Friday, April 30, 2010

Beginning of the End///April 30, 2010

It has begun. I have a list of things I need to do before the big bang on Wednesday, May 5th. I just might have a good survey this year. Here we go:




•Finish the last two illustrations for the Odd Thomas series.




•Fix any and all editorial illustrations.




•Finish my website by May 8th along with fixing the other two projects from Webdesign.




•Get either promo or business cards.




•figure out my situation for a website.




•Scan and Print anything needed to be resized.




This is it folks. The list shall be in my room daunting my presence on a dry erase board until I clear them all.




In other news, I might change my blog theme from the Pratt Nest to a different name (and maybe appearance too) because I will no longer be attending Pratt. Therefor the name would not make sense and I would need a change to reflect my change in environment. Hopefully the next title will stick for a while. Here are possible titles:




Innovative Imagery
Clever Conception
Prolific Parable
Euphemistic Elucidation
Shrewd Sketch
Dastardly Design
Canny Composition


Now for my section relating to my experiences in college.  I have always found that, as a student, there are two ways of getting money.  You work for it and you have your parents supply you.  Me being in the later position up until recently, I never enjoyed the comments received by people about my financial situation in life.  Some people make stuff like this so Black and White.  In this situation, rich or poor.  I am not going to dive into my situation, but I find it reasonably alright to ask your parents for money when you need it.  Every student does this and there is no exception.  I was forced to think differently for a while because certain people put into my head that I had an unfair advantage.  I believed that most college kids struggle all the time to obtain money to stay in college and no one relied solely on their parents to fully pay for the tuition.  I have come to accept that there is more to it than that.  Everyone comes from a wide variety of financial backgrounds and not everyone has trouble getting the money to pay for college.


Another thing, the money a student uses during the school year goes into several things that I can sum up into a few categories: entertainment, booze, supplies and food.  As you'd think food might go into supplies, but food is more necessary to survive on than the rest.  Entertainment consists of us paying to go somewhere or pay for items that aren't school related (dvds, games, nerf guns, etc.).  Booze is self explanitory.  Supplies are stuff needed for school (books, art supplies, computer, clothes are debatable, etc.).  Lastly, Food is completely required to buy.  Whether you need it then or not you pay for it.


All of this spending bites you in the ass at the end of the four years though.  Debt is something very serious.  Although I have not experienced it yet, debt is a brutal bitch that divorced you last week and took not only your house, but your favorite dog, Doby, along for the ride to a new marriage (probably that damned doctor she sees when she "feels deathly ill").  Anyway, it's something that you'd need to get used to quickly and pay off slowly so you don't run the risk of not having enough money to live.  So, take your time and don't panic when the bank sends you bills regarding loans quicker than you think.  You've got more to panic about I imagine (like getting a job and holding it for more than a couple months or paying rent for that apartment in Williamsburg, you filthy hipster.)


MEANWHILE, I have already started to frame my illustrations and am coming to an end in designing my website.  I need to get a domain name very soon so clients can view my glorious gallery of sweetness.  Here's a little eye candy for you...




Media Portrayal of Video Games
(fixed the blood, before my professor said, "it looks like a trigger and that makes it look awkward."  I also want to do a series of these involving controllers dripped in blood or similar situations)


Flashlight Guy
Based off of "Odd Hours" by Dean Koontz
(need to fix the wall, make it look characteristic with cracks and marks)


*Edit*

I have another illustration coming up.  It's about Kids confusing medicine for candy.





Thursday, April 29, 2010

Grad Fair///April 29, 2010

So, today is the final day of my last Senior Project/illustration class.  Do I feel excited?  Perhaps.  I pulled an all-nighter and my morning class was canceled.  That means I'll be able to nap perhaps before class.  Afterwards I will be at the graduation fair.  HOORAH!  I also have done some thinking about my college experience in the last 4 years of my life.  They were a good 4 years.  I don't regret anything about them except my laziness.  If I could I'd go back and do all four all over again!  Except I would try extra hard to succeed.


As my Senior year comes to a close I will attempt to post a blog once a day until day of graduation (contradicting a statement in a previous blog).  I will have something unique for each day I hope.  Each one of them will reflect my college experience.  I will also post my finished pieces and survey and graduation ceremony.  Today, I will post a list of "rules" or guide lines for a college student (or soon to be college student).  These are based off my experiences from the past 4 years.


BE WARNED!  VULGER LANGUAGE IS PRESENT!




Rules of Being a College Student

In order to successfully survive college you need (or should glance at) these rules:

Know your roommates – Even if you don’t quite know them it always helps if you know the basics about them.   Find out their hobbies and their sleep schedules.  You’ll need to know this kind of stuff so you can work around their time and hopefully don’t piss them off.
2.   
          •Assign cleaning duties – if you don’t want friendly critters coming in to steal a snack or don’t want nasty ass mold do yourself a favor and encourage a cleaning schedule.  Your room might smell if you don’t.
3.    
          • Sharing is caring – and it can be fun… if they want it to be.  Always ask before your borrow and remember your damn manners!
4.     
     •ROOM MATE CONTRACT – make sure everyone is there for it.  Address problems you might see happening in the future and establish rules about certain pet peeves and mention #2.
5.     
           •Don’t be afraid to point out something – if it’s wrong or you just can’t stand what your roommate is doing LET HIM/HER KNOW.  They’ll continue to do whatever it is and you’ll get grumpy and bitter about it.
6.     
           •Know your RA – Even if you remember his/her name that’s good.  You won’t have to act like a total idiot while trying to remember the name and you’ll establish a good residential relationship with him/her.
7.     
          •Personal spaces – establish your area early in the room and let them know you don’t like their rubble pile creeping into your workspace.
8.     
     •Manners – even if you don’t like the kid just try to act friendly.  You’ll only be living with them for 1 or 2 semesters.
9.     
     •Personal Property – if it’s not yours, don’t fucking take it.  How would you like it if I went and used your shit?

     •Label your booze – Seriously, you might not be the only one drinking in the room.  Tape it with your name or something.  Some drunk, dickhead will mistake it for his/her beer or vodka (whatever you drink).  Then again…
    
     •HIDE YO SHIT – this is very important for those of you that have a MOOCH living in your presence.  They know that stuff isn’t theirs.  They’ll ask first and if they really want it they’ll take it when you’re not looking.
    
     •Pick a roommate you trust – friend or no friend, it’s all about whom you’d trust living with you and sharing a living space with.  MOOCHES need not apply, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
13
     •Facebook – if you have one, good.  If you don’t, get one!  This is vital for knowing what’s going on.  If you want to see what you did when you blacked out or if you want to creep around and stalk people you’ll need this.  Everyone and their mother have one (believe me, my mom has one… and I regretted her knowing I have one).
14
    •Know your schedule – this should be on the top 5 of this list, but I got lazy.  If you want to succeed in life, go to class on time unless you want to keep paying a shit ton of money to be a freshman forever.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Final Stretch///April 27, 2010

This is it, the last day of Senior Project has come and gone.  Webdesign has too, but both need work done by survey.  Only 3 more remain.  Another Senior Project, Maps & History and Astronomy.  Here is an update...

Monday, April 26, 2010

During Work///April 26, 2010

I'm working on webdesign during work and I had edited a few files.  Here is the one I finished editing and one that is completely finished.

 Bill In Haiti

Violence in Video Games

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Controller///April 21, 2010

Might as well post the original finish before altering....

Monday, April 19, 2010

Pre-survey craziness///April 19, 2010

Here is a pre-survey update.  I took advantage of the start of extended hours last night to scan work in.  I am, however, a little behind on finishing work.  I will show finished stuff after the storm dies down.  Here is work in progress:
Bill In Haiti
(Need to clean the shirt and make sure his fingers don't look like they've been in a pile of ash covered crap)
Toyota Pulled Off Stage
(Need to make the curtains more solid and the logo solid as well.  Actually, everything needs to not look so wishy washy.)
World Before Healthcare
(Need to make the jar not so painterly and make the money look like money.)
 
Breakfast With Bodachs
(Ugh, goodness.  I hate to even look at this.  I just need to do everything.)

Encounter With Death in the Bell Tower
(Finish the bell, finish the rope and add the snow.)

One Last Surprize
(Fix the damn spider and the arm.)

Caravan Halted
(Fix the hillside in foreground by adding some clumps of snow and a tree.)

There are a few other things I did not scan on here.  That is because I have a lot of work to do on them.  Anyways, here is what I do have finished:


Chinese Yuan Vs US Dollar

China Trying To Censor Google

Massachusetts Turns Red

Haiti, Chile and Taiwan, Quake Territories

The Detective, The Bomber and The Hostage
 (Based off "Body Of Work" by Dean Koontz)

Guilt
 (Based off "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky)

A Person At Work: Tennis

Interrogation

 
Space Pirates

Jack Nicholson/Black

All of this will show up in my survey (well, maybe not the last three, maybe they will.)  There are a few others that I'd like to put up for survey, but haven't scanned.  I will try and update when I have the time to jump on my computer for something other than Webdesign and other school related work.  Here is a peek at my website in progress:

 
First design (not particularly good.)
Actual Design (Trying to keep things simple)
(after you press Illustration the next line shows with the choice of buttons Editorial, Narrative and Sketchbook)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sketch///April 14, 2010

Here is a sketch I am currently working from on an editorial about violence in video games.

Update///April 14, 2010

Here is an update on my Floyd senior Project...










I only posted a new one and ones that have been changed.  There is one missing and that one I have not worked on since the last time I posted it.


Here are some sketches being considered for illustrations for Tim's class.










The topics are: Space Shuttle Decommissioned, Polish President's Death, Collapsed/Flooded Mines in China/US, Video Games Portrayed by the Media and the iPad (I am going to edit the last one to just the iPad at the stake).

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Web Design Mid Term COMPLETE!!!! (phew, finally!)///April 6, 2010

I FINALLY GOT THAT CRAP DONE!  After weeks of delays and distractions I am finally done!  I finished it 12 hours before it's due!  Here is the link:


http://mysite.pratt.edu/~bmcneil/midterm/


Aphex Twin is one of my favorite musical artists.  He is crazy and brilliant.  Combine his talent with Chris Cunningham's visuals and you get a world of demonic, bizarre entities running around and terrorizing people (not to mention a crippled, shape-shifting, coke snorting IDM raver bound to a wheel chair in his parents basement with his pet... yes.  I am talking about Rubber Johnny).  I may suck at dancing (and that may be the only thing keeping me from going to clubs and raves) but I'd pay to see him live.


By the way... I am so lazy and will find time when I'm not spending it working and running around to scan and put up my work.  Here's a pretty picture to occupy you in the mean time!


This is where I worked in the summer of 2008.