Design Principles | Exercises & Projects (Weekly & Final Compilation)
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INSTRUCTION
INSTRUCTION
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💬 Week 11-14 [01.11.2021 - 26.11.2021]: Final Project - Visual Analysis and Final Blog
RECAP OF LECTURE
VISUAL ANALYSIS
• 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.
• Yet the purpose of visual analysis can also recognise the choices that a designer made in creating the design, as well as to better understand how the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
• 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.
• As citizens of the 21st century, we are constantly confronted with visual media. Practising visual analysis sharpens critical judgment skills and helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving information.
There are 3 phases in conducting visual analysis:
Phase 1 - Observation: This means closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in your own words. Do not read 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 about the work based on the evidence of your observations. Think about how the specific visual elements that you’ve identified combine together to create a whole, and what effect that whole has on the viewer. How your eye is led through the work and why? Apply the Design Principles knowledge you have learned throughout these weeks.
Phase 3 - Interpretation: In this final phase, your observations, description, and
analysis of the work is 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?
FINAL PROJECT BRIEF:
Visual Analysis:
1. A 500-word visual analysis, describing and analysing the design principles of a selected design.
2. Exploration of ideas in sketches.
3. Pictures of your design inspired by the selected design material on one A3/A4 paper with your best craftsmanship.
4. A 200-word rationale, explaining and defending the decisions made in your design.
Final e-Blog:
Ensure all exercises and projects are uploaded and complete with the requirements. Compile all in one Final Compilation, along with a final reflection.
Final reflection guiding questions:
• What have I learnt in this module?
• What did I enjoy the most?
• What did I not enjoy the most?
• What have I learnt about myself through this module?
• What has changed and what has not in my learning journey?
• What could be improved in this module?
POSTER DECISION
Figure 1.1
Type Experiment by Mishko
PHASE 1:OBSERVATION
The design work is in a square format. The text featured in the middle “loneliness” is in a trippy style in white color. Wavy pink and orange lines are coming from behind the text which is very bright and almost has a 3D liquid effect to it that fills a big part of the composition. The background is a dark colour, black.
PHASE 2: ANALYSIS
This artwork contains a movement of the liquid tail effect coming from behind the text. There is a strong contrast of colors between the black in the background versus the pink and orange lines as well as the black versus the white from the text. There is also unity in the color combination of pink, orange, black, and white, and the shape of the wavy lines, trippy text in the center, and the smooth background. The visual has an approximate symmetrical balance of the text being in the center and the waves surrounding it. The emphasis is in the text “loneliness” which is the main focus of the visual. There is a proportion in the layout, creating hierarchy – first, we see the text in the middle, and our eyes follow the orange and pink lines swirling out of it.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Ms. Jinchi said I should place the description, “like a lava lamp”, under phase 3: interpretation and describe why I think the visual has contrast and unity in it. She also suggested I check out apps that serve the purpose of combatting “loneliness” as an inspiration for my artwork in part 2. Moreover, I need to double-check the title of the visual by Mishko.
PHASE 3: INTERPRETATION
This is a type experiment by Nevan Doyle, aka MISHKO, who posted it on his Instagram on 2 November 2021. MISHKO’s mind-bending graphic design style, which he refers to as psychedelic glitch art, hits many of 2019’s top trends: bright palettes; free-flowing abstraction; 3D feels; and eclectic, imperfect, kinetic movement. This trendy aesthetic is not only heating Instagram feeds but allowing this self-trained designer and indie musician to catch the attention of the biggest clients. Most recently, he designed the album and tour art that captured the vibe of Jai Wolf’s debut album “The Cure to Loneliness.” (The design is not part of the album). Plus, his Instagram is a visual treasure trove of type experiments and inspiration. MISHKO’s creative process is usually inspired by his life experiences. He’ll play off whatever word comes to mind from his day and then type out the word or phrase and let it go where it goes. Since most of MISHKO’s pieces end up in the public sphere, his work feels like crucial therapy. It is his way to tell his truths and connect on a deeper level to the people following his art.
References:
Crawford, A. (2019). Get @MISHKO.co’s Psychedelic Glitch Art. Adobe. Retrieved 4 November 2021, from https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/style-maker-mishkoco.
Gomez, F. (2021). A Conversation with MISHKO. noisetrend. Retrieved 4 November 2021, from https://www.noisetrend.com/a-conversation-with-mishko/.
VISUAL RESEARCH
The following are designs that are similar to MISHKO’s and below are my elaborations of what I find interesting about them. My design will be inspired by this similar direction of typography style.
Figure 2.1
I love the colors and the sparkles in Figure 2.1. Although the main focus, “uninspired”, may bring a negative connotation, it reminds me how sometimes, we as artists, label our work as not good enough. But to others, our artwork may seem nice. Sometimes we think that our work is terrible because we are the ones who created it, and we know where the loopholes are. However, if other people can’t seem to find it, then it should be fine as it may be our own overthinking only.
Figure 2.2
I love how silky the melting effect of the text looks in Figure 2.2. I also love how it shines like satin fabric. The color combinations look great as well. I think the effect would look nice when applied to lengthier quotes like this one.
Figure 2.3
The color combination and grain looks beautiful on figure 2.3. I can relate to the quote because I know someone that I wished we can stay as friends with, but couldn’t because of how close we used to be. If we were to become friends again, I am able to accept our new distance, however, it may not be the same for the other party.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 3.1
Description: In my own design, the main focus is the text “DEPRESSION” followed by a free-flowing glitch liquid (melting) effect tailing behind it. There is also a plastic overlay on the right edges to look like an album cover sold at the store. If the final work seems too complicated or does not match, I will replace it with simpler white light leaks.
Meaning: Creating artwork on my past and emotions “depression”, I followed the concept of singer-songwriter Clinton Kane who mentioned creating what you feel so you don’t feel like that all the time. It also reflects the idea of how when you write out the problem that you have, 50% of it is already solved. Albert Einstein mentioned that “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,”.
By expressing what I feel and something I have carried inside for a long time, weight is lifted off my shoulders, and I can move on more freely without thinking about it or feeling ashamed about it. By the end of the day, we all have our own demons, and most people are also too busy with their own problems to care about yours. Thus the free-flowing pattern of the tail behind the text symbolizes living freely.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
Ms. Jinchi asked me to include “Figures 2.1, 2.2 & 2.3” in my elaborations and build a bridge between my visual analysis and visual research by stating how the research and my design will be similar to the artist's work. She also provided some suggestions to make my explanations more detailed. I should also provide more idea explorations through sketches.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
I created more draft ideas for my work. All the text will be followed bylines in a liquid-melting effect.
Figure 4.1
Figure 4.2
“Sometimes I don’t know myself” is inspired by a song by Clinton Kane. I relate to the lyrics when I heard it because I was like “this is exactly how I felt.” Then I created a circular effect following the text to make it like an illusion symbolizing confusion.
Figure 4.3
I was thinking of switching my theme of “depression” to “hopeless.” It can be applied to any of the free forms I drew. I feel that people in their 20s may struggle more with hopelessness sometimes during the process of finding themselves. Personally, I sometimes feel “hopeless” in finding a career I am passionate about, without having my parents worry and advise me not to pursue it.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 3
Ms. Jinchi suggested I take note of how I use colours and suitable type to bring out my interpretation of hopelessness as I was going with the idea of using “hopeless” as my main theme.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 3
Figure 4.4
This is my first attempt at creating the artwork. The black triangle gap in the center looks a bit awkward. I chose the font Helvetica and edit it to make it look swirly which brings out the feeling of being lost or confused. I also chose to apply bright ombre colors because even though there is a feeling of hopelessness (in the dark background), the bright light signifies potential. Things may seem hopeless now, but the brightness in you and good things that you do will eventually bring you to a better place.
Figure 4.5
Then I tried to blend some of the black gaps together and it got worse. So, I decided to make a new one.
Figure 4.6
This is my second attempt to create the artwork. I saved the black and white version in a separate file, so this is what it looks like. I think it can be a separate artwork of its own that gives a more melancholic feeling due to the bleak colours and smoky effect.
Figure 4.7
This is what it looks like after colouring and aligning it. I think the gap below “P” and “E” looks a bit off, so I decided to re-edit again to improve it.
Figure 4.8
This is how it turned out.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 4
Ms. Jinchi said my work looks similar to the ones done by MISKHO and suggested I add more of my essence to the design. She gives some examples like including my journal notes, adding my silhouette, or adding an element that represents me like music or spending time with my loved ones. I could also have an element on what I do to overcome certain obstacles in life.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 4
Figure 5.1
I added a plastic wrap texture to make it look like a music album cover. As my focus is "hopeless" I want to share that one of the methods that I turn to when I'm feeling done is to listen to music; especially the ones that relate to my feelings. The lyrics make me think “hey, this is exactly how I feel!” I don’t compose music, but I am sure this can be helpful for a lot of people, as it can make them feel that their feelings are normal, and the songs can help them express what they cannot put into words. The reason for using bright colors is to show “there’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark,” signifying that although things may be tough right now, there is still light in the darkness, there is an opportunity for you to rise.
Figure 5.2
I’ve also redraw a black and white version to test out a different variation of color.
Figure 5.3
I redid the multicolored one again because I felt like the previous one looked messy. I switched for a simpler plastic wrap texture and added grain as well as paper texture to the black background. It seems contradictory to see that “HOPELESS” can be associated with bright colours, that is why I added the quote “THERE’S A HOPE THAT’S WAITING FOR YOU IN THE DARK” to show that there is light in the darkness and that there is a way out. I’ve also added my name, date, and title of the work at the bottom of the design.
Figure 5.4
I used the black and white version from Figure 4.6 and added the quote “I’M SO DONE WAITING FOR WHAT I WANT.” It talks about being at the peak of hopelessness, scared that it will never end. This relates to finding the thing that fills my heart and I need to get up and find it.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 5
Ms. Jinchi said the coloured one is contradicting because “Hopeless” is not supposed to be colourful. She suggested “Hope” for the colourful one and I can go with the black and white for “Hopeless”. For the black and white one, she also told me to move the small quote lower and closer to the top left of the main text. She added that I move the small text with my name more to the right so it can be seen more clearly.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 5
Figure 6.1 Final Outcome
I
followed Ms. Jinchi’s advice and made the amendments. Here is the final result!
FINAL OUTCOME AND SHORT RATIONALE
I’m at this stage of my life where I am finding myself. At times I feel like lost and out of place. “I’m so done waiting for what I want” conveys that I need to get up and find the thing that fills my heart because I’m tired of being broken inside. There are times when I feel scared that this cycle won’t ever end, and that’s why I need to break it. I must stop blaming the community or the environment. If I want to change, then I’ll change and stop making excuses. This sums up my emotions of feeling “hopeless” at times, while trying to get back up.
I created an artwork to present an album cover as music helps me overcome the hard times; especially the ones that relate to my feelings. The lyrics make me think “hey, this is exactly how I feel!” I am sure this can be helpful for a lot of people, as it can make them feel that they are not alone, and the songs can help them express what they cannot put into words. The plastic wrap texture makes it look like the plastic on the album cover. The white colour represents emptiness but also peacefulness. The black colour represents sadness but also power. The small text at the bottom has my name and title of the artwork to make it look like an official album. The date below is the submission date of the assignment or it can be interpreted as the release date of the album or artwork.
REFLECTION ON THE PROJECT
For the visual analysis, I thought that was nice because I chose an artwork that I think looks good and I can relate to. I had a great time working on this final project because it felt nice creating an artwork of my emotions. It helps in a way for me to release stress. Ms. Jinchi is also very supportive and gave a lot of advice as always. Even though I went to through a lot of re-editing, it was worth it to create something that looks good and represents who I am.
FINAL REFLECTION
The semester is coming to an end, and Design Principles is a module that I find hard to say goodbye to. I have learned a lot from this module. From the exercises, I have learned about the 10 design principles, including Gestalt Theory, Contrast, Emphasis, Balance, Repetition, Movement, Harmony, Unity, Symbol, and Word and Image. Now I know how to identify them and apply them to my designs. In the self-portrait assignment, I discovered more about myself than I previously had not acknowledged. I learned how to make a digital scrapbook collage. I also opened up more about myself which helped me reflect on the things I felt in the past but had never told anyone. In creating “Sense of Place,” I learned how to draw things to curate a vibe and atmosphere of revisiting the place or a longing memory. That was a bittersweet assignment for me as I long to go out. In “Visual Analysis,” I’ve learned how to critically observe, analyse and interpret an artwork. The final project taught me to apply the design principles I’ve learned while taking inspiration from another design, combined with my own elements to create something original.
I was able to incorporate suitable mediums and design styles to bring out the essence I wanted in all my designs. Moreover, I am now more familiar with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator tools as well as shortcuts. I have learned more about color combinations and how to be more self-directed towards creating artworks. I enjoyed trying out different styles of design as well as visual trends. I found that it is fun as well as satisfying when I come up with something that looks good and is meaningful for me. What I did not enjoy were days when I could not find any inspiration for my work. When those days come, I move my workplace to different areas of my house, including the balcony or anywhere that has sufficient sunlight. That way, I can give myself a new environment to restart and brainstorm new and better ideas for my work.
What I learned about myself is that I can create good works when I believe in myself and tell myself that there’s no stress and it's easy. I also realize that I like designing things that are related to me or things I’ve experienced. I’ve always wanted to be an artist or designer since high school and now my perspective has broadened on this field. Using what I learned in class and Ms. Jinchi’s advice, I started to push myself more to be more original by coming up with unique ideas while applying the design principles to my artworks. What will not change is my passion to curate not only beautiful but meaningful designs with elements that represent myself. I hope my future works can bring inspiration to others or as a source of comfort or something people can relate to.
The only thing that can be improved about this module is the blog website because I find that the website runs a bit slow when I’m editing it, and the features such as bold or justify do not work when I apply it sometimes. Thus, it can make my blog look inconsistent sometimes in terms of neatness. I would suggest Behance because I believe it is a good portfolio that clients often look into a designer’s profile. It would allow students to familiarize themselves with the website as it is also a tool that designers often use during their careers. Other than that, the module is perfect, and I really appreciate my teacher, Ms. Jinchi. She is always there to guide us and is very patient with us. She gives us a lot of inspiration, and she makes the module really enjoyable. To me, she’s one of the most genuine teachers I’ve ever met at Taylor’s University. All in all, I will miss this module a lot after this semester ends and will continue to apply what I learned to my future creations.
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💬 Week 9-10 [18.10.2021 - 30.10.2021]: Project 2 - Sense of Place
RECAP OF LECTURE
INTRODUCTION
• In the simplest description, a designer’s role is to solve problems with effective visual communication.
• “Problems” that a designer solve are aplenty –ranging from personal goals to community events, and from corporate functions to world-changing projects –all through creative, visual communication means.
Figure 1.1 Event Poster
Figure 1.2 Awareness Campaign
THE IMPORTANCE OF OBSERVATION
• Now, how does a designer “know” what imagery or content to include in the design? We understand that the client informs the designer of the purpose of the project BUT when it comes to visual ideas, how do designers work?
• This is where observation comes in. Being observant means being attentive to your surroundings, paying attention to the details, and being analytical about them.
Figure 1.3 Wedding Dress Details
Figure 1.4 Restaurant Wall Details
• For a designer, observation can be an effective way to get ideas. Sources of observation can stem from artifacts, daily happenings, physical surroundings, and such.
• Observing is an active act of acquiring information, through the senses, of a subject matter in its natural setting.
• If you noticed, the video also mentioned the word senses. Our senses are important for us to know, feel, understand, analyse, and even plan what we want to do.
• Observation is important to designers as it enables them to see “problems”, as well as get ideas for solutions to those problems.
Figure 1.5 Inspirational Quote
SENSE OF PLACE
• As shown in the example of the Island Bazaar, we can get the hint of island life, the cool breeze of the air, the warmth of the sun all through careful observation and documentation of the designer’s surroundings.
• Besides that, you will also observe that suitable design principles are applied to create effective visuals in those Instagram feeds of Island Bazaar.
Figure 1.6 Island Bazaar
• Island Bazaar’s Instagram posts are just an example of how a sense of place can be expressed –photography. There are other mediums you can explore, such as collage, illustration (manual/digital), scale model, the possibilities out there are endless!
Figure 1.7 My Mindmap about the Beach
Figure 1.7 My Mindmap about the Beach
RECAP OF PROJECT 2 BRIEFI am required to utilise and apply the design principles I have learned to date in order to express a location of their choice. The place becomes the subject of the composition in which the design principles are applied to capture the social and environmental aspects and even the time/s effects that will best express their intention/interpretation for a particular location. This requires me to move beyond the classroom to the outer world and to employ their skills in capturing and communicating a complex relationship.
Observe your surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, activities. Record these in sketches, photography, and/or video recording. Study all the visuals that you had collected. Select visuals that I find relevant and interesting to you, which you can translate into a design work that reflects your interpretation of a place.
For materials, I may use any of my choices, but do consider their suitability to best express your idea.
RECAP OF PROJECT 2 BRIEF
I am required to utilise and apply the design principles I have learned to date in order to express a location of their choice. The place becomes the subject of the composition in which the design principles are applied to capture the social and environmental aspects and even the time/s effects that will best express their intention/interpretation for a particular location. This requires me to move beyond the classroom to the outer world and to employ their skills in capturing and communicating a complex relationship.
Observe your surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, activities. Record these in sketches, photography, and/or video recording. Study all the visuals that you had collected. Select visuals that I find relevant and interesting to you, which you can translate into a design work that reflects your interpretation of a place.
For materials, I may use any of my choices, but do consider their suitability to best express your idea.
VISUAL RESEARCH When my friend asks me, “Where would you like to go when the pandemic is over?” I think about the beach, the smell of the cool ocean breeze, and the soft rushing water beneath my feet. There is a sense of peace, a different kind of peace from staying in my bedroom listening to music.
Figure 2.1 Beach Inspiration 1
I like how this is simple and straightforward. It makes me want to walk right into the beach and feel the sand beneath my feet and also feet the ocean water.
Figure 2.2 Beach Inspiration 2
I think this is a fun illustration because there are a lot of people hanging out and having a good time at the beach.
Figure 2.3 Beach Inspiration 3
This looks a bit simple, but the colours look calming, and the water looks so serene. It brings a very nice mood to the beach.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 3.1 Drafts
TOP LEFT: It is pattern focused and there will be gradient colours of the ocean and sand. There is a little boat on the beach. BOTTOM LEFT: It’s a scenery of the beach from a human-eye level view. It also has mountains over the horizon.BOTTOM RIGHT: This is the view of the beach from a bird’s eye view. We can see the ocean water and some fun activities to do at the beach.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Figure 3.2 Feedback
Ms.Jinchi thinks the "ocean" sketch has an interesting composition. It's like a pattern itself when seen at that angle (top view). She asks me to try combining the topmost idea (water-sand sketch) into the ocean area.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
Figure 4.1 Wave and sand patterns with colour palette
I drew curvy lines using the pen tool and chose a contrasting colour palette of peach, brown, green, and blue colours.
Figure 4.2 Beach props
Then I drew some umbrellas, mats, and sandals from birds eye view to put on the beach.
Figure 4.3 Colouring process
Next, I started colouring my wave and sand patterns. Here I made a mistake because I did not remove the stroke colour of the lines, so when I removed it, there was a cast of a white line. Then I decided to redo the colouring after removing the black lines and with path only so it will look better.
Figure 4.4 Finished colouring
After adding the colours, I used the blending tool to add 3 specified steps between each line. Then, it will create more detailed gradients of colours. Some lines were not suitable to be blended but it looks fine as well.
Figure 4.5 The beach
Then I rotated the artwork to landscape mode and added my beach props. I also added some surfboards and a beach ball. I edited the colours of the props so they would blend well together with the beach as well. I also applied a gradient to the whole artwork so there would be a little shadow effect on the sides.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2Ms. Jinchi commented that the texture for the water is suitable and asked me to experiment with a vertical composition (rotate) to see if it will look better.
Figure 4.6 Final Outcome
I applied Ms. Jinchi’s feedback to my work, and I think it looks better than my previous version. I think it looks less basic and a little more artistic. A bit like an airplane view when flying over a beach.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE
This is the view of the beach of how I imagine it inside my head but in a dream-like way. I miss traveling with my cousins and the feeling of being able to unplug from studies and everyday problems. It is difficult to find ways to get away for some time to refresh ourselves due to the pandemic. Sometimes staying at home all the time can bring detrimental effects on ourselves, whether it be physical injuries like getting foot pain from walking around the house barefoot all the time or not being able to find the right words to speak again. So, this artwork is the place I want to be in at the moment, but I can't, and that’s okay. All in all, the artwork leaves a bittersweet feeling that represents the freedom of travel in the past and also longing for future celebrations.
REFLECTIONNot only this assignment, but this whole module has given me an outlet to express my feelings and emotions. Project 2 allowed me to draw the place I wish to see. I would say it is less complex than the previous assignment as for the previous one, I need to do some soul searching and find myself. For Sense of Place, I am more direct as I know what I want and where I want to go. I love how the colour palette turned out and how smooth the beach looks. I can really imagine going there and having a fun time with my cousins. For now, I just picture it with my drawing first and make plans for the future once the pandemic improves.
VISUAL RESEARCH
When my friend asks me, “Where would you like to go when the pandemic is over?” I think about the beach, the smell of the cool ocean breeze, and the soft rushing water beneath my feet. There is a sense of peace, a different kind of peace from staying in my bedroom listening to music.
Figure 2.1 Beach Inspiration 1
I like how this is simple and straightforward. It makes me want to walk right into the beach and feel the sand beneath my feet and also feet the ocean water.
Figure 2.2 Beach Inspiration 2
I think this is a fun illustration because there are a lot of people hanging out and having a good time at the beach.
Figure 2.3 Beach Inspiration 3
This looks a bit simple, but the colours look calming, and the water looks so serene. It brings a very nice mood to the beach.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 3.1 Drafts
TOP LEFT: It is pattern focused and there will be gradient colours of the ocean and sand. There is a little boat on the beach.
BOTTOM LEFT: It’s a scenery of the beach from a human-eye level view. It also has mountains over the horizon.
BOTTOM RIGHT: This is the view of the beach from a bird’s eye view. We can see the ocean water and some fun activities to do at the beach.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Figure 3.2 Feedback
Ms.Jinchi thinks the "ocean" sketch has an interesting composition. It's like a pattern itself when seen at that angle (top view). She asks me to try combining the topmost idea (water-sand sketch) into the ocean area.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
Figure 4.1 Wave and sand patterns with colour palette
I drew curvy lines using the pen tool and chose a contrasting colour palette of peach, brown, green, and blue colours.
Figure 4.2 Beach props
Then I drew some umbrellas, mats, and sandals from birds eye view to put on the beach.
Figure 4.3 Colouring process
Next, I started colouring my wave and sand patterns. Here I made a mistake because I did not remove the stroke colour of the lines, so when I removed it, there was a cast of a white line. Then I decided to redo the colouring after removing the black lines and with path only so it will look better.
Figure 4.4 Finished colouring
After adding the colours, I used the blending tool to add 3 specified steps between each line. Then, it will create more detailed gradients of colours. Some lines were not suitable to be blended but it looks fine as well.
Figure 4.5 The beach
Then I rotated the artwork to landscape mode and added my beach props. I also added some surfboards and a beach ball. I edited the colours of the props so they would blend well together with the beach as well. I also applied a gradient to the whole artwork so there would be a little shadow effect on the sides.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
Ms. Jinchi commented that the texture for the water is suitable and asked me to experiment with a vertical composition (rotate) to see if it will look better.
Figure 4.6 Final Outcome
I applied Ms. Jinchi’s feedback to my work, and I think it looks better than my previous version. I think it looks less basic and a little more artistic. A bit like an airplane view when flying over a beach.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE
This is the view of the beach of how I imagine it inside my head but in a dream-like way. I miss traveling with my cousins and the feeling of being able to unplug from studies and everyday problems. It is difficult to find ways to get away for some time to refresh ourselves due to the pandemic. Sometimes staying at home all the time can bring detrimental effects on ourselves, whether it be physical injuries like getting foot pain from walking around the house barefoot all the time or not being able to find the right words to speak again. So, this artwork is the place I want to be in at the moment, but I can't, and that’s okay. All in all, the artwork leaves a bittersweet feeling that represents the freedom of travel in the past and also longing for future celebrations.
REFLECTION
Not only this assignment, but this whole module has given me an outlet to express my feelings and emotions. Project 2 allowed me to draw the place I wish to see. I would say it is less complex than the previous assignment as for the previous one, I need to do some soul searching and find myself. For Sense of Place, I am more direct as I know what I want and where I want to go. I love how the colour palette turned out and how smooth the beach looks. I can really imagine going there and having a fun time with my cousins. For now, I just picture it with my drawing first and make plans for the future once the pandemic improves.
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💬 Week 6-8 [27.09.2021 - 11.10.2021]: Project 1 - Self-Portrait
RECAP OF LECTURE
SELF
The self includes my thoughts, experiences, interests and how others and I see myself (physical traits and personality). Asking the question “What defines ME?” helps to reflect on oneself.
SELF-PORTRAITA self-representation in the form of a drawing/painting/sculpture/design. It is a visual depiction of the self. A self-portrait artwork represents the designer/artist—in other words, how he sees himself, what he’s feeling, and how he wants to be seen by others. It’s not necessarily about creating a realistic image of yourself; instead, it’s often an exercise in self-exploration.
EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS SELF POTRAITS
Figure 1.1 LEONARDO DA VINCI
For Project 1: Self Portrait, I need to create a portrait of myself by applying the various principles that I learned through these weeks.
I can explore the historical and contemporary forms of self-expression and also review the design principles covered and thus better inform their particular direction. I can also make use of any media to create the work. I must explore a range of possibilities to better determine an outcome through the critiques either individually with the teachers, selected students, or with the class as a whole. I am also are encouraged to look at the work of other designers and artists.
While I am progressing, I need to share my work with my lecturer for feedback. I shall contemplate my life experiences, including my culture, family, friends, schooldays, favorite hangouts, favorite music, food, musician, etc. I shall observe my surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, and activities. Record these in sketches, photography, and/or video recording. After collecting and studying all the visuals, I must select what I find relevant and interesting, which I can translate into a design work to create a portrait of myself.
SELF-PORTRAIT
A self-representation in the form of a drawing/painting/sculpture/design. It is a visual depiction of the self. A self-portrait artwork represents the designer/artist—in other words, how he sees himself, what he’s feeling, and how he wants to be seen by others. It’s not necessarily about creating a realistic image of yourself; instead, it’s often an exercise in self-exploration.
EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS SELF POTRAITS
Figure 1.1 LEONARDO DA VINCI
For Project 1: Self Portrait, I need to create a portrait of myself by applying the various principles that I learned through these weeks.
I can explore the historical and contemporary forms of self-expression and also review the design principles covered and thus better inform their particular direction. I can also make use of any media to create the work. I must explore a range of possibilities to better determine an outcome through the critiques either individually with the teachers, selected students, or with the class as a whole. I am also are encouraged to look at the work of other designers and artists.
While I am progressing, I need to share my work with my lecturer for feedback. I shall contemplate my life experiences, including my culture, family, friends, schooldays, favorite hangouts, favorite music, food, musician, etc. I shall observe my surroundings – people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, and activities. Record these in sketches, photography, and/or video recording. After collecting and studying all the visuals, I must select what I find relevant and interesting, which I can translate into a design work to create a portrait of myself.
VISUAL RESEARCH 1
VISUAL RESEARCH 1
Figure 2.1 Double Exposure Ideas
LEFT: This is a cartoon of an elderly man with double exposure to peaceful autumn scenery. I like how it relates to the feeling of the man and brings out a sense of peace. I also like how this double exposure combines the cartoon of a person instead of using a real person photograph often seen on Pinterest.
RIGHT: I like how this idea is polaroid, but there is double exposure applied to it. It can be used to show two sides of a person as in the example above: joyful and serious. If I were to create double exposure, I would apply themes like me in high school vs. me in university, or pictures of me as a child, teenager, and young adult, or I could showcase my good side vs. my bad habits.
Figure 2.2 Collage Ideas
LEFT: This is a collage of Jimin from BTS. It combines different parts of him from other pictures into one. This gave me an idea of how I can showcase a variety of moments in my university life that made me happy, sad, worried, scared, etc. It can also be a compilation of moments in my life where I felt at my highest or lowest.
RIGHT: This digital collage has American rapper, Kendrick Lamar as the main character, and all the details around him talk about racism and rough things that black people have to go through. It illustrates unfair treatment by the police, being sent to prison often, and news about American minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being assassinated. I felt the artwork was deep. I can create a digital collage to talk about my life growing up in Indonesia and/or also my university city in Malaysia.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1Ms. Jinchi mentioned that even though sometimes it is good to be self-directed (knowing what we already want), it's also good to explore more. She said that the most important thing is to choose what I want to do to reflect on myself. She advised me to search for visual examples that I can relate to in terms of content, not just how they are finished. By the end of the day, it comes back to me how I would like to express myself in a visual form.
Figure 2.1 Double Exposure Ideas
LEFT: This is a cartoon of an elderly man with double exposure to peaceful autumn scenery. I like how it relates to the feeling of the man and brings out a sense of peace. I also like how this double exposure combines the cartoon of a person instead of using a real person photograph often seen on Pinterest.
RIGHT: I like how this idea is polaroid, but there is double exposure applied to it. It can be used to show two sides of a person as in the example above: joyful and serious. If I were to create double exposure, I would apply themes like me in high school vs. me in university, or pictures of me as a child, teenager, and young adult, or I could showcase my good side vs. my bad habits.
Figure 2.2 Collage Ideas
LEFT: This is a collage of Jimin from BTS. It combines different parts of him from other pictures into one. This gave me an idea of how I can showcase a variety of moments in my university life that made me happy, sad, worried, scared, etc. It can also be a compilation of moments in my life where I felt at my highest or lowest.
RIGHT: This digital collage has American rapper, Kendrick Lamar as the main character, and all the details around him talk about racism and rough things that black people have to go through. It illustrates unfair treatment by the police, being sent to prison often, and news about American minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being assassinated. I felt the artwork was deep. I can create a digital collage to talk about my life growing up in Indonesia and/or also my university city in Malaysia.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Ms. Jinchi mentioned that even though sometimes it is good to be self-directed (knowing what we already want), it's also good to explore more. She said that the most important thing is to choose what I want to do to reflect on myself. She advised me to search for visual examples that I can relate to in terms of content, not just how they are finished. By the end of the day, it comes back to me how I would like to express myself in a visual form.
VISUAL RESEARCH 2
VISUAL RESEARCH 2
Figure 3.1 Scrapbook Collage
Then I decided to go for a scrapbook collage-style because I want to showcase the things I went through in my life through pictures. I got enough photos to show because I used to take pictures to post on Instagram, and I also have a photography account. I am fond of doing scrapbooks for my family and friends back in high school, so it's time I make one for myself.
Figure 3.2 Ransom Letters
I have been seeing this type of typeface or font style floating around social media and Pinterest. I think it looks cute, and I would like to give it a try. It would also match the scrapbook theme well.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION
Figure 4.1 Draft 1
This is one of my earlier attempts in curating my scrapbook collage. I wanted to go with the theme ‘Pictures of Me When I Was at My Lowest and No One Knew’, because I want to showcase the timeline in my life when my anxiety and depression were on the brink, which was during my high school period.
It also illustrates how on social media people, only post the best versions of themselves. People may look fine or pretty on the outside, but they may also be suffering inside. Mental illness took a toll on me and affected how I talked, thought, and acted.
Figure 4.2 Draft 2And then, I added more pictures to showcase memories of my high school life. All photos are pictures of me or pictures I took during that period of my life. Only the clouds in PNG format are taken from google.
Figure 4.3 Draft 3Afterward, I switched out some of the ransom letters so that they would match with my theme colours (pink, white, black, and purple). I also tried to fit the text into an emptier space to make it look more visibility.
Figure 4.4 Draft 4Finally, I colour corrected the collage to have a pink tone overall, added grain, and sharpened the image. I have also added dust and paper texture to give it a vintage look.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2Ms. Jinchi enjoyed reading my rationale when I sent it to her, which helps her understand the meaning of my work better. Design wise, I would need to have a hierarchy because currently, all the design elements have equal attention and no focal point. Her advice is that I enlarge the image on the lower right corner and move the words slightly up and towards the left for an asymmetrically balanced layout.
Figure 5.1 Suggestion from Ms. JinchiYellow circle = position for wordsBlue line = my image
Figure 5.2 Final OutcomeI made the amendments following Ms. Jinchi’s advice. I have also adjusted the images on the left and top so that they would look neater and not disturb the background of the text.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE‘Pictures of Me When I Was at My Lowest and No One Knew’ is a scrapbook collage of the memories during my high school time, but also during the brink of my social anxiety and depression. Each photo on the artwork has a story of its own, and here are some of the memories:
Sunset and buildings (middle): This is the view from my apartment balcony where I used to live. I used to look at it every day. And looking at it now, it reminds me of the time when I was sad.
Pink bouquet (bottom): This is a graduation gift from my ex-best friend. We were friends for five years, and we don’t talk anymore.
Me holding a piece of baby breath (bottom right): Where I used to live, girls celebrate their 17th birthday as their legal year and usually have a photoshoot and a grand celebration. My tuition teacher, who was also a photographer, gave me a photoshoot.
Although things can look beautiful on the outside, they may not be the same on the inside. Mental illness was like a dark cloud during my high school time, and it affected the way I talked, thought, and acted. Looking back, although it was not a pleasant experience, it taught me valuable lessons on how I could build myself, and watching self-help videos on YouTube helped. It was one of the ways I coped and learned to overcome it. Things are better now, and I am much happier, but these are the memories that will be a part of me forever.
REFLECTION
This artwork took me longer than I expected. Even though the theme of my self-portrait may seem depressing, I thought about Clinton Kane, a rising singer-songwriter who makes songs about his traumatic past, emotions, and relationships.
He tweeted, “Do you know that I’m not needy and confused in real life, right?”
One of his fans subtweeted, “It’s weird that some of the fans don’t know the concept of creating what you feel so you don’t know feel like that all the time,”
Clinton said, “I feel all these emotions and all these songs that I write about, I feel sadness, but because I write them, I then in turn in my outside life, I’m freaking happy. I’m on the air. I’m freaking floating with my little wings,”
What he said inspired me not to be afraid to express myself and explore myself more because I think I got a lot inside of me to unpack.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Figure 3.1 Scrapbook Collage
Then I decided to go for a scrapbook collage-style because I want to showcase the things I went through in my life through pictures. I got enough photos to show because I used to take pictures to post on Instagram, and I also have a photography account. I am fond of doing scrapbooks for my family and friends back in high school, so it's time I make one for myself.
Figure 3.2 Ransom Letters
I have been seeing this type of typeface or font style floating around social media and Pinterest. I think it looks cute, and I would like to give it a try. It would also match the scrapbook theme well.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION
Figure 4.1 Draft 1
This is one of my earlier attempts in curating my scrapbook collage. I wanted to go with the theme ‘Pictures of Me When I Was at My Lowest and No One Knew’, because I want to showcase the timeline in my life when my anxiety and depression were on the brink, which was during my high school period.
It also illustrates how on social media people, only post the best versions of themselves. People may look fine or pretty on the outside, but they may also be suffering inside. Mental illness took a toll on me and affected how I talked, thought, and acted.
Figure 4.2 Draft 2
And then, I added more pictures to showcase memories of my high school life. All photos are pictures of me or pictures I took during that period of my life. Only the clouds in PNG format are taken from google.
Figure 4.3 Draft 3
Afterward, I switched out some of the ransom letters so that they would match with my theme colours (pink, white, black, and purple). I also tried to fit the text into an emptier space to make it look more visibility.
Figure 4.4 Draft 4
Finally, I colour corrected the collage to have a pink tone overall, added grain, and sharpened the image. I have also added dust and paper texture to give it a vintage look.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
Ms. Jinchi enjoyed reading my rationale when I sent it to her, which helps her understand the meaning of my work better. Design wise, I would need to have a hierarchy because currently, all the design elements have equal attention and no focal point. Her advice is that I enlarge the image on the lower right corner and move the words slightly up and towards the left for an asymmetrically balanced layout.
Figure 5.1 Suggestion from Ms. Jinchi
Yellow circle = position for words
Blue line = my image
Figure 5.2 Final Outcome
I made the amendments following Ms. Jinchi’s advice. I have also adjusted the images on the left and top so that they would look neater and not disturb the background of the text.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE
‘Pictures of Me When I Was at My Lowest and No One Knew’ is a scrapbook collage of the memories during my high school time, but also during the brink of my social anxiety and depression. Each photo on the artwork has a story of its own, and here are some of the memories:
Sunset and buildings (middle): This is the view from my apartment balcony where I used to live. I used to look at it every day. And looking at it now, it reminds me of the time when I was sad.
Pink bouquet (bottom): This is a graduation gift from my ex-best friend. We were friends for five years, and we don’t talk anymore.
Me holding a piece of baby breath (bottom right): Where I used to live, girls celebrate their 17th birthday as their legal year and usually have a photoshoot and a grand celebration. My tuition teacher, who was also a photographer, gave me a photoshoot.
Although things can look beautiful on the outside, they may not be the same on the inside. Mental illness was like a dark cloud during my high school time, and it affected the way I talked, thought, and acted. Looking back, although it was not a pleasant experience, it taught me valuable lessons on how I could build myself, and watching self-help videos on YouTube helped. It was one of the ways I coped and learned to overcome it. Things are better now, and I am much happier, but these are the memories that will be a part of me forever.
REFLECTION
This artwork took me longer than I expected. Even though the theme of my self-portrait may seem depressing, I thought about Clinton Kane, a rising singer-songwriter who makes songs about his traumatic past, emotions, and relationships.
He tweeted, “Do you know that I’m not needy and confused in real life, right?”
One of his fans subtweeted, “It’s weird that some of the fans don’t know the concept of creating what you feel so you don’t know feel like that all the time,”
Clinton said, “I feel all these emotions and all these songs that I write about, I feel sadness, but because I write them, I then in turn in my outside life, I’m freaking happy. I’m on the air. I’m freaking floating with my little wings,”
What he said inspired me not to be afraid to express myself and explore myself more because I think I got a lot inside of me to unpack.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
💬 Week 5-6 [20.09.2021 - 01.10.2021]: Harmony, Unity, Symbol & Word and Image
RECAP OF LECTURE
1.0 HARMONY
Harmony involves the selection of elements that share a common trait. Harmony becomes monotony without variety. Harmony is the sense that all of the elements of your design fit together. They may fit the same theme, aesthetic style, or mood.
2.0 UNITY
Unity refers to the repetition of particular elements throughout your design — whether they’re colors, shapes, or materials — to pull the look together. Unity occurs when these elements are composed in such a way that they are balanced and give a sense of oneness, creating a theme. Although unity and harmony may sound similar, they each play distinct roles in the way we experience design.
3.0 SYMBOL
A sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else. In design, symbols can provide or convey information, equivalent to one or more sentences of text, or even a whole story.
3.1 PICTORIAL SYMBOLS
Image-related and simplified pictures.
Figure 3.1 Example of Pictorial Symbols
3.2 ABSTRACT SYMBOLS
Abstract symbols can look like the objects that they represent but have fewer details.
3.3 ARBITRARY SYMBOLS
Arbitrary symbols have no resemblance at all to the objects or the ideas they represent. The symbol is invented with the meaning constructed. Many are based on geometric shapes and colors. We have to learn arbitrary symbols.
4.0 WORD AND IMAGE
Imagery is a vital part of the design, be it print or digital. Users and viewers can relate to a concept or a brand if the right images are used in a work of design. It is therefore important to use suitable and relevant images when designing. Choosing the right words to pair with the imagery is of high importance as it would deepen the meaning of the design. Suitable typeface and strategic positioning of the type will result in visual hierarchy and balance in a work of design. Typography is the design and arrangement of text to convey a message or concept.
Figure 4.1 Example of Word and Image
Exercise 3 (2 designs in total): Choose TWO principles from Harmony
/ Unity / Symbol / Word and Image. Produce 1 design for each chosen
principle.
VISUAL RESEARCH
Figure 5.1 Inspiration for Word and ImageThe COVID-19 pandemic is the current issue that affects everybody. Sometimes it is boring to tell people to wear masks all the time. However, this illustration has expressed the warning in a beautiful way and quote.
Figure 5.2 Inspiration for Word and ImageI like how the quote is directly placed on the surgical mask. The font is nice too.
Figure 5.3 Inspiration for Word and ImageI am currently obsessed with brutalism-themed fonts as they look catchy & trendy.
Figure 5.4 Inspiration for UnityI love looking at the sky. I think this sunset has the unity principle in it because even though there are many different colors, they can blend to become the sky.
Figure 5.5 Inspiration for Unity(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/828873506426716579/)Here are more skies at different times of the day. Each with a different color palette.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 6.1 Word and Image Draft
TOP LEFT: This is a disinfectant spray, but the label says “hope” in a blurry and “turbulent” font. This is because, with prevention and precautions, there is hope that we can win the battle against COVID. The blurry & turbulent font means that we are not sure if we can achieve our end goal if not everyone follows the Malaysia SOPs and that we are in a dangerous state due to the high number of cases caused by infection from the virus.
TOP RIGHT: A person is wearing a mask. The text stated the word “endemic” because the Malaysian government has announced that the pandemic is shifting to an endemic, where the COVID-19 virus will always be around similar to cholera and HIV. The text has the same font style and meaning as the previous drawing.
BOTTOM LEFT: This drawing is similar to the one on the top left. The difference is that we can see that it has a resemblance to Dettol’s disinfectant spray, the circle from the logo, as well as the similar logo font color.
Figure 6.2 Unity Draft
LEFT: This is a sunrise, and we can see the mountains. The mountains closer to the foreground has a darker shade that gradually gets lighter as it gets closer to the sun. They have a “wavy” structure. Even though their shapes are not proportionate, and the shades are different. They “unite” to form a beautiful scenery.
MIDDLE: This is night scenery. There are some trees on the hill, and the leaves have a gradient color. The night sky has a gradient color and different colors as well. Even though the shades of the trees, hills, and sky will be different. They are still part of the same night sky.
RIGHT: This is inspired by the setting of the cartoon Gravity Falls. It is in the forest and has a beautiful sunset. The explanation is similar to the previous sky designs.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1Ms. Jinchi said she liked my sketches. For Word and Image, the “Hope” drawings have a “liquid” meaning to them. She recommended that I apply that concept to the vaccine, our hope to win over the pandemic. As for the unity design, they are pretty straightforward and she picked my design on the right. Ms. Jinchi also mentioned that if there are more drawings in the draft, it will be better to label each of them.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
WORD AND IMAGE
Figure 7.1 Word & Image reference
After listening to Ms. Jinchi’s feedback, I looked for vaccine bottles and syringe illustrations on google images.
Figure 7.2 Word & Image SketchI started sketching the vaccine and syringe with the bottle on top with “HOPE” labeled on it.
Figure 7.3 Word & Image Draft 1Then I drew it on Adobe Illustrator and added a blue background and light blue circle at the back to light up the illustration. I added sparkles to make it look grander, but the background is still quite plain.
Figure 7.4 Word & Image Draft 2I added a light blue wavy shape in the background and silhouettes of the COVID-19 virus surrounding the middle because we are in the middle of a pandemic. I have also added a shield to show the defense mechanism of vaccines, and the plus sign symbolize that it is not part of conflict and is simply there to help. The plus sign is also seen in hospitals, clinics, ambulances, etc.
Figure 7.5 Word & Image Final OutcomeFor the final design, I added the sparkles from Figure 7.3 to Figure 7.4. It brings out the shield more and highlights the vaccine overall. I think the design looks better and more complete.
UNITY
Figure 7.6 Unity Draft 1
For unity, I colored the forest and trees black to represent danger and mystery, like the forest from the cartoon "Gravity Falls". The sky looks as beautiful as the ones in the show as well, and it reminded me of my best friend's desktop wallpaper. The stars look beautiful because when it is away from the city, there is less light pollution, so the stars look more visible.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2For Word and Image, Ms. Jinchi said the composition is good. It not only shows the principle well but also the message behind the design. For Unity, Ms. Jinchi recommended I try different color combinations for the sky. She also told me to cut the foreground to half or one-third of it to see if it looks better.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 3
UNITY
Figure 8.1 Unity Draft 2I have amended the foreground to be lower to see more of the sky. For the gradient of the sky, I mixed a few shades of orange from dark to light and some yellow.
Figure 8.2 Unity Draft 3
This is the same color I made in figure 7.6, but with the adjustments on the foreground. It looks neater than my first draft.
Figure 8.3 Unity Draft 4This sky has dark purple, light purple, peach, orange, and yellow shades in it. I think the colors blend well and look like a colorful bubble tea drink.
Figure 8.4 Unity FinalThis sky has light yellow, orange, and red colors from the top to bottom. The warm colors here remind me of lava. Like the game of "the floor is lava", it makes me think of "the sky is lava".
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 3Ms. Jinchi said she can see some good sense of colour exploration in my idea exploration and description 3, and that Figure 8.4 stands out the most to her.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (WORD AND IMAGE)
The image, vaccine, and the word “HOPE” labeled on it symbolise our way out from the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if we are diagnosed with the virus, we will not get serious consequences or pass away if we have taken 2 doses of the jab. Although Malaysia does not have herd immunity anymore due to the presence of the Delta variant, the government is rolling out the 3rd dose for everyone soon to equip us better against the virus, which I think is crucial for the pandemic to improve.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (UNITY)
This design is inspired by a cartoon show I used to watch called "Gravity Falls". The setting of the cartoon takes place in a dangerous forest but always has a beautiful sky in the opening song of the show. It also looks like my best friend's desktop background, whom I haven’t seen for a long time. The landscape has cohesiveness despite the contrasting colors of the bright sky and dark forest. There is an agreement between the different colors that look good together and makes up a whole. I like how the colors bring a fiery vibe, also represent bravery, confidence, and even extroversion.
REFLECTIONI am happy with my outcomes so far. I noticed the improvement in my designs since the first exercise. I used to feel stress using Adobe software because they are pretty complicated as there are so many tools, and I kept forgetting which one I should use. I think that the only way to familiarize myself with the Adobe software is to keep using it. Nevertheless, I would love to learn more about the different design software. Also, I really enjoyed Ms. Jinchi’s consultations during class time. Finally, I am also relieved that I am done with all the exercises for this module and am genuinely happy that I can start working on the projects.
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Figure 5.1 Inspiration for Word and Image
The COVID-19 pandemic is the current issue that affects everybody. Sometimes it is boring to tell people to wear masks all the time. However, this illustration has expressed the warning in a beautiful way and quote.
Figure 5.2 Inspiration for Word and Image
I like how the quote is directly placed on the surgical mask. The font is nice too.
Figure 5.3 Inspiration for Word and Image
I am currently obsessed with brutalism-themed fonts as they look catchy & trendy.
Figure 5.4 Inspiration for Unity
I love looking at the sky. I think this sunset has the unity principle in it because even though there are many different colors, they can blend to become the sky.
Figure 5.5 Inspiration for Unity
Here are more skies at different times of the day. Each with a different color palette.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 6.1 Word and Image Draft
TOP LEFT: This is a disinfectant spray, but the label says “hope” in a blurry and “turbulent” font. This is because, with prevention and precautions, there is hope that we can win the battle against COVID. The blurry & turbulent font means that we are not sure if we can achieve our end goal if not everyone follows the Malaysia SOPs and that we are in a dangerous state due to the high number of cases caused by infection from the virus.
TOP RIGHT: A person is wearing a mask. The text stated the word “endemic” because the Malaysian government has announced that the pandemic is shifting to an endemic, where the COVID-19 virus will always be around similar to cholera and HIV. The text has the same font style and meaning as the previous drawing.
BOTTOM LEFT: This drawing is similar to the one on the top left. The difference is that we can see that it has a resemblance to Dettol’s disinfectant spray, the circle from the logo, as well as the similar logo font color.
Figure 6.2 Unity Draft
LEFT: This is a sunrise, and we can see the mountains. The mountains closer to the foreground has a darker shade that gradually gets lighter as it gets closer to the sun. They have a “wavy” structure. Even though their shapes are not proportionate, and the shades are different. They “unite” to form a beautiful scenery.
MIDDLE: This is night scenery. There are some trees on the hill, and the leaves have a gradient color. The night sky has a gradient color and different colors as well. Even though the shades of the trees, hills, and sky will be different. They are still part of the same night sky.
RIGHT: This is inspired by the setting of the cartoon Gravity Falls. It is in the forest and has a beautiful sunset. The explanation is similar to the previous sky designs.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Ms. Jinchi said she liked my sketches. For Word and Image, the “Hope” drawings have a “liquid” meaning to them. She recommended that I apply that concept to the vaccine, our hope to win over the pandemic. As for the unity design, they are pretty straightforward and she picked my design on the right. Ms. Jinchi also mentioned that if there are more drawings in the draft, it will be better to label each of them.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
WORD AND IMAGE
Figure 7.1 Word & Image reference
After listening to Ms. Jinchi’s feedback, I looked for vaccine bottles and syringe illustrations on google images.
Figure 7.2 Word & Image Sketch
I started sketching the vaccine and syringe with the bottle on top with “HOPE” labeled on it.
Figure 7.3 Word & Image Draft 1
Then I drew it on Adobe Illustrator and added a blue background and light blue circle at the back to light up the illustration. I added sparkles to make it look grander, but the background is still quite plain.
Figure 7.4 Word & Image Draft 2
I added a light blue wavy shape in the background and silhouettes of the COVID-19 virus surrounding the middle because we are in the middle of a pandemic. I have also added a shield to show the defense mechanism of vaccines, and the plus sign symbolize that it is not part of conflict and is simply there to help. The plus sign is also seen in hospitals, clinics, ambulances, etc.
Figure 7.5 Word & Image Final Outcome
For the final design, I added the sparkles from Figure 7.3 to Figure 7.4. It brings out the shield more and highlights the vaccine overall. I think the design looks better and more complete.
UNITY
Figure 7.6 Unity Draft 1
For unity, I colored the forest and trees black to represent danger and mystery, like the forest from the cartoon "Gravity Falls". The sky looks as beautiful as the ones in the show as well, and it reminded me of my best friend's desktop wallpaper. The stars look beautiful because when it is away from the city, there is less light pollution, so the stars look more visible.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
For Word and Image, Ms. Jinchi said the composition is good. It not only shows the principle well but also the message behind the design. For Unity, Ms. Jinchi recommended I try different color combinations for the sky. She also told me to cut the foreground to half or one-third of it to see if it looks better.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 3
UNITY
Figure 8.1 Unity Draft 2
I have amended the foreground to be lower to see more of the sky. For the gradient of the sky, I mixed a few shades of orange from dark to light and some yellow.
Figure 8.2 Unity Draft 3
This is the same color I made in figure 7.6, but with the adjustments on the foreground. It looks neater than my first draft.
Figure 8.3 Unity Draft 4
This sky has dark purple, light purple, peach, orange, and yellow shades in it. I think the colors blend well and look like a colorful bubble tea drink.
Figure 8.4 Unity Final
This sky has light yellow, orange, and red colors from the top to bottom. The warm colors here remind me of lava. Like the game of "the floor is lava", it makes me think of "the sky is lava".
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 3
Ms. Jinchi said she can see some good sense of colour exploration in my idea exploration and description 3, and that Figure 8.4 stands out the most to her.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (WORD AND IMAGE)
The image, vaccine, and the word “HOPE” labeled on it symbolise our way out from the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if we are diagnosed with the virus, we will not get serious consequences or pass away if we have taken 2 doses of the jab. Although Malaysia does not have herd immunity anymore due to the presence of the Delta variant, the government is rolling out the 3rd dose for everyone soon to equip us better against the virus, which I think is crucial for the pandemic to improve.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (UNITY)
This design is inspired by a cartoon show I used to watch called "Gravity Falls". The setting of the cartoon takes place in a dangerous forest but always has a beautiful sky in the opening song of the show. It also looks like my best friend's desktop background, whom I haven’t seen for a long time. The landscape has cohesiveness despite the contrasting colors of the bright sky and dark forest. There is an agreement between the different colors that look good together and makes up a whole. I like how the colors bring a fiery vibe, also represent bravery, confidence, and even extroversion.
REFLECTION
💬 Week 3-4 [06.09.2021 - 17.09.2021]: Balance, Emphasis, Repetition & Movement
RECAP OF LECTURE1. BalanceBalance refers to the distribution of equal weight in a work of a design. It is the visual equilibrium of the elements that cause the total image to appear balanced. Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. 1a. Symmetrical Balance It has equal "weight" on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum. The equal arrangement of elements on either side of the central axis (horizontal or vertical) resulting in bilateral balance. Arranging elements equally around a central point results in radial balance. Approximate symmetry is when equivalent but not identical forms are arranged around the fulcrum line.
1b. Asymmetrical balanceIt has unequal visual weight on each side of the composition. One side of the composition contains a dominant element, which could be balanced by a couple of lesser focal points on the other side. More dynamic and interesting. It evokes feelings of modernism, movement, energy, and vitality. 
Figure 1.2 Example of Asymmetrical Balance2. EmphasisEmphasis is used to create dominance and focus in design work. Various elements can be used to create emphasis, such as color, shapes, or value, to achieve dominance.
Figure 2.1 Example of Emphasis
3. RepetitionRepetition can make a design work seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates rhythm and pattern within the work. Variety is essential to keep rhythms exciting and alive, and to avoid monotony. Pattern increases visual excitement by enriching surface interest.
Figure 3.1 Example of Repetition
4. MovementThe way a design leads the eye in, around, and through a composition - the path the eye follows. Motion or movement in a visual occurs when objects seem to be moving in a visual image. Movement in a visual image comes from the kinds of shapes, forms, lines, and curves that are used.
Figure 4.1 Example of Movement
EXERCISE 2: Choose TWO principles from Emphasis
/ Balance / Repetition / Movement. Produce 1 design for each chosen
principle.
VISUAL RESEARCHI looked for inspirations for Repetition, Emphasis, and Balance to keep my options open.
Figure 5.1: Inspiration for Repetition
I love these works because they are very catchy and reminds me of street fashion.
Figure 5.2: Inspiration for Emphasis
I think that the quote and typography here are very cute.
Figure 5.3: Inspiration for Balance
I love these 2 snowmen from Sia's music video 'Snowman'. They are so adorable and have a deep meaning to them. The theme makes me look forward to Christmas that is coming in a few months.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 6.1: Repetition Draft
REPETITION: Anxiety is the theme for repetition. It is something that I am experiencing and learning how to overcome. Anxiety can make a person restless and tense. It is can also make someone feel like they cannot stop worrying. For example, worrying about anxiety itself or worrying that people are angry or upset with you.
I repeated the words “anxiety” in a column showing how a person with anxiety can worry about them having the mental illness itself. The texts are broken into pieces to convey how the sickness can make the person feel unstable and unconfident. The word “anxiety" is also placed in the center as it is the primary cause. Because a person with anxiety always worries about things, therefore the word in the center is very wavy and out of place.
Figure 6.2: Emphasis Draft
EMPHASIS: It is true: laughter is the best medicine. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. In line with the concept, I drew the quote “Life is better when you are laughing” with an emphasis on the text “laughing”. I replaced the letter "U" with a happy mouth, and I drew lines coming from the other alphabets to convey movement from giggling. It is like the text is laughing.
Figure 1.2 Example of Asymmetrical Balance
Emphasis is used to create dominance and focus in design work. Various elements can be used to create emphasis, such as color, shapes, or value, to achieve dominance.
Figure 2.1 Example of Emphasis
3. Repetition
Repetition can make a design work seem active. The repetition of elements of design creates rhythm and pattern within the work. Variety is essential to keep rhythms exciting and alive, and to avoid monotony. Pattern increases visual excitement by enriching surface interest.
Figure 3.1 Example of Repetition
4. Movement
The way a design leads the eye in, around, and through a composition - the path the eye follows. Motion or movement in a visual occurs when objects seem to be moving in a visual image. Movement in a visual image comes from the kinds of shapes, forms, lines, and curves that are used.
Figure 4.1 Example of Movement
EXERCISE 2: Choose TWO principles from Emphasis
/ Balance / Repetition / Movement. Produce 1 design for each chosen
principle.
VISUAL RESEARCH
I looked for inspirations for Repetition, Emphasis, and Balance to keep my options open.
Figure 5.1: Inspiration for Repetition
I love these works because they are very catchy and reminds me of street fashion.
Figure 5.2: Inspiration for Emphasis
I think that the quote and typography here are very cute.
Figure 5.3: Inspiration for Balance
I love these 2 snowmen from Sia's music video 'Snowman'. They are so adorable and have a deep meaning to them. The theme makes me look forward to Christmas that is coming in a few months.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Figure 6.1: Repetition Draft
REPETITION: Anxiety is the theme for repetition. It is something that I am experiencing and learning how to overcome. Anxiety can make a person restless and tense. It is can also make someone feel like they cannot stop worrying. For example, worrying about anxiety itself or worrying that people are angry or upset with you.
I repeated the words “anxiety” in a column showing how a person with anxiety can worry about them having the mental illness itself. The texts are broken into pieces to convey how the sickness can make the person feel unstable and unconfident. The word “anxiety" is also placed in the center as it is the primary cause. Because a person with anxiety always worries about things, therefore the word in the center is very wavy and out of place.
Figure 6.2: Emphasis Draft
EMPHASIS: It is true: laughter is the best medicine. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. In line with the concept, I drew the quote “Life is better when you are laughing” with an emphasis on the text “laughing”. I replaced the letter "U" with a happy mouth, and I drew lines coming from the other alphabets to convey movement from giggling. It is like the text is laughing.
BALANCE (APPROXIMATE SYMMETRY): I drew 2 snowmen because I rarely see people building 2 snowmen together or in cartoons or posters. I think the snowman is lonely if it were by itself, so I drew him a friend. To show balance, I sketched both snowmen to be the same shape and size beside each other, but with different accessories.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1Ms. Jinchi thinks that the repetition design is interesting and said I could proceed to finalize the design. For the emphasis design, too many things are going on in this piece. No one element stands out, which is what emphasis is. Lastly, for the design on balance, Ms. Jinchi advised me to add borders such as mistletoe or snow to complete the artwork.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
Figure 7.1: Repetition Final OutcomeI created this artwork using Adobe Photoshop and it represents what people with anxiety feel: overthinking and unstable mental state.
Figure 7.2: Balance Final OutcomeI created this artwork using Adobe Illustrator and I think it would be great to create two snowmen best friends. I was looking forward to Christmas during the time of brainstorming even though it was still far away.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (REPETITION)
Anxiety is a mental illness that is common nowadays. Although there is no exact answer as to why anxiety is so common, many attributes this presumed increase in anxiety disorders to social media, poor sleep habits, and underreporting in the past. With this design work, I hope that people with anxiety will feel less alone knowing that others are going through the same process and that we can overcome this obstacle together.
To display repetition, I repeated the word “anxiety” in a column and broke them down into fragments, signifying the feeling of difficulty concentrating, which is one of the symptoms. The text “anxiety” in the center is in red and super wavy, which also shows anxiousness. When someone is feeling anxious, their body reacts with effects such as a racing pulse, sweaty palms, and shaky hands.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (BALANCE)
I drew the two snowmen because usually we always see one snowman only, whether on television or posters, so I wanted to give him a friend. I also missed traveling after staying home for so long during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I drew them both having fun outside in the snow. Moreover, I am looking forward to Christmas even though it is still months away, so that's why the Christmas theme. To display Balance (approximate symmetry), both snowmen have the same shape except that they are reflected, and have their own unique accessories.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2Ms. Jinchi said that my finishing for repetition is neat and looks professionally finished. Same with Balance too. She also said good job!
REFLECTIONFor exercise 2’s work, I was able to complete it faster than the previous one. Although it took me some time before finalizing the design, I produced fewer drafts than exercise 1. I also felt more focused and not drawing just for the sake of the showcasing principle. When designing exercise 2, I tried moving to different places in my house to sketch the designs to get better inspiration and a refreshing environment, especially in areas with fresh air and enough sunlight. After drawing for a few days, I finally settled on the drafted designs.
I think my designs look nice, especially the repetition one, because it resonates with how I feel and what I went through. It is like pouring my experiences into a design. As for the balance one, I feel happy and sad with the artwork because it looks cute, but I wish I could be like the snowmen having fun outside (without wearing a mask).
I am looking forward to my next exercise to see what I can come up with next!
BALANCE (APPROXIMATE SYMMETRY): I drew 2 snowmen because I rarely see people building 2 snowmen together or in cartoons or posters. I think the snowman is lonely if it were by itself, so I drew him a friend. To show balance, I sketched both snowmen to be the same shape and size beside each other, but with different accessories.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
Ms. Jinchi thinks that the repetition design is interesting and said I could proceed to finalize the design. For the emphasis design, too many things are going on in this piece. No one element stands out, which is what emphasis is. Lastly, for the design on balance, Ms. Jinchi advised me to add borders such as mistletoe or snow to complete the artwork.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
Figure 7.1: Repetition Final Outcome
I created this artwork using Adobe Photoshop and it represents what people with anxiety feel: overthinking and unstable mental state.
Figure 7.2: Balance Final Outcome
I created this artwork using Adobe Illustrator and I think it would be great to create two snowmen best friends. I was looking forward to Christmas during the time of brainstorming even though it was still far away.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (REPETITION)
Anxiety is a mental illness that is common nowadays. Although there is no exact answer as to why anxiety is so common, many attributes this presumed increase in anxiety disorders to social media, poor sleep habits, and underreporting in the past. With this design work, I hope that people with anxiety will feel less alone knowing that others are going through the same process and that we can overcome this obstacle together.
To display repetition, I repeated the word “anxiety” in a column and broke them down into fragments, signifying the feeling of difficulty concentrating, which is one of the symptoms. The text “anxiety” in the center is in red and super wavy, which also shows anxiousness. When someone is feeling anxious, their body reacts with effects such as a racing pulse, sweaty palms, and shaky hands.
FINAL OUTCOME AND BRIEF RATIONALE (BALANCE)
I drew the two snowmen because usually we always see one snowman only, whether on television or posters, so I wanted to give him a friend. I also missed traveling after staying home for so long during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I drew them both having fun outside in the snow. Moreover, I am looking forward to Christmas even though it is still months away, so that's why the Christmas theme. To display Balance (approximate symmetry), both snowmen have the same shape except that they are reflected, and have their own unique accessories.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
Ms. Jinchi said that my finishing for repetition is neat and looks professionally finished. Same with Balance too. She also said good job!
REFLECTION
For exercise 2’s work, I was able to complete it faster than the previous one. Although it took me some time before finalizing the design, I produced fewer drafts than exercise 1. I also felt more focused and not drawing just for the sake of the showcasing principle. When designing exercise 2, I tried moving to different places in my house to sketch the designs to get better inspiration and a refreshing environment, especially in areas with fresh air and enough sunlight. After drawing for a few days, I finally settled on the drafted designs.
I think my designs look nice, especially the repetition one, because it resonates with how I feel and what I went through. It is like pouring my experiences into a design. As for the balance one, I feel happy and sad with the artwork because it looks cute, but I wish I could be like the snowmen having fun outside (without wearing a mask).
I am looking forward to my next exercise to see what I can come up with next!
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💬 Week 1-2 [23.08.2021 - 05.09.2021]: Gestalt & Contrast
RECAP OF LECTURES
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:
Point, Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Space & Colour
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:
Contrast, Balance, Emphasis, Rules of Third, Repetition/Pattern/Rhythm, Movement, Hierarchy, Alignment, Harmony, Unity & Proportion
CONTRAST:
Contrast is the juxtaposition of strongly dissimilar elements. Without contrast, visual experience.
would be monotonous. Contrast can provide visual interest, emphasize a point and express content.
Figure 1.1
Left: Richard Anuszkiewicz - Plus Reversed. Image via museummuesum.tumblr.com
Right: Op Art - Vertical Lines, Black and White contrast. Image via op-art.co.uk
GESTALT:
Gestalt theory is based on the idea that the human brain will attempt to simplify and organize complex images or designs that consist of many elements, by subconsciously arranging the parts into an organized system that creates a whole, rather than just a series of disparate elements. There are five individual principles commonly associated with gestalt theory: similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, and figure/ground.
#1 SIMILARITY
Similar elements are visually grouped, regardless of their proximity to each other. They can be grouped by color, shape, or size. Similarity can be used to tie together elements that might not be right next to each other in a design.
Figure 2.1: Example of Similarity
#2 CONTINUATION
The law of continuity posits that the human eye will follow the smoothest path when viewing lines, regardless of how the lines were drawn. This continuation can be a valuable tool when the goal is to guide a visitor’s eye in a certain direction. They will follow the simplest path on the page, so make sure the most vital parts they should see fall within that path.
Figure 2.2: Example of Continuation
#3 CLOSURE
It’s the idea that your brain will fill in the missing parts of a design or image to create a whole. In its simplest form, the principle of closure allows your eye to follow something like a dotted line to its end. But more complex applications are often seen in logos, like that for the World Wildlife Fund. Large chunks of the outline for the panda are missing, but your brain has no problem filling in the missing sections to see the whole animal.
Figure 2.3: Example of Closure
#4 PROXIMITY
Proximity refers to how close elements are to one another. The strongest proximity relationships are those between overlapping subjects, but just grouping objects into a single area can also have a strong proximity effect.
#5 FIGURE-GROUNDThe figure/ground principle is similar to the closure principle in that it takes advantage of the way the brain processes negative space. Your brain will distinguish between the objects it considers to be in the foreground of an image (the figure, or focal point) and the background (the area on which the figures rest).
Figure 2.5: Example of Figure-Ground
EXERCISE 1: Produce 1 design of Gestalt theory & 1 design of Contrast
VISUAL RESEARCHI looked up on Pinterest for some inspiration for my Contrast and Gestalt Art.
Figure 3.1: Inspiration for Contrast
I love the contrasting lines in this image that help distinguish the heart.
Figure 3.2: Inspiration for Contrast
I think this design looks cute with the contrasting colors and the lines that cut through the heart.
Figure 3.3 Inspiration for Gestalt
This is a great gestalt similarity design because it shows a tree growing inside a boy which also looks like a brain. This conveys the growth as a person, which is also what I am currently going through.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1Then I started on my draft for Contrast and Gestalt:
Figure 4.1 Left: Contrast Draft 1Right: Gestalt Draft 1
CONTRAST: I chose the theme 'Love' because it is very important. Amidst the pandemic, whether it is loving our parents or self-love, these are the things that keep us sane and feel happy. Both hearts in the draft is melting inspired by Olaf from Disney's Frozen quote: "Some people are worth melting for."
- Top Heart: I filled the heart with bright ombre colors to stand out against the black background.
- Bottom Heart: This one is made with straight lines, and curvy lines inside to make it look stand out; claiming its importance.
GESTALT (SIMILARITY): The theme is 'growth' because it is something I am going through currently, which is adulting. - Female Silhouette: The girl represents me.
- Tree and flowers: The blooming represents how I am growing towards the highest point of my life.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1For the contrast artwork, Ms. Jinchi advised me to show different ways to portray the heart shape. It could be an open composition (only showing a part of it). It could be in different sizes or showing 3 hearts, and some will be black and white. Each can be a different sunset color or a combination of contrast colors like dark blue and orange, complementary colors, or red and white. As for Gestalt, Ms. Jinchi advised me to think of other things to represent growth and confidence. She gave an example which is drawing a bell bar but replacing the dumbbell with ribbons.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2Afterward, I tried to look for more inspiration for "Gestalt" as I would like to explore more ideas.
Figure 4.2 Inspiration for Gestalt (Continuous)(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108649409734769578/)
I like this design because the leaf flying across the air in an approximately straight line completes the letter "H".
Figure 4.3[Left]: Contrast Draft 2 [Right]: Gestalt (Continuation) Draft 2
CONTRAST: I stick with the theme 'love' and used red and white colors to create a contrast in colors using Adobe Illustrator. I also applied squares / checkered patterns into the heart to add a variety of shapes to the artwork.
GESTALT (CONTINUATION): I wrote the word "Bee" in dotted lines which represented the bee's path and at the end, there is a bee that flying. So it is like the Bee flew around and wrote the word "Bee" in the air.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2Ms. Jinchi mentioned that both designs represent the principles. However, she told me to explore more.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 3
Figure 4.4: More Contrast Inspirations
I like the colors here as they are very catchy.
Figure 4.5: Contrast Draft 3
Following the references I had, I attempted to create a contrasting pop art design with the checkered heart design that I made
Figure 4.6: Contrast Final OutcomeI chose to go with the red one because the yellow and orange background ones did not look contrasting enough. I also prefer the colour combination of red, white and black compared to the combination of blue pink, and yellow.
Figure 4.7: More Gestalt (Figure-ground) Inspiration
I decided to switch up my Gestalt theme idea because I felt that I was going through a dead end with my previous draft and there wasn't enough depth to it. Whereas this new idea is something that I do care about as it is related to our health. Smoking is unhealthy for our body and is worse when it risks the wellbeing of the passive smoker as well. This artwork will help raise awareness on the consequence of smoking: death.
Figure 4.8: Gestalt (Figure-ground) Draft 3
Figure 4.9 Gestalt (Figure-ground) Draft 4
I experimented with different color palettes for the design I drew on Adobe Illustrator and chose the third one for my final one.
Figure 5.1 Gestalt (Figure-ground) Final Outcome
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 3For Contrast, Ms. Jinchi said the ones with blue and red backgrounds in Figure 4.5 are fine but the yellow and orange backgrounds did not show much contrast. She told me to pick between the red or blue background heart for my final design. For Gestalt, said she gets the idea of Gestalt (Figure-Ground) in the artwork and the finishing is neat and looks professionally finished.
FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME WITH BRIEF RATIONALE (CONTRAST)
I chose the theme 'Love' because not only is it crucial to our well-being, but it also has always been there in our lives entire life since birth. From parents and relatives who love us to stories that taught us about love. In the renowned novel & movie series Harry Potter, it was Harry Potter's mother’s love that gave him protection from evil spells from the villain, Voldemort, who did have an inch of love in his soul. Self-love is the love we give to ourselves, to care for us when we are at our lowest and highest, the thing that taught others how to love you. Thus, it has a deep meaning and reason why I chose it for my Contrast design.
To show contrast, I used red to signify love and combined white and black to make the colors pop. The checkered pattern provides a contrasting shape from the heart, and it has the look of street fashion design.
FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME WITH BRIEF RATIONALE (GESTALT: FIGURE-GROUND)
Smoking is a habit done by many. There are many campaigns to raise awareness of its dangers as it is the cause of many cases of lung cancer. COVID-19 pandemic is also a widespread virus that causes damage to our lungs. If a smoker already suffers from premature death from smoking, it would be even more dangerous if the person gets infected with COVID-19 as it may escalate lung damage even further.
Therefore, this design serves as a warning to the general public to prevent and stop smoking. The somber color palette signifies a tragic end if the person doesn’t stop smoking. To show the Gestalt principle, I incorporated figure-ground in my work. The smoke is the figure, whereas the skull is the ground.
#5 FIGURE-GROUND
The figure/ground principle is similar to the closure principle in that it takes advantage of the way the brain processes negative space. Your brain will distinguish between the objects it considers to be in the foreground of an image (the figure, or focal point) and the background (the area on which the figures rest).
Figure 2.5: Example of Figure-Ground
EXERCISE 1: Produce 1 design of Gestalt theory & 1 design of Contrast
VISUAL RESEARCH
I looked up on Pinterest for some inspiration for my Contrast and Gestalt Art.
Figure 3.1: Inspiration for Contrast
I love the contrasting lines in this image that help distinguish the heart.
Figure 3.2: Inspiration for Contrast
I think this design looks cute with the contrasting colors and the lines that cut through the heart.
Figure 3.3 Inspiration for Gestalt
This is a great gestalt similarity design because it shows a tree growing inside a boy which also looks like a brain. This conveys the growth as a person, which is also what I am currently going through.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 1
Then I started on my draft for Contrast and Gestalt:
Figure 4.1
Left: Contrast Draft 1
Right: Gestalt Draft 1
CONTRAST: I chose the theme 'Love' because it is very important. Amidst the pandemic, whether it is loving our parents or self-love, these are the things that keep us sane and feel happy. Both hearts in the draft is melting inspired by Olaf from Disney's Frozen quote: "Some people are worth melting for."
- Top Heart: I filled the heart with bright ombre colors to stand out against the black background.
- Bottom Heart: This one is made with straight lines, and curvy lines inside to make it look stand out; claiming its importance.
GESTALT (SIMILARITY): The theme is 'growth' because it is something I am going through currently, which is adulting.
- Female Silhouette: The girl represents me.
- Tree and flowers: The blooming represents how I am growing towards the highest point of my life.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 1
For the contrast artwork, Ms. Jinchi advised me to show different ways to portray the heart shape. It could be an open composition (only showing a part of it). It could be in different sizes or showing 3 hearts, and some will be black and white. Each can be a different sunset color or a combination of contrast colors like dark blue and orange, complementary colors, or red and white. As for Gestalt, Ms. Jinchi advised me to think of other things to represent growth and confidence. She gave an example which is drawing a bell bar but replacing the dumbbell with ribbons.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 2
Afterward, I tried to look for more inspiration for "Gestalt" as I would like to explore more ideas.
Figure 4.2 Inspiration for Gestalt (Continuous)
(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/108649409734769578/)
I like this design because the leaf flying across the air in an approximately straight line completes the letter "H".
Figure 4.3
[Left]: Contrast Draft 2
[Right]: Gestalt (Continuation) Draft 2
CONTRAST: I stick with the theme 'love' and used red and white colors to create a contrast in colors using Adobe Illustrator. I also applied squares / checkered patterns into the heart to add a variety of shapes to the artwork.
GESTALT (CONTINUATION): I wrote the word "Bee" in dotted lines which represented the bee's path and at the end, there is a bee that flying. So it is like the Bee flew around and wrote the word "Bee" in the air.
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 2
Ms. Jinchi mentioned that both designs represent the principles. However, she told me to explore more.
IDEA EXPLORATION AND DESCRIPTION 3
Figure 4.4: More Contrast Inspirations
I like the colors here as they are very catchy.
Figure 4.5: Contrast Draft 3
Following the references I had, I attempted to create a contrasting pop art design with the checkered heart design that I made
Figure 4.6: Contrast Final Outcome
I chose to go with the red one because the yellow and orange background ones did not look contrasting enough. I also prefer the colour combination of red, white and black compared to the combination of blue pink, and yellow.
Figure 4.7: More Gestalt (Figure-ground) Inspiration
I decided to switch up my Gestalt theme idea because I felt that I was going through a dead end with my previous draft and there wasn't enough depth to it. Whereas this new idea is something that I do care about as it is related to our health. Smoking is unhealthy for our body and is worse when it risks the wellbeing of the passive smoker as well. This artwork will help raise awareness on the consequence of smoking: death.
Figure 4.8: Gestalt (Figure-ground) Draft 3
I experimented with different color palettes for the design I drew on Adobe Illustrator and chose the third one for my final one.
Figure 5.1 Gestalt (Figure-ground) Final Outcome
FEEDBACK FROM LECTURER 3
For Contrast, Ms. Jinchi said the ones with blue and red backgrounds in Figure 4.5 are fine but the yellow and orange backgrounds did not show much contrast. She told me to pick between the red or blue background heart for my final design. For Gestalt, said she gets the idea of Gestalt (Figure-Ground) in the artwork and the finishing is neat and looks professionally finished.
FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME WITH BRIEF RATIONALE (CONTRAST)
I chose the theme 'Love' because not only is it crucial to our well-being, but it also has always been there in our lives entire life since birth. From parents and relatives who love us to stories that taught us about love. In the renowned novel & movie series Harry Potter, it was Harry Potter's mother’s love that gave him protection from evil spells from the villain, Voldemort, who did have an inch of love in his soul. Self-love is the love we give to ourselves, to care for us when we are at our lowest and highest, the thing that taught others how to love you. Thus, it has a deep meaning and reason why I chose it for my Contrast design.
To show contrast, I used red to signify love and combined white and black to make the colors pop. The checkered pattern provides a contrasting shape from the heart, and it has the look of street fashion design.
FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME WITH BRIEF RATIONALE (GESTALT: FIGURE-GROUND)
Smoking is a habit done by many. There are many campaigns to raise awareness of its dangers as it is the cause of many cases of lung cancer. COVID-19 pandemic is also a widespread virus that causes damage to our lungs. If a smoker already suffers from premature death from smoking, it would be even more dangerous if the person gets infected with COVID-19 as it may escalate lung damage even further.
Therefore, this design serves as a warning to the general public to prevent and stop smoking. The somber color palette signifies a tragic end if the person doesn’t stop smoking. To show the Gestalt principle, I incorporated figure-ground in my work. The smoke is the figure, whereas the skull is the ground.
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