Homework 5

All I kept thinking when I read this chapter is, "Be yourself. Never try to be somebody your not." Umm................... I guess that doesn't apply here. The title of the chapter really threw me off "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You Are To Get Started." I always thought developing you own style was good for an artist but this put it in a new perspective. Kleon is saying to look at your inspiration and run with it. Look at it, steal it, and adapt it. He is not saying to be a poser your whole career, he is saying you will find yourself but it is going to take some stealing and acting like a poser to get there. You might as well have fun while your waiting. The quotes are what really stood out to me and helped me understand this chapter. The two that really stood out were, "We want you to take from us. We want you, at first, to steal from us, because you can't steal. You will take what we give you and you will put it in your own voice and that's how you will find you voice. And that's how you begin. And then one day someone will steal form you." – Francis Ford Coppola and "I have stolen all of these moves from all these great players. I just try to do them proud, the guys who came before, because I learned so much form them. It's all in the name of the game. It's a lot bigger than me." – Kobe Bryant.

You do not just want to steal from you inspiration, you want to see like them. Don't just look at their work, do some research. See what the piece is about. See who/what inspired it. See where your inspiration gets their inspiration.

When you imitate someone or something, you are simply copying them. You are trying to do exactly what they are doing. You make no adjustments whatsoever. Emulation is taking something but adjusting it to fit what you want and who you are. You are trying to make something better.

Okay so my mentor is Walt Disney he is famous for Mickey Mouse. I am not just going to take Mickey Mouse a draw him. Everyone knows what he looks like. They will know it's not "original." I should look at the different types of Mickey Mouse that have been drawn throughout the years. I should look at his friends and his environment. To truly emulate someone you have to do RESEARCH!!!!!!! Without that you will never be more than and imitator.

Another mentor of mine is Kyle Cooper. He is an amazing movie title sequence designer. We had to make a t-shirt for AIGA and the inspiration had to be form a certain designer. I was lucky enough to pick Kyle Cooper. He is best known for his title sequence for the movie Se7en. I did not want to design something after the first thing I saw on google. I RESEARCHED and found one of his less known title sequences for the movie The Island of Dr Moreau.

Kyle Cooper

Mine