VC 2 – TASK 1A Research

1.What are some of the current issues confronting our world today?

1. Climate change

Climate change has always been a concern to many and in the recent days, it is becoming more alarming and prevalent of an issue in the eyes of society. As the greenhouse gases accumulate within the atmosphere, the surface temperature of the world rises causing the arctic permafrost to thaw. This  further accelerates climate change as the softened soil is  releasing vestiges of ancient life—masses of carbon enter the atmosphere as methane or carbon dioxide—that have been locked in frozen dirt for millennia. In turn, this hinders the natural biological development of wildlife, destroying the ecosystem and causing a massive impact on our world today.

Eg. Drowning of harp seals

In 2007, for example, more than 75 percent of pups in Canada perished because of poor ice conditions—in 2010, almost none survived, Johnston said.

Eg. Slowing down of hurricanes

“Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, “It can increase storm surge. It can increase the amount of time that structures are subjected to strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”

Eg. Bleaching of coral reefs

In half the sites surveyed, live corals populated less than one percent of a given reef. At 80 percent of the Samoan sites, live corals were below 10 percent. The scientists estimate that these reefs may have previously had live coverage between 60 and 80 percent

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/arctic-permafrost-is-thawing-it-could-speed-up-climate-change-feature/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/06/hurricanes-cyclones-move-slower-drop-more-rain-climate-change-science/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/1/120106-harp-seals-global-warming-sea-ice-science-environment/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/samoan-islands-upolu-coral-reef-bleaching-climate-change-science-spd/

2. Health & the Law

Progressively over the years , there is an increase in awareness and understanding about drugs such as marijuana, and the relationship it has with mental health. More people slowly became exposed to it and its benefits, proven and tested by scientists all over the world. One cannot deny the medicinal properties that marijuana has on its consumers and liberalising it would benefit the society  in many ways. Instead of criminalising marijuana consumption, which results in a disproportioned incarceration rate (The United Nations reports that, by the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 185 million people over the age of 15 were consuming drugs globally) and illegal drug trafficking, we could shift our perspective to see it as a form of medicine and understand that legalising it could potentially save many lives.

Number of new drug abusers remains high, CNB figures show

While the number of drug abusers arrested fell from 3,265 in 2016 to 3,089 last year, about 40 per cent of them were new abusers.Of the 1,249 new abusers arrested, about 64 per cent were below the age of 30.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/number-of-new-drug-abusers-remains-high-cnb-figures-show

Can CBD help treat depression?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a natural compound that has gained popularity in recent years, thanks in part to a growing body of research into its potential health benefits, which may include treating depression. The initial results of some studies into CBD and depression look promising.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324846.php

How depressed are Singaporeans?

Depression was the most common mental illness in Singapore (among the conditions assessed in the study), with one in 16 people (6.3 per cent) having had the condition at some point in their lives

https://www.businessinsider.sg/6-common-mental-disorders-affecting-singaporeans-today-and-where-you-can-go-to-get-help/

STILL A STIGMA

Another reason why it can be hard to identify individuals with “high-functioning” depression is because many sufferers hide their conditions.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/well-dressed-successful-and-depressed-high-functioning-depression-seen-more-patients

https://www.ibhinc.org/drug-legalization

 

3. Sustainability & Conservation

Our planet is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals — the sixth wave of extinctions in the past half-billion years. As of 2019, there are too many animals that are on the critically endangered list because of human behaviour. To sustain the growing human population, we poach, we contaminate bodies of water, destroy forests and the habitats of wild animals.The extinction of a single species not only means that we no longer get to co exist with them but it also accelerates the rate at which other animals within the food web go extinct too.This contributes to the unraveling of our planets sustainability. Fortunately, conservation efforts around the world are bent on helping these endangered animals revitalise their dwindling populations through a variety of humanitarian efforts, including curtailing illegal poaching, halting pollution, and habitat destruction, and curtailing the introduction of exotic species into new habitats.

Why does it matter when species go extinct?

“A single species’ disappearance can, in fact, make a huge difference on a global scale. Like pieces of yarn in a woven tapestry, the removal of one can start unraveling the whole system.When you remove one element from a fragile ecosystem, it has far-reaching and long-lasting effects on biodiversity.”

China’s medicinal tiger bones and rhino horns: Tradition or travesty?

Tiger bones and rhino horns may have a role in traditional Chinese medicine, but critics say that trendy health products with no medical value made from endangered animals are only a status symbol for the wealthy.

https://www.dw.com/en/chinas-medicinal-tiger-bones-and-rhino-horns-tradition-or-travesty/a-46193315

https://www.thoughtco.com/why-it-matters-when-species-go-extinct-1182006

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/

https://www.thoughtco.com/how-species-become-endangered-1181928

4.Poverty and inequality

Colombia is the seventh most unequal country in the world and faces extreme disparity in terms of income. Where the top 10% earners receiving 39% of the total income in Columbia.The current laws and policies widen the income gap further.The inequality causes stark differences in the standard of living between columbians and this definitely bears its consequences on the columbian society. Since about 34% (12.7 million) of columbians live below the poverty line -earning less than $2 USD a day, they do not have access to food, basic healthcare and to survive ,are more inclined to contribute to the rampant illegal drug industries.

high child mortality rate

higher number of crimes

lack of basic healthcare

distributive conflict and social tension

Ineffective taxation laws?

” The personal income tax system in Colombia is regressive. This means that the richer you are, the lower is your tax effective rate. The Government proposes to overcome this problem by introducing a progressive tax system, i.e. to let the richer households pay a relatively higher effective tax rate.  “

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2012/12/17/why-colombia-needs-a-more-progressive-tax-system

https://colombiareports.com/colombia-poverty-inequality-statistics/

https://colombiareports.com/understanding-colombias-conflict-inequality/

10 Facts about Poverty in Colombia 

2.Why is the issue important? Who does it affect and how?

Global climate change has already resulted in a wide range of impacts across every region of the country and many sectors of the economy. Increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, extinction of animals, human health, deterioration of the atmosphere are just some of the many pressing issues brought about by climate change. It affects all life on earth, as it becomes increasingly disruptive throughout this century and beyond.

https://www.globalchange.gov/climate-change

3.Who do you need to communicate to and why?

Target audience:

Millennials aged 18-34  tend to generally be more interested and understanding of current affairs/progressive and it is necessary to mould  and equip the current generation with the knowledge to change to world in whatever small way that they can. Have the power to contribute to small changes which eventually leads to a global change.In essence, the issues that I have brought up eventually affects the individual himself in one way or another. With an increase in awareness, these millennials may try to lessen the impacts of climate change in small ways,eg.using metal straws.If empowered, they would be more inclined to make changes to their lifestyle that would impact the world.

4.How has visual communication contributed to address the cause?

The loud contrasting colours create a bold and eye catching look which is necessary especially in increasing awareness.Yellow and black are used on roads and signs to draw attention to it. The font is a bold san serif, the boldness further emphasises the importance of the message and the san serif removes unnecessary distractions from the purpose of the text.Normally when I see posters related to climate change, very expected colours are used, like blue for the seas as well as green for the earth etc, however in this case its nothing related to those earthy colour schemes.

Image result for climate change graphic design

Greenpeace USA

11 December 2018

Extinction Rebellion uses graphic design to protest climate change

Dezeen.com

15 April 2019

Volunteer artists

Design elements to consider- animal skulls, endangered animals , hourglass, earth, thermometer , love/hearts ,loud clashing colours

AGAINST EXTINCTION!!

Love in the Time of Climate Change

Applied illustration – LUKA & HARDLEY

For this project we were tasked to produce a set of illustrated items that looked like they had the same theme/belonged to the same family. I began researching on applied illustrations and an event that I could possibly design products for.In order to streamline my thoughts better I decided to come up with 3 separate events, products and come up with 5 thumbnails sketches for each one, so I would have a variety of sketches to choose from.

Event 1 : Toiletries event for hotels/gyms/spas

Event 2 : Couple wine event

Event 3: Cosmetic

I scoured the net for inspiration images for each event.These were some of the images that spoke to me and some of my thumbnail sketches were based off of these found images.

    

I was particularly attracted to this packaging because of the contrast between intricate patterns and minimalistic branding. It reminded me of me of luxurious skincare products for example those from crabtree and Evelyn.I decided to develop this idea for this illustration project and do a ‘pick n mix’ skincare event. However I knew I wanted to go in an abstract direction so I started conceptualising on how I was going to create this abstract pattern.I wanted to incorporate local flowers and also create a local brand, So I made my way to Botanic Gardens to take a look at the kind of flowers I could use.

I decided on 5 different plants that I was going to use for my packaging: Orchid, Lily,Ixora,mandarin and balsam. These were flowers that could be found in Singapore, and I decided to use watercolour , for that softer more fluid look and create patterns via mark making. I experimented with the textures and the water content in my paint to achieve a set of patterns. I stuck to jewel tones for my colour scheme as I thought it would bring out the luxurious skin care vibe out in my packaging.

Then I proceeded to create a unique pattern for each product I was making using the plant itself.For the mandarin and balsam I used the skin of an orange and a leaf for the balsam.

I experimented with drawing nets for the packaging itself and also different types of packaging.I narrowed it down to one type of package but after consultation with Lisa she said it was not innovative, so I created packages with varying sizes and heights to create visual interest .Then I proceeded to work on the branding and I was inspired by high end English luxury bath and body products.

Lisa suggested on adding an icon for each of the products as there was space I could more efficiently use. I thought the addition of the icons really brought the branding closer to my design objective.The use of black in the branding was very jarring as my colour scheme was light bright and soft, thus I changed the black to grey to match the soft look of the products.

After creating all the nets, prints and the branding. I finally came to my final products as seen in the photographs below.

 

Magazine cover: Pencil comps, process & Final

I opted for a dynamic composition for my illustrations as I thought it suited the concept of Gordon being overwhelmed by food. The triangular shape of the composition adds movement and energy to the magazine cover giving it visual interest.There are multiple elements within the design which have varying sizes and also different line weights, as pens with different thicknesses were used. This contributes to the sketchy and fun look I was going for. Overlapping the magazine template over the illustrations which are over Gordon Ramsay himself gives the design more depth and in turn makes it more exciting compared to a flat 2D design.

PENCIL COMPS: Drawn on tracing paper

PROCESS:

I began by printing an image of Gordon and illustrating over him using tracing paper, So I could get a rough idea of how the final magazine cover would look like and also to align my illustrations with the image.I laid over the pencil comps over the image and chose the one I liked best.

I picked the first design and proceeded to digitise my work using image trace in illustrator.The original image of Gordon came with a black background and my illustrations were also black, So I decided to switch out the background for a marble one, which adds to culinary theme of my cover the as it reminds me of an expensive kitchen counter.The marble background was a soft grey colour which allowed my black pen illustrations to stand out.I cropped gordon out, added the marble background and a drop shadow for depth.

After consulting Lisa, she suggested to declutter and improve the legibility of the “Gordon Ramsay” illustration. She also suggested drawing over his face, but since it is a focal point, I omitted laying illustrations over his face and instead on his head.I had to keep the amount white on both sides even for a more balanced design.Initially my design was imbalanced as there were more elements and more white on the right than left.The taco was reduced in size so that it would not compete too much with the face. This led me to my Final magazine cover.

Magazine cover: “Style” inspiration

For this magazine cover I have chosen the word style and I’m interested in exploring the combination of two different styles to form another.Combining photography and illustrative overlay, it gives this playful artsy vibe to the work and also more visual interest in terms of texture.the illustrations allow me to explore the different textures I could work withIt makes the piece look more modern/street,depending on the kind of illustration that’s being explored.Here are some inspiration images below.

Image result for illustration over image

These first two images look more dreamy and playful, as the illustrations are more realistic(fishes, seahorse corals),whereas in the image below, its more abstract as lines,organic forms and solid colours are being used.

Related image

Im very inspired by this artist named Ana Strumpf, http://www.anastrumpf.com.br,but her works normally features very feminine girly designs on women.Although I know what style im going for im not sure of the composition, and how to include the elements I want to.I need to choose a dynamic image of Gordon Ramsay first and then consider how im going to illustrate over him.The article I chose mentioned certain elements like steak, sea bass, wine etc. But, im unsure of how to tie the whole thing together.I feel that illustrating over gordon may risk me losing that more classy looking vibe I was going for initially for my cover.I want it to look more avant grade/street yet maintain that elegant vibe.

Image result for ana strumpf magazine cover

 

Image result for ana strumpf men

Fun Magazine Cover Doodle Art by Ana Strumpf & Hattie Stewart

 

Options for the base of my cover:


Image result for gordon ramsay

Image result for gordon ramsay

 

http://www.officalcharts.com/gordon-ramsay-cookware/gordon-ramsay-cookware-terrific-maze-white-covered-casserole-discontinued-gordon-ramsay-by-royal/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjnvc72i7LgAhVGfCsKHcaHCewQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Frootsartskyart%2Fsky-art%2F&psig=AOvVaw1G8ZjI4CwkTKTRiQXN26JS&ust=1549919922677342

https://www.seattlemet.com/articles/2010/1/12/masterchef-seattle-011210

https://www.pinterest.com/mei7272/.

Stylized self portrait

My interest lies in collaging images to create my own artwork.I normally find these images in magazines and comics and I usually bring them together in my own vision.I thought applying a similar concept for my assignment would be true to me and at the same time I would enjoy doing it. I find myself to be a patchwork of a lot of different things , so the idea of collaging also sat well with me. Since there is a subject for this work, my face, I decided to opt for a pixellated collage technique which allows me to control the image produced (usually for my own works I lay out my material and compose something out of that material, so I’m unaware of the end product) at the same time stylize it.Although it appears simple,I knew this technique would be challenging as there are many tones involved in making the pixellated artwork look identifiable in the end at the same time visualizing which tones go where and how to shade.I took inspiration from the pictures below as well as the Pantone artwork introduced by Lisa.

Image result for pixelated collage

Image result for beatles pantone swatches

 

Word List:

Food

  • Healthy (salad, fruits, nuts, eggs)
  • Junk ( ice cream, cookies)

Gym

  • Leg and booty day
  • Weights
  • Feeling strong

Art

  • colourful
  • experimental/eclectic
  • Bold
  • digital/traditional

fashion

  • branded goods
  • girly/princess

Private

Pet

  • hamsters (nike and nugget <3 )

I decided to find icons in line with my wordlist as starting material to compose my final work and I’m using this selfie as reference.I collated some of the icons below.

 

Originally I used this image but it was not very compositionally exciting.Lisa told me to maybe add a prop like in this Audrey Hepburn image, where she poses with a super long cigarette.

This image has been resized. The original image is sized 804 x 993.

So, I looked through my photos and found one where I was interacting with a chair and I thought that could be my “prop” and opted for this image instead.

I proceeded crop the image and then  convert the colours into the primary colours using the threshold tool.This would minimise matching  of pixels and icons  I would have to do if I didn’t limit the colour scheme.I adjusted the threshold to 3 different levels and adjusted their hues and layered them back on to each other.

Then I experimented with a few different degrees of pixelation.

 Cell size :170

At first I chose the cell size to be 170 as I didn’t want to deal with too many icons.

 Cell size:130Cell size:40

After choosing the cell size I proceeded to patch the icons together and lay it over my pixelated image.

I realised that combining the icons and pixelation made it look very messy.Upon consultation I was told to reduce the pixel size so that it was obvious it was a persons face and also adjust the hue of the icon to match the pixel colour at the back to make it look more seamless.I reduced the cell size to 9 and then I started collaging the icons over the pixels and ended up with this.

 

I also changed the composition to landscape to provide more breathing space like in the Audrey Hepburn image.The icons blended better when they were changed to blue and red respectively, however their hue was too close to the original colour of the pixels.When I printed it out the icons would disappear.

I added a semi opaque white layer over the artwork to make the icons pop and it’s soothing on the eyes.

This is how it turned out

Working with primary colours has helped me realise that its important to achieve balance using it, if not it would be too jarring.Personally a ratio of 3:1:1 of the stated colours work best . what worked for me was using blue as the shadow ,red as the mid tone and yellow as the highlight colour, or the main colour.I wanted to create a more uplifting vibe to my final work.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/281052832973678761/

http://gimpchat.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12379&start=190

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/30117891228460898/?lp=true

http://www.analog-pixel-art.com/gallery_2.html

 

History of design

From my perspective, the concept of design can be seen in anything to everything.It ranges from fashion design,plating of food in the culinary world, architecture,Interior design and in advertisements, etc. Though I cannot place which of these forms that design made its ‘breakthrough’, it must have started during a pretty early period in time. The first image that popped into my head was the first airplane ever made, thus I have chosen to begin the history of design in 1903.

Related imagehttps://goo.gl/images/ho2DZp

Project 1- Image making through type

In Project 1, we were tasked to express 4 jobs via typography. Since the project gives us a lot of freedom in the jobs we could explore, I narrowed it into these jobs: Plastic surgeon,Barber,Race car driver and Bartender.For each job I proceeded to create a mood box and select a few colour schemes, to give me a starting point in my research and also for some inspiration.

BARTENDER
For this composition,I was inspired by how bartenders perform tricks and mix different types of alcohol using their cocktail shakers. Also the alcohol bottles comes in a variety of colours and forms which provide me more material to see patterns .Font wise,i decided to use some of the coasters I've collected from bars to give me an idea of what font to base my design off. I notice from the coasters that font varies from Thick and bold, cursive and elegant and thin.The colour scheme I've selected for this design is based off the colour of whiskey,which comprises of mainly orange,red,and yellow.
  
  

There was too much details on the cocktail shaker drawing attention away from my lettering,thus the letter D was drowned out.I decided to thicken the line quality for the D H and A, and removed the unnecessary details from the ice cubes and shaker making my name more prominent in my design.Orange is an energetic colour and pops compared to grey which is dull and recedes into the background.I coloured the lettering in orange to bring it out more.

PLASTIC SURGEON

When I think of plastic surgery,liposuction,lip fillers, botox and breast augmentation surgery are the few procedures that come to mind.I decided to create lettering based off of these surgeries.Cosmetic surgery focuses on "before and after" effect.The font tends to be more aesthetic,whereby the fonts are more elegant,clean and minimalistic with more 'curves'.Pink is sometimes used in the logos as it is a feminine colour,while teal gives off the normal clinic/medical vibe. 

   

For this composition the first two letters D and H the focus is on the positive space whereas for the A and N it is on the negative space.Mimi commented that my D H and N was not obvious enough,So I changed the icon for the lettering itself.
D = Rhinoplasty/facelift
H = Breast augmentation surgery
A = Tummy tuck
N = Fat transfer/butt lift
I used both pink and teal in this design to differentiate between the before and after effects of plastic surgery and to mimic surgical markings.

BARBER
Emblematic logos seem to be a running theme when I looked into barber shop logo designs. An emblem logo consists of font inside a symbol or an icon; think badges, seals and crests,which means that within the emblem itself,there are repeating motifs:scissors,combs,razors..etc. The font tends to be capitalised and bolded with minimal spacing between the letters.For this composition I decided to create my initials using the repeating motifs. Apart from the blue and red colour scheme normally associated with barber shops because of the barber pole,black,white and green is used. 
RACE CAR DRIVER
5
  
Inspired by the negative space used in the F1 logo I decided to do racer for the final composition.The F1 cars have many brand sponsors that can be seen on the drivers' suit cars itself,ranging from cigarette brands,electronic brands and even telcos.These companies' logos have fonts that tend to be minimalistic but bold,focusing on the lettering themselves.Since most of these logos are rather flat and just text,i wanted to incorporate some perspective to make the design more convincing.The colours seem to be mainly red,black and white with hints of yellow. 
  


The form of this design was too similar to one of the F1 older generation logos.The original logo was designed to resemble the minimal form of the F1 circuit, so by adding more detail (lengthen track, lane markings) to the circuit it seems like the car is zooming in and out of the paper, adding depth to the design.

2D Project 1- My line is emo (final)

From left to right: Surprise,Anger,Happiness

From left to right: Fear,Sadness,Love

For this post I will start with the challenges I faced using the linoleum method. Originally I planned to use solely this method for project 1, as it was very interesting to me. However the issue was the slight degree of uncertainty when it came to the results of the print itself. When I think of certain emotions an image already comes to my mind and it is quite clear what I’m looking for. Even arranging the items I placed on the linoleum a couple of times did not guarantee that it would produce the type of line with the right tone or pattern,etc.Therefore I opted for the more traditional mark making strategies like using brushes,brayers, cups and anything around the 2D studio that could make the desired shapes.

Each strip is my take on that particular emotions itself as I wanted to see what I was capable of coming up with so I did not stick to a particular theme. I also felt that it was a more raw form of self expression.I will discuss more of the process some later on in this post.

For “love” I straightaway thought of one love,which refers to the universal love and respect expressed by all people for all people, regardless of race, creed, or colour. The idea of positivity and diversity came into mind.So i decided to use circle`which a soft shape to me, due to the lack of sharp corners,and also because it is an infinite shape.I used different sizes of bottle caps,back of a Chinese paintbrush and cups to portray the idea of diversity.Then i thought of using different tones of Chinese ink and linoleum ink to further add to this idea.At first the circles were only the outlines then i considered adding some filled circles too.Intensifying the tones of strip at each end and leaving it lighter in the middle also gave a sense of the circles moving together.

Anger is a strong negative emotion.I think of violence, But I felt that the violence I want to portray would be even more emphasised when its compared with something calm. I used Chinese ink and diluted it to create a soft grey colour and used a big paintbrush to create two broad strokes.I chose two strokes because its even as opposed to a single stroke and broad uniform strokes to evoke the feeling of calmness/satisfaction.I did not go too broad as I liked how the white negative space brought out the intensity of the dark linoleum ink i laid over top.I used a large dry paintbrush and dipped it directly into the linoleum ink to gather enough paint and used quick,uncontrolled motions to create a harsh, short,thick lines to mimic the state of mind when one is angry.At first the lines i made over top the wash of colour at the back were too thick which masked the lighter tone under it and the ink was too diluted so it did not stand out as much compared to the lighter tone and negative space.

Sadness to me feels like emptiness which also quite an intense feeling,so i decided to make the final strip mostly black to evoke the feeling of “darkness”When i think empty, i think of echoes too.I wanted to reflect that in the strip by using a brayer and dipping it in a mixture of Chinese ink and linoleum ink, rolling it downwards on paper.It created this repeating pattern similar to an echo,and the intensity of the ink decreases as it rolls downwards just as the sound of the echo gets more faint further away.The gradient effect and the distorted wavy lines added to the texture and thus the sense of uneasiness.

Panic,disorientation,tension, uneasiness are some words I associate with fear. Since it is a negative emotion, i once again decided to use extremely black opaque ink.I left the background white as i felt that the negative spaces would contrast well and bring out the intensity of the black ink.Lines suggest rigidity and stiffness which shows tension.I used a combination of thick,thin,short and long lines going in every direction to express the disorientation.To achieve this i used a metal ruler and dipped it into the linoleum ink and slammed the ruler onto the paper several times in different directions.I also used the ruler as a pivot and slid the ruler,with a sudden motion to spread the partially dried ink.This created very fine trailing lines which give the look of movement,mimicking the fidgety gestures of a panicking person.

For surprise,the idea of birthday surprise comes into mind-a buildup and some form of impact/release.A pleasant experience of course.I opted for circles(soft/pleasant) and sized them from small to big to create a form of buildup.I also made sure the inner  circles were more uniform to  in contrast to the outer most circle(largest) which disperses out to show impact Also with the circles being so uniform i would expect the outer ring to be too.I also diluted the ink to create different tones to keep the inner circle light, trying to builds its colour up the rings progress outwards.I repeated the pattern to create multiple focal points which creates “distraction” to accentuate the slight degree of confusion when it comes to surprises.Similar to love, i made marks using cups,bottle caps and paintbrushes.

I had a bit of trouble trying to express joy,so I thought along the lines of what makes me happy/relaxed.Immediately I thought of classical music and I wanted to mirror that into the strip.I gathered twigs of similar sizes to illustrate the different notes and tied them together using string to make my own mark making tool.Next i dipped the twigs into diluted Chinese ink  and created long waves to represent the soft sweeping sounds of the music as opposed to straight lines which seem bit tense.The twigs picked up different amounts of ink so some lines were slightly more intense as compared to the others,however they flowed together nicely which feels harmonious to me.

The idea you suggested for surprise was to play with the shapes,Since you pointed out i tend to create patterns for my other strips.I tried thinking along these lines and felt what i came with was very flat in terms of tone.I dipped cups into ink and forcefully to create circlular marks and the bottom of the chinese ink bottle to create rectangular shapes.I realised that the ink i was using was too thick so it was not splattering that much,so i tested out inks at different dilution levels.From here i thought i could base the idea of surprise using different tones of ink. The rings splattered too messily which was too distracting, so i wanted to concentrate on keeping most of the rings very clean and uniform.I created a pattern with the circles to have a few focal points instead, as i wanted to show more of a person being “Startled” .Originally the circles were spaced randomly,hence,there was a lack of focus.I thought creating a few focal points would give the appropriate degree of the idea of distraction.

I used a brayer to make marks for sadness.The results for this were pretty unpredictable depending on how you use the brayer.Fortunately, it was pretty quick,so i could keep repeating the method until i got a strip that i liked.After a few attempts I realised i liked the result on the extreme left as i thought it encapsulated the idea of sadness.I started zooming in on the formal qualities and thinking why i saw it that way.I have already explained it earlier on in this post , but i decided to increase the intensity of the ink to portray the negativity a little more.

Same goes for Joy.I repeated the print over and over with the mark making tool i made at different wavelengths,or how much they overlapped which determines how the linesintertwined.The slightly more intertwined lines looked more harmonious to me as they flow very nicely together and fills up the negative space a little more making the contrast between the background and the ink itself not too stark. The idea of  different sized,soft,wavy lines it is i wanted it to look soothing so i avoided sudden harsh peaks.I also wanted a mixture of dark and light tones as the entire idea of different types of lines and tones blending together very smoothly made me happy.

4D project 1:Curating self

I had a very direct approach to this project, But after the presentation I realised the areas I could improve on and I will discuss it later in this post.

Task 1:

For task 1, I was interested in capturing the essence of me,which I feel  translates into my friendships,my love for food and loud bright fun colours and prints. Some of the test shots I took for this task are below.

The picture on the top was taken much too close, resulting in my body being cropped in a stranger manner. The focus would be more on my expression which I was not trying to emphasise in that picture itself.It also did not fully capture the colour range of the pillars as they were too close together and not well aligned.Further,the expression on my face was not as friendly as I would have liked. In the following picture my expression did not match up with the vibes I was going for.However, I did enjoy how extensive the pillars looked in this picture but it was not a focus of mine.The last picture managed to capture the cheery and relaxed feel I was going for from my expression and neutral angle it was taken.Overall, I felt that the long shot showed off the environment and the saturation brought out the colours which was the picture I eventually chose to include in task 1.

Next, I decided to include a picture that expressed my love for food. I captured the intensity of the force at which I was shoving the donut into my mouth, from the facial expression and the frosting being smeared on my face. Therefore, a close up shot would be apt in showing the details of the shot.I also ensured a white background and high exposure to make the colours pop from contrast.Ill discuss the test shots for this picture below.

In the test shot above , the lighting casted a shadow on my face which gave the picture a mysterious and scary effect.Also it defined the bumpiness of the wall behind me which I found to be quite distracting. So I opted for more direct lighting on my face and a simple white wall.

Lastly for task 1, I decided to include a picture of me and my friends.I cropped the picture to minimise distractions.I increased the exposure of the picture  and also darkened the background slightly to draw the viewers to the focal point of the picture.

Task 2:

The object I chose was a donut,because since school started I’ve been eating it regularly because it’s brightly coloured,convenient and not to mention tasty.It was pretty straightforward to me photograph  the donut on a plain white background to bring out its colours,and the details with an extreme close up shot.

The other two pictures I selected for task 2 were pretty similar. I used close up shots to bring the attention to my expression, and a slightly blurred picture as well.I felt that the blurriness made the excitement look more genuine because of the “motion” in that picture.

Task 3:

This is one of the areas in between sunset way and Clementi, which i find myself at very often because of the tranquil, peaceful atmosphere.In the original photos above i felt that the colour of the water was quite unappealing.Thus i added a filter and increased the contrast and saturation to colour correct the water and draw attention to the blue skies as i see blue itself as a very chill relaxing colour.Moreover i think the idea of symmetry added to the sense of balance/calmness.Hence, i selected the picture below as one of the final pictures for task 3.

Next I wanted to close task 3 by trying to capture as much of Clementi as I could. I went to one of my secret hangouts as I felt that it was more authentic to me and it had a high vantage point.I liked the idea of the train track as they lead your eyes down Clementi,taking you through the area.However I wanted a more warm tone to the picture,in this case everything is very blue,cold and rather impersonal.So i took to editing and turned up the warm cast. 

Before:

After:

 

I will move on to the bakery photos..

On the left was one of the test shots, I felt that it was quite impersonal and also there were too many distractions.

This picture was taken in a way where it seems like the viewer is in the bakery itself. I was also lucky enough to capture the owner which gives the picture a human touch as compared to the rest of my photos. The owner is not looking at the camera  which makes it seem casual,as if he’s just doing his day to day activities. The warm glow emphasises the cozy nature of the bakery and adds a “nostalgic” effect.The long-shot aided in capturing more of the environment and the shelves are lined up to give the photo more stability.

As mentioned in the introduction,improvements can be made, especially in task 3. I feel that i could’ve gone more in depth into bakery itself as opposed to me taking pictures of various areas in my estate.For example,I only noticed the alter placed onto of the shelves due to the test shots, despite religiously visiting this bakery since childhood.I thought it gave off a rather spooky vibe because of the soot accumulating on the celling and the bright red light which makes it slightly unusual compared to the environment of the bakery itself. A low angle would have captured the dark soot and also made the statue of the god look more daunting.Also one of my favourites from the bakery was the pandan chiffon cake because of its bright green colour and soft fluffy texture.Placing it on a red background would have brought out the green and the texture would be emphasised with an extreme close up shot.

Scaling & Framing

Today i was told to take photos of my partner which best represented the attributes that i liked about them.Out of twelve shots i had to select the best three, which are below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I felt that Esther had a shy and quirky character which can be seen in the first picture because of her pose.It was a candid picture so i thought it was more genuine.

In the second picture Esther has a friendly expression so a close up shot with minimal distractions in the background, would be apt in showing the details in her facial expression.Also the angle of the picture is eye level, to maintain the friendly nature of the picture.

In the third picture i was trying to capture esthers confident and mysterious side.I decided to photograph her silhouette leaving out details of her emotion and facial features. A low angle made her look more powerful and confident.i felt that with the sky and the greenery in the background it contrasted well with the black silhouette making it stand out more.

One of the challenges i faced was the lack of experience using a DSLR camera.I was taught how to manually focus on an object and adjusting the iso to the appropriate level(around 1600).Since i sort of know the basics of using a camera, practising would be much easier.