Zine Line Vine (Process)

Zine .

a line is a dot that went for a walk

Zine + Bookmark

… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For this project, I chose to focus on just one out of my previous projects.

I decided to base my Zine on the very first 2D assignment, of which I made use of flora and fauna to expressed 18 different emotions. The spontaneous outcomes that came out were really interesting and I wanted to make use of the ‘windows’ of artwork in my Zine. Therefore, my Zine will consist of a compilation of the work. Also, as this is the final project for 2D, I feel that it would be cool to end off 2D with my first project assignment.

However, I wanted more of a motive of the usage of ‘windows’, and I finalised the idea of making my Zine to be a bookmark. This way, I am able to justify the use of each ‘window’ thus add more layer to my Zine.

For the concept, I decided to work using a minimalistic approach.

I referenced exhibition catalogues and graphic books where the use of words are minimised and the images enlarged.

Initial Composition

For my initial composition, I scanned all my artworks and enhanced the details through photoshop. I then created each artwork to be flushed to one side of the page and with the title and 2 lines to explain the individual designs.

Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 10.11.57 — Tried different compositions for the Cover design

I planned to create each artworks as a bookmark, to be able to be torn away from the page through perforated lines. From the initial idea, I realised that the artworks are flushed in the wrong direction, to the side to be bound into a book.

I redid the compositions and derived with my first mock-up of the zine.

Mock-Up

The mock-up was printed on 300gsm high gloss paper. There were a lot of issues to be addressed from the mock-up. Alignment issues and font size issues can be seen only after printing out the physical copy. Also, the holes to be bounded were too small.

Consultation

Got a lot of ideas from Prof and my peers on how to improve my model.

* Use of textured paper <thanks Amy!>

* Extend the life of the zine, as perforated bookmarks will eventually leave the zine empty <thanks Darren!>

* Binding type, alignment issues <thanks Professor!>

* Looping of cord at the top can hang the book <thanks Professor!>

Remodelled Zine

After consolidating the feedbacks, I look to extending the shelf life of the Zine, thus I scrapped the idea of tearing the bookmark from the page through perforated lines. Instead, I went with the idea of slotting pockets to contain the bookmarks. This way, the shelf life of the zine is extended.

To counter the alignment issues, I paid careful details while reformatting the zine pages on Illustrator.

Other issues that were previously unknown to me were pointed out by Professor.

Screen Shot 2016-04-15 at 10.27.57 — Flushing of texts, Centralising of sentence

I developed the bookmark idea from to be teared by perforated lines to the use of an additional pocket. This way the lifespan of the Zine is extended. Also, the zine is printed in textured paper as suggested by my peer.

Added an additional white box to be folded after printing — Added an additional white box to be folded in after printing to create pockets

Printing and consolidating the Zines

Gruelling process of careful cutting of Page

Issue encountered

Addition of an extra flap to be folded into a pocket to contain the bookmark sounds feasible, but due to the thickness of the paper of 300GSM, the fold made the page really imbalanced in thickness.

Thus, I reprinted the pockets in 120GSM paper, so it doesn’t interfere with the thickness of the individual page, at the same time retaining the durability of the pocket.

Additionally,

the slight bump on the page compiled with the textured paper will induce the user to feel the artwork and then find the bookmark hidden within the pocket.

Binding

For my binding, I decided to use cords to be stringed through in ring-bound format.

Use of Jute Cord as the bristles give off an organic touch, coherent with the theme

Changing colour of Jute Cord to fit the monochromatic theme

Jute cord intertwining the punched holes as vines.

At the top of the bind is an additional loop of poacher’s knot enabling the zine to be hung. A purely decorative feature that is coherent to the organic theme as “fruits hung on tree”.

To be continued.

POV [Progress >>> Final]

POV

OBJECT = BOTTLE

Was really struggling to bridge the 2 initial ideas of [Environmental] and [Nostalgia] themes throughout this project. Ultimately decided to bridge the 2 themes together through Execution.

Execution = Digital Manipulation + Abstract paintings using Bottle as medium

Chosen 6 POVs:

Bottle from POV of a Citizen is Expendable.

Bottle from POV of a Bird is Suicide.

Bottle from POV of an Up-cyclist is Rebirth.

Bottle from POV of a Mother is a Mere Bottle.

Bottle from POV of a Primary School Kid is a Prized Possession.

Bottle from POV of a Fighting Fish is a Solitary Cell.

Execution:

BOTTLE PHOTOSHOOT

Collected as many varieties of Plastic Bottles and did a makeshift photoshoot to be used in the final composition.

Took out the labels, took photos of the plastic bottles in different forms such as chilled, crushed, empty, capped and without cap.

ABSTRACT PAINTING

Used Acrylic Paint on Acrylic Paper and various parts of the bottle to paint. Some interesting parts include the grooves of the bottle caps, grooves of different bottles and the bottom of the different bottles.

Ideas:

Bottle from the POV of a Citizen is Expendable.

Idea is based on how readily available Plastic Bottles are in a City, and how readily abandoned they are. I made used of the Map of Singapore to convey the idea of a City, and created the composition using crushed bottles. Crush bottles are used for the idea of how easily abandoned the plastic bottles are. Finally added painted bottle caps of different colours to show the vast variety of bottles.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of a Citizen is Expendable.

Crushed bottle forms the Map of Singapore. Different coloured bottle caps signify the variety. The crushed bottles looks to be floating on the sea, signifying the idea of easily abandoned.

—

Bottle from the POV of a Bird is Suicide.

Idea is based upon the images captured of birds who choked after ingesting bottle caps that have floated on the sea thinking that they are edible.

Digitally manipulated the head of the Myah, one of the most common birds in Singapore, and a crushed bottle. Crushed bottle signify death of the bird. Added the painted bottle caps in the form of blood and the noose to tell of the bird being choked to death. Made adjustment to the size of the bottle caps digitally.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of a Bird is Suicide.

The idea of a noose was suggested during the group consultation by Andrew. Many thanks brother.

—

Bottle from the POV of an Up-cyclist is Rebirth.

Idea is based on Upcycling and giving new life of recycled objects. The idea of using bottle to form the shape of the tree and painting leaves and flowers using the bottle. The use of the Bottle Tree from the Bottle Tree Park was sprouted from the Group Consultation.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of an Up-cyclist is Rebirth.

Bottle was coated with brown paint to show the idea of a tree. The different bottle caps painted green signify leaves while the blue and red flowers signify growth and Rebirth.

—

Bottle from the POV of a Mother is a Mere Bottle.

The idea was generated during the group consultation (again). Prof Joy mentioned the idea of having different caps to the bottles just because they fit. I felt it was really interesting and a powerful motif to be conveyed.

Used the Idea of portraying 3 bottles in 3 different compositions. Added the mismatched painted labels and bottle caps. Played around with different bottles but felt that a uniform composition is more powerful.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of a Mother is a Mere Bottle.

—

Bottle from the POV of a Primary School Kid is a Prized Possession.

Idea was based on the Clip-Strap that clips to any bottles that was really popular among the Kids, when I was young. The Clip-Strap has since become obsolete.

Initially I used the word ‘Accessory’ in my ideation. I decided to look back at my family’s old albums to see if I have any pictures taken of my bottle when I was a Kid.

Yup that was me then. Looking at how happy I was with my Bottle, I felt that the bottle signified more than an Accessory, but a Prized Possession.

I again based my Composition using 3 bottles. I base my idea on showcasing the straps on the bottle, similar to how Jewelries are showcased in Shops. I used the bottle of a similar shape, however nobody recognised the relation during the initial composition. Thus I added my face as a Kid, and dragged my siblings faces into the final composition. I made use of the grooves of the bottle caps to paint the strap of the Clip-Strap.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of a Primary School Kid is a Prized Possession.

—

Bottle from the POV of a Fighting Fish is a Solitary Cell.

The idea is fairly simple. I wanted to compose the image as a fighting fish trapped as a Prisoner in a bottle. I made use of the side grooves of the plastic bottle to signify the idea of cell bars.

Initially the idea looked fairly finished, but the idea of a cell wasn’t really conveyed. Also the composition did not fit the general format of the 5 other pieces. I redid the composition in 3 bottles with 3 different fighting fishes.

Final Composition

Bottle from the POV of a Fighting Fish is a Solitary Cell.

Final Composition

Rejected Ideas:

Bottle from the POV of a Hiker is Mandatory.

Idea is based on Water Bottle as an essential pack for a hiker. Added the idea of 2 extra mountains to simulate the idea of Lungs, and wanted to paint the image of a rib cage over the image. Felt the idea wasn’t conveyed strongly and didn’t fit the theme, thus REJECTED.

Bottle from the POV of a Novice Cook is a Measuring Tool.

Idea is based on using the bottle as a measuring tool. Used powder to simulate the idea of flour over the bottle. Composition felt unfinished and weak in execution, thus REJECTED.

Final Thoughts

Having struggled with 2 conflicting ideas throughout the project, I felt that the group consultation was really useful. I am happy with my outcome.

End.

POV

#01 Research

Object = Bottle

First object that came to my mind. Imagined a crushed plastic bottle with red bottle cap.

POV.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Backpacker is Mandatory.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Citizen is Expendable.

A Bottle from the point of view of Nike is an Up-cycled Gimmick.

A Bottle from the point of view of an Up-cyclist is Material.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Bird is Suicide.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Tree Hugger is a point to make a Stand.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Musician is an Instrument.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Castaway is Hope.

A Bottle from the point of view of an Alcoholic is Never Enough.

A Bottle from the point of view of an Angry Drunkard is Weapon.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Sportsman is Thirst-Quenching.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Primary School Student is Accessory.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Fighting Fish is a Solitary Cell.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Trooper is Necessity.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Kid is a Toy.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Housewife is a Storage Vessel.

A Bottle from the point of view of a Novice Cook is a Measuring tool.

A Used Bottle from the point of view of Realist is Trash.

A Used Bottle from the point of view of a Recycle Bin is Food.

A Bottle fills Nostalgia.

Research Artist / Material.

by: Ross Lovegrove | Captain Organic

winnie.w (Graphic designer)

Lee Xin Li

—

To be continued.

typography [work in progress #02]

typography.

work in progress #02

Concept: #MovieParody

Using movie posters to communicate selected attributes
Identifying movie characters and how they relate to my attributes/ me
Character study; whether the movie poster justifies the actual content of the movie, if not how to?

Group Consultation takeaways

Looking into different movie posters of other Countries/ Languages
Manipulating other ways of showcasing my name as typography
How audiences see the poster VS how the producers want the audience to view

Looking into different movie posters of other Countries/ Languages

*How Audience sees the poster VS how the producers want the audience to view

Previously, I only chose to use movies that I have watched for my research. Most of the movie only consist of english movies from America and United Kingdom. It was pointed out that appeal of movie posters to audience differs from Countries/ Culture. (for instance Bollywood Movies 😉 )

Therefore I decided to look at movie posters from across different Countries and attempt to decipher the genre and film styles. (note: I looked at posters of films I haven’t watch)

After which, I will compare the actual content by reading the Plot Summary to gage my deduction skill.

A Perfect Day (Italian Film)

HT’s thoughts: Movie poster depicts the 5 main characters looking down towards probably a suspect through interrogation. The characters all stare with a solemn expression. The 5 main characters consist of 3 males and 2 females of different age group. The bottom 2 males placed with bigger than the rest look to be the main characters. The backdrop shows a sky depicting the 5 characters may be outlaws on the run. Movie poster gives off a Crime/ Adventure/ Thriller genre.

Actual Plot Summary: As Sophie and her seasoned colleagues Mambru and B race against time to save the water supply for an abandoned community, they must outwit pedantic UN bureaucrats, military factions and exploitative local criminals – all the while cleverly distracting Mambru’s ex-lover Katya, who has flown in from head office to shut their mission down. A dead cow, an un-cooperative supplies store and an angry dog tied to the length of rope they desperately need: the team and their guide negotiate the seemingly simple task of extracting a dead body from a well, but staying sane proves to be the biggest challenge on this not-so perfect day. Genre: International/Drama/Comedy (Taken from rotten tomatoes.com)

Deduction Result: Far off | Epic Fail

Hunterrr (Bollywood Film)

HT’s thoughts: Poster shows the cross section of the main protagonist’s mind. His mind is filled with loosely dressed ladies, and an explicit position somewhat hidden. The main protagonist’s face is showing a longing expression. Also, the complementary colours of the blue of the background complements the red from his shirt. This may infer to a simple plot. Movie poster gives off an Adult Comedy/Romance genre.

Actual Plot Summary: Mandar, an ordinary guy is obsessed with sex and chases girls until he meets Tripti and decides to settle down with her. Genre: Adult/ Comedy/ Romance (Taken from IMDb.com)

Deduction Result: Close | Passed

Lost in Hong Kong (Chinese Film)

HT’s thoughts: Movie takes place in the heart of Hong Kong with the showing of the iconic billboards of the Hong Kong street. Shows 4 different characters reaching out. The characters are dressed and looks really different. The biggest character in the poster looks to be the main protagonist and the heavily tattooed guy beside him shows some sort of comedic relief. This is in contrast to the 2 other female characters who are really beautiful. This gives off an unlikely pairing of the clique, probably meaning something happened to tie the 4 characters together. Movie poster gives off a Comedy/ Adventure genre.

Actual Plot Summary: The film follows Xu Lai, a former artist whose dreams were dashed when the responsibilities of life set in. With his life now revolving around his wife Cai Bo who is obsessed with having children, the quirks of his eccentric family and his mediocre, ordinary existence, Xu Lai hopes to reconnect with his first love Yang YIi on an upcoming vacation. However, his hopes are dashed when he finds himself wrapped up in a murder investigation that proves truth is often stranger than fiction.

Deduction Result: Fair | Passed

From the exercise done, I am able to further understand that the movie poster may not be able to convey what the actual movie is about. Movie posters as appealing as they are made to be, have to appeal to the right audience.

Therefore, for me to communicate my attribute as per movie poster, I may need to show more of the character than the actual movie. This will means character study of the movie protagonist is essential to judge regarding the movie poster VS the actual movie. The typography has to be able to convey the attribute and at the same time draw relevance in conjuncture to the movie genre/ character.

To Be Continued.