Task 3: Applied Illustration (Final Outcome)

Final Design Outcome

The finalised graphics for each of the regions:

Deliverable 1

Event poster

The first deliverable is an event poster

Deliverable 2

Store sign

Store sign

Deliverable 3

Apron design

Deliverable 4

Paper bag design (exterior)

Bag design (interior)

 

Task 3: Applied Illustration (Research)

For this assignment, we are to create a series of illustrations for a fictional event, which could be anything. The deliverable is are themed illustrations of at least 5 illustrated items, which at least one of it has to be 3D.

First approaching this project, even though the project could be literally about anything, I would think having a more realistic approach is more suitable for the long run in terms of portfolio. I think to design for a fictional but realistic local event looks better for a portfolio than an invitation for an outer space birthday party.

The even that I decided to go for is a festival or a market with participants from the different towns in Singapore. It shall be called Singapore Township Festival. As the name implies, the festival is all about food and handmade items, in a sense promoting local produce and crafts and at the same time, the Singaporeans love for food.

The idea is that every town would have its own design or graphics, but the styling from all the graphics from all the towns could come together and look like it’s from the same event.

The graphics would be a visual representation of the history of the town, where the name derives from, or any urban legends that are linked to the town.

I can’t possibly do the designs for ALL the different towns in Singapore. So I decided to pick the 5 different regions in Singapore :

  • North
  • Northeast
  • East
  • West
  • Central

South would generally be referred to the smaller islands south of Singapore.

The reason why I chose these towns is that they are more recognisable to the public and have been there longer than a lot of the newly developed ones.

Pattern Research

Since the illustration is more of a secondary graphic only as a supporting visual element for the different towns, I figured the illustrations should be more of a repeated pattern, where a visual element of the town is repeated to create a pattern.

40 Islamic Art vector patterns. Islamic art is so mesmerising and impressive that I was intrigued to study it and work on some patterns! I am really happy with the results of these fourty elegant geometric patterns, which above all offer editable vectors that you can adjust to your project's needs. It is a lovely collection of both highly complex and more simple patterns that can give your designs a sophisticated look and a classic beauty that offers you so many creative play options (look at40 Simple Line Geometric Seamless Vector #PatternsIllustration of seamless gold geometric retro pattern vector art, clipart and stock vectors. Image 17969108.Free Vintage Coloring Book Pages | Retro Patterns Geometric Design Vintage Wallpaper Seamless Background

North

Most of the towns in the North is named after (or has links to) a guy named Nee Soon, such as Yishun and Sembawang. He made his fortune from his pineapple and rubber plantation, hence the reference will be from these 2 items.

Image result for pineapple skin

Pineapple

Image result for rubber plantation

Rubber plantation

I combined the repetition of the pineapple with the lines and the collecting container of the rubber plantation.

Northeast

Northeast long ago were mainly fruit plantations. Even the term Punggol means to “throw sticks at fruits so it falls”. Now towns like Sengkang and Punggol has sea themes to them, hence another element to combine it with.

I combined waves and added a hanging fruit in it. When repeating the waves, it forms like a vine with fruits growing out from both sides.

Central

Inspired by the story of how Bukit Merah got its name.

Image result for hill

A hill

Related image

Story of Bukit Merah

Combined the idea os the shape of the hill, the repetition of the banana stems used to build the wall, and the sharp nose of the swordfish into one form.

East

Inspired by the Tampines/tempinis plant.

Image result for streblus elongatus

Included shapes of the leaves and the fruit of the plant.

West

Most of the west is known for its industrial area, and back in the day, Jurong is actually part of the Silk Road.

Image result for cooling towers

Cooling towers

Included the form of a ship and some cooling towers into the form.

 

Assignment 2: Editorial Illustration (Part 2 – Development and Final)

Ideas

Idea 1

For the first idea,  I was trying to go with the idea that just because a brand putting its presence into simple things like a plain t-shirt, it just becomes more expensive. So people are actually paying for the brand, rather than for function.

Idea 2

For the second idea was inspired by the Supreme Brick, but more to the idea of random items with brands putting their presence on it and selling the random items at a higher price.

Idea 3

The third idea is an assembly kit or a starter kit to be a Hypebeast.

I decided to go with the second and third idea as it is closer to the message that I want to convey through the illustration.

So initially I decided to combine the idea of random items with brands on them with the assembly kit, but the idea of having an assembly kit with random items would not make sense at all. So I decided to retain the items that make someone a Hypebeast. So the way that I would combine it is that both items, the random and the Hypebeast items, will still be there rather than having one replace the other.

Design References

For the illustration style, I decided to go to a more digital line-work and flat-lay as I felt like it would be a good way to represent the items that I would want to illustrate and also I think it is a good way to show the details within the items.

I was also thinking of whether to do it in a more static format or a more dynamic illustration

Development

First draft

Initial design

As for the initial design, I found it difficult to represent the brands, without having to put the brand logos itself. I tried to design the items based on what they are known for and their graphics that they normally include in their products, like the stripes in Off-White, and the bar in Supreme. But still, I felt like the items are still not well represented. In the end, I decided to proceed by adding the logos to it, which is seen below.

As for the colours, I would want to keep it neutral as I am putting a lot of brands inside, and I wouldn’t want any of them to stand out more than the other, and it would be quite chaotic to have a lot of colours in it. I also wanted to have almost like a template approach, like a flat drawing in fashion design where the colours don’t matter yet. Can also say that I having a neutral approach in this situation as these millennials are free to decide how they spend their money and does not directly affects me.

Final design

To add the logos, I have to tweak it a bit so as not to get into some copyright issues. Both items, the random and the Hypebeast, are present so that at first glance, it may just look like another flat lay of Hypebeast items, but when you look harder or look again, you can actually notice that there are random things in between.

Final mockup

Assignment 2: Editorial Illustration (Part 1 – Research)

The second assignment requires us to do an editorial illustration for the bi-annual publication, Varoom. We are also to do the illustration based on one of three themes:

  • Style
  • Empathy
  • Obsession

The illustration will be used as the cover of the Varoom magazine. So to begin this work, I would start my research on Varoom’s work.

According to the AOI – Association of Illustrators:

Varoom is the globally leading illustration magazine featuring a unique combination of industry insight and critical analysis of the field of illustration. It is a unique publication commanding a global audience commenting on and discussing the contemporary illustrated image in depth. It features interviews with illustrators, image-makers and designers as well as critical articles by leading commentators.

It is interesting to see the various illustrations featured on the cover of the magazine. Opens up my mind to the many different illustration styles and concepts there can be. Below is a sample of one of their latest publications:

More on the assignment…

What is an editorial illustration?

According to Udemy:

Editorial illustration is artwork created in response to written text, usually an article in a magazine, newspaper, or blog. In this course, we will focus on how to analyze a text, develop a unique idea, and communicate that concept visually as a partner to the article. Editorial illustration is an exciting field because it allows the illustrator to inject their own opinions and unique voice into the work. We’ll focus on how to inject your own personality into your expressive illustration while still communicating your concept and illuminating the written word.

Some samples of editorial illustrations:

Illustration by Stephanie Wunderlich

Illustration by Agathe BB

Illustration by Joe Magee

Illustration by Sebastien Thibault

Images from Agoodson.com, and more of the details about editorial illustrations can be found there too.

So which theme am I going for?

  • Style
  • Empathy
  • Obsession

When given these 3 options, the first theme that struck me was Obsession. Mainly because I don’t have enough experience in the feeling of empathy and I definitely have not much understanding of style. Those 2 themes are fairly broad and I believe that it would require much understanding of empathy and style before being more specific on what kind for the assignment. I went on with obsession as I felt that it is more relatable and is easier to understand.

So specifically to obsession, I would want to do obsession over Hypebeast clothing and items. There is a recent trend among the younger millennials where they tend to want to buy all the latest and hyped clothing and flaunt it when they go out or on social media. I just find it annoying and interesting how this thing developed in recent times and effects only a certain generation.

The term Hypebeast was initially from a website which main intention from the creator is to be the place to go for updates on the latest sneaker trends in the market. Somehow the brand expanded into promoting other types of clothes and the latest street culture that brands offer, hence the term Hypebeast refers to the culture or someone who is up to date with the latest clothing of culture trends normally promoted or sold by the up-market brands.

More on what Hypebeast is about here, on their own website.

More on the topic of obsession over Hypebeast stuff, there was a time when one of these brands, Supreme, came up with a brick that they launched as a humorous way to joke about how their customers and the market would buy anything that has the word ‘supreme’ written in a red box-shape just to remain in trend. They also made a lot of other items with the Supreme-red and the logo printed on it, and it almost became like an icon of mocking putting brands on random items but people would still buy them.

More on the Supreme brick here, by Highsnobiety.

So I got the idea for the assignment, I would want my illustration to be based on that idea of having brands putting their logo on random items and people would still buy them because they are so obsessed on trying to remain in-trend by buying all the Hypebeast stuff.

Target Audience

The audience of this illustration will firstly be these millennials. This is because they are mostly the ones who are having this obsession. Maybe it would help them realise that what they are doing is really silly.

User Persona

Moodboard

I was planning to go for a neutral look, almost not representative of the items and the brands so that none of it stands out more than the other, that’s why I went for the monotonous black and white also so that colour meanings will not play much of a role in the illustration. I also plan to use a flat lay and more static than dynamic so that it is clear and to the point.

Zine for Kampong Glam (Part 6 – Developments)

(Disclaimer: Here are only the developments that went digital. Most of the other developments are in the Journal)

The feature image of this post is the mood board that I have created for the zine.

As we only have a limited number of spreads and pages to work with, I tried my best to compress a lot of the elements into those few pages. Also, I tried to connect and design the pages as a spread rather than individual pages so that I could show my understanding of spreads and in a way making use of the pages more.


First spread

This was actually the second-last spread that I worked on as I was finding it hard to attempt this and I actually left it last.

There were some main elements I plan to feature in the first spread. It being the day scene, I would definitely want to feature:

  • tourists
  • fabrics/textiles
  • shophouses
  • Sultan Mosque

So the following are the layouts I did for the first spread.

I wanted to have a balance between the tourists and the textiles, making them almost equal. So I tried putting them side by side or even on the same page.

As this was the last inner spread that I worked on, I have trouble trying to show shophouses here since I have already featured the shophouses in the middle spread. So, I decided to make it into the corridor arches instead.

For the colours and style, I was very much inspired my Malika Favre’s work. I realise I was following too closely to it that it is starting to look very much like it too. So I had to change things up abit and change the colours too.

Initial sketches

One of the first sketches I did

One of Malika Favre’s work that I was inspired by

One of my attempts on the spread. It started to look very close to Malika Favre’s work, especially the colours.

End result

I was not too satisfied with this spread as it still looked too solid and heavy despite my attempt to make it lighter by changing some of the illustrations into line works.


Middle spread

This was the second spread that I worked on. All this while I would know the importance of the middle spread as it is the transition spread and would balance out both sides of the zine.

Some elements that I would wanna feature in this spread is:

  • palm trees (for the day)
  • lampposts (as it can help to show the transition and looks close to cutleries and palm trees)
  • cutleries (for the night)
  • shophouses

I tried to make it more dynamic for this and this page was particularly important to show the transition from day to night. So I spend alot of time on this to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Initial sketches

An initial sketch for the middle spread

My first digitalised work for the middle spread. I realise that there were still too much space in it and it was not dynamic enough

I tried to make it more dynamic. Almost there…

End result

I settle down with this as I think there is a right balance and dynamic movement in the spread. I think that the transition from day to night is seamless too, like there is no sudden change.


Last spread

This was actually the first spread that I worked on as I really wanted to show the overlaying and the double shadow effect in the zine.

Some of the main elements that I wanted to show in this spread is:

  • exotic lanterns
  • down-up lighting
  • food scene (plates and drinks)
  • lights

Initial sketches

Can’t really see much here as I mostly worked out the shapes of the illustrations digitally

End result

I was satisfied with the layout of this spread as it was very close to what I had invisioned. The space on the left page of the spread was actually for text, but I decided not to put it in because i wouldn’t want it to affect the mood and feel the illustrations had conveyed.


The cover and back cover

This was actually the last page that I attempted as I was mainly focusing on the contents, and would leave this last so that I would know what the content is already like so that the cover page and back cover would be the design layout that holds all the contents together.

So what would be the better way to hold everything together and represent Kampong Glam? By using shophouses windows! (Since the shophouses have already been used by the middle spread)

Initial sketches

I wanted to make the windows of different sizes, but I decided not to as I think it would make the spread look too messy.

End result

I was pretty satisfied with the outcome of this spread as it also has a smooth transition as the middle spread.

The Bag Project – Soft Goods Assignment

For this assignment, we are to create an object out of soft material, like fabrics, but make the prototype using paper. So I had the idea of creating something that would be useful for my profession as a designer.

Deciding on the product

Before actually getting into the technicality and the actual making and sketching, I would have to decide on what to make first. I would want to make a bag, but there are many types and for different purposes.

I thought of making a box-shaped bag as that is a common type of bag that I see being carried by designers.

Another common bag that I see is the tote bag, which is convenient for designers, but when it comes to weight, it gets a little heavy on the tote bag for one shoulder or one arm to carry.

There was also an idea of making a form of the bandolier, which is something that the military would use to carry bullets and ammo, but instead of carrying those, this bandolier would be carrying designer or artist tools, like drawing pens or pencils, and a compartment for the smaller stuff. But then I would think that it could be a bit over the top and unnecessary.

So I decided to stick to the first idea which is the box-shaped bag as I think that would be the most practical to make.

Getting started

Now that I have the idea of the bag in my mind, I would then start to list the things that could be featured in the bag design. These things would be useful for the user of the bag – useful for the designer using the bag.

Parts of the bag:
  • laptop slot
  • EZlink card holder/slot
  • thumbdrive slot
  • A4/A4 sketchbook size
  • A2/A3 roll holder
  • penknife/cutter slot
  • pen holder
  • bottle slot
  • ruler slot

(These are just initial ideas. Some of these ideas get scrapped over time)

I also started to play around and reconfirming the main shape of the bag. How it is closed and how it is going to open up. So I decided to make the main body of the bag able to open up bigger for easier accessibility of the user.

Exploring the different parts

After listing down the different compartments needed, I start working on them.

Laptop slot

The biggest and main slot would be the laptop slot. Here I try to list down and sketch out the different ways the compartment or the laptop could be kept in the bag.

I chose to stick with the inner laptop slot compartment as it would be safer for the laptop.

Bag flap and closure

With the box-shaped bag in mind, it comes with the flap. So here I try to explore the different types of closure for the flap, like magnetic snaps and hook & eye.

I decided to use the hook & eye method as I would think that the magnetic snaps would wear off after a while and it would be hard to connect the snaps together under the flap.

Straps

Here I was exploring the bag straps, with my horrible sketches. But it is mainly to see how it would look like.

A2/A3 holder

Here I try to see which is the better way to place the A3/A2 paper holder. I was taking into consideration the fact that the bag’s main body can be opened wider. So when that happens, the sides are affected, so the material of the holder would need to be stretchable.

Re-finalising the final look

Now with most of the different compartments and parts finalised, I would redraw the final look so that anything that I was to add on from there is based on this look.

More compartments and parts

With the final look refreshed, I added in more compartments and parts

Additional slot & EZlink card holder

These ideas didn’t make it to the final look, but it was some of the initial ideas I sketched out.

Stationaries slot

Some other slots that I included are sketched out.

Final look

With all the compartments checked off the list, I finally came up with the final look for the bag.

I do keep in mind that the look of the bag might change as I am making the bag.


Making the bag

With the final look sketched out, I can finally start making the bag.

Smaller-scale prototype

Before I make the prototype out of the real intended material, I made a simple paper prototype of a smaller scale to see how I am to make the bag if it is in a fuller scale, see if the different parts of the bag can actually work when put together and also to have a physical feel of the model in my hands.

The “real” prototype

I would finally get to start making the prototype using the intended materials, which is black recycled paper. I chose this material as it has a similar matte look to the REAL material that would have been used which is black leather.

I would start off by making the main body of the bag. However, the paper material is still much thinner than the synthetic leather so I had to double up the paper so that it will be much stiffer and stronger.

I would cut out the main shape of the bag first. As the bag can be opened wider at the top for easier access of the contents, the sides of the bag are cut slanted where it gets wider towards the top.

For the width of the bag, I just used the measurements of a 15 inch MacBook and added a few centimetres to it so that I would know that it could fit such a device and also that there is no problem when it comes putting in a 13-inch version.

Initially, the bag was too thick when I put all 4 sides together and it looked like those bags carried by the food deliverymen. So I disassembled the bag and trimmed a few centimetres off for the sides.

With the main body of the bag confirmed, I would start adding the different compartments of the bags inside before I seal off all 4 sides of the bag. There was also trial and error for this as the first compartments that I made were too tight for the objects so I had to make the compartments thicker or wider. Some compartments also have a similar method with the bag itself where it can be opened wider at the top so to have easy access to the contents.

As for the straps, I find this the most challenging as the straps have to be easily wearable compared and at the same time won’t look too floppy or long when being worn. Since it is only a prototype, the mechanism of the bag is not implemented yet.

For the hook and eye method, I double up the hook and eye so that it will be stronger. but the read material for the hook would be using metal.

Final Outcome

Even though the final bag looks a little different from the sketches and has its minor flaws here and there, I am still pretty happy with it. I actually had the intention of making into a real bag with real materials, but I think I would just ruin it as I don’t think I have the right skills for making a bag. Would be cool though!