How I created myself
Avoiding photos
I love to take photos and I see my self as a rather great amateur photographer. But there is one kind of photos that I really don't like...
I have always disliked seeing myself in photos. I avoid using photos for avatars and similar. I was the person with a flower or a cat as an avatar in the early days of social media. I'm not a "selfie person". Nonetheless, I've grown accustomed to it and nowadays I send daily selfies to my kids on Snapchat!
The task was given to me
In my Graphic Design class, in early 2016 I had a task to make a self portrait. It was was intended to be created with digital media and I had to make several different variations on three themes.
I should use the portraits to design business cards. One in a "today" style, one in futuristic style and the third should be punk style.
I began with my original portrait, using a photo as a model for my illustration. My intentions was a simple illustration that looked like me. I like flat design, without gradients and 3D-effects, but I also like some shading and to work with colours. The result can be viewed above.
Here is a photo of me, I seldom show these but guess I need to, LOL:
Faces for business cards, three styles
I often use Pinterest as a source for inspiration, I collected a lot of inspiration with the themes, I needed to continue my work.
Futuristic
I liked to work on the design for the futuristic business card. The Futuristic style is influenced by the world wars and also the industry. It contains lines, machines and more abstract things like speed. If you are curious about futurism, read more here: Italian Futurism: A movement all designers can learn from. This article also inspired me a lot.
Punk
Punk rock style is hard and cool;) My inspiration was found on Pinterest and also on old LP covers. I used soft pink colour combined with black to get contrast. Many punk rockers had pink hair and very black makeup! Like I do in this card...
"Today"
The "today style" was the most boring one, but I also felt more relaxed and more comfortable working on it. I know this style... I just have to admit that this is the card I'm least proud of.
I think that creativity works best under some pressure and for me the futuristic style was the most unknown and I had to work hard for that one.
But I would be happy to hear your opinion as well, which one do you like the most? And why? Feedback is more then welcome here:-)
Creating a new face
Now you know something about my avoiding behaviour against photos of me and you also know something about these illustration. When I was done with the task I liked my portrait so much that I began using it as my avatar. You can find it on Twitter, G+, Wordpress, Steemit and a lot of other places I guess. It's my new face and I have made it myself. I feel comfortable using it!
Do you have some favourite picture of yourself that you use a lot? Maybe you are comfortable using photos of you? I would like to hear your thoughts and stories how your faces or avatars came to life!
As a creative person, writer or artist you need inspiration. Todays inspiration for this post came from @sammosk, thank you very much for inspiring me to write today!
Thank you for reading, and I wish you a great day!, source: my own pictures, created by @kerlund74, the photo of me is taken by a local photographer and I use it at work and on Linkedin and so on.
Well thought out @kerlund74 I too dislike 'selfies' and stick with one or two pictures to use online, you have most definitely given me some food for thought in this post.
My vote is the current one you use and I must say never having seen the Punk version, it too is eye-catching, well done on a good content article.
Thanks very much @joanstewart! I think many people dislike using photos of themselves.
I'm glad to hear your opinion and that you like the avatar I created!
Another great post my Swedish friend. I will say I have seen many of your photos and you have taken some good ones. Yea, I don't normally use my own photo as my avatar because I am not real photogenic or don't feel I am and it is hard for me to find one I like of myself. I still haven't even added a photo here yet. I upvoted your post but it doesn't have any power. You know you have the whales, dolphins, minnows, guppies and I am like a Tetra Flake, food for the whole Steemit food chain. I spent four years at Torrejon AB, Spain (just outside Madrid) and I enjoyed it. It was a culture shock at first. I can relate to how it feels being in a country where they speak a different language and it can be pretty scary. Looking forward to your next article/blog.
Thanks very much at @fhstralow! Glad to hear you enjoyed my post and earlier published photos. Are you new here? I haven't been here to long either but I like it here:-)
Many thanks for your comment!
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Very neat! I like the middle "punk". It's fun, but not too busy. The top one is a bit too busy with the gears and such, and the bottom is just plain....
yes! Go Punk!
Thanks! Cool to here that you are into Punk, it's a great style:)
The first 2 are truly awesome and I can't decide which one I like best. The 3rd one is...less inspiring. I think there is too much blank space in the middle.
Thanks a lot! I think that is the thing, I did not put much effort into the last one, thanks for your feedback!
I'm drawn towards the red and black card at it seems the most fueled of the creative aspects. Fire for passion/energy/creation and black for destruction renewal.
Yes, I like that one a lot too:) Futurism is a fun style to work with.
I love the natural one most, at the end. But I understand the fun of creative design. I can do this all day long.
I can see what you mean! I have chosen that one as my avatar and guess it's the one that feels most like me:) But designing is great fun.
I have drawn self portraits periodically for 40 years or so, and lately I take hundreds of selfies, ha, and yet you will always find a dog, cat or flower in my avatar.
No good reason, and I'm not known for being shy, but never went for an avatar of me.
can't explain
I also used to change my avatar a lot on facebook, and everywhere else, but here in steemit there's no chance to rest and draw breath
I haven't changed anything once
I liked your punk one the most, as it's the only one that really makes sense with the dividing line look. I notice that it's also the only one where you didn't actually wipe out one side of your face.
I haven't looked at your link yet (yes, it's open in a tab) (lol) but the futurists were quite an influence on me too.
did you know they were heavily into cycling?
Just checked that link and doesn't go into it much (not at all) but it's true. Balla and Marinetti at least, if I remember correctly (and there's absolutely no guarantee of that)
But as I discovered cycling in my first year at art school, I remember really well the association with the futurists
Back to that punk one, reminds me of "las Chinas" Spanish girl punk band of la Movida Madrileña of the eighties.
Funny enough I now know two of the members of that group. Was in a group show with one, and met the husband of another one through a publishing house that I support and it's a small world after all
well done and big hugs
What an amazing comment! I will never be able to write such a great feedback, thanks! You have a point about hiding the half face and not, punk is a style that is more provoking and I thought this suited the style, thanks for noticing such detail! Cycling, Italy and Futurism is all connected I guess. There are wonderful mountains to climb by bike in north Italy.
Thanks a lot for your kind comment, hugs back!
yes, it's a shame I never got to the Dolomites, or even the Alps on either side while I was able to do it in a fun way.
I have been in the Pyrenees though so that's fun.
I live not far from la Pandera a famous climb that is often included in la vuelta a España and climbed it by accident one day when I first arrived here.
Also la sierra de Madrid has some world class climbs too, but certainly the mountains of Italy are in a class of their own.
Do you live there?
No I live in Sweden but we travel at least once a year (except this year) to Italy or France. Mostly hiking trips, but my husband have been climbing Italian and French alps on bike when he was younger. I love the mountains but prefer to walk:-)
Spain is nice isn't it?
it has it's good points and it's bad points.
depends on the day
lol