graphic design Archives | ŮAV News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Sat, 17 Oct 2020 16:47:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png graphic design Archives | ŮAV News 32 32 Get to Know the Grad Behind UCF Downtown’s New Mural /news/get-to-know-the-grad-behind-ucf-downtowns-new-mural/ Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:59:44 +0000 /news/?p=101965 Artist Harry Foreman ’18 shares how his time at the university inspired the meaningful artwork.

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The new UCF Downtown campus has many eye-catching features, but there’s an especially vibrant one on the third floor of Dr. Phillips Academic Commons – the Unleash Your Potential mural. In a study space, Harry Foreman ’18 worked for eight days to transform white walls of an entire room into a colorful masterpiece intended to inspire.

Creating the mural was a personal experience for the Parkland, Florida, native who studied graphic design and emerging media management at UCF, where Foreman says he was able to unleash his own potential.

Keeping in mind the downtown campus serves both UCF and Valencia College students, he worked with an abstract design and used elements with references to both academic institutions. Yellow and red represent Valencia’s colors, while the stars symbolize UCF’s motto of “Reach for the Stars.” Oranges are a classic Florida staple and two wings on the side walls reference the swans at downtown’s Lake Eola and the Pegasus, a UCF symbol.

Foreman shares more about his work and what it was like creating the mural:

How did you become interested in art?
I went to a high school up north to play hockey and I went to college up there, too, on a lacrosse scholarship. My major was psychology, but that only lasted a semester because I wasn’t happy with what I was doing.

So I came back to home in South Florida at 19, started working three jobs and drawing every day. It was just something I knew I wanted to get into and saw infinite potential in. You can put bits of your intellect and creativity on a wall, T-shirt, paper or whatever you want—and I think that’s really liberating. Art made me want to learn, develop a passionate mindset and see life through a different lens. A lot of the determination I put into it came from my rigorous training as an athlete.

(Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

How would you describe your artistic style?
I have an illustrated style that uses wispy lines with different levels of thickness and curvature. I love very lucid and free-flowing imagery. But as far as what I’m capable of, I’m very good at being a camouflage artist and shapeshift to create most things.

What does creating this mural mean to you?
When I was living in South Florida with my parents, I told them I was applying to jobs and drove to Orlando for a day. I showed up at UCF and met with Chuck Abraham, who is the head of the graphic design program, and showed him some of my paper drawings to see if he thought it was worth me altering my life by coming to Orlando. I asked him, “Do you think I have what it takes?” and he said “Definitely.”

From there I kept working at it and came to UCF for school. I’ve figured things out in my own way, but UCF has helped me unleash my potential so for me to be working on this means a lot. When students are arriving here and walking around, I hope they see this space and are inspired. It’s colorful and vibrant and I hope it speaks to people and inspires them to do cool stuff.

(Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

How did UCF shape your artistic journey?
I was always kind of working my tail off. The graphic design program at ŮAV is no joke; they make you work hard. They teach you a lot about time management and taking on projects, I was working as much as I could while pursuing entrepreneurship by starting my own business,Akyros, which is my artist name. But I really enjoyed the creative community and the more I learned about it and became enveloped in it the more it gave back to me. I owe a lot to the design community at UCF, like my professor Victor Davila. UCF has a lot of community, competition and talented people that pushed me to find my potential.

colorful wall mural with words: Unleash Your Potential
(Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)
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UCF – Downtown Mural Walls-2 (Photo by Nick Leyva '15) UCF – Downtown Mural Walls unleash-mural
Alumnus Competes in Halloween TV Special /news/alumnus-competes-halloween-tv-special/ Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:07:15 +0000 /news/?p=62506 Andy Bauer, ’02, and Dave Gugel, are participating in ABC’s “The Great Halloween Fright Fight,” in which six families compete to make the greatest haunted Halloween displays. Celebrity designers Michael Moloney (of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) and Sabrina Soto (of HGTV’s “The High/Low Project”) are the judges. The winners get bragging rights and a $50,000 prize.

Andy and Dave’s displays, “Terror at Tee Lake,” are described by ABC as a lakeside cabin resort with a handmade drive-thru haunt spanning their four-acre property, with a variety of unique displays from a “Day of the Dead” area to a carnival zone with clowns. Using Andy’s expert graphic design skills and Dave’s construction know-how, the pair created a world of eerie neon characters, waiting for you behind every bend.

This is the couple’s fifth year creating haunted displays in Michigan, where they live, but their 10th year including their time in Florida.

“The Great Halloween Fright Fight” airs from 8-9 p.m. Oct. 28 on ABC.

MORE INFO

Check out the guys’ Tee Lake Resort website for more Halloween fun!

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Graduating Design Students to Hold 1st Show /news/graduating-design-students-to-hold-1st-show/ Wed, 02 May 2012 17:14:08 +0000 /news/?p=36070 The first show featuring works by graduating UCF Bachelor of Fine Arts design students will be Saturday, May 5, at the downtown Faith Arts Village Orlando.

The Graphic Design Student Association organized the show, which members hope will become an annual event.

Works to be shown include a variety of projects completed while at UCF, either in classes, professionally or for themselves. There will be posters, ad campaigns, illustrations, branding and marketing materials, sequential art and other pieces.

“This class is very passionate about design and getting their work out,” said Victor Davila, a visiting assistant professor in the School of Visual Arts and Design. “They’ve implemented several things this year that haven’t been done before, including a portfolio review where outside professionals were invited to critique the seniors’ portfolios.”

The show will include works by 26 designers from 7 to 10 p.m. at the arts village, 221 E. Colonial Drive. Organizers have also scheduled live music and several food trucks.

“I’ve been very happy and impressed with this class of graduating seniors,” Davila said. “Not only are they talented, but they’re incredibly passionate about design, illustration, and art in general…I expect to see a lot of great things from them as they start their professional careers.”

 

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