Pixiv

Forget about twitter and facebook; you have to get an account on Pixiv! Pixiv is the biggest online gallery in the world. It all started in 2007 as an internet project of a Japanese man. Nowadays, more than 1.5 million people (!) are connected to this website.



On Pixiv, you can create an account and then you can post your artwork online. Other members can view your artwork and they can follow you as a ‘friend’. Pixiv is the first and biggest artist community in Japan. The concept was to create a place where people can enjoy artwork, members can watch an unlimited amount of Japanese artwork and manga. A purpose of the website is also to spot new talents. It’s no wonder this all started in Japan, because they are always ahead of the worldwide trends, especially when it comes to popular culture and the internet. At this moment, the website is only available in Japanese, but I can imagine it wouldn’t take long before we have an English or Dutch version of Pixiv.

Go to http://www.pixiv.net to see for yourself; unfortunately it’s impossible for me to read Japanese, but at the end, it’s all about the artwork.

Are you getting an account?

3D Mania

“A geometric model of the physical universe in which we live”, this is the definition of 3D. In our society, it’s a fast and upcoming new technology. Everywhere around us we see and hear about 3D; it seems to be that everything can be performed in 3D. I even read a blog about 3D Fairy tales in books and one about 3D Fashion shows!



Since you can watch 3D movies in cinema’s all over the world (I really loved Alice in Wonderland!), the television producers are also interested in this phenomena. What if we could watch 3D in our own home? We can already play 3D videogames, but wouldn’t it be nice to play these games and watch them on an actual 3D screen? Sony is busy to produce a television on which you can! They’re even making 3D games to give away; when you buy a 3D television, you will get free games with it.

Sony also is working together with FIFA, to record 25 matches of the world cup football in 3D for an even better experience. These matches will be shown live in big city’s all around the world. Panasonic on the other hand, is working together with Eurosport; they are planning record tennis matches on Roland Garros and play them in 3D.

As you can see, the options with 3D are endless. I think experiencing 3D is great! Do you think 3D contributes to having a better experience?

Digital Manipulation

I wanted to write about this topic, because last semester in the course Designing Business Communication, I wrote my paper and did a presentation about this topic. I think it’s a serious problem that models nowadays are being photoshopped (digitally manipulated) to look more thin and/or beautiful…

A lot of research has been done regarding the relationship of reading (fashion)magazines and having a negative self-image. But little research has been done about the photoshopping part in this. Because of the retouching of models and celebrities, girls and women get a negative image of themselves. They want to be just as good looking as the people they see in magazines; but this isn’t realistic, because these people don’t look as pretty in real life as in the magazines. It can lead (young) girls and women to having serious health problems; physically and mentally.

A great example of photo shopping was proposed by Dove in their ‘Campaign for real beauty’. Watch this clip to see for yourself:


This clip was made to make people aware of how it is done in the fashion industry: Photoshop can make everyone turn into a supermodel.

I think it’s very important that readers of fashion magazines will get a more realistic image about the models in advertisements. They need to be aware of the fact that the models they’re seeing in magazines are being manipulated by photoshop to look more beautiful. I think it’s important for readers of fashion magazines that they can relate to the models; nowadays, that’s almost impossible.

Let me know what you think about this!

Heineken

Saw this amazing clip on someone else's blog,
couldn't stop thinking about how I loved this idea, so decided to put it on my blog as well:



what do you think of this clip?