Graphics+Project

[|carterAA1.mp3]
 * Graphics Project: Option #1 - Design a jpeg graphic.**

My students just finish discussing Robert Frost's short poem "Fire and Ice." Here's the poem from []: Fire and Ice Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice. This poem concerns the different kinds of hate that have destructive potential. Fire and ice are polar opposites, both literally and figuratively. The literal opposites suggested by the title set us up to consider these polarities. Figuratively, fire and ice are symbols representing the two distinct roles man may play in his destruction of his fellow man. For the world to end in fire, we use "Might" to blow each other to smithereens - scary and possible if you watch any kind of international news. Frost's comment about "what I've tasted of desire" relates to man's unquenchable need for power. Because of this need, he "holds with those who favor fire" as a more likely method of destruction. However, Frost ends his poem with quite the sarcastic understatement about another possibility. Ice also becomes a symbolic method that "would suffice" in our self-destruction. The "polar opposite" to fire (man's aggression) becomes ice (man's apathy). For example, a society may be consumed with racism and individuals may be apathetic about affecting change with excuses like "it'll never work" or "it's just the way it's always been." This kind of apathy is deadly and dangerous. Both fire and ice are forms of hatred, one just as deadly as the other. For my graphic, I chose the word "hate" because it is the point of the poem. Fire and ice are merely different representations of man's hatred for his fellow man. 
 * Meanings: **

**Processes:**

I have learned quite a bit since my first attempts at using GIMP during this class. This project only took two "draft" images and one screencast tutorial. The final third draft went pretty quickly, as I figured out what I was doing. The poem had been brewing in my head for a few days, so I knew that I wanted a visual representation of the word "hate" as though it were both fiery and icy. Here's the process I followed for the final draft:


 * 1) I opened a new image file and set the size to 200 x 200 pixels.
 * 2) I set the background color to black and used the paint bucket tool to fill it in.
 * 3) I added a text layer, changed the text color to white, typed "HATE" in Mistral font, justified it as "filled," and set the size to 115. This layer became "Text Layer #1."
 * 4) I duplicated the layer of text creating what I will call "Text Layer #2."

**FIRE**


 * 1) For "Text Layer #1," I went to filters, selected "Alpha to Logo," and chose "Glowing Hot." This gave me the fiery effect I was looking for. This effect turned this layer into three new layers, which I merged together.

**ICE**


 * 1) At this point I needed help trying to produce an icy font, so I searched online until I found a tutorial that would help. I followed the steps of this tutorial: [] - I had to watch the video about four times before I was ready to try it. So, to produce the icy effect, I chose "Text Layer #2" and selected the rotate tool. I rotated the text 90 degrees, went to filters, chose distorts, and selected wind. I changed the direction of the wind to blow from the right in order to "melt" my letters. I set the threshold at 4 and the strength at 14. Then, I rotated the text -90 degrees to its original position.
 * 2) I duplicated Text Layer #2 to create Text Layer #3. I added a Gaussian blur to this layer.
 * 3) I went back to Layer #2 and applied a Gaussian blur with a horozontal and vertical radius of 4 pixels. I had to make the text have an icy blue color, so I went to colors, chose levels, and changed red to 0 and green to 191. This gave the layer the blue tint I was looking for.
 * 4) I went back to Layer #3 (the top layer that is still white) and set the mode to "addition." I applied a Gaussian blur of 2 pixels. Layers 2 and 3 together produced the icy effect, so I merged those layers together.

**Final Placement**


 * 1) My last step was to use the move tool to place the words where they looked right. I then saved my file as a jpeg image.

I knew I was finished when the word "hate" had both the fiery and icy representations in place. The image was all about conveying the idea that though fire is a real and scary possibility for destruction, ice is perhaps more deadly (and therefore in front) because it is so easy to become apathetic about our principles and truths.

The process of creating these graphics mirrors the writing process in so many ways:


 * 1) I had to think/brainstorm for several days simply to get my idea in place - a kind of visual storyboard. There were tons of words to consider! Not only did I have to consider what word I wanted to use, but I also had to be able to connect it to some kind of greater thematic meaning. As I was teaching this poem, inspiration struck. The poem was all about hate - both aggressive and apathetic hatred (oxymoronic, I know). This became my "thesis," the big idea that all the details of the image had to support.
 * 2) I had to create and discard two drafts that didn't work, learning new tricks as I went, but ultimately having to seek help in a tutorial when I reached the limit of my competency.
 * 3) Finally, I had to be able to articulate the connections between my image and the poem.

**Choices** As I stated, I wanted the word "hate" to be the focus, since that is the focus of the poem. The two representations of man's figurative hatred (fire as aggression and ice as apathy) became the details that would give the word "hate" its meaning. I knew I needed to convey two "kinds" of hate; thus, I used the word twice with the effects of each word suggesting fire and ice. In my earlier drafts, the words were "cut off" - you could see the top of my layer as a straight line though the black background (much like the problems I mentioned wanting to correct in my collage for project #2). I wanted the image to look smoother, so I tossed that version and began again. Hmmm, alternatives? I considered "read" and "know," but I wasn't feeling very creative with them. Like I said, after rereading this poem with my kids, I decided to create what you see here. Hope you like it. I'm pretty partial, as I finally feel a bit more confident using GIMP.