Arroz Con Pollo?

i've been brainstorming.. scratch that.. i've been having natural disasters of the mind.

as an artist, i have been told to "think outside the box" on NUMEROUS occasions. it has become utterly redundant. fact of the matter is, i had no idea there was a box to start with. how can you possibly know off hand what to think out of if there are supposed to be no limits to creativity?

i believe many other artistic people.. no matter what field.. should stop following that phrase. even though it may already be etched in stone, but it's never too late for change. speaking of change.. i need to find a better way of approaching projects. i find myself scouring around the internet for idea sparks or inspiration. i can't remember the last time i used a book to spark an idea. in such a technological age, using a book is the last thing on anyone's mind. however, i can say that my conceptual bug has been biting me quite nicely. it still takes me a while to make my executions look good, but it's been worth it.

in a recent mid-term assignment, my 2D professor had us recreate our own version of this Epson Printer ad in a magazine:

this is my interpretation:

i'm not PhotoShop savvy just yet, but i am getting there. i'm pretty proud of myself for not asking for much help, either. i got a good feel of it the first day we approached the assignment. i was a bit frustrated at first; it took me forever to find a decent brick wall photo. i'm pretty sure expert PSers can tear this photo apart by estimating what effects i used and probably about how many layers i used, too.

i hope to do some more work in PhotoShop SOON.. i NEED to hone my skills and take more advantage of the Gamma Lab on campus than what i already am..