Escapism in computer games

I have chosen this image because its a stark remminder of how computer games can take over a young persons life, and the effects that they might have on them, like school, social life and even there health. I feel there has to be a healthy balance or these effects could follow them to there adult life.
This image was sourced from www.gamingenthusiast.net

Is reality worse than games? I understand why people want to escape I love to loose myself in a good game but for me there is a line. This is a clever and funny image but it's quite sad that the fact people want to live in a digital world as opposed to the real one. Life is hard but it's what you make of it, everyone surely has dream or ambition so they should follow it even if they don't make it they should try, the fun is about the journey, the people you meet and the emotions and the experience, you can't get that from living in a game.
This image was sourced from www.mymmosite.com

A strong message here and well thought out but I find it hard to believe people get that addicted.This image looks like a drug addiction poster, like they ruin lives, they are just games I don't see my granddad rattle for a game of monopoly, whats the difference, but if you are constantly on them I could imagine they do become quite a addiction because thats the message I am getting from this image.
This image was sourced from ceritha2escapism.blogspot.co.uk

I love this advertisement, there is certainly a strong link to escapism in this image. The mixture of photo and graphics is a clever way of that line between reality and virtual reality and with the new consoles that line is going to blur even more.I like the fact that you are seeing through the players eyes in the advertisement.This image seems like a good route to take , an advertisement of my own.
This image was sourced from Gamesmaster magazine. 

I like this advertisement, it is a positive message, go and interact with others in person instead of onscreen. Sometimes you can't beat a good old fashioned board game, Although dungeons and dragons isn't my cup of tea.
Image sourced from hectorlorenzo.blogspot.co.uk

Mind Maps

It's always good to keep in mind what resources are available to me so I have added this mind map as a reminder

This is a very important part of the final image, what style am I going for? This is another area that I need to do further research for.

Mind Map After Thoughts

Some interesting ideas have started to emerge, I always find that the hardest part is starting. My next step is to now research into artists and imagery related to the subjects I have thought of, escapism and violence are standing out to me, but I think I need to explore as many ways as possible before I make a decision. I also need to mind map what hardware, software and styles there are available to me, and then start to experiment with techniques working up to the final pieces.

Statement of Intent

Digital Media

Statement of intent

The theme that I have decided to take a closer look at is computer games. I have grown up with games ever since I can remember but I have never based a project around them, this task is a perfect opportunity to look deeper into the industry and the effects it can have on people.   Another keen interest of mine is the art work that is produced for games, the level of talent is immense and the imagination that goes into them blows me away. Digital painting and photo manipulation are the two areas that I am going to focus on and areas that are both new to me so this a good way forward for me to start to learn these new skills and hopefully one day master. These two areas relate to games because these are the styles that are used to create starting points known as concept art. Concept art is about creating a vision of how the game could look. Quality over quantity is the aim, I would rather create one image that shows the best that I can be, instead of many mediocre ones, but I want to try and achieve at least two (one in each area) to build and push my skills in new directions.

I have started to mind map ideas and ask myself questions about computer games , do they cause violence, are they just for kids, from there I will start looking at artist for inspiration on styles ,techniques and anything else I can learn from them. From there I will start to experiment with different techniques in these two areas, I have many books magazines and access to online tutorials that show different ways of achieving effects to help me along the way, I don’t want to forget the importance of traditional methods as well I know the combination of digital and traditional can produce some interesting results

I want to focus the project mainly in Photoshop as it’s a program that I haven’t used much, but that doesn’t mean it limits me, I Intend to experiment with IPad ,photography ,graphics tablets, drawings and other methods to learn as much about using Photoshop as possible within the time frame. What is most important that I organise a timetable or something to make the best of my time because time does grow short.     

A mind map of possible themes related to computer games

So Where Do I Start ?

I know that I want to base my theme around computer games but I want to go a little deeper than just creating game art. This project is about inviting others to show you a view about a certain opinion, one that is open for discussion and I can see this theme having a lot of potential, do they cause violence, are they just for kids? There are many areas that that I could start to look into and I will start to generate ideas the same way I always do, through a mind map

My Theme

The theme that I want to focus on is something I have always been passionate about for a very long time, computer games. Ever since I can remember I have always played them, from the old and now retro original nintendo to the recent playstation three and soon to be number four, I will never grow out of them and will play them as long as live. But I have never based a project around them, so I see this project as a perfect opportunity to do so. I want this project to focus on using the software called photoshop, unless I find a better way along this journey?.