Author: Min Hui

Process

HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON THE WALL

In this composition, i am challenging the perception of whether Humpty Dumpty is seated. The hole on the wall creates an imaginary legs for Humpty, who is seated.

HUMPTY DUMPTY HAD A GREAT FALL

The above are different design variations that captures the motion of Humpty’s fall from great height. Here i applied the principles of design: variety, scale, rhythm and pattern.

Scale: The wall is shown taller than the houses to suggest the scale of the wall being monumental as compared to the houses.

Variety, Pattern: Variety and pattern is also created in through the repeated Humpty of various sizes.

Rhythm: In the first composition, a sense of motion is created by the layers of consistently repeated Humpty Dumpty. This repeated layers create an overwhelming effect that reminds us of droplets of rain falling from the sky. The second one shows Humpty dropping in a diagonal direction, lending dynamism to the composition. The last one depicts Humpty dropping in different rotations placed at one -third of the composition.

ALL THE KING’S HORSES AND ALL THE KING’S MEN

Here i placed the rhyme in the context of the traditional chess play. However, a slice of fantasy is added into the game where you observe actually men and horses engaged in battle from the composition. The first composition shows men on horses patrolling the area. The second one shows the Black vs White battle from the swords crossing each other. In the above, the principles: pattern, balance and rhythm is created.

Pattern: Pattern is created with repetition of men on horses.

Balance: There is a symmetrical balance in the second composition with both sides of the scene being mirror images of inverted colours.

Rhythm: A diagonal relation is created in the first composition. Also, the repeated swords crossing by the men on horses in the second composition creates active space, where you get the feeling the blacks and whites are moving towards each other.

COULDN’T PUT HUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN

The above composition show the attempt to put humpty together and the failure to match his features correctly. Inspired by the cubist movement, i placed the facial features like the eyes, mouth and nose of various perspective viewpoints on the cracked fragments. Here, i attempted to use the principles Dominance and Contrast.

Dominance: A single figure dominating the composition

Contrast: Strong contrast is created with the overlapping pure black and pure white with minimal use of gray tones.

THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON 

From the next sentence of the rhyme ‘The little dog laughed to see such a sport’, Jumping over the moon is a sport. Crescent moons, representing hurdles on a running track, are placed in a directional s-curve to create depth and movement that leads your eye from the back star to the cow. The cow with elongated legs and the moons that float on the starry sky are inspired from the surrealist, Salvador Dali’s work. Here, the principle rhythm is created by the directional s curve. Also, a distortion to the cow is done to defy the true proportion.

AND THE DISH RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON 

The ran away motion is illustrated. It shows the spoons jumping around and plates rolling off the table. The table is placed diagonally,  suggesting dynamism and movement. In this composition, principles like variety, pattern , balance and contrast are applied.

Variety, Pattern: Variety and pattern are created with the varying sizes of repeated spoons and plates.

Balance: Asymmetrical balance is set with both sides of the diagonals looking rather similar, with a few items placed slightly different.

Contrast: The organised squares of the table and messy curvy plates and spoons create contrast in structure and shapes.

THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE

The above depicts the old woman’s daily life in a surreal and timeless setting. The old woman is illustrated as the only one living in the forest. The repeated figure throughout the setting shows an imprint of where she had been the day before. Here i have used the principle: Scale and Variety.

Scale: The scale of the tree and shoe house is monumental as compared to the human

Variety: Variety in design is depicted with the repetition of tree branches, shoe houses and old woman of various size.

In the first composition above, i explored the use of negative and positive space.

SHE HAD SO MANY CHILDREN SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO

The first one depicts an overwhelming number of children in a spiraling direction from the center of the canvas. The spiral is a notation/symbol of the uncertainty felt by the old woman when faced with so many children. Pattern, variety and rhythm is illustrated here.

Rhythm: The spiral creates a sense of movement that directs the eye inside out.

In the second composition, i am challenging the perception that the children are real human beings. The scene is depicted from the view of the old woman, whose hands are holding onto the dolls, unsure of what to do.  The background shows a wooden table with numerous scattered dolls that extends backwards . The foreground hands and background table creates perspective and depth. Here, i used the principle pattern, contrast and variety.

Pattern: A overwhelming effect is created with the endless repeated dolls.

Variety: Variety is also created with the varying sizes and types of dolls.

Contrast: the big dolls in the foreground and miniature dolls in the background show contrast in size.

The last one shows an overcrowded table of little dolls that are her children. It shows the aftermath of the table after the old woman’s attempt to play with the dolls but in the end gave up, being unsure exactly what to do with them. Similar to the one above, it shows the principles: Variety and Pattern.

THEN WHIPPED THEM ALL SOUNDLY AND PUT THEM TO SLEEP

The composition exemplify the motion of whipping the children to sleep. In both compositions, the principles of design such as pattern and variety is used.

Pattern and variety: Its created by repeating the kids sleeping and whipping action in many sizes.

In the first composition, the children in bed are arranged in a diagonal position that lends dynamism to the composition.

Additionally, balance is created in the second one. Symmetrical balance is obtain with with both sides of the diagonal being mirror images. Also, the diagonal triangles that exemplify blankets is used.

Reflection

Through this project, i have learnt to experimented with various ways of interpreting a sentence, not just restricted to rhymes. Also, the various principles of design that i have researched and applied in my visual representations of the rhymes have certainly enlighten me in ways i should see things and plan my composition as an artist.