Thursday, December 9, 2010

Project Presentation

End Result


The end result is the same picture with a few additions. I learned how to add multiple layers to the original picture so that I can paint on top of the image. I also experimented with a few different tools (such as the blur tool) to try to make it look more aesthetically pleasing. I have never used photoshop before so I had to watch a few tutorials on YouTube about it. I am not a pro at photoshop and I still have a lot to learn but the image I created gets the message across that I want. From this picture, students can begin to see some of the muscle groups that they did not realize they are using or should be using. One muscle group that some of the students may not realize they should be using are the external obliques. Another one that they may not realize they are using are extensor muscles in the foot and ankle. I think if I really wanted to post pictures or posters that I create from photoshop, I will have to take a lot more time on them so they look more professional.

Final Project


I have found that many beginning dancers do not understand what muscles they should use to perform specific movements. This seems counter intuitive because dancers move their bodies all the time so they should understand where their muscles are and how to use them. However, in my dance experience I have found that sometimes I engage muscles all the time and then overuse them which fatigues them and if I do not stretch them out afterwards, they can bulk up. This is a problem because dancers typically want to be long and lean instead of bulky. Another problem is that beginning dancers simply cannot anatomically visualize where certain muscles are in their body. I decided to do a project that can help show my dance students what muscle groups they should be using while also teaching them anatomy at the same time. I used photoshop to complete this project. I first started with a simple image of a ballerina. I then went in to photoshop to add in muscles that I would want my students to focus on as they do that specific movement. This is also a way that I can teach muscle groups so they students can see where the various muscles are on a dancer.