ego

We were finally allowed to work with colour in our final project, which was really exciting. But introducing extra elements into your designs might sometimes do more harm than good, so it was important to execute colour selections with proper planning beforehand.

IDEATION

I decided that I wanted to try implementing hand lettering into my pieces. I’m a beginner at hand-lettered typography, but I’ve been obssessed with it for quite some time, so I thought bringing this element into my designs would sum me up perfectly. From there, I thought of the look and feel of the pieces I aimed to produce. I knew I wanted to use pastel hues, because I’m personally drawn to them, and I think they represent my personality to a certain extent — dreamy and gentle.

I’ve always wanted to work with watercolours, and I’ve long admired many watercolour illustrators’ works, so I thought this project would be a good time to push myself. After watching lots of watercolour tutorials on YouTube and Pinning many watercolour illustrations, I experimented with mixing colours and varying the amount of water used, to produce colours of different intensities.

ARTIST REFERENCES

Frannerd

I really like her youthful style, and the way she illustrates her characters to look adorable, and yet not childish. Her use of pastel hues is to die for. I also like how she consistently outlines her illustrations in thin red ink, something I tried to replicate in blue ink, but I ended up abandoning the idea because my lines weren’t clean enough. More of her works can be found here.

Miranda Lorikeet (LAZY BONES)

Her works first caught my eye when I read that she does everything on MS Paint. This reminds me that the tools you have shouldn’t limit you to what you can create. I love the colour combinations used in her compositions, and the way she illustrates her human figures, with soft curves instead of angular lines.

EXECUTION

I was dealing with pale hues, so I couldn’t use a pencil to sketch out my designs on the paper first as the marks would show through the watercolour paint. The biggest challenge for me was to go in with blind faith and illustrate directly with watercolour paint. The fact that I’m not that confident in my drawing skills, and this was my first time trying out watercolour too — RISKY. But I went ahead with it anyway, and overall, I’m quite pleased with the results. I guess I like that I only had one try to get things right, and the imperfections add that human touch.

FINAL WORKS
  1. COMFORT + DAYDREAM = ME

1

For my first equation, I picked out two traits that best describes me. Nothing quite makes me happy than feeling comfy and snug. In this case, comfort comes in the form of my favourite food and drinks. I’m also quite a big daydreamer, and I’m often thinking of where I’d like to travel to next or what personal projects to take on once I have time (which is never ⊙︿⊙). These two traits are combined to form my idea of the perfect afternoon — surrounded by tea and biscuits, a good book, and time to let my mind wander.

IMG_4649

COMFORT | I used complementary colours, blue and brown, and kept the rest of the colours pretty pale and neutral, except for a pop of red at the bottom to create some interest. I used brown for the text to look like it was written with coffee.

IMG_4650

DAYDREAM | I used a split-complementary harmony, with greens, blues and pinks.

IMG_4651

ME | I also used split-complementary colours here, with blues, purples and browns (orange). I especially like how the sky in space turned out, with a slightly smoky and mysterious quality.

2. CALM — SELF-DOUBT = A BETTER ME

2

For this equation, I thought about my biggest weakness, which will have to be self-doubt. I’m constantly pointing out the negatives in my work or my appearance, and I’ve been trying to stop that. I honestly believe this will be a part of me for the rest of my life, and I suppose some self-doubt can fuel my drive to become a better human being, but it’ll definitely be great if I had more confidence especially in my creative capabilities, so I could stop being so scared about everything. I get nervous and jittery often, so I would love some calmness in my life as well. The result would be a balance of the two. Even though there’s all this negativity in my head, the sun will set everyday, and I can try again tomorrow.

IMG_4658

CALM | I wanted the composition to look serene and gentle, so I used an analogous harmony of soft blues, greens and purples. I drew the letters to look like squishy rubber floats.

IMG_4657

SELF-DOUBT | As this is a negative emotion, I decided to work with monochromatic shades of grey. The scribbles on the hands are all my insecurities and doubts, flowing within me and etched in my mind.

IMG_4655

A BETTER ME | The final photo in this equation is a combination of the two colour schemes, reiterating the balance I mentioned above. I like the contrast it produced.

3. SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE + GREEN FINGERS = AN IDEAL ME

3

For my third equation, I thought about my aspirations. I have a great hunger for traveling, and I’ve always wanted to be spontaneous and explore a new, unfamiliar country. In my current situation, with school and other commitments, it’s pretty much impossible, but I still hold that spirit of adventure pretty close to my heart. I also strive (but fail) to be good with plants, and when I have my own place, I hope to have many cactuses at home. In the meantime, I’ll keep learning how to be better with plants from my mum. The end result: to someday go exploring in an exotic location like the desert or rocky mountains.

IMG_4660

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | I made use of analagous colours again, with greens, blues and purples.

IMG_4659

GREEN FINGERS | I like using pastel pink and green together (complementary harmony), and the lilac shade for the text goes well with the colour combination.

IMG_4661

AN IDEAL ME | I kept the colours fairly neutral and earthy for most of the picture, except for a warm ombre sky to signify good vibes.

4. ACTIVE + A JOB I LOVE = ME IN 5 YEARS TIME

4

for my last equation, I focused on my future plans. Since starting school, I’ve done little to no exercise, and that’s horrid! I’m hoping I can stop making excuses in the near future and keep to a simple but consistent fitness routine. I also hope to be working in a profession I love. There’s nothing that bugs me more than not being able to do enjoy what I do. I came into media and design knowing all too well that it might not make me lots of $$, but the satisfaction from building on my passions and interests is totally worth it. If I could support myself while keeping my passions alive, then I’m all set. The end result would be being able to balance all aspects of my life.

IMG_4652

ACTIVE | I used a vibrant and energetic hue of orange, and selected blue for the people’s clothes to produce a complementary harmony. If I had time, I would have added more figures and made the word ‘active’ bigger and more centralised.

IMG_4654

A JOB I LOVE | This illustration is supposed to look like a close-up shot of a corkboard. I picked a vibrant yellow (like a post-it) for the text, so it’ll stand out from the rest of the muted blues and purples in the composition.

IMG_4653

ME IN 5 YEARS | I stuck mainly with shades of blue, with small accents of yellow in the background.

 

Doing up these compositions was highly tiresome, but I’m really happy that we got to present our work in such a personal way, and this project really made me think hard about how I define myself, and how I strive to be a better version of myself. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know my classmates’ individual styles through this final assignment.

harmony in hues

The colour wheel can be your best friend when you’re picking hues for artwork, wall colours, and more. These colour themes can help to make your works pop. I’m excited to experiment with some of these harmonies.

Monochromatic harmony

monochromaticmonochromatic art

This colour scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single colour. This result looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colours go well together, producing a soothing effect.

Complementary/direct harmony

complementary harmony        complementary art

Complementary colours are those that appear opposite each other on the colour wheel.The high contrast of complementary colours creates a vibrant look, especially when used at full saturation. A popular example used in Hollywood is the purple hue of Hulk’s pants, which is a complementary colour of his green skin tone.

Split-complementary harmony

split complementary harmony        split complementary

A split-complementary colour arrangement results from one colour paired with two colours on either side of the original colour’s direct complement, creating a scheme containing three colours. This colour scheme has the same strong visual contrast as the complementary colour scheme, but has less tension.

Triadic harmony

traidic harmony       triadic art

A triadic colour scheme uses colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel. Triadic colour schemes tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues. To use a triadic harmony successfully, the colours should be carefully balanced – let one colour dominate and use the two others for accent.

Analogous harmony

analogous harmony      analogous art

Also referred to as related colors, these are the colors directly on the left and right of your key color. They usually match up quite well and create a serene and comfortable design. While this color harmony can be pleasing to the eye, it can also come across as monotone.

 

 

References:

http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-theory-intro.htm

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html

http://www.zevendesign.com/color-harmony-hulk-wears-purple-pants/

Color Relationships: Creating Color Harmony

 

“Colour is like food for the spirit”

Colours are fab things — they can rile up different emotions within you, and without them, the world would be an incredibly boring place.

Red
Turning Your Whole World Around by Michael Carson
Turning Your Whole World Around by Michael Carson

Positive: passion, love, sensual, warmth, excitement
Negative: violence, anger, strain, hurt

Blue
Alone (Swimming Pool) by Belhoula Amir
Alone (Swimming Pool) by Belhoula Amir

Positive: Calm, serene, intelligent, logical, clear, clean
Negative: Sad, brooding, depressed, cold

Yellow
By Diane Leonard
By Diane Leonard

Positive: Happiness, light, optimism, friendly, confident
Negative: Dirty, untrustworthy, irrational, anxiety

Orange
By Dana Martin Goldrush
By Dana Martin Goldrush

Positive: Energy, zest, spontaneous, fun, burst, warmth, comfort
Negative: Immature, frustrated

Green
Forest by Jean Julien
Forest by Jean Julien

Positive: Nature, clean, fresh, harmony, peace
Negative: Bland, boring, envious

Purple
Vintage Vogue cover, 1934
Vintage Vogue cover, 1934

Positive: Tranquility, luxury, spiritual, fantasy
Negative: Surpressed, introverted

White
Memory 018 by Noriko Kuresumi
Memory 018 by Noriko Kuresumi

Positive: Pure, pristine, clean, innocent, free, truth
Negative: Clinical, stark, sterile

Black
by Andreas Lie
by Andreas Lie

Positive: cool, trendy, minimalist, smart
Negative: Dark, unknown, menacing

Brown
WISDOM by Connie Sonnenberg
WISDOM by Connie Sonnenberg

Positive: Earthy, neutral, natural, reliable, supportive
Negative: heavy, old, unsophisticated

PINK
Sexual Healing by Oscar Delmar
Sexual Healing by Oscar Delmar

Positive: Healthy, vibrant, feminine, flirty
Negative: Embarrassed, weak

 

With references from www.colour-affects.co.uk

The rhyme problem

Assignment objective: to produce abstract narratives based on lines extracted from nursery rhymes

My biggest takeaway from this assignment is the idea that something can look nothing like how it’s described, and still be an effective composition (e.g. a cow can be symbolised by a milk can, or a cowbell). This time, Shirley has pushed us to let go of any previous notions of the nursery rhymes we grew up with, and use abstraction to communicate ideas. I was heavily inspired by surrealist art, which aims to “resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality.”

Golconda by René Magritte
Golconda by René Magritte

I really appreciate the works of René Magritte, a Belgian surrealist artist whose iconic works are often mentioned when studying surrealism. His 1953 painting called Golconda features a group of men in suits and bowler hats (which often appeared in his other works) in a suburban neighbourhood setting. I like it’s ambiguity in direction, so it’s up to the viewer to decide if the men are falling or floating upwards. The clever use of repetition is something I’ve tried to apply in my compositions.

Rejected compositions

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

rhyme 1 low res

This was my first ever composition, where I made Humpty Dumpty into a faceless egg wearing bricks for pants. I added a top hat on one of the eggs to produce a focal point. Although I liked the repeated pattern, I rejected this composition because I didn’t feel like it was imaginative enough.

The little dog laughed to see such sport

rhyme 5 low res

Trying to be more abstract with this one, I thought of a sport that would be funny to watch, and came up with elephants on roller skates playing tennis. I intentionally made the elephants smaller than the dog, and arranged them in a manner that would make it seem like they are worshipping the dog, who is holding the tennis ball. The background is made up of layers of tennis court blueprints, which I thought produced quite a cool effect. I rejected this in the end because I thought it looked slightly messy as a whole.

FINAL COMPOSITIONS

001: The cow jumped over the moon

rhyme 2 low res

This composition is inspired by the possibility of alternate realities and how there could be other beings experiencing the same things we’re experiencing, but with slight tweaks in their realities. I made a trail of moons to show the connection they all share, applying directional force as one of the principles of design we’ve learnt about. I wanted the background to have some texture and ambiguity, so I created a layering effect using the moons in different opacities, and used the multiply effect.

002: Hey diddle diddle! The cat and the fiddle

rhyme 3 low res

I wanted to present the cat in a regal manner, so I used a lion as my main subject. I put the wreath around it to maintain its official and royal vibe, and replaced the leaves with fiddles in varying sizes. I like the feel of unity (another principle of design) it presents. I tried to create a watercolour effect on the music sheet in the background so it’ll show up subtly.

003: Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed

rhyme 4 low res

I tried to create a scene in an old-fashioned kitchen. Trying not to take the phrase too literally, I imagined a whisk (the idea of whipping) in a mixing bowl. I used pillows to demonstrate the idea of sleep, and placed a retro cereal box behind the bowl.

004: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe

rhyme 6 low res

I wanted to portray a badass grandma living in a shoe without a care. I chose a Converse Jack Purcell sneaker for her to live in, and decorated the shoe with everyday items like clothes and a potted plant to show that she’s lived there for quite a while. I wanted the shoe to look like it was pinned on a wall of an old, regal and possibly vacant house, so I picked a royal-looking wallpaper.

Principles of design

balance

It refers to the comfortable arrangement of things in art. Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

symmetrical balance

Symmetrical balance (or formal balance) is described as having equal weight on all sides of a centrally placed fulcrum.

asymmetrical balance

On the other hand, asymmetrical balance (also known as informal balance) involves placing objects of varying visual weights in a way that all objects balance one another around a fulcrum point.

contrast

contrast

Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements — e.g. opposite colours on the colour wheel, or light vs dark, horizontal vs vertical, thick vs thin. Contrast allows us to emphasise or highlight key elements in design, and can also be used to create an area of emphasis.

emphasis

emphasis

It refers to the creation of the focal area or centre of interest in a work of art. This area is more important when compared to the rest of the elements in a composition. Emphasis can be created with contrast of values, colours and placement.

movement / directional force

directional force

It refers to the visual flow through the composition. It guides the viewers’ eyes and suggests the idea of motion in a design. It can also help to bind the work into a single entity.

REPETITON / RHYTHM

repetition

Repetition is the recurrence of a design element coupled with a certain order to the repetition. It provides continuity and flow to a piece of work by tying together individual elements. Repetition can be created with shapes, lines or forms.

unity

unity

 

Unity is the relationship among elements in an artwork that helps all elements work together to create a meaning. An artwork with unity has nuances of consistency and oneness, and is appealing to the eye. This can be achieved with a common background, similar shapes and patterns, or the arrangement of elements.

References:

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/principl.htm
http://www.j6design.com.au/6-principles-of-design/
http://www.fuelyourcreativity.com/the-lost-principles-of-design/

Graphics by www.fuelyourcreativity.com

Experimenting with lines – final

lines-1 lines-2 lines-3

lines-4

Breathing life into lines was an intriguing, sometimes frustrating process. To come up with 18 completely different abstract interpretations is a tall order, but I’m glad I challenged my mind to think outside the box. There are some strips I like more than others, but as a whole, I’m content with what I have (and pretty relieved it’s over). If given another chance, I would try to be more flexible and experiment with more mediums.

Experimenting with lines

Assignment objective: Use lines to produce abstract marks that express a set of emotions

Before embarking on the assignment, I looked up the definitions of the selected emotions, so I could determine the meanings that are accepted by the general population. From there, I mashed personal experiences and feelings together with the dictionary definitions to come up with themes for each of the 18 emotions.

I decided to work with Micron marker pens as my sole medium, because I appreciate how the thin pen tip gives me ample control to create intricate and neat designs. This also meant that it probably took me much longer to complete the project than if I were to use a paint brush, but I was quite content with the final outcome.

Below are some of my favourite creations:

EXHAUSTED

/ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ adjective
1. very tired.

I thought of people being controlled like puppets on a string. These strings bear the weight of day to day stresses, like money, career advancement and social status. The strings, or vines in this case, are constantly wound together and held up, but some of them come loose and droop to the bottom, signifying a mental breaking point that gives way to exhaustion.

exhausted
V1: attempting to make the strings look exhausted
V2 (final): brought in shading to create more depth, brought some strings down to show contrast

 

SLOVEN

/ˈslʌv(ə)n/ noun
A person who is habitually untidy or careless.

heather hansen

There is a beauty to organised chaos, like when an artist’s studio is undeniably messy, but he knows where things go and where to find them. For this piece, I wanted to bring across the idea of messiness and disarray, while maintaining a path out of habit. I was inspired by kinetic drawing artist, Heather Hansen, who lays on a huge canvas and draws with her body, going over the lines many times to produce beautiful, fluid charcoal art pieces.

sloven new
V2 (final): used the slanted tip of a micron pen to produce extremely thin and faint lines that stray from the main thick line, adding to the messy effect

 

TURBULENT

/ˈtəːbjʊl(ə)nt/ adjective
characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not stable or calm.

The first thing that comes to mind are waves, calm one moment, then crashing and violent the next. Emotions can work that way as well, as people move through different environments and situations. I tried to challenge myself to come up with an abstract representation of turbulent waves.

turbulent
V1: slightly darker shadows on bigger waves to show intensity
V2 (final): Minimalist interpretation of unpredictable waves, varying the distances between the lines and producing an implied line on top

 

EMBARRASSED

/ɪmˈbarəst,ɛm-/ adjective
to feel awkward, self-conscious, or ashamed.

We all have our embarrassing moments, and most of the time (for me anyway) they result in a sheer desire to hide from the world in a dark cave. Attempting to illustrate this feeling on paper was interesting. I added multiple layers to the black holes to show how well concealed I want to be.

embarrassed
The gaping holes make me feel slightly uncomfortable and weirded out, which is in line with the feeling of embarrassment. I took inspiration from Japanese pop art artist Yayoi Kusama, whose iconic use of polka dots is loved all around the world.

 

DISTRACTED

/dɪˈstraktɪd/ adjective
unable to concentrate because one is preoccupied by something worrying or unpleasant.

Distraction often happens when you’re working on something intently, but something more exciting and fun catches your attention and you lose your momentum. I get distracted almost 100% of the time whenever I’m on the Internet — it’s practically a daily occurrence. I tried to play with the juxtaposition of a neat and consistent pattern that suddenly breaks away and goes haywire.

distracted
V1: repeated step pattern
V2: made the ‘distraction’ portion much more free and haywire

ANXIOUS

/ˈaŋ(k)ʃəs/ adjective
feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.

I tried to visually represent the way my heart hammers against my chest when I’m feeling anxious. Taking inspiration from a heartbeat monitor, I drew uneven zig zag lines, occasionally decreasing the distance between them to show uncertainty and nerves.

anxious

LYRICAL

/ˈlɪrɪk(ə)l/ adjective
(of literature, art, or music) expressing the writer’s emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way.

Paisley8

The word ‘lyrical’ makes me think of being happy, free and jubilant. I got inspired by the paisley print, a hippie  print commonly used on accessories and apparel. I like the way it looks expressive, vibrant and free. I started out with a basic teardrop shape but tried to fill in the shapes with more details and movement.

lyrical

 

 

SYSTEMATIC

/sɪstəˈmatɪk/ adjective
done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical.

I was watching Food Factory, a TV show that shows a behind-the-scenes look at mass factory lines. I thought about the conveyor belts in factories and how everything is incredibly organised and meticulous. So I tried to replicate the assembly line with simplified lines. It took sooooooooooo long to draw the lines freehand but I’m pretty satisfied with the neatness.

systematic