Pixel Portraits

For a homework task the class were asked to complete five pixel portraits of Billy Blue lecturers.

I have never designed in this style before, so it was very new to me and I wasn't sure of where to start, so I researched the internet and found a great tutorial on how to create them.

At first I found the task fun, but by the fifth I was going cross eyed, due to looking at so many squares. Overall I think the final product is quite effective and I enjoyed learning a new design skill.

Below are my five Pixel Portraits.

Andrew Barnum

Stephen Andrews

Maria Capsanis

Nigel Bailey

Desiree DeKlerk

Superstitions and Beliefs

A superstition is a credulous belief or notion not based on reason or knowledge, whereas Belief is the physiological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.

Below are a few examples of well-known Superstitions and Beliefs.

According to this superstition, breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck unless you take the pieces outside and bury them under moonlight. Also, if an undisturbed mirror in a house suddenly falls and smashes, it means that there will soon be a death. This superstition goes back to the ancient Romans who believed that the reflection of a person in a mirror is actually his soul. So, breaking a mirror meant bringing extremely bad luck upon oneself because one's soul was believed to be damaged.

Superstition says that its bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

This superstition dates back to Europe in the middle ages, Particularly in England. The cat's characteristic independence, willfulness, and stealth, coupled with its sudden overpopulation in major cities, contributed to its fall from grace. Alley cats were often fed by poor, lonely old ladies, and when witch hysteria struck Europe, and many of these homeless women were accused of practicing black magic, their cat companions (especially black ones) were deemed guilty of witchery by association.

The four leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three leaved clover. According to superstition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally. According to legend, each leaf represents hope, faith, love and luck.

The 'Cornuto', 'Corno' or' Cornicello' is an italian amulet of ancient origin. 'Corno' means 'horn' and 'Cornicello' means 'little horn'. These names refer to a long, twisted horn shaped amulet worn in Italy to protect against the 'Evil Eye'. The 'Corno' is usually carved out of red coral or made of gold or silver. Over the years the horn has become rather stylised and now looks less like a natural animal horn then they once did.

Fear of Friday the 13th is rooted from Ancient beliefs, and is believed there are bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities combine to make one super unlucky day. This superstitious belief came to have its meaning from a number of different events. Some of which include- A Biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper.

On a Friday the 13th in 1306, King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar and began torturing them, marking the occasion as a day of evil.

And in Ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.

And the list goes on...

Symbols that have Changed their Meaning.

Below are a few symbols that have changed their meaning over time.

To curse is to use language considered to be obscene, socially offensive, to shock or to assault others verbally. The above swearword is an example of this.

In the past using this word was very shockingand down right socially unacceptable but nowadays it is common to hear it in oureveryday language.

Over the years the term 'Gay' has changed its meaning a number of times.

Originally the term was used to refer to feelings of happiness and being carefree as early as 1637.

In the 19th century the term changed its meaning to describe homosexual individuals.

Nowadays not only does the term still describe homosexuals it also is used among younger individuals to describe something that is inadequateor stupid.

The Triquetra is another famous symbol that has also changedits meaning.

Originally you would find the Triquetra in celtic art, most notably insular art, metalwork and in illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells. In manuscripts it was used primarily as a space filler or ornament in much more complex compositions.

The Triquetra is also used in Irish mythology and is believed to represent the three stages of a woman's life. The Irish call the Triquetra the Trinity Knot.

In contemporary Ireland it is traditional for a man to give a loved one a trinket symbolising the TrinityKnot.

The Pentagram is a symbol commonly used to represent satin, satanic cults and witchcraft and has been used for the last hundred years. However before this the Pentagram belonged to many other religions. Some of these include, Judaism, Paganism and even early Christianity.

Hitler is probably the first thing to come to mind when you see this symbol, The Swastika. However the Swastika is actually hundreds of years old and is considered a holy symbol by many different religions. It is also the oldest known holy spirit. You'll find the Swastika in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, certain Native American faiths, and many others.

Road Signs Exercise

Below is a homework exercise that the class completed.

The task was to re-design a series of road signs in a new and innovative way.

I Enjoyed this task but if it were done again I would simplify the designs even more and make them look more like symbols, not illustrations.

Tanagram Exercise

The tanagram is a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called Tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape using all seven pieces, which may not overlap but must be touching at least one other piece, by either a point or a side.

Below are a few that I completed!

Face

Truck

Dinosaur

Flower

Dancer

Lamp

Personal Group Identifiers

Below are a few examples of my own personal group identifiers!

Above is a picture of myself making a symbol with my hands. This symbol is a key identifier to a group that I belong to called 'Tails for Whales' run by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Participants were encouraged to show their support for the protection of whales around the world by uploading a picture of themselves making the symbol and in turn show governments around the world that their is a widespread support to protect whales.

Above is another example of a group that I belong to called, "Camp Quality'.

Camp Quality is a charity organisation dedicated to creating optimistic communities through fun therapy and education for children and families diagnosed with cancer. Camp Quality holds a number of yearly events including camps and christmas parties where staff and children are easily recognisable by their bright coloured clothing displaying the above logo.

Group Identifiers

A group is a number of things or persons with relation to one another.

It can be categorised through a number of different key identifiers, including: age, sex, religion, economic status, educational status and family status.

Groups can also be identified by the the organisations we as individuals join

and participate in, for example: the school or university we attend, sports teams or church groups.

Below are a few example of Groups you would find in todays society.

A nun belongs to a group of women who have taken vows committing her to a spiritual life, leaving mainstream society to live a life in prayer and contemplation.

Nuns can be identified by their clothing consisting of a tunic, veil, and rosary beads.

Another group found in society are Buddhist Monks.

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Buddha.

This group in society can be easily identified by the clothes they wear, consisting of a robe in a reddish-yellow colour called a 'Kasaya'. Monks wear these simple clothes in emulation of Buddha's humble garb and to represent their own detachment from the physical world in their pursuit of enlightenment.

'Bikies' are another group commonly found in todays society.

'Bikies' are a group of individuals that belong to a motorcycle club or gang that celebrates freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, loyalty to their biker group and of course ride a motorcycle.

Members are identified by a patch design that is worn on their clothing and bikes.

The sports team that you play in or back are another form

of a group.

Sports teams are com

monly identified through their

team colours which are displayed through

their clothing and mercha

ndise.

Above is an ima

ge of the 'Balmain

Tigers'.

Their t

eam colours consist of orange and b

lack.

The Amish is another group of individuals found in society.

The Amish are a group of christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the mennonite churches. The Amish are known for their reluctance to adopt the conveniences of modern technology and their simple way of life.

The Amish are identified by their plain clothing, as shown above. The Amish do not believe that clothing is meant to distinguish the individual from the group by making that person more 'attractive' over others.

Humpty Dumpty Exercise

I found this homework task fun and interesting!

The aim was to reinterpret the classic nursery rhyme, 'Humpty Dumpty' into a set of six frames, using only the selected symbols above.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on the Wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the Kings horses and all the kings men,

Couldn't put Humpty together again."