Throughout the week, I've delved into several fascinating aspects of art that have significantly enriched my skills and understanding. The study of painting the human face and head has enabled me to grasp the intricacies of capturing expressions and features, breathing life into my portraits. I've also learned the art of character design, which means I can now create characters from scratch, giving them distinct traits and personalities that resonate with viewers on a deeper level.

Exploring environment and landscape painting has been an enlightening journey, allowing me to not only depict different scenes but also evoke their unique atmospheres and emotions. This skill has given me the ability to transport my audience to various settings, whether it's the tranquillity of a serene countryside or the vibrancy of a bustling cityscape.

Another fascinating area I've delved into is still life painting. Through this, I've gained a keen eye for observing and replicating textures, lighting, and spatial relationships. This meticulous attention to detail has elevated my ability to compose captivating arrangements of everyday objects, telling stories through their placement and interaction.

Overall, these courses have provided me with a comprehensive toolkit to express my artistic visions more effectively. I now possess the skills to convey emotions through human and character depictions, set the mood through landscapes, and tell intricate stories through still life arrangements.

After completing these advanced courses, I feel proud of how much I've learned. Painting human faces and heads is now much easier, and I can make characters that feel real. Landscapes and places come alive in my paintings, and even still objects have a story to tell now. I'm excited to keep using these skills and see where my art goes next!

4. How did you learn and apply the skill of decision making in your EP journey?
Learning and applying the skill of decision making throughout these courses has been crucial to my progress. I've learned to make thoughtful choices at various stages of my artistic process, which has ultimately shaped my learning experience. When studying human face and head painting, I had to decide on the emotions and expressions I wanted to convey, guiding my color choices and brushwork. In character design, I made decisions about personalities, appearances, and backstories, ensuring each character was unique and compelling.

In the realm of environment and landscape painting, I learned to decide on the mood and atmosphere I wanted to capture, which influenced my choice of colors, lighting, and composition. Even in still life painting, decisions about object placement, lighting angles, and the stories I wanted to tell all played a role in the outcome.

Through trial and error, I learned the art of making decisions that aligned with my artistic vision. This skill not only impacted the technical aspects of my work but also encouraged me to think creatively and critically. It's been a valuable lesson that extends beyond art, enhancing my ability to make informed choices in various aspects of my life.

 Managing my time for this online course during the holiday break required a combination of organization, discipline, and flexibility. I recognized that the holiday break offered a unique opportunity to dedicate focused time to the course, but I also wanted to balance it with relaxation and family time.

To achieve this balance, I created a loose schedule that allocated specific blocks of time for the course materials, practice, and assignments. I divided each day into segments, ensuring I had time for learning, practicing, and leisure. This allowed me to maintain a sense of structure while still being flexible enough to accommodate unexpected events or spontaneous activities.

Setting daily goals and milestones helped me track my progress and stay motivated. I prioritized completing modules, practicing new techniques, and meeting assignment deadlines. Utilizing digital tools such as calendar apps and task lists helped me stay organized and reminded me of upcoming assignments or study sessions.

During breaks or downtime, I would engage in quick review sessions or practice exercises to reinforce what I had learned. This approach prevented me from feeling overwhelmed and kept the course content fresh in my mind.

Additionally, I made sure to communicate my schedule and goals with my family and friends so they understood my commitments and could support my efforts.

Phase 4: Portfolio Development and Specialization

- Colorized painting

- Photo realistic painting

- Building a social media portfolio

In this week’s activity, I have went through the topics on Fingerprinting; Polymers and Fibers; and also Firearms. One case that was used as an example for this topic was Brandon Mayfield’s case where he was detained for having a partial match of his fingerprints at the crime scene. Only with the help of electronic databases that he was proven not guilty. These are some limitations of the past regarding fingerprintings. Regarding firearms, I’ve learned that gunshot residues that may be deposited on the target’s or suspect’s clothes plays a big role in solving firearms cases. It requires lab tests comparison on the chemicals found at the crime scene as well. I had also covered the topics on Narcotics whereby it uses the techniques of spectroscopy and chromatography to detect and determine these compounds. At the end of the week, I answered a quiz and completed two case studies. 

I had fun learning about firearms whereby they differentiated each gun shot and to recognize the importance of every little detail on this evidence related to firearms as it involves a lot of estimation in physics and chemical analysis. 

I’ve learned to be more detailed and precise on the information I have to gather and understand in order to make a crucial decision. Besides that, I do think that we should be 100% sure of the facts that we have before making any judgements of any matter to avoid any risks of inconvenience to ourselves and other parties.

I make sure to at least go through one topic every two days during the weekdays, and I would complete my assignments by the end of the week. In my honest opinion, I have a lot of room for improvement on my time management. Allocating ample time for each class would be more impactful for me in the near future. 

I plan on completing the remaining topics on Toxicology and seven other case studies to be reviewed. I would also attempt one quiz by the end of next week.