in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW4ghsZ_16A

Flash Animation:

Flash animation is another way in which motion is created in digital pictures. This method is more or less used in cartoon animation as opposed to compositing. This takes drawn images, primarily drawn on the computer in a program called Adobe Flash, and certain codes and commands are applied to the image in order for it to move and complete desired tasks. Unlike digital effects and compositing and 3D modelling this is only in two dimensions most of the time. Most flash animations are fairly simple and humorous. They are also used as a very effective marketing tool to add a cuteness effect as well as a humorous effect. For example, this next link is a small flash animation of a tree growing. Flash animation is a great tool used today for marketing and advertising firms who use digital animation and art to grab the attention of consumers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDB47ZwI7sw&feature=related

3D Modeling and Animation:

3D modeling and animation is starting to take over the cartoon industry. This is the advancement of the two dimensional cartoon era into the three dimensional realm. This method is becoming very popular method in the new Disney, Dream Works, and Pixar movies that have been released for the past fifteen years. This is the computer generated creation of characters, environments, or other surrounding assets. Not only is it becoming very popular in the film industry but also in the video game industry as well. The following link shows a 3D modelers demo reel of some of their 3D modeling and texturing work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfhrEG_kdT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaoypChuU1U&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Introduction

My name is Jaren Baranyay and I am on the road to becoming a Graphic Designer at the University of Lethbridge. I am currently in my fourth year of majoring in New Media with a minor in Marketing. My life has always been about art and design and over the past few years in the New Media program I have become increasingly interested in the area of digital art. I provided a link below that gives some background information about me and my design work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4YOVtGOflM

This blog focuses on the evolution of digital art, where it has started, and where it is used now. I hope you enjoy learning about this topic through this blog because it is an area of my life that I live day in and day out. Feel free to leave comments and provide me with some feedback!

Some of my work:

Graphic Design

3D Modelling

Tattoo Design

Mural Painting

Canvas Painting

Buffalo Skull Painting

Portrait Sketches