Creative Mastermind for Week 4/21: Andy Warhol, Pop Artist

Welcome to The Creative Cabana and join me in a round of saying "HAPPY FRIDAY!". Hopefully you've had a great week, for me it's been pretty hectic which is why I'm running behind on getting my posts online to you. Every day this week I have had something major come up and it has really messed with my schedule, but better late than never- right? Well you know they say "good things come to those who wait", so for those of you who have been anxiously awaiting my post, I greatly appreciate the patience. For this week's Creative Mastermind, I'm highlighting someone who has been an artistic inspiration to me for many years. This person created a form of Art that remains popular today and has sparked a lifetime of famous images. This week's Creative Mastermind goes to Pop Artist "Andy Warhol".

You've probably heard the name before if you've ever studied Art History or if you have seen some of his famous work. This guy took the realms of art and really expanded his creativity through his unique designs. Warhol was born in Pennsylvania in the late 1920s and studied Commercial Art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in the mid 40s. He began his career working in advertising to create many commercial poster designs and was also one of the first people to use printmaking with a silk screen. Warhol went on to gain fame as a fine artist and was credited for his movement of art known as "Pop Art". Warhol passed away in 1987, but his legacy has left an impression on fellow artists and admirers around the world. 

Here are examples of Andy Warhol's most famous pieces: 

I don't know where to begin as far as reasons for why I adore Warhol's work. I love the color, the way certain details "pop", and I admire just the iconic display of each image. While each of Warhol's designs depicts some kind of famous person or novelty, he did an excellent job of keeping the integrity of the subject in each picture and uses color to effectively portray the style of each image. For example, in the pictures I have shown above look at how "easily recognized" these subjects are. Not just because you know exactly who or what it is, but what does the portrait say about them? Look at the vibrant colors used in the portrait of Marilyn Monroe. You have yellow, pink, and black- When I think of Monroe, the first thing that comes to mind is her beautiful blonde hair which is accented in Warhol's depiction of her. For John Lennon's image, I note the variety of colors used which helps to recognize his colorful personality. As cliche as this sounds, literally what Warhol has done here is he took a trait from his subjects and allowed them to "Pop" out in his work through his techniques of Printmaking.

Another reason why I think Warhol's art is so popular is because his work is so distinct and relate-able. I feel like many people tend to have more of reaction to artwork that they can connect with and appreciate instantly. Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is, everyone can relate to Campbell's Tomato Soup- these are all things the public is already familiar with and they don't have to put a lot of thought into figuring out what the picture is or what it's supposed to represent. You can appreciate the artwork for what it is at face value. Plus Andy Warhol's "Pop Art" movement was so innovative and ahead of it's time, it's almost like looking at the future of photography and art. We can imitate the "Andy Warhol" look now from using programs like Photoshop, PicMonkey, and Instagram- but back in the 60s you didn't have those luxuries. He had to create each piece by hand, which can make this even more classic! 

His style is seen today through different commercial art designs and techniques. Think back to the 2008 election with Barack Obama and John McCain. Did you happen to see this image floating around? Very similar design and technique, and clearly it's reminiscent of Andy Warhol's iconic style. I also read just recently on the internet that more of Warhol's late work has been discovered included images he had created through digital art and computer design. If you'd like to read more about that and see images of this discovered work, visit http://gizmodo.com/andy-warhols-lost-amiga-computer-art-rediscovered-30-ye-1566990245 or take a trip to the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and see it for yourself!

Overall, there's just so much talent and creativity to appreciate from Andy Warhol. His artwork is truly an inspiration to people who have a passion for art, graphic design, print, or just creativity in general. Andy Warhol is a great artistic legend whose iconic displays set the bar high for a whole new genre of art and creative development.  Here's to a great and tremendously talented artist, we salute you Andy Warhol and miss you! 

So there you have it my friends, Andy Warhol- your Creative Mastermind of the Week! If you know someone or something, that would make an excellent Mastermind, share your suggestions with The Creative Cabana. Either leave a comment on this post, share it with us on our Facebook page, or you can tweet your nomination to @CreativeCabana on Twitter. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your Friday! 

*I do not own any of the works credited to Andy Warhol, nor am I a relation or have any connection to The Andy Warhol Foundation. The pictures used in this post as examples of his work are the property of Andy Warhol himself, and the respective photographer. The Obama "Hope" design is also not credited to myself and I give the ownership of that design to the respective owner/designers of the image. Opinions used are strictly my own and do not reflect the opinions of those associated with Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Foundation/Museum, or the Obama Administration. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

The Basics of Web Design: Part 6

Congratulations! You've reached the finish line of Web Design! If you've been following this series from start to finish, then you know it's been a long process- but like everything else in life, it takes time. Your website is now designed to the look that suits you and your followers, plus you should be proud of yourself to dedicating the time to create your site. I'll be honest with you, I'm by no means a professional web designer, but I've at least given you the tools I learned to help you get started in creating effective websites. 

Personally, I'm a self-learner and a lot of things I have to teach myself in order to make it understandable for others. When I created my online portfolio in 2012 and The Creative Cabana in August of 2013, I utilized a lot of great FREE materials in order to achieve these goals. If you find yourself working on a limited budget and wanting to create a good site, then I recommend doing some good research. I've checked out many books from my local library and also found some great tips online. Use the tools you have access to in order to build your foundation for a good digital presence. 

As part of the series finale, the final step in your process is clicking on a button that you'll mostly like see in your editor (depending on which host format you use). It probably looks something like this:

Don't let this little button scare you. This is the function you'll initiate once you are absolutely certain that your site and everything on it is ready to go. Once you click that button, that's it, you will be officially live and a member of the World Wide Web. You can always go back to your web editor and make changes if you need to, but just remember your site is live. 

Some web hosts will also offer you some form of tracking tool where you can view analytics for your site. This gives you an idea of how much traffic your site is attracting which can be very helpful especially if your site is for a business or service. For example, with The Creative Cabana, Blogger gives me "Stats" updates where I can see the number of visits to my site, where they're located, and from what site they are finding my blog. It's really interesting to see what information you can find from the people who are looking for you. So if you're reading this right now, Thank You. You are not just a visitor number to me. You are someone who shares in the mutual interest of creative projects and it's a true pleasure having the chance to share my ideas with you.

One final note, and read carefully because this is a BIG tip! Simply publishing your site is not enough. You've got to get your name and/or brand out there, so get ready to do a little marketing! The best way to promote your new site is to share it through Social Media. This gives people easy access to your site, plus it will give the internet gurus a chance to log your address and become familiar with it, so you'll show up in search engines a lot faster. Don't be afraid to use your personal social media accounts to get your first few visits. People and Services are often promoted through "word of mouth" so sharing it with friends leads to co-workers and eventually leads to business opportunities. Don't expect to get 10,000 views over night but using Social Media to get the ball rolling is a great way to drive and promote your new site. Eventually you'll want to professionally connect it with other social media networks, but that's a whole different perspective. 

Well there you have it everyone! You are officially a Creative Cabana Basic Web Design Graduate! I hope you've enjoyed this series and that you've learned a lot from my experiences in creating a successful starter website. I'm still working on getting my site for my online portfolio updated, and when I get that finished I'll be posting that on here for you all to see. If you'd like to share your designs and success with me, please comment on this post and include a link to your newly developed website. Don't forget to follow The Creative Cabana on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I wish you all a terrific Friday and have a wonderful Easter Weekend! 

*Images used in this post were gathered from a selection of results using Google Images. I do not own these images, and I give full credit to their respective owners and creators. No Copyright Infringement Intended.

The Basics of Web Design: Part 5

Salutations and Good Day to you my friends! I know it's been a few weeks since our last Web Design discussion, but hopefully you've taken the time to really reflect and focus on creating your custom site to their full, creative potential. In the last episode I talked about content and developing it for your site. Content is ESSENTIAL to your website, but so is organization and that's what I'd like to talk to you about in today's episode. Organization goes hand in hand when creating a website. Think of it like you would organize a three-ring binder. You want it to look good and make the information easy to find. If you cram papers into the binder it gets messy very quickly. Websites are the same thing- keep the content organized and looking fresh, so you won't have any issues!

Think back to earlier in our series; in part 3 (click here to see the post) I talked to you about templates and using them as a foundation for setting up your pages. Templates are helpful because they give you a guide on where you can place certain pieces of your page. After you've uploaded the content you wish to use for your site you might be looking at the page and thinking it still looks to cluttered or items are in a good spot. For example you may find that your site looks something like this:

No offense to whoever created this site (I got this off of Google Images as an example image), but there's a lot of crazy stuff going on visually and you really don't know where to look first. There's color, different text styles, images, and it's all really being blown at your face at once. While all of these elements are great for a website, you have to sort and filter which items grab the attention in the best way. When I created my online portfolio for the first time, I searched around the internet and looked at other people's profiles as examples to follow. Regardless of what your website is being used for I suggest you take a peek at similar sites and follow their structure. Pay attention to where logos, social media apps, search bars, and other important parts are placed. Be sure to stay consistent too. If your visitors are navigating through multiple pages make sure to keep your fonts, logos (if applicaible), and title fonts remain consistent to avoid confusion. If you ever navigated through the different pages of The Creative Cabana blog you'll notice that the fonts are the same, banner image, and titles all remain the same. This makes it easy for people visiting my blog to find the information they want quickly and easily.

While you are editing the design of your pages don't worry if you have to adjust your template- they're only used as a guide and do not limit the boundaries of your design applications. Trying move images to the center instead of off to the right, change the font of your name or business, consider moving the links to other pages into a top bar instead of a side box. There are multiple ways you can develop these pages so that your pages can flow and engage with your audience better. Over time you'll pick up on what things you can change and adjust on your site. For now concentrate on giving your site a good visual display by keeping your pages organized and fresh. Here's an example of a good design to give you a little inspiration:

Stay tuned for the final part in our Web Design series which will focus on publishing and promoting your site! Now that you have it finalized, proofed, and developed it's time to hit that magical "publish" button and spread the word about your talent. It's going to be very exciting and I can't wait to wrap up this great series with you and go out with a bang! Keep checking back for updates. Until next time, have a great day and I'll see you back here at The Creative Cabana again soon!

*Images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search results. I do not own any of the businesses seen in these images. These images were used only as layout examples and have no reflection on the business themselves or the quality of their product. The Bitstrip image used in this post was created by the Bitstrip application on Facebook. I do not own Bitstrips or any of their developers. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Creative Mastermind for Week 4/14: The Nostalgia Critic

New week, new adventure, and a new Creative Mastermind! Welcome to another fun-filled week of creative awesomeness here at The Creative Cabana. After spending a busy week (and weekend) of meetings, work, and running household errands, I'm finally get a chance to sit down and really focus on naming this week's Creative Mastermind. After doing some brainstorming, the individual I chose to highlight for this week is someone I've been wanting to talk about for awhile, but haven't really found a good opportunity to do so. This person is not some big name movie star, they haven't created any award-winning productions, and you won't see them on the cover of an arts and entertainment magazine. However you might've heard, or at least watched this person before on YouTube, and if that's the case then you'll have a good idea of why I've selected this person as this week's Creative Mastermind. Ladies and Gentlemen say hello to The Nostalgia Critic...

I know this picture looks a bit strange, but trust me this guy is a genius! He's incredibly talented and quite the comedian offering reviews and opinions of movies and shows across all genres. His real name is Doug Walker and he's a great talent to his character which he created- The Nostalgia Critic. It's a web series created by Walker and some of his friends which produces comedic reviews of popular movies and sometimes TV shows. Typically the "Critic" is portrayed as an angry, and very picky reviewer who makes jokes about a movies content, acting, and messages. Walker has stated before that the reviews given are not entirely his opinions, but more of how he views them in the Critic character. In fact it's similar to the way the staff of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax (also a Creative Mastermind alumni) portrays films. He's funny, he's crazy, and he's also very knowledgeable about the actors that are involved with each film which makes each episode even more enjoyable. 

If you've never heard of him before, don't be ashamed! I had actually never watched a video of his until one of my college friends sent me a link to one of his videos on YouTube and I could not stop laughing. He makes a lot of good jokes about the things he reviews, but he also makes valid points about the production and plot details in a motion picture. I think it's fair to say that if there's a movie you want to see and you're unsure about it look it up from Nostalgia Critic and see if he's given a review of the film. There aren't episodes out there for every single movie created, but he manages to spotlight the big names and even does little themed sets within his series. He's done a special series called "Disneycember" where he reviews just about EVERY Disney that has come into existence all the way up to the recent film "Saving Mr. Banks". Additionally he's reviewed Star Trek movies, The Star Wars Christmas Special (yep, there is one), Twister, Jaws, and even an animated "Titanic" movie- yes, it's real. 

What makes Nostalgia Critic a Creative Mastermind? I really applaud how each episode is produced. When I first saw him on YouTube I thought it was going to be one of the stupid homemade videos with a webcam of a guy just talking nonsense about these films. Instead I was surprised and delighted to see how well each video is made. Walker produces his videos in very high quality and even creates his own effects for each episode. He creates his own animated illustrations, graphics, audio, sound effects, and scripts to produce what turns out to be a very entertaining show. His more recent reviews have included little skits that just make the episodes even more entertaining and it really shows how he continues to build and grow from an actor's stand point. Overall, I have to give him points for this honor based on production, excellent writing and editing, plus his fantastic acting skills as the Critic character. If you've never watched The Nostalgia Critic on YouTube, I highly recommend that you check it out. Keep in mind, his material is geared more towards a mature crowd as some of the language and jokes are not exactly appropriate for younger viewers. However if you find yourself needing a good laugh and looking for something good to watch, then check out the Nostalgia Critic's videos on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/DougWalkerReviews or visit his official website at http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/. 

I hope you enjoy this week's Creative Mastermind The Nostalgia Critic and have some laughs by watching his many movie reviews online. If you have an idea for a Creative Mastermind please feel free to share it with The Creative Cabana either by commenting on this post, share it on the Facebook page, or tweet to @CreativeCabana. Be sure to check back this week as there will be 2 finale episodes left in the Web Design series and then we'll be moving on to sketching and illustration! Lots of great ways to spend time in the sunshine so be sure to visit us while you're out enjoying the Spring weather. Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!!!!

*Images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I do not own The Nostalgia Critic as that is the sole property of Doug Walker and his production team. I also do not own any of the films mentionned in this post as those pertain to his reviews. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Creative Mastermind for Week 4/7: Evan Brooks & Peter Gotcher, Developers of "ProTools"

Good morning and thanks for stopping by The Creative Cabana for your happy, healthy dose of creative goodness to start your week! Each week when I go through different candidates for a Creative Mastermind honor, I try to mix it up the categories so I'm not always profiling photographers, or artists, or any specific profession. Something I haven't address too much of here at The Creative Cabana is the creativity that comes in audio production. In a previous Creative Mastermind post I discussed the developers of the audio mixing program "Audacity". Audacity is a great free program that allows you to do basic audio editing and cleaning for your audio files. If you'd like something a little more industry standard and professional, then I'd like to introduce you to my favorite audio program from Avid known as "ProTools".

ProTools was first launched in 1991 after it's earlier versions of Sound Tools and Sound Designer were making improvements during the 1980s. The developers of ProTools Evan Brooks and Peter Gotcher created it as a diverse audio editing tool but at first was limited by the hard drive technology of the computer at that time. When ProTools came out in the 90s it was starting to advance in better performance, and more options for editing practices. ProTools was built on a multi-track system which means you have the ability to work on more than one audio track at a time. This became a great advancement for audio engineers in businesses like the music industry, radio, motion picture industry, and advertising. In fact, in 1999 Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the first Number 1 single that was produced using ProTools.

ProTools was also used in the development of the interactive video games: Guitar Hero and DJ Hero. I admire this program a lot for it's ability to provide creative access to alter and change audio into whatever you need. I learned ProTools when I was studying Electronic Media Production in college. To me ProTools came naturally to me because I understood how to interpret functions and using my good judgment to determine how I wanted files to sound. I used ProTools in everything from creating Public Service Announcements to promoting special events, and even special news updates for the campus radio station. Here's an example of a promo I created for an Acapella Group known as Take 6. All of the recording and editing that you'll here in this piece was created using ProTools along with my voice narrating. 

I'm deeming ProTools and it's creators this week's Creative Mastermind for their sensational development of a program that allows users to create unique audio pieces. Programs like ProTools provides the tools needed to utilize creative skills to mix, edit, and control sound as we want to interpret it. We can use it to remix our music, edit our interview stories, or create storytelling pieces that reflect a situation. The sky is the limit when it comes to a system like ProTools. If you're studying broadcasting, media production, computer science, or audio engineering chances are that you'll come in contact with ProTools at some point in your life and when you do, be prepared to face it head on with excitement. Embrace your creativity through audio and never fear to do the impossible when creating your masterpieces. 

Congrats to Avid Media and the developers of ProTools! Heres to many more years of creating digital audio production that enhances and drives talent further into the 21st century! If you have a great idea for someone or something that would make a great Creative Mastermind, please share your thoughts by commenting on this post or share it with The Creative Cabana on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter @CreativeCabana. 

*All images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I do not own Avid Media or ProTools- these products are the property of their respective owners and developers. I do not own the rights to "Livin' La Vida Loca" or Ricky Martin. The video used comes from the VEVO channel avaliable for display on YouTube and is soley used here for entertainment purposes only. The Take 6 Promo provided in this post IS my personal creation developed for promotional use of the Take 6 concert that was held at Ashland University on December 7th, 2011. I do not own Take 6 or any of their music. No Copyright Infringement Intended. 

Updates and Housekeeping

Hello my friends and welcome to The Creative Cabana!!! This is the place where creativity thrives, but sometimes procrastination and time commitment also can get in the way of sharing these great ideas. I've been having those problems for the last few days, partially due to my work schedule as well taking care of other commitments. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I haven't been planning some great upcoming topics for this month.

The first order of business is to finish our Web Design series. I hope you've been enjoying it as much as I have been creating these tips for you. The great thing about creating your own website is the fact that your imagination can run wild and there really are no limits to what you can create for your marketing purposes. In the last episode, I talked to you about content- what do you want to display on your website. After taking some time to gather what materials you'd like to place on your page, I think the next step will be to discuss organization. This goes in hand with the previous discussion about templates, but you might need to do some adjusting to the formatting on the page depending on how you want it to look. So we'll be discussing that next and then once you have the page designed and ready for publishing then it'll be time for "Reveal" which will be the final part of the Web Design series.

On a recent stroll in Netflix I came across a short documentary titled "Inside: Pixar". For those of you who may not recognize the name, Pixar is the animation studio responsible for giving us Computer Generated Disney films like Toy Story, Cars, and The Incredibles. This short documentary gives you a behind the scenes look at how movie magic is made from the artists and designers at Pixar. I haven't had a chance to watch this yet, but I thought this would be a terrific topic to talk about here at The Creative Cabana considered how Art and Creativity go together especially in the movies.

In the coming weeks, I'll also be sharing some insights and reviews on books that I have been reading to increase creativity in designs that can be used for marketing, promotions, public relations, or simply art. I am personally looking into expanding my skills through digital design and I thought it would be valuable to share these tools and my experiences with you. If you like drawing, I also have some books I'll be discussing to help show off your sketching abilities. These suggestions will hopefully inspire you to get out and enjoy exercising your hands and arms in the art of sketching. Spring time is also an excellent opportunity to go outside, relax, and get fresh air which can help inspire creativity. For me personally, since my family and I moved, we have a lovely outdoor space and Florida room that I'm dying to use so I can share some creative projects with you. It's all part of the benefits of warm weather (finally).

So that takes care of the updates and what to watch for this month. ALSO, if you're not already, make sure to follow The Creative Cabana on Pinterest as there will be fresh ideas on special projects for Spring Activities and we've started a new board filled with Easter activities. Don't forget to "Like" The Creative Cabana on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more fun and the latest updates. Stay tuned for more great posts and in the mean time enjoy the rest of your day everyone.

*Images used in this post were gathered from Google Images Search Results. I do not own Pixar, Disney, Toy Story, Cars, or The Incredibles. Those films belong to their respective owners and studio companies. No Copyright Infringement Intended.