Process: Experimental Medicine Building

Recently, I head down to the Experimental Medicine Building, to use the resources that they have on human microscopic anatomy/structure.

First foremost, I was taught the fundamentals of using a microscope, and lastly the choosing of whichever samples that I would like to view on.

I was spoilt for choices with the many samples, however the technician was of great help. He sat beside my work desk and assisted me — he even play trial and error to view the different samples to get the pattern that I was looking for in our human anatomy.

I selected a few of the samples, and did a screenshot of what I studied:

Mammal Cerebellum

Human Spinal Cord

Human Scalp

Mammal Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands

Mammal Kidney

Human Lung

Human Skin, Non-pigmented

Mammal Artery and Vein

Human Skeletal Muscle

Mammal Compact Bone

Mammal Ovarian Follicles

Human Ovary, active phase

Human Tongue

Mammal Esophagus

Human Stratified Columnar Epithelium

Process: Creating Motifs Part 3

Previously, it was just exploring of the different structures symmetrically repeated and reflected to form a motif. However, I am moving on to the process of putting together 2 or more different motifs to become one.

The first few examples can be seen below, where 1 human microscopy is repeated, and overlayed with another. The only difference between the two are the opacity.

On a side note, when I see these motifs (above), I realised it looked like the lace material.

And another example below, where I layered 3 different structures into 1. Though it is messy as the lines intersecting were pretty obvious and distracting.

At first glance, I think it is too messy, but it gives a very nice layer.
At first glance, I think it is too messy, but it gives a very nice layer.

 

From the consultation, I was introduced to an artist who does her work in abstract forms with an unorganised, messy and complex backdrop or surroundings.

Her name is Julie Mehretu, and these are some of her works that I find them interesting and are parts of my inspiration:

inspiration-tab-julie-mehteru

To minus off the use of symmetry and reflections, I combined the tracings that I had, following the best fir of positions of the structures, and started to form them into one whole motif.

combination-motifs-2-1

Then, I repeat the image above, and formed design inspired by spirals, cosmos or what looked like mandala due to the radiating in and out. (Mixed in a little knowledge of Art History over here)

panaroma-test-1-1

Next, how do I make it look as messy as Julie Mehretu’s? I decided to try and have textures. At first I thought of manually creating textures using several techniques I found online. But I too, wanted to try the grunge effect. So the images below are the before and after of grunge texture, with colour and monochromatic.

Trying out the texture with colour.
Trying out the texture with colour.
versus the grunge texture with a lower opacity
versus the grunge texture with a lower opacity

Process: Creating Motifs Part 2

From hardcopy to softcopy

So from the previous post, I printed out selected images from a source that has data on human microscopic anatomy, traced those images, and lastly scanned them in. Not really at random, but I selected those images based on the type of patterns that I planned to incorporate into the entire motif — bones, cells, and connective and supportive tissues.

Softcopy

I did a few trial and error to vectorize the images that I scanned, and tried on getting a few motifs as a start. First thing first, I started by using each microscopic anatomy into its own motif by repetition within its own elements. I might say these trial motifs were headed towards the direction of symmetrical and geometrical patterns.

(Majority of the motifs are similar to the previous ones. Basically it shows the variations if I’d rather choose those motifs with intersecting lines in the middle or minimal intersection?)

Motif #1: the microscopic structure of our bone #1.

Source to be inserted ASAP
Source to be inserted ASAP

Motif #2: the microscopic structure of our bone #2.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Motif #3: the microscopic structure of Connective and Supportive Tissue #1.

Source to be inserted ASAP
Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Connective and Supportive Tissue, pg 119

Motif #4: the microscopic structure of Connective and Supportive Tissue #2.

Source to be inserted ASAP
Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Connective and Supportive Tissue, pg 119

Motif #5: the microscopic structure of Connective and Supportive Tissue #3.

Source to be inserted ASAP
Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Connective and Supportive Tissue, pg 117

Motif #6: the microscopic structure of cells

 Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Cells, pg 15

Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Cells, pg 15

Process: Inspiration & Creating Motifs Part 1

HOW DO I CREATE MOTIFS?

I planned to use the raw imagery of the human microscopic anatomy from the lab, but with tight schedules, I resorted to an alternative: using resources from books and online articles.

I was inspired from watching Bonnie Christine’s method of transferring hand-drawn sketches to digital. Therefore, I gave it a go to create my motifs.

Firstly, I selected a few microscopic images (from the website, book, and article,), printed them out, traced them over and finally scanning them in to digitize them.

You can view the images below:

Human Cells

Source to be inserted ASAP
Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Cells, pg 15

Into digital

Connective and Supportive Tissue

Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Connective and Supportive Tissue, pg 119
Connective Supportive Tissue 1
#1
Connective Supportive Tissue 2
#2
Source to be inserted ASAP
Kuehnel, Wolfgang. Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology, and Microscopic Anatomy. 4th ed. Germany: Thieme, 2003. PDF. Connective and Supportive Tissue, pg 117
Nerve Tissue
#3

Bone

 

Source to be inserted ASAP
Source to be inserted ASAP
Bone 1
#1
Bone 2
#2

With these bunch of scanned images, I would compose them to form one motif.

(Still progressing…)

On a side note, I find the pattern designs done by William Morris, from the Arts and Crafts Movement, pretty interesting. Arts and crafts movement is well known for its decorative art. From William Morris’ art, I like how the artboard/canvas are all filled up with patterns leaving minimal negative space.

All along I’ve been planning the outlook of how I want my pattern to turn out, how it will look from afar vs when zoomed in. Thus, these gave me more depth to the idea of how I want my motifs will look like.

You can check out the link on my Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-art-craft-movement/
You can check out the link on my Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-art-craft-movement/