Final assignment - Social Media Issue

Name: Tan Swee Wen
Student ID: B1100002

From the information I got from the Internet, social medias have created a lot of problems to the society. Regardless of the benefits of social media, the issues being caused are much more severe.

As the biggest distraction in our lives, we may be too addicted and spend too much time using social media channels. Employees may waste valuable time online, hence causing low productivity. Worse, they may use social media to attack the company’s reputation. Besides, students use social media channels anytime, at anywhere. They even think that "If you are not online, you don't have a life, you don't really exist".

Nowadays, incidents of profiles and accounts being hacked into are commonplace. Hackers tend to extract sensitive information, like passwords and other details of targeted individual from social networking sites and use them to create an alternate identity, and worse, conducting crimes.

Moreover, when you are online, it's like there are hundreds and thousands of online audience watching at you. When you post a status or "check-in" on these online sites, everyone knows. There are cases which kidnappers were very well aware of their victims surroundings and situations, hence successfully kidnapped these people by observing their statuses and "check-ins".

While people like to put pictures and videos up on social media channels, these pictures and videos could be used for defamation. Reported cases include girls’ photos being photo-shopped and used in objectionable places. Also instances where people use social networking sites to abuse or defame anonymously are constantly reported. A Telegraph report outlines a case where cyber bullying was being used by students to intimidate teachers and staff.

After these research, I got the concept that social media may be very attractive yet dangerous. Once you're addicted, it is impossible for you to stop. Which given me the idea to come out with these art pieces, hopefully with a ghastly feel.

Sketches:

Digital Painting Process:

After scanning my final sketch, I started painting using brush tools and smudge tool.

I used the type tool to type in the word "Enter" on the keyboard key.

Before this, I have worked on several types of eyes to put them onto the social devices as well as the background. I drew out the outline of the eyes using pen tool. After that, I draw out the eyeballs by using brush tools. Then I finished up the details with different colours and finally, I changed the opacity of the eyeballs to make it look more realistic.

I cut and copied those eyes out by using lasso tool and pasted them to my main working artwork.  

I cut and pasted the clown's face out to another document window.

I took this photo of a tree near Help Wisma.

Then back in the clown document window, I dragged the tree's photo in. I put the tree's photo in front of the clown's face, changed the opacity of that particular layer, adjusted the levels, changed the blending mode, enhanced the cracking and peeling feeling by using burn tool and erased the unwanted part by using eraser tool. 

Then I dragged the completed clown face back to the main document window.

Basically, I get to know about this photoshop technique from a youtube video: cracked face

After that, I edited the background by using elliptical marquee tool and different clouds filter with colours.

Finally, my FINAL ARTWORK!

Artist Statement:

I wanted to present the dark side of social media. Unlike usual humorous and joyful clown, half of the clown's face is cracking and peeling. This signifies the treacherous and dangerous incidents such as cyberbullying and online cheating that are hidden under the attractive, joyful surface of social media. Besides, the colour of the clown's clothes signifies facebook, representing social media channels. The "enter" key in the clown's hand signifies the idea "once you get involved in social media activities, you can never leave, bad consequences are waiting for you". Numerous eyes at the background signifies hundreds and thousands of online audiences and stalkers who are watching at you.