Transformative Portrait - Kimberly B

 

For my project I wanted to depict the idea of the depths that depression can drown you and the fight against the demons that try to pull you in. In this particular version I get pulled in.

I used a Fractal effect for the smoke with multiple layers to create a moving cloudy appearance. I also used masks to create the idea of the hands (these are mine) coming out of the void to grab me. The irony is that it was daylight out and the sunlight was shining in, but I masked it out to the blackness of the void which doesn't allow me to see the sunlight.

Transformative Portrait - Ashton Lucas

 For my project I wanted to play with the idea of imagination and the concept of powers. At the beginning I was planning on basing my project on my interest of food but I decided to go with something that is more interesting to me that relates more to my likes and hobbies. Since I was young I have always been interested in comics and manga, I would act like I had fire powers and imagine myself throwing fireballs and being able to burn objects around the house. I wanted to display the imagination my younger self would have if I were able to gain super powers out of the comics. 

Escapism - Miranda Santana

    For this project I wanted to capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by a depressive outside environment and escaping with an inner world to cope with that. I often use my own interest in fantasy art and writing to cope with reality and how difficult it can be to exist within. I wanted to give that feeling of safety that having that escape gives, while also capturing the darker side of that by showing how it can lead you to close yourself off and not deal with what is actually hurting you. To that end I posed and did makeup in a way to create a depressive, lonely appearance. 

    The moving elements consist of stock video of cloud, nebula, and bokeh light effects layered on each other in a cloud behind the subject, showing it absorbing the person. There is also rain outside the window to add to the depressive mood. The animation is meant to convey moving outside of or escaping one's self into your imagination. I wish I had had more time to work on the animation side of this, because I would have liked to make something a bit more representational, but I think the sketchy animation also lends to the "art as an escape" undertones I tried to imply with the scattered art supplies.

    The photo of myself was taken by me and the person walking animation was also created by me. All other images were obtained from Pixabay and fall under their terms of use.

Transformative Portrait - Liz Garcia

 For my transformative portrait, I wanted to focus on my niece, Emma. She loves all things princess and is absolutely obsessed with my mom's flower garden. My whole family loves visiting my mom's house throughout the year simply to admire the flowers and sometimes, when she's in a surplus, she lets us pick as many flowers as we want. My niece has a very outgoing and energetic personality and I wanted to focus on that for this project. I placed her in a mystical garden and had her "running' through it. I also added images of flowers she's picked from my mom's house all around her, some in a dynamic motion to symbolize her personality and some in a more static motion but growing nonetheless, to show me watching her grow up, but I decided not to make some move to symbolize how no matter how much she grows up, I will still always see her as that little 4-year-old who loves to play princess. I also played around with creating "glitter" or "shimmer" effects to push the narrative of a whimsical garden. 

DesignGenious–Pablo Villanueva

 

This digital poster uses my portrait as a canvas to capture the essence of self-representation in design, mirroring the theme of the DesignGenius event that took place uptown on November 1st. Each segment of my face is crafted with a unique design approach, showing how different styles can come together to create a cohesive whole. This layering reflects the event’s mission: empowering adults to explore how design can help them build and define their personal brands in a future-focused, creative industry. The black foreground is intentional, guiding viewers focus to the designed elements, which represent the various ways we present ourselves in our work. This composition not only pays homage to the event’s goal but also serves as a bold statement on the possibilities of design as a tool for self-discovery and identity-building.

Transformative Portrait-Sara Aftimos

 

For my transformative self-portrait, I decided to focus on the idea of stress and all that there is to do. Everyone can relate to the constant stress whether it is from school, work, or something personal going on in their life. To manage and control my stress, I rely heavily on to-do lists. If I didn't have a to-do list I would be lost without it. Sometimes even with my to-do list, I get overwhelmed and even more stressed about all that I have to do. In my self-portrait, I used an image of me laying down with multiple books around me resembling all the information and stress that is around me. I chose to take this picture in a library setting to feed into my composition idea, with the massive collection of books on the shelves. The viewer can view this as the collection of things to do or the amount of things stressing you that are still present in your life but are pushed away on the shelf. My animation is my to-do list moving closer and closer to me, showing the sense of urgency and the amount that has to be done.

Transformative Portrait - Bryce Locaylocay

 

For my project, I decided to focus on an incident that occurred back in February of this year. My friends and I were involved in a car accident that could have turned fatal. Thankfully, the most severe injury among us was a concussion, but the experience completely changed my perspective on life. Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort not to take a single day for granted. I find myself being more present in the moment and truly appreciating the company of others. Not that I didn’t do so before, but this experience definitely heightened that awareness. 

Background Image.

https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/gray-concrete-road-green-trees-cloudy-sky-daytime_13075031.htm

Other images are mine.