While writing two theses about J. M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, Sarah also took a course in computer design to augment her media skills in writing and video production. She has gained a proficiency in Adobe’s Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Here are some of her favorite final products.
Firstly, below is a portrait that she created on Adobe Illustrator in October of 2018 using a photo she took and edited herself.
This portrait took hours of minute clicking with the pen tool and paint fill tool. You can see which green background shapes (results of a low f-stop and a perfect moment at the beach) came first. Later she learned that smaller, jagged shapes, when looked at in the bigger picture, are way more interesting. Additionally, they seem to fit together more naturally.
Though digital art just does not come as naturally, she still enjoys computer design and practices small projects to keep up the skill. Please find below an exhibition announcement that she created on InDesign CS6 that same semester. This item includes one photo taken by each of her classmates and one photo from her own portfolio. Credits to each surname located around each photo. This project taught how to make a post card template and used a culmination of cropping and layering techniques.
In addition to academic and journalistic writing, Sarah has practiced professional writing at Meredith College. Here are two documents that she created in the professional writing course.
The first is a profile created on publisher. The assignment asked that she interviews a professional about how she or he uses professional writing for work. Sarah saw that a more casual writing style is fitting for the intended tone of the piece, friendliness.
The second document is a web-feature created on Microsoft Word. The intended source is described under the headline, and its sources are on the last page. With those two amendments, this document mimics a professional web-feature.
If you’ve scrolled this far, thanks for joining us on a jaunt down memory lane. Check back soon for more content! As Sarah no longer has assignments, the projects become more personal and more dog-themed!
Here is a fun one Sarah made recently on InDesign as a refresher. Working full-time as a copy editor leaves her with very little (none at all) creative energy and no desire to look at another computer screen. But the fun thing about being an adult is making things for the sake of being a person who still remembers how to do that skill. So, without further ado, we present, “Dogtage.”
This collage, much like the preceding post card, features multiple layers of pictures.
It features Sarah’s childhood schnoodle, Lucy, the salt and pepper lady in the top left corner, pictured here in her older-age enjoying a crisp, winter day.
That skinny, long legged mountain feist with the brown and white spots is Charlie, now called Obi. He was an anxious little thing, but once he got used to the existence of other dogs, he loved to stir everyone up and out run a dozen dogs at a time. He can even lap the other dogs, turn 180 degrees, and hurtle over them without missing a beat. He was the first foster dog in the house.
Next, they got Max, the golden retriever-mix lounging on the couch in the top, right corner. He’s something.
Finally, the silly staffy in the tree and in the driver’s seat is Alula, Sarah and Natalie’s long term foster who is nothing but energy, butt wiggles, and upside-down naps. Oh, and don’t forget jumping nearly every fence and staring at trees for hours waiting for squirrels. After refusing to be coaxed into the car for 45 minutes then warming up to the two humans in about 20 seconds after arriving home, she stayed with Nat n Sarah for five months, reliving the puppyhood she may never have had. Now Bug has a new family with a big house and a boxer-mix sister. Picture a 55-pound cuddle bug entering a new home for the first time, sniffing out, (could it be) a toy bin?!! and carefully removing every single stuffy and ball and pull toy. With a loving family and a sister to play with, she is living the dream!
Sarah E. Kiser 