Design Principles - Week 8
Design Principles
26/04/2021 - 17/05/2021 [24/05/2021 - 02/07/2021]
(Week 5 - Week 8 [Week 9 - Week 14])
Rusydina Fazlin Athirah Binti Fauzi ( 0344000 )
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design ( Hons ) in Creative Multimedia
Task 8 / Exercises / Lectures
INSTRUCTIONS
[Independent Week 8]
May 19th, 2021 (Week 8)
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There were no classes on week 8 since it was an independent week for all the classes.
[Week 9 Public Holiday]
May 26th, 2021 (Week 9)
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PUBLIC HOLIDAY.
[Further explanation in Project 2 - Sense of place]
June 2nd, 2021 (Week 10)
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During week 10's class session with Mr. Charles, he explained starting out our second project that regards a sense of place. Mr. Charles even had a session where he demonstrated some examples of places in his garden and did some sketches for us to have our own interpretation on understanding.
[Feedback on Project 2 & Brief explanation on Project 3 Visual Analysis]
June 9th, 2021 (Week 11)
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Mr. Charles gave a brief explanation on how to start out our 3rd project based on visual analysis, he mentioned that we can take up any kind of artwork by an artist as long as there's an interpretation towards it and be shown next week (week 12) of our visual analysis of the artist we chose.
[Lecture- Visual Analysis]
May 21st, 2021
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Ms. Jinchi's recorded lecture on our last topic covering 'Visual Analysation'. Ms. Jinchi mentioned that it is:
- A method of understanding design that focuses on the visual elements and principles.
- In its strictest definition - a description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake.
- The purpose of visual analysis can also be to recognize the choices that a designer made in creating the design and better understand how the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
So in simpler words, visual analysis is to help a design convey itself to a viewer through a form of design communication idea whether it has a much deeper meaning to it or just meaning to it in general.
Other than that,
- Visual analysis is a critical part of visual literacy, a skill that helps people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news. (more of a skill that's gets overlooked.)
- As citizens of the 21st century, we are constantly confronted with visual media. Practicing visual analysis sharpens critical judgment skills and helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving information. (and as a designer it's an important trait to obtain such knowledge.)
How does visual analysis work?
A question that is often asked is how it all works when it comes to visual analysis. Visual analysis can include three phases.
- Phase 1: Observation
- Phase 2: Analysis
- Phase 3: Interpretation
Phase 1 - Observation
- Observation means closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in your own words without reading beforehand about the design at all.
- The observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you notice.
Phase 2 - Analysis
- Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to make statements based on the evidence of your observations.
- Think about how the specific visual elements you've identified combine to create a whole and what effect that whole has on the viewer.
- How your eye is led through the work and why?
Phase 3 - Interpretation
- In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy published sources.
- What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be created?
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| Figure 8.1.1 - Observation page |
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| Figure 8.1.2 - Analysis page |
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| Figure 8.1.3 - Interpretation page |
Project 3 - Visual Analysis
June 9th, 2021
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Visual Research/inspirations:
To be honest, it was difficult at first to begin the research in artwork that I could easily carry out. I don't see a lot of artwork that has a 'deep' interpreted meaning to it because most of my artworks and some of my personal drawings are straightforward and more of a depiction of not-so-crazy ideas added to it.
Illustrations that might have fewer principles to them, so I went out of my way and visited an old friend, Deviant art to see if there were any kinds of works that I could interpret the way the artist does them but implementing my ideas.
I stumbled upon a few artworks in the 'popular' tab of deviant art (most towards the same filter of the kinds of artworks that would seem similar to my kind of style???):
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| Figure 8.1.4 - Surfbox Spirals ... by marijeberting, June 10th, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.1.5 - Kraken, legendary sea monster ... by marijeberting, June 10th, 2021 |
The first piece that drew me in was this- by marijeberting, her page showcases many similar artworks to what's being displayed above and a few surrealism-like pieces too. It definitely portrays the principles of repetition, rhythm, and a harmonious feel to it. But it was very far from reach on what I could reinterpret.
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| Figure 8.1.6 - Friendly Hand by ashpwright on DeviantArt, June 10th, 2021 |
Next is more of a simple digital drawn illustration by ashpwright, why? Well in a sense this was the kind of illustrated works that I'd personally draw in my free time. This artist has simplicity in his illustrated comic-like drawings, he adds contrast to his works with minor colors but constantly keeping a monochromatic tone to them and small repeated lines to share an element in his drawings as seen below.
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| Figure 8.1.7 - Our World Changed A Lot by ashpwright, June 10th, 2021 |
Other than that I think this artist has mythical, fantasy, and action-packed illustrations that were honestly fun to look through, there were many interpreted narratives towards it along with some humor that was quite enjoyable to take time whilst during research. Honestly no regrets stumbling upon his page! (ashpwright DeviantArt profile).
But at long last, these pieces by Lance-schmale on Deviant completely drew me in as far as wanting to see the wonders I could do with the kind of style he went for in his pieces.
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| Figure 8.1.8 - Wolf Spirit by Lance-schmale, June 12th, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.1.9 - Elephant Spirit by Lance-schmale, June 12th, 2021 |
Schmale seems as if he does monthly artworks of his pieces since, from my research, there weren't many artworks on his Deviant page but what I found out was that he sells his artwork on his store website, filled with many other similar concepts of portraits of colorfully designed faces of animals and his beliefs. From the store, he displays a lot of magnificent pieces as well.
[Phase 1] Visual Analysis on artist's artwork
Chosen art piece
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| Figure 8.1.6 - Lion Spirit by Lance-schmale, June 10th, 2021 |
Observation
The artwork's design's soft mix between blue and green that covers the background holds harmonious and warm colors. The lion being the mane subject of the piece, giving balance and symmetry that fills the canvas in the art piece. The use of similar and repeated elements of feathers decorating the lion's mane but scattered throughout the mane, along with the thin and eye-pleasing strokes and swirls at the end of them that form, shape, and illustrate a lion. The background with a calming mix between green and blue with circular strokes of lines to add depth to the piece and in the front, additional effects of sparkles and stars along with gradients of red and yellow. A mask-like headdress adds to the fullness of the lion's mane.
Analysis
The grandness that the art piece holds within itself, could be attracted towards the appeal of the lion since it was the first thing a viewer (me) noticed, then it leads through a few analyzations of the colors warmth, and harmony that fills this piece. Moreover, the elements contained and dressing up the lion with feathers and repetitive lines within each shape adds a sense of completion in detail to the subject, along with the balance and symmetrical face of the lion that could pull the viewer in to be met with a warm welcome smile that the lion seems to expression. This whole piece of artwork has a feeling of spirituality to it, a kind of understanding beyond common religious beliefs that Schamle designed into illustrating it. It seems as if he finds peace or courage or even strength in picturing himself as the lion in the portrait but making sure to add these trinkets that hang from its mane and a headdress to emphasize a symbol of belief that I think he's trying to tell a viewer when looked upon his art piece. It could be a way where he sees himself as this king of his spiritual art pieced world, something that not a lot of people could understand where he's coming from but it's a way to remind himself to take pride in his creations.
Interpretation
Lance Schmale, a professional digital artist from the Netherlands takes up his time illustrating majestic pieces of animals and more towards cultural illustrations, he titles himself as a 'psychedelic illustrator', which is quite intriguing. Schmale does also sell most of his art pieces on his store website with many more similar concepts of his illustrations in many different varieties. Though I suppose stumbling upon him on DeviantArt may show he wanted to go for a different approach in sharing his artworks. From the chosen amount of the art pieces he has on Deviant art compared to his website, I suppose these are the ones that he favors and has connections to them being out of every piece he had I chose this one. 'Lion spirit' to portray the pride he has within himself, the warmness of this image could tell a viewer the kind of person he is when approached, other than that the little elemental decorations could portray the charm and how much his soul is the kind that dresses up nicely.
[Phase 2] Visual Analysis on my artwork
Sketches:
I began with sketches, I took inspiration to create a portrait similar to the chosen art piece I had above by Lance Schmale.
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| Figure 8.1.7 - rough sketch #1, June 21st, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.1.9 - rough sketch #2, June 21, 2021 |
Just like Schamle's Lion Spirit portrait, I started off with an animal that I feel would portray who I am. I've like cats for a very long time and I wanted to implement that into my artwork. Other than that, I love the ocean I feel as if another spark of inspiration that came to mind is that I'm like to think that since I'm a cat and maybe living in a society where everyone else is cats. I tend to stand apart from the crowd and a common thing that everyone knows are that cats hate water, but a cat-like me who loves the ocean is just plain out weird hence interpreting that in reality I can be quite different from my family and I tend to just find myself doing my own things on my own. Solitude, isolation, like how an ocean can give a person that feeling.
Lineart/progression:
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| Figure 8.2.1 - Star of the sea sketch, June 22nd, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.2.2 - Star of the sea lineart_foreground, June 22nd, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.2.3 - Star of the sea lineart_background, June 22nd, 2021 |
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| Figure 8.2.4 - Star of the sea lineart_background + background, June 22nd, 2021 |
Colored/Final outcome:
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| Figure 8.2.5 - Star of the sea lineart_coloried, June 26th, 2021 |
Rationale
What I'd like to emphasize on this artwork that I illustrated is how much a place that a person or anyone commonly knows as a place that's dangerous to your life or health can also still be a site where it brings out who YOU are. For instance, I was afraid of the ocean, not what was in it or what it could do to me. I was just scared that if I chose to be out there people around me wouldn't favor where I'd want to be, I was always under the control of other people's choices and thoughts on specific domains that I was drawn to, just because I thought if I were to let myself indulge in what I like (even if it scares me) I thought I'd lose their love, respect or see me as someone that's difficult to understand.
But this artwork shows hopefully how I overcome those harsh and pressuring times, to eventually be what really shines from within in the place where I like to be (the ocean). I believe that when you're in a place that only you understand how it makes you feel, it truly turns you into something weird but it still has beauty to it and only a few can see that.
Hence the bioluminescent underwater feline allows herself to display however she wants to without being laughed at or judged. But why a cat as the figure in this setting? Cats have a variety of connotations to them, the one I'd like to point out is 'mysterious'. Cats are elegant, independent, and worshipped in the olden days in Egypt but they're also known to be quite a mystery.
To me it correlates to the ocean, not even half of the sea is discovered by us humans which links to a cat's characteristics,s and to myself, I find myself discovering and like new things every day at times its exhausting cause what else of a mystery could I hold in myself before I let it out.
Other than that there are small hints into symbolism that mean a lot to me personally and just to symbolize the kind of flow personality that I have and learn to obtain every day.
In simpler words; you're not who you are until you get the chance to be where you are, which will turn you into the most YOU, you could possibly be.
Pdf Version:
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