IMAGE MAKING THROUGH TYPE
The objective for this assignment: Using typography as an end in itself, minimizing supporting imagery. Develop ideas and conceptualize them into letterforms are combine with abstract images to express your job.
Artist Research
Upon reading the brief for 1st assignment, I begin to prepare my research on several art movements and artist that are involved in.
Polish Poster Artist – Henryk Tomaszewski
Overall his artwork generally have a distinct design style and approach. He works with by a combination of multiple symbols and signs. In his work, we are able to see how he executes his works using semiotics communicate this intended message. By reduces imagery & words into the simplest form, it multiplies the impact of the message delivered as it requires the audience to go through their thought process.
My takeaway from Henryk Tomaszewski NIE! (1953)
The simple shapes to illustrate a devastated city superimposed on a silhouette of a falling bomb. Clear and concise text and images distilling the content into the simplest form. The artist uses texture and shading to inject the element of destruction of the building. Instead of using the element of weapons he chooses to adopt the synecdoche (using the whole part to represent something). This inspired me to change my train of thoughts for the assignments. One approach could speak of the element itself, alternatively, I can use other forms of expression to hint on the elements.
Ideation & Development
I began by noting down all the version of my initials and nicknames.
(Whitney, Whit, WN, WNYS, YS,颖萱, 黄, Ying Suen)
JOB – Cheese Ninja
Concept Ideation – I wanted to fuse two contrasting or contradicting elements to compose an interesting texture and contextual final image.
Cheese – Heavenly Aroma, Melts, Bright, Soft, full of flavor, Joy
Ninja – Well hidden, Merciless assassination, Dark
Motto: I pledge my life to protect any assassination of the legendary cheese recipet. Cheese is the love of my life. – Cheese Ninja
Moving on, to choose the type of font.
After experimenting with a few fonts, I continued to explore illustrator (3D Extrude & Bevel) giving the letters a depth and perspective
I chose this font “Sinhala MN” as ninja are associated with are sharp weapons, this font gives me a sharp pointy end in the middle of the “W” which helps to instill the sharpness. This rare font also has a flat bottom edge of the letter “W” is flat, which gives off a block cheese.
Initially, I incorporated the element of the ninja star by placing them on each individual words itself. I felt that overall it looks a little distracting even though the placement is cohesive.
I refreshed my memory on the Principals of Design – Movement. A knife slashing through the words can help to convey the ninja’s aspect. In order to further link back to ninja, I chose to use a well known in my current peers, a significant weapon – Shuriken (throwing stars). Attempts to use scissors and knife tool to separate the words. I went through some tutorial online and found one that really helps to create the slashing effect that I wanted. I further alternate some parts of the letters to create variety in the slashing effect. (Link if you are interested: (3D Isometric Text)
After trying out several compositions and colors schemes. I feel that my main letter should be in yellowish-orange as it creates the clearest message of the cheese. I further darken the shadows manually on the cheese’s texture to create more depth. This leaves me with having a dark colored background – Saturated purpled or dark blue create the night atmosphere when the ninja are mostly dispatched in the middle of the night.
I was struggling with having a secondary element for my background – I choose to use the moon as it has a simple circular shape in contrast to using the complex roof of the shrines. By using the Rule of Third, I placed my words slightly near to the top half of the frame. Using the gradient to blend the bright yellow with the blue sky. The moon is placed out of the frame to reduce the distraction, (Figure–ground). This helps to creates a negative breathing space.
MY NAME IS
CHEESE NINJA
JOB – Snow Tailor
Concept Ideation – I wanted to fuse two contrasting or contradicting elements to compose an interesting texture and contextual final image.
Cheese – Pure, Fluffy clouds, Soft, Crystallisation
Tailor – Well versed, Detailed Orientated, Bussiness, Professional.
The font that I chose was a Chinese simplified “Yuanti SC”. I slightly broaden the width of the characters. It has a very neat & smooth finish with curved ends making it look soft which was my intention as my job was about snow. I discovered a new tool called “Puppet Wrap & Perspective Wrap” with help to make the effect of the bending of the Chinese characters into the half.
At the start, I had the idea of using only a few elements of snow resting on top of my letter to represent the idea of snow. During the final consultation, the idea of the entire letter to be made out of the snow was raised.
Upon searching up the snow texture and attempting it, I find that it really helped to simplify the overall design look of the final piece. Instead of having small bits and pieces of the element, using the texture to clearly represent the snow element was a great input to my final piece.
In terms of composition, I tried to avoid using symmetrical layout and chose to push my initials to the right side leaving white negative space for my background. I tried to use a snowy background but it was a struggle as the main subject and background have the same hue, tone, and color. I thought using an element from the tailor instead, as there are more options to choose from.
I tried to experiment with complementary colors such as Blue #4520ff and Orangish-Yellow #ffa220, Red #ff4f1a and Light Blue #1afff7. In my first design layout, I applied split complementary color schemes that consist of highly saturated blue, yellow and orange. 
I decided to use a sweater like texture to represent the element of the tailor. I added in scissors that are cutting up the cloth. Since the initials are flushed to the right which leaves a negative white space, the scissors can be only shown partly through figure-ground & synecdoche, helps to push the hint of the tailor,
One comment was on the stitches that are not very visible at first glance, so working on that aspect I added shadows and use (Inner Emboss and Outer Emboss) in Photoshop effects to create the 3D illusion that helps to bring out the texture further. In addition, I use the same technique of shading to create the illusion of the folding marks of the cloth to make it look more realistic.
MY NAME IS
SNOW TAILOR
JOB – DJ Mathematician
Concept Ideation – I wanted to fuse two contrasting or contradicting elements to compose an interesting texture and contextual final image.
DJ – Loud music, Parties, Flashing lights, Dance, Excited
Mathematician – Accurate, Smart, Problem Solving, Equations, More Equations
The final font that I chose was a serif font “Didot” with tails at the end of the letter. I choose this font over the San-serif font as I felt that it works well with the element of Mathematician. In contrast, the element of DJ is usually associate with parties, neon flashing lights, loud music, and flashy dancing. By using a rather more professional serif font, I think it contributes to making the image as a whole look more interesting. I made use of the perspective and distort function in Adobe Photoshop to angle it so that it will not have a symmetrical composition.
The design style of the fonts generally makes the lines on the right side thicker and the remaining strokes are considerably thinner, and I further develop this design font. I adjusted the perspective angle making the thicker stroke seems thicker, using the difference in size & scale. I rasterize the words and manually adjusted the width of the thicker strokes to put even more emphasis on them itself.
I experiment with the analogous color scheme (#4d32ff, #b432ff, #32ccff)This gives off the feeling of the element of DJ. It is vibrant with a bright attracting colors.
Testing out various color schemes.
After confirming my rough idea, I started to add in the elements that represent either a DJ or a mathematician. I thought out using math formulas x = x(8y+ 3)º, but I felt that it could be further develop using metonyms a form of nonliteral communication. Instead of using another set of letters and numbers, which might take away attention from my main letters. I could use basic geometric angles where we calculate the degree of rotation of a shape. This allows me to utilize shape that is simplified.
I tested it out by adding some angles signs at the corners of the letter. and it fits well with the serif font. Moving on I applied a 3D shadow, inner and outer glow to the angles to make it seems like it is glowing. I got inspired by the flashing lights from the DJ.
The background is the situation where the letter is going to be presented. A good background that helps to push the context of the job even clear but not overtake the main subject itself. To counter this problem. I tried to apply a disc like the texture as seen on a DJ spinning disk. The disc usually consists only of a few colors which help it blend into the background. I use the design principle of synecdoche.
To further hint that it is the spinning disc I added the element of the DJ Needles used to spin the discs. I use a top-down point of view since my letters seem to recede into the background. By placing parts out of the frame the audience are still able to figure out the element by just looking at one part of the DJ needle using their imagination.
MY NAME IS
DJ Mathematician
JOB – Aquatic Analyst
Concept Ideation – Experiment with the different texture that gathers more interest to the final image.
Aquatic – Free, Underwater, Ripples of waves, Bluish-Green, Cold, Relaxing
Analyst – Structural, Rules & Method. Accurate, Statistics.
Motto: There is a structual to everthing in life even the calm waterbodies. – Aquatic Analyst
After gathering the elements of my main job into a college, I begin to sketch out several ways I can approach this design. I was looking into plants underwater and thought I can incorporate plants into this design. Initially, I wanted to use my Chinese name so that there is more space for me to incorporate the elements of the plants in each letter. 
After the initial sketch of roughly how I am going to execute the final image, I did research on several photoshop and illustrator tutorial on how to achieve an underwater or paper texture effect that seems physically legitimate.
This was one of the first drafts of the initial “W”. I experimented with different plants to determine which plants fit the design approached.
Texture – I thought it would be interesting since paper in contact with underwater falls apart. By adapting the paper texture, I could add another level of unusual of the composition.
Color Scheme – I tried to experiment with the different hues and tone of the color scheme and came to settle with an analogous color scheme. The combination of the blue, purple and pink creates a harmonious, pleasing to the eye color scheme.
Color scheme used (EFA7CB ,740054, 5339D6 ,44388D, 20BEDF)
Initially, I had a symmetrical composition which causes the overall composition to be rather boring. I tried to use the smoke underwater color explosion background but it resulted in being a distraction from my main subject. I switch up the composition by tilting the words towards the right, making it a symmetrical composition.
MY NAME IS
Aquatic Analyst
Reflection & TakeawayS
I got really eager and interested when I got the brief at the start of this project. I think one of the hardest parts of the project is moving away from getting a good concept and idea so that I would be able to think of creative and funny ways for me to present my jobs.
One good aspect that I felt that I have improved from the previous semester was being able to finish my work in advanced (there was also a bonus of the deadline being pushed back one week) However, I still tried to management myself and discipline to finish on the original deadline. That gave me extra time to take a break from my work and after coming back to take a look once again. I was able to tell what needed slight amends to the colors or composition. I also enjoyed being able to add in the before some final pieces as the final touched up.
There are so many ways to illustrate, so I got to try out different art style. However, upon researching design by other b, it does really helps me to think out of the box. I also managed to explore many different tutorials on google and youtube which taught me a lot of hidden tools and style that Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator could do that I did not know still working on this project.
I look forward for the upcoming ZINE project WooHoo! 1 assignment down!