This semester is almost over. The final project for Foundation 2D is based on colour, and the theme ego. My colours are mostly based off warm colours, with minor use of blue for one of the portions of the project. I did the entire project using my non-master hand, as an indirect nod to the term ego, which may also represent egotism, and hence why I decided to do the entire project this way (and regret it). Materials used are Staedtler colour pencils, Schwan Stabilo colour pencils and Pilot pens of differing nib diameter.
Part 1: What I am
It is represented by Photography adds Anime equals to Me.
The first image is just a composite of my camera gear (EOS 5DS, 200mm F2L and a 600EXRT flash unit) against a mountainous backdrop. The backdrop is a mix of Mount Titlis and Mont Blanc, with trees drawn in to accentuate the effect of the ridges and create a sense of depth, though it is not to scale. The image is arranged with the golden ratio and 1/3 rule, with the center of the image being the center of the triangle formed from the three photography-related items. The foreground covers exactly 1/3 of the image, and is white, to draw attention away immediately to the center of the image.
The second image is drawn loosely adhering to manga style, without the usage of the ‘blood in the gutter’ The characters’ colours are the three primary colours, red, blue and yellow. The character on the bottom right combines the three colours together, with another character at the bottom left. The viewer cannot immediately pinpoint where he wants to start in the image, but is guided to the top right in normal manga style. The viewer’s attention then shifts to the left, then downwards, with the slanted edge directing the attention to the right. The image on the bottom left will be seen last by the usage of space. The colours used are mostly blue and green, complementary colours that are easy on the eyes to create a soothing effect.
The characters referenced (clockwise from top left) are Kyoko Sakura from the anime Madoka Magica, character design by Takahiro Kishida, Sinon from the light novel Sword Art Online, illustration by abec, Aisaka Taiga from the manga Toradora, illustrated by Yasu, Pikachu from Pokemon, created by Satoshi Tajiri, and Oshino Shinobu from the light novel Monogatari, illustration by Vofan. All images are drawn without tracing. The overall illustration style of the images are loosely influenced by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, known for his character design in the Evangelion series.
The third image is a caricature of me back in 2013, when I was invited for a landscape photography panel. The images on the left are rough drawings of tourist attractions or regional icons of the countries that I have visited, such as the Eiffel Tower in France. The images on the right are that of my room, which is loose, cluttered with random anime-related stuff such as plush toys and posters. On my left hand is a figurine of the humanized form of the Vocaloid synthesizer Hatsune Miku, which is one of my main forms of musical composition, and on my right hand is a camera, a stark contrast for what I do as a hobby. The figurine is deliberately fully coloured to bring the attention to it first, as that is what everyone sees me as, the chairperson and face of NTU’s de facto anime club, the Visual Arts Society, and they only know what I do for a living after they know me more.
In the second series of images, it represents what is a better me. It is represented by the equation Passion subtracts Darkness equals to Freedom.
Passion is represented by a lit brazier, with torches at the side. Colour is warm, with two dark walls representing leading lines directing the audience’s attention to the center. The colour orange and yellow is used, rather than red, as they convey the colour of passion without the emphasis of fury and hot-bloodedness represented by the colour red.
The second image is that of a shield, specifically a kite shield, with a goat’s skull in the center, marked with a common satanic sigil. The shield represents me, who tends to reject ideas without consideration (making me a tough teammate to work with), like how a shield deflects blows and attacks. The satanic sigil and the skull represents my inherent evil, and how I do not forgive even though I rarely rage at people or get angry.
The third picture, freedom, is symbolised by a bursts of fireworks in a bright sky, over pastures and hills. The hills are loosely referenced from images of northern England, where it gives a sense of tranquility and a little bit of adventure. The background was not a night sky, as fireworks placed against a night sky was too bright and a little too passionate. A late morning cloudless blue sky is preferable, even though no one in the right mind sets off fireworks at that time, as the colours are more muted, and the viewer sees the picture as a whole, rather than the fireworks as the main theme.
The third series of images are an equation for an ideal me. Background multiplied with practice equals to success. The main colour used is blue, which is a calming colour, and as a nod to the music genre Blues.
The first image, background, represents my musical background, with a final year bachelor’s degree equivalent in music performance, and a first year equivalent in conducting. It involves three of my main equipment for music practice and composition; a KORG Triton keyboard, a music stand with sheet music, and an electronic synthesizer. It is loosely arranged in accordance to the golden ratio. The notation is roughly scribbed in a I-IV-V progression, used extensively in the 12-bar Blues progression in popular music.
The second image, practice, is a rough guideline of my usual practice, which is limited greatly due to full-time study. It involves a run through scales, depicted by two hands on a keyboard, timing practice involving a metronome, and memorising mainly Italian music terms for viva and professional teaching.
The last picture, success, is a silhouette of a blue figure against a sunrise. The colours used are the three primary colours, red, yellow and blue. The warmth of the daybreak contrasts strongly against the cool blue, producing a glow and a warming effect in the center of the picture, where the viewer’s attention is directed to.
In the fourth series, what I want to be in five years is represented by Change adds Teamwork equals to Progress.
All three images are coloured lightly, and consists of complementary hues of red, orange and yellow.
In the first image, I am represented by a weak-looking teddy bear, fresh out of Electrical Engineering and literally seeking greener pastures.
In the second image, my team and friends are represented by two bears of different classes (archer and wizard), both of whom have different training and strengths, but we come together as a band of brothers, with the background loosely based upon the fictional peach garden oath by Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei of the Three Kingdoms era, written by Luo Guanzhong.
The last image is that of us when we graduate, as strong warriors and practitioners of art, a stark contrast to when we started as beginners and novices.