patterns

There are 4 posts tagged patterns (this is page 1 of 1).

Zine for Kampong Glam (Part 4 – Night Adventures and … More Ideas)

So my earlier ideas got rejected because it was too “touristic” as if its a promotion or publication for Singapore Tourism Board. So I decided to think it through again.

Idea 4: Silk Roads

For this idea is a play on the fact that previously Kampong Glam used to be a place where people do trade, selling different items to make a living. Another thing that stands out during my visits there is the number of streets there is, how they criss-cross each other and forms like a grid system for the area. So I could play with these 2 elements to create the zine.

However, I would think that the idea is not deep enough as a concept.

Idea 5: A Fictional Destination

So there is a palace. Many shops that sell different made things. Many shops that sell items needed to make stuff. A mosque. And food outlets, restaurants. An idea struck me in a way that it looks like the elements that can be found in a game. Castles, shops that sell items, a place of prayer, and food shops. So I could create a form of promotional content for a new in-game area that just opened. The design concept would be pixel art, like those Pokemon-top-view games.

However, I would feel like I’m just literally making the place into a game, and not really exploring much of the graphic forms and visuals.

Kampong Glam at Night

So after rejecting my own ideas, I decided to go back to Kampong Glam. but this time I decided to go at night, to see what is there, and what are the differences, and to my surprise, it was actually quite different.

(Sorry for the bad images! I have really unsteady hands)

Eating and chilling

At night, there seem to be more people there to eat, drink and chill, and more food shops open at this time too.

Neon lights and signboards

The things that would stand out the most would be the neon lights and the signboards that would only be switched on at night. In the day it would appear as just a plain signboard. Some signboards would even change colours!

Lamps of all sorts

At night, the lamps that you normally see along the streets will be switched on, hence creating and displaying all these different patterns and colours that you won’t normally get to see in the day.

A barbershop that operates into the night

Bottoms up!

Not only referring to the drinking culture in Kampong Glam at night but the lights at some of the buildings at Kampong Glam also does it too. The lights shine upwards on the buildings creating a unique look and also making the buildings look different.

The lights on the minarets of the Sultan Mosque changes colours too!

Other findings

A friendly resident

Lights from the nearby buildings, such as this Duo offices and residence, has a unique look too!

The lights shining in between the window panels make it look like an opening book effect

The many different lights caused a layering effect on the walls, which is really interesting!

The lights also caused some of the seen patterns during the day to be hidden, creating an interesting look to it.

So after all these findings, I came out with another idea that hopefully works.

Idea 6: Day to Night to Day

After all the research and visits, I could see that there are different activities that would stand out during the day and also at night. In the day, most of the retail shops would be open, and the place would be crowded with tourists groups. In the night, however, the retail shops will be closed and the bars and pubs will open. The lights from different signboards and lamps will be switched on creating an entirely different vibe to the area. All these would be interesting to explore and put in the zine.

Image Making Through Type (Part 2 – First Attempt)

So I have to narrow down to 4 different jobs to proceed on with the project:

  1. Interior Designer
  2. Confectioner
  3. Radiographer
  4. Contractor

The Interior Designer

The first job that I decided to proceed with is an architect. So I started to look at what are the factors and elements that I could use for the design.

Blueprints & Floorplans

The first thing that comes to mind would be that architects use blueprints in their work. Sometimes it shows the side views of the structure or like a perspective view. In other times it shows the interior floorplan of the structure.

But if to decide between the floorplan or the blueprint designs, I think it would be better to use the floorplan design because it is more flexible in a sense that the floorplan can make out more shapes than a vertical structure/a side view of a building.

Interior Designer tools

Another way to attempt based on the interior designer is through the tools used by an architect. They have different tools used to form different shapes and to create different drawings.

Architect tools – such as the t-rule, compass, protractor (https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/144324-vector-architect-tools)

The tools are already in odd shapes, which can be used to form the different letters of my name already.

First draft

First draft for The Interior Designer

I tried to implement the concept of a floorplan into the letters. Still exploring the different forms, whether or not to make it angular or has more curvature.

Comments from peers & lecturer:

  • Floorplan design has been used too much by seniors, especially by using blueprints. So I have to stick to more of the interior design floor plan concept, which includes more of the interior contents of the structure so as to differentiate it from previous samples.

The Confectioner

I thought of food, but the idea of using food as a chef cooking has already been taken and used. So I branched out from food to candy.

Types of candy

I guess the first step is to find out what sort of candy there is, and from there I can pick out the elements and work with them.

Patterns & Textures from candy

From the types of candy, I can try and pick out the different patterns formed and the textures from the different candy.

Bubblegum texture, can consider the art style too! (https://www.emaze.com/@AWRCLIRT/untitled)

And the list of textures goes on, but the idea is to maybe form the basic structure with the candy and at the same time have the textures in mind and implement them into the design.

First draft

First draft for The Confectioner

So I tried to join all 4 letters of my name to show that the design is interconnected rather than separate units and I tried to make it seamless and flowy as if it is made from one line.

I implemented the different textures and patterns of confectioneries, starting from bubbly bubblegum on the “S” connecting to droopy and nutty chocolate for the “Y’, glossy doughnut with rainbow sprinkles for the “A”, and candy cane patterns and churros texture for the “M”

Comments from peers & lecturer:

  • I have to make sure that the connection is obvious and it flows seamlessly through all 4 letters
  • Try to get as many details on the texture to make it more realistic
  • Colours have to be attractive (Pastel? Cannot use dark colours)

The Radiographer

I thought of doing something based on the human body but seems a bit too normal or complicated. So I decided to stick to the human form but more of x-ray style.

X-ray design

The idea of the x-ray is like thin neon lights but shows a faint outer layer while showing the inner object.

Body parts internal structure study

Another step to do is to look at how the internal structure of the body looks like so that it would look more realistic.

A possible concept that I thought of when doing this is that the inner layer could be just the type, while the outer layer shows something else. Or the outer layer could be the type, while the internal is showing something different.

First draft

First draft for The Radiographer

For my attempt at this layout, I tried to implement the x-ray studies into the letters so that it looks like real bones and tissue in the x-ray. I also tried to make the outer layer of the letters look a bit different from the inner layers.

Comments from peers & lecturer

  • I could include bone fractures

Funny or dangerous objects inside the x-ray scans. See if I would want to convey a more serious tone or humorous tone

The Contractor

I wanted to do more of using real objects for this since I have already tried other styles for the other.

Contractor tools

So elements that I could pick up from the job of a technician is the tools that they use.

So the idea is to create the letters using the different tools of a technician.

First draft

First draft for The Contractor

I tried to implement the tools into the formation of the letters, and I used wires to in a way join the letters together and also to form more of the curvy letters.

Comments from peers & lecturer:

  • The approach is too direct in a sense that the tools are used directly as the shape forms – like pareidolia
  • Lack of manipulation should have more
  • Combination of different equipment to form each letter, rather than using just one tool to form a letter.

Making a Mark – My Line is Emo

Emotion: Love

When you’re in love, you get this bubbly feeling inside, but at the same time it clouds up your judgement and thinking. It becomes more intense the deeper you get, creating dark patches in your mind, dark emotions and thoughts slowly takes over.

Materials used: Chinese Ink, Washing Liquid, Bubbles, Straw

Emotion : Elation

In other words, great happiness.

The light feeling you get when you feel really happy, a burst of happiness out of your body. Tried to show it in the design in a way that the ink creates a light flowy pattern, all emerging from one point.

Materials used: Chinese Ink, Shaving Foam.

Emotion: Amazement

The feeling of great fascination, somehow creates explosions and fireworks in your head, in a literal sense: mind blown. (Would have used that word instead but its not in the list.)

Tried to show layers of “explosions and fireworks” by creating the patterns with an old bottle cleaner.

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, White Glue, Old Bottlecleaner.

Emotion: Rage

Inspired by the phrase, ‘beauty and rage’, from the song Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey.

At first glance, it looks like a messy angry pattern. Nothing is clear, nothing makes sense when you are raging. However, if you look closely, there is a beautiful marbling effect created amongst the violent strokes, symbolising beauty in rage.

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, White Glue, Old Bottlecleaner.

 

Emotion: Sadness

Nothing is clear and nothing makes sense when your feeling really sad. The vertical black patches against the horizontal white spaces emphasizes on this uncertainty – your dark thoughts clashing with the positivity and hope, slowly taking over. The water effect created also further creates the somber and sad mood.

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, Water, Foam Board, Watercolour paper

Emotion: Fear

Inspired by nightmares. You cannot recall the dream exactly when you wake up, but somehow it still strikes fear when you have a nightmare. Everything is vague, dark and these nightmares always come in a misty and musty dream, soft and dream like, but unclear and dark.

Materials used: Black Ink, Water, Cling Wrap.

Making a Mark – Process

Emotion – Fear

Materials used: Black Ink, Water, Cling Wrap, Watercolour paper

 

I mixed water with ink to make it a little more watery, so its easier to play around, and then spread the mixture across the surface, in this case the watercolour paper strip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took cling wrap, and placed it firmly onto the inked surface.

Wait a while before you actually put it open, so it sets the textures and details a little.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I pulled out the cling wrap, and reveal the patterns created. i adjusted the clingwrap a little and place it on another area or any desired area on the surface to create another texture.

I left it to dry after I’m satisfied with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome:

Emotion – Amazement

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, White Glue, Old Bottlecleaner, Watercolour paper

This was an emotion that I thought long for. How can I show amazement?

Then I broke down the word and ended up with the word “mind-blown”. I instantly remembered the mind blown meme:

So I tried to recreate something similar.

 

I spread a mixture of white glue and a bit of poster paint evenly across the whole surface of paper strip.

(This by itself could be used as a method of mark-making, as I get to control the paint and glue mixture with my brush)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then used an old bottle cleaner brush and dabbed into the paint and glue surface. I flipped and turned the brush to find a desired pattern for this emotion.

To get some areas darker, I dropped a few drops of poster paint to certain areas and continued to dab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome:

Emotion – Rage

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, White Glue, Old Bottlecleaner, Watercolour paper

I was listening to Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence at that point of time, and was inspired to create something of beauty and rage.

 

Again, I spread a mixture of white glue and poster paint evenly across the watercolor paper surface.

I added more poster paint now to make it darker to convey a darker emotion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But now, instead of dabbing the ink and white glue surface with the brush, I “angrily” brushed it while pressing into it hard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome:

Emotion – Sadness

Materials used: Black Poster Paint, Water, Foam Board, Watercolour paper

 

I spread a mixture of black poster paint and water across the surface of a foam board. I realise the mixture does not spread evenly on the board no matter how much ink I applied. I noticed how it has gaps and watery patterns the poster paint creates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then placed the watercolor paper strip onto the paint and water mixture, and gently pressed the paper onto the foam board hoping to get the pattern printed onto the strip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I slowly removed the strip from the foamboard, and the pattern is revealed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome:

Emotion – Elation

Materials used: Chinese Ink, Foam Board, Shaving Cream, Watercolour paper

In other words, great happiness. I took several attempts to do this. The idea is to create something that has a lot of white spaces so it would not be too dark, and also to create something that has a light feeling to it.

I sprayed shaving cream across the foam board in the size slightly bigger than the paper strip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then dripped Chinese Ink on various areas of the foam. I only dripped a few inks as I would still want the end design not to be too dark.

Then I played around the ink drips with the back of a paintbrush, swirling it around to create the desired pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I gently placed the strip on top of the foam with the desired ink design on it. I actually applied abit more pressure to get more of the details on the strip and not to leave any gaps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then gently removed the strip from the foam. The foam may look stretched and messy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The design may look messy and grey now, but its not done yet. I took a scrap paper or squeegee and remove the foam from the paper, and the pattern is revealed!

The Outcome:

Emotion – Love

Materials used: Chinese Ink, Washing Liquid, Bubbles, Straw, Watercolour paper

Love was a tough emotion to think of, without making it too literal. So I tried to break down the word and think of what defines love…. so I ended up finding myself playing with bubbles.

I mixed Chinese Ink and washing liquid to make a bubbly mixture. I then blew into the mixture using a straw and the mixture started to bubble up with black bubbles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then took the paper strip and gently placed it on the bubbles while I was blowing it. I realise the faster I get it printed, the darker the pattern gets. If I wait a while, the pattern printed will be lighter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outcome: