Category Archives: Pattern, Art, Design, & Arch. 2016/17 Sem 1

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/

City: Selected Theme

Mutation in the City”

So, it seems that I have decided for my theme to be Mutation as I was inspired by microscopic structures and bio-mimicry.

The theme “Mutation in the City” mainly focus on the health aspect in the city — how people are infected with virus or sickness like cancer etc. I had the inspiration from movies with zombies and I was curious of how the cells (virus + normal cell) in our body actually reacts with one another. Like, does it react vigorously like how metals in the first group in the Periodic Table reacts with water?

Research on Mutation (Link:https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-mutationsinfectious/)
Research on Mutation (Link:https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-mutationsinfectious/)

With the example above, I want to look for interaction between the cells thus it led me to decide on how my pattern design will be formed — collage images of the microscopic structure into 1 big pattern, use variation of colours to show the interaction between the cells, and most probably using the shape of DNA figure.

City: Moodboard & Theme selection

This post will contain information and images on the themes ideas for the Project City.

SUPERNATURAL CITY

Transform city found objects, and/or data, into representational or abstract forms, designs, and patterns for a large-scale public art installation.

When I think of cities, I think of man-made and natural aspects. I considered what can be seen in the cities, what can be felt in terms of how you feel etc. I decided to go on the direction of Nature for my City. Recently, I went to Chinese/Japanese Garden to see what I can be inspired from.

The first thing that came to my mind were ripples, how the water flows naturally could be turned or modified into an organic pattern following the movement or direction. After my personal trip, I went on Pinterest to gather inspiration and created my moodboard.

Inspiration Tab-Pattern Design
General research on Pattern Design on Pinterest. (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design/)

 

Moodboard - Ripples Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #1

The second idea I had in mind was textures. So I looked out for trees, the road and other materials I can find along the park for unique textures. Some trees that had scales growing on the trunk thus it lead me to think of bio-mimicry, and/or microscopic structure.

Moodboard - Textures Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #2 – textures
Moodboard - Microscopic Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #3

 Lastly, I researched on the different techniques to go create patterns. After browsing through Pinterest, I narrowed down to 2 techniques which you can find below:

My compilation of the different ways to create pattern using different tools (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-techniques/)
My compilation of the different ways to create pattern using different tools (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-techniques/)

 

Moodboard on techniques
Moodboard on techniques
  1. marbling — I thought of using watercolour or milk with food colouring to create the cross section of the pattern
  2. monoprint — I thought of re-using the monoprint from previous semester, and do a few more to get variations so that I could collage them digitally.

In terms of colour, I thought of bright and contrasting colours like the last picture on the right from the techniques moodboard.