EGO: Process & Final Work


Explore your personalities, Explore your alter ego

not gonna lie, this project got me feeling excited to list down some of my personalities since I think I react differently in different situations and I tend to think I am pretty different with different people and contexts

Brief:

  • Touch a truth in oneself
  • Think deeply about colours
  • Deliverables – 12 squares printable on A4
initial thoughts/brainstorming

The first thought that came to my mind when I heard the words, ego and everyone’s personalities, I thought about “How to be a Human Being?”

While growing up, we tend to get slightly more self conscious as we understand and know more things! Because of that, we find ourselves lost and unsure at certain situations,  not knowing what is the best kind of reaction or what we should do in order not to screw up.

(we don’t wanna lose an important opportunity, make a weird first impression, unintentionally offend someone, etc)

Because of that I thought of Guides to living life! 

Although this concept isn’t supposed to be well planned out to be a cheat sheet for everyone out there, it is instead a personal guide based on my own personalities and settings that I tend to struggle with or find myself having a lot of questions to ask.

CONCEPT

“How to Adult?”  – in really simple words, this is exactly what my concept is. Many people around me find themselves in situations where they have no idea whats best to do. Questions like, “should I say hi?” “isn’t small talk bad?” “how do I reply him?” “what if she gets more annoyed after reading this?”. The questions never stop.

Since we are required to create equations, I decided to split my boxes into this standard equation throughout the 4 rows and columns of boxes. 

The first box is “my personality”. I just narrowed down some of my more prominent personalities and fit them into the equations.

The second box is “setting” which I interpreted it to be situations where I’m alone, or is awkward or I have to deal with people or its just a situation where I don’t really know whats the right way to react.

The third box is “instruction manual”. This instruction manual, is a result of combination of my first and second boxes, creating a guide on how to adult. To make it really look like an instruction manual I will be adding arrows between dissected objects that appeared in either of the 2 boxes before so that it seems like its giving instructions on how to put these small parts together to form a proper functioning object which represents my life. 

colour theories

For this project, we were required to explore colour theories and use them to represent the different composition in our boxes. We were not limited to any colours at all and were really allowed to just experiment with them.

After forming my standard equation above, I also decided that I want to standardise the use of colour theories throughout my 4 columns and rows.

| Monochromatic | Complementary | Triadic |

I decided on these three harmonies for my equations.

The first column of my personalities will be monochromatic because they are the closest to me and they aren’t anything surprising or new. Monochromatic uses shades and tints of the same colour and so it doesn’t make it too striking yet at the same time it feels simple and easy to take in.

The second column of settings will be complementary as some of them are awkward and tensed situations where I just don’t really know how exactly to react. Complementary colours or opposite colours on the colour wheel and although they go together quite well they also give off some kind of tension and awkward vibe which is what I would like to portray exactly in my compositions.

The third column of instruction manuals will be triadic because its when the problem is solved, like there’s finally a solution. Triadic colours tend to come together quite harmoniously, giving the composition a complete feel. A guide to being a human being, should feel that way as it should be something that one can trust and depend on.

compositions/illustrations

I wanted to keep my illustrations simple with nothing too complicated. However, I would like them to intrigue the viewers and make them question why I chose to put certain objects that way. My illustrations will be slightly abstract but still relatable with the use of daily objects or just common objects that people are familiar with.

In addition, I will like my illustrations to follow the same art direction and thought process esp within each column. 

so going back to this,

MY PERSONALITY

I will be using a “guide to life” to represent a certain personality of mine. As such I have narrowed down 4 different “guides” that I feel are essential to survive in today’s world.

GUIDES:

  1. Food ?
  2. Books ?
  3. Smart Phone ?
  4. Transportation ?

The 4 personalities that I picked are: optimistic, clumsy, sentimental, sensitive. I combined a “guide” and “personality” together almost as if I  gave the object a character.

Optimistic ☺️ Food ?
Clumsy ? Books ?
Sentimental ? Smart Phone ?
Sensitive ? Transportation ?
SETTING

I picked 4 settings that involves more than one person. Some of them are slightly awkward, filled with tension or simply just setting that make one unsure of how to react

SITUATIONS:

  1. Eating with a new group of friends/colleagues
  2. Doing work alone in public areas
  3. My own 21st birthday party
  4. Jon interview

I wanted to make these settings a little less simple by placing “myself” which in this case are my “guides + personality” into the setting itself.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

The instruction manuals will be a combination of the first and second boxes to create something that will eventually become an abstract manual on “How to Adult?” or rather “How Does Dinis Adult?”

Optimistic Eating with a new group of friends/colleagues A better start to new friendships/work life
Clumsy Doing work alone in public New discoveries by my clumsiness and art projects
Sentimental My 21st birthday party  More memories created and captured forever
Sensitive Job Interview Well-prepared and ready for the interview

The bolded words in the table are the ideas behind the compositions of the instruction manuals.

EQN 1:

 

Process/Drafts

Final

I arranged the books so that it will look like its falling off, mimic-ing clumsiness. The books now represent me and are seated on the chair alone and just doing its own stuff. Unlike the people around it, the book isn’t using a laptop or a notebook but is using paint, this represents me when I’m out alone because I’m an art student. The instruction manual shows paint getting onto the pages of a book and this is a result of my clumsiness that led to a new and accidental discovery.

eqn 2:

 

 

 

Process/Drafts

Final

It is very hard for me to let go of moments and I tend to always reminisce past memories. The phone seems like its leaking substance together with multiple screens melting with it. This represents me overflowing with sentiments and feeling hard for me to close to chapter and start a new one. The phone now represents me and is laid on the dessert table of my 21st birthday party. The dessert table is where everyone takes pictures of the birthday girl and will probably be the fondest memory of the birthday party. The instruction manual shows a dissected phone and an additional layer of Polaroid photos on the top showing that memories have been captured and I have nothing to feel sad about.

EQN 3:

 

 

 

Process/Drafts

Final

I chose an egg to represent optimism because I like eggs. The sunny side up has layers to it because to me optimism is growing and climbing higher. I placed the egg on a stool where it seems like people around it are having scrumptious meals while the egg is awkwardly having some salt and pepper. Some of the pepper even got on the floor! This represents me feeling awkward with a new group of people and unsure of how to break the ice over a meal. The final box shows a dissected burger but instead of the burger seen in the second box, this burger now has an egg. This shows me slotting myself in into a new group of people and having a good start to new friendships.

EQN 4:

 

 

 

Process/Drafts

Final

I used a recognisable bus handle to represent transportation that is essential for anyone to get anywhere. The bus handles seem like they are multiplying and have many layers. This represents my sensitivity as when a person is sensitive he/she tends to over think and uncover unnecessary layers. I placed myself on a chair like one would for a job interview. The table is almost empty just with a few pieces of paper to portray the formalness of an interview. The final box shows a dissected bus handle with the bottom part of the handle now replaced with many smaller bus handles which represents how sensitive I am. In the middle, there are also batteries which show how prepared I am for an interview because I’m so sensitive to details and making sure I’m well equipped before it.

FINAL WORK

“GUIDE TO BEING A HUMAN BEING”

Overall, I really enjoyed myself throughout the process of this project. I learnt so much more about colour theories that I never understood before and got to explore creating illustrations which is a style I have always wanted to experiment with. After this project, I think I’ve become a lot more sensitive to colour and understanding what colours go together better than others. It has been really fun finding out more about my own personalities through the equations.

Though this process was enjoyable, I also encountered several setbacks, one of which was production and printing. Even though my test prints came out fine, my final prints were not showing up as well as they were supposed to 🙁 I was a little disappointed because I had to re-print some of the prints and they still didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. However, I decided not to re-print them anymore as they were costly. Part of me wished that I had printed all my compositions out during my test print so that I could have presented those instead.

This taught me to be more sensitive to be colour and never be complacent even if the first time was good. Printing is very unpredictable and I hope that in my future printing assignments to come, I’ll have better luck! Besides my production, I received positive feedback during my critique and it has given me the motivation to work harder and do better next time 🙂

Critique Time!
Me with my ego equations!
READ MORE ABOUT MY RESEARCH FOR EGO HERE!

Forest Gump: Final Compositions


F I N A L L Y   D O W N

T O  T H E   F I N A L I S E D  C O M P O S I T I O N S


In this brief, we were required to create four different compositions based on four different chosen movie quotes and have one composition silk-screened onto a tote bag successfully.

compositions

My compositions were mainly inspired by surrealism and the use of everyday objects to create an entirely different world of its own and allow others to be intrigued by the choice of objects used to represent different elements.

Read more about my thought process and 
artist references here!

All four of my finalised compostions include the use of similar objects but in a different way. Some objects like the hands, are morphed into another object itself to give an additional personal meaning to the everyday object. Elements like water and cups are repeated in the compositions as they portray the meaning of life/moments/feelings to me.

Most of my compositions were made with a combination of halftones and vector objects with the exploration of layers and contrast differences –

| CHUNKING EXPRESS

I remembered Chungking Express as a memory filled film, where many different emotion were involved especially ones that make me feel like curling up into a ball on my comfy bed. It made me want to bottle up these feelings I felt and remember it for life. In fact, the quote that I picked from this movie aptly described how I was feeling.

“If memories can be canned, would they also have expiry dates, if so, I hope they last for centuries”

Elements used in this composition: sardine fish, cup, water, humans, splashes, hands

Cup – symbolises a can that stores life’s precious memories and feelings

Sardine Fish – cans reminded me of sardine fishes and I made it big + popping out of the cup to represent the huge factor in our lives that leave a great impact on us. Sometimes, there are too many moments and memories that we want to protect and remember for life but there is to much to remember them all

Water – overflowing water represents the amount of memories we create in a lifetime but not can be etched in our head forever. Water in the cup represents how these memories and feelings can be so full of life and energy

Human Divers – Reminding viewers of the human aspect so that they will have more connection to it and it also seems as if these humans just want to drown themselves in past memories that make them feel good

Hands – the hands replaces the regular fin and tail of the fish. They add a more human touch to the composition and also how hands hold onto things. In this case, it is holding on to memories

Progression of Chungking Express
Chungking Express Final Composition

|| BOYHOOD

Boyhood was a slow long movie/documentary that revealed its story bit by bit. The story didn’t hit me all at once but rather in pieces. At the end of the movie, I felt different, I felt like I have watched something that made me feel reflective about life and how a simple story could make me feel this way. Sometimes, that is how a moment makes us feel. Even the simplest moments can take over and seize us.

“You know how everyone’s always saying “seize the moment” I don’t know, im kinda thinking it’s the other way around, you know like the moment seizes us”

Elements used in this composition: waves, cup, water, humans, splashes, hands

Cup – symbolises one’s life

Waves – my representation of a moment seizing us just like how a wave can seem so harmless but is actually very harmful and powerful. Waves can even take away lives. Thus, when I read the quotes I immediately thought about waves.

Hands – I morphed hands into the waves almost as if the waves can grab or hold on to your life. They add a human touch to the composition

Water – the water in the cup seems to have its own life of its own and is very active. This represents the unpredictability of life and its moments

Humans – again, there are humans in the composition to give a human touch to the composition. In this composition, they are going in the direction of the wave almost as if the wave is about to engulf them

Progression of Boyhood
Boyhood Final Composition

||| HER

Her, was an extremely different kind of movie. It was strange yet intriguing. Although its something that I would have never imagined before, I could still understand his love, pain and other emotions well through the mood of the movie and its various shots. The movie had a unique touch to it and is definitely memorable.

“Sometimes I think I have felt everything i’m ever gonna feel, and from here on out i’m never gonna feel anything new, just lesser versions of what i’ve already felt”

Elements used in this composition: cup, water, humans, coffee filter, toilet paper roll, hands

Cup – the wine cup symbolises life and its emotions/feelings.

Toilet Paper Roll – the quote says that sometimes “you’re never gonna feel anything new, just lesser versions…”. In that way, a toilet paper once used will never be the same again. The next roll you encounter will look similar, but you will never be able to get the same thing back again, just possibly a different version of it. The rolling effect also symbolises how life will just keep rolling on and there will be more emotions/feelings to deal with

Water – the water in the cup seems to have its own life of its own, it has bubbles, splashes and even something similar to a whirlpool. It represents how quick a moment last and sometimes when its gone, the feelings of that moment goes with it and one will never be able to get the exact feeling back again

Coffee Filter – where the essence of the coffee comes out from but in this case, marbled water is coming out and they are my representation of feelings

Humans – additional human touch to the composition. Human is entering its own feelings

Hands – morphed into the base of the wine cup as if it is holding on to “life” but in a subtle way

Progression of Her
Her Final Composition

|||| THE IMITATION GAME

The Imitation Game was an eye-opening movie with intellectual scenes and reminders of why we should never doubt someone of their capabilities. We should never judge one based on their looks or on just one incident. We should learn to be patient and believe in others.

“Sometimes it is the people that no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine”

Elements used in this composition: cup, water, humans, traffic light, desert and mountains, galaxy

Cup – symbolises life and its moments

Traffic Light – represents imagination because no one will imagine a traffic light as a stirrer in a cup and have a mountains on top of it + galaxies on the side

Desert and mountains – represent different worlds, something imaginative

Galaxies – symbolises dreams and a different reality

Water – Life’s moments and its struggles

Human – added human touch to composition. In this composition, the human is seen drowning and has the traffic light piercing through her. It is a scene that no one will ever imagine

Hands – hands are morphed into the traffic light shades on top to represent how our hands are part of the things we do in life and how they affect our moments and struggles

Progression of The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game Final Composition
silkscreen process and final product

The silkscreen process sounded very complicated to me when I first heard about it. However, I was also filled with excitement to try it out. The thought of printing my own composition on a tote bag also made me want to do it well so that I’ll have a new tote bag to carry out.

PROCESS

The process consists of several parts but we were guided well with the help of our work study. We were each give one screen to expose and had to make sure we took care of it well.

We were first told to label our screens so that we don’t accidentally take the wrong screens or spend time figuring which is ours. Then we had to slightly rinse the screen and pat it dry before going into the dark room.

The Dark Room

After layering the light-sensitive ink onto our screens, we had to light it dry before pasting on our transparency print of our composition onto one side of the screen to let it get exposed. After exposing, we had to use the water spray jet to wash off the exposed ink in order for our composition to appear.

Transparency print of first composition
After exposing the screen, the design is ready to be printed!!
First try print, newsprint paper
FINAL PRODUCT

We were required to go back another day to re-expose our screens and get it printed onto our tote bags. Lucky for me everything went quite smoothly on that day besides accidentally tearing a small bit of my screen on the side. Thankfully, it was not a big problem as it could be covered with tape.

I did a few test prints before eventually printing into my tote bag!

Silkscreening on tote bag

AFTER THOUGHTS – I thought that the the whole process was an interesting experience and I’m glad I got to learn something new through this. I was always curious about the silkscreening process and wanted to try it out for myself. So I guess this experience is a strike off my to-try list smile

End Product of Tote Bags
final products for submission
4 finalised compositions for submission

Ready for critique

After critique thoughts: This project allowed me to explore alternative ways of putting together compositions and coming up with designs. Although it was challenging at the beginning, I eventually narrowed down my concept and it became easier to work from there. A challenge I faced was attempting to make the 4 compositions look consistent throughout and re-using the same elements in each of the composition.

I received overall good feedback after the critique and was very happy to receive such a good response from my classmates. I’m glad that my compositions were understood by others and was slightly relatable. On the whole, I am glad that my hard work has paid off and this project has been quite an experience for me!

Click here for more about my process and here for more research!

THE END.