A typography assignment using our names to illustrate on 4 occupations. I used JAMZ, my nickname, and illustrated the jobs: Post-man, Lantern Painter, Hawker Centre Cleaner & Batik Painter, to address the issue of dying trades & jobs in Singapore’s context.
A zine assignment on exploring a local neighbourhood, and presenting it in an abstract manner. The location I worked on was Ten Courts of Hell, an attraction at Haw Par Villa, and I created a zine to illustrate the punishments of Hell.
To respond to a specific location in Singapore, expressing it’s uniqueness through an abstract graphic form.
Create an A5 Saddle Stitched zine with a maximum of 8 pages.
Let’s go on a journey to Hell!
CONCEPT
To focus on the effect that Ten Courts of Hell gives visitors, upon visiting that attraction. Tapping on to the creepy and scary vibe that Ten Courts give, to create an abstract zine that makes people hallucinate and trippy!
ART DIRECTION
I wanted to focus on the punishments without text, and mostly pictorial. However, I was afraid that just pictures will not reach out to viewers on the punishment, thus the addition of the Chinese words illustrations.
I consistently used a colour scheme for each page, and only at the back cover page, bringing them together. Trippy/hallucinating art style was also incorporated in the artwork.
Stone – Grey
Cold – Blue
Heart – Red
Boiling – Orange
Tongue – Purple
Knives – Green
It’ll be better to have consistency in the Chinese words illustration
Colours are working out better with one colour on each page, and it comes well together on the last page.
Strongest spread – cooking spread (spread 2), which incorporates the mural & words.
Personal Reflection:
Overall, I had really mixed feeling about the zine that I’ve created. I felt that I could’ve done way better than what was produced, but I couldn’t think of other ideas to make the zine abstract. There were many ideas floating around in my head, but none of them seem to tick the checklist of “abstract”. But, thankfully I didn’t give up!! I decided to start working randomly till an idea got to me, which I stuck with it through! Making a zine sure isn’t easy, as there are many pages to take care of, and it is very important to be consistent – something I’m not very good at. After many trial and errors, I finally got my zine to come along together and I’m just glad that at the end, it all (kinda) worked out well! Super hyped that I managed to create something I can call my own, from scratch, and I got to learn more about zine-making!
About 60% happy with my zine :’)
Fun fact: showed my mum my zine and she had goosebumps viewing it halfway, and didn’t dare to finish it HAHAHA.
For our second assignment, we were first tasked to bring 2 objects – one of importance, and one that’s useless but you still keep it.
The 2 objects that I brought was an iPhone & Kangaroo Soft Toy.
Any idea which category does each item belong to?
Well, the iPhone is the object of importance!
I chose it because, my phone is my life. It contains memories and moments of my life that I’d like to keep forever.
It’s the medium to store because my brain has limited memory (probably only 2GB)
And thus, the Kangaroo Soft Toy was an item that’s useless but I still keep it.
That kangaroo has been with me since I was 4, it has been sitting at my house for 17 years and I still never threw it away!
It was a souvenir from my grandparents when they went to Gold Coast when I was young and… it has been useless since then.
I really dislike soft toys. I find them really useless hahaha.
I’m not the kind of person that sleeps with a bed overloaded with soft toys, thus I think they are just a waste of space and money!!!
But I still keep the kangaroo from my grandparents… hahaha
Next, our second task was to make an abstract product out of recycled materials, with reference from the 2 objects we brought previously!
And… call me weird but.. I decided on the material first before deciding what to do HAHA
I wanted to make a product out of chicken bones (yes people I know I am weird okay embrace it)
Next, I went to consult Prof Peter about what I should do!
He gave me an idea, by constructing an abstract kangaroo out of chicken bones!
So I went ahead with it!
My plan of constructing a kangaroo, was by sculpting one out of long balloons!
Sculpted balloons tend to not look like the actual object – showing abstraction in it!
And how to add the chicken bones into it, I grinded them.
But of course, I first went to collect chicken bones (from food sessions with my friends HAHA and they were all judging me)
Next, I washed and dried them!
Hello chicken bones hehe
After drying, it was time to grind them!
I tried 2 methods – hammering & blending
After the chicken bones process was done, I started with the sculpting of balloons!
I sculpted a kangaroo and stuck paper on it!
I used paper as a cover, as I was afraid that sticking the chicken bones directly might cause the balloon to burst/deflate.
Finally, I stuck the chicken bones onto the paper-balloon kangaroo!
Oh, and one thing! To add to the fluffy/furry texture of the soft toy, I added some fur (credits to my dog, Bailey HAHAHA)
Here’s my end product!
If you’re wondering why is there a tinge of green on the chicken bones, I DID NOT DYE THEM. IT BECAME MOULDY HAHAHA It was an accident!!! (but I think it adds to the whole aesthetic of the product)
I know from this angle it looks like a dick but… I didn’t think of it, until my classmates told me. The dick shape happened as I was using a sculpted balloon, and it’s hard to bend it down…
From now on, I’ll take note of my product, making sure it looks normal in every angle!
In conclusion, I guess you can tell I’m pretty weird HAHA
For this project, I went all out on the term recycled.
I used a bunch of useless items and made them useful (by creating an artwork with it)
This links back to my object, as a soft toy is useless to me, but it’s useful to others!
There’s people who loves them, collects them, and sleeps with them, but that’s just not me.
Just like the materials I used, they are useless to me but useful to others!
Chicken bones are useless but dogs love bones!!!
Balloons are useless (because they burst) but kids love them!
Fur are useless to me, but animals need them to keep warmth!
With that, this is the end of the 2nd 3D assignment!
(Prof Peter if you’re reading this, please stop judging me and my kangaroo!!!)
