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