I decided to create my mental health awareness project based off a covid theme. It has created much change within society, causing loads of stress and uncertainty. I used this image as my base because I thought it was a cool display of the actual germ causing covid-19.

I then used the text box tool to spell out the word COVID 19. I chose a white text color in order to make it as clear as possible and to contrast with the blue background to give the piece more depth.

I then used these two photos to resemble the simple struggles that occur in each human's daily life. Coughing or sneezing used to be acceptable and one would most likely say "bless you", but now it is considered unmannerly due to the current living conditions. Additionally, masks are required in many areas now, whether it's at a restaurant, in a grocery store, or in a taxi. I cut each image out using the quick selection tool and then a layer mask, touching up small choppy areas that needed small fixes. I put each image in their respective position to create an interpersonal relationship between the two as they are facing each other which creates a contradiction, with one person taking the proper precautions, while another is coughing and putting others at risk. Additionally, I decreased the opacity to 50% for each image in order for each to better blend in with the piece as a whole.

Next, I wanted to fill in each letter or number with things or words related to COVID. I used the textbox tool for 3 out of the 7 possible layers, with terms such as "social distancing, pandemic, and corona". All are very relevant in 2020 and used often on a daily basis. For "social distancing" I transformed the text into an arc shaped and flipped it horizontally to create a twist, which I thought was useful with the "O". For "corona" I created 6 different text layers in order to have a vertical transition contrasting the other texts, as it is going from top to bottom. Lastly, I added pandemic and rotated it in order to take the shape of the "v".

I then used the following images to fill the remaining 4 characters. I used America because it is a country that has tremendously struggled with acting upon the virus, I used a man with a hasmat suit on because doctors and the front line must wear these to stay safe. Additionally, I used an image of a mask, which is worn often, and a picture of toilet paper, because it was one of the items sold in grocery stores that were low on supply due to panic. I created a layer mask from each of the images in order for each image to take the shape of their respective letter, or number.