11.01.2023 - 20.01.2023 (Week 1 - Week 2)
Angela Valery | 0348374
Design Principles | Bachelor of Mass Communication
Exercises
Instructions
Figure 1 - refer to Page 5
TASK
Select 2 design principles from the given list and create 1 design for each selected principle.
GESTALT THEORY
Recap:
"Gestalt" means "shape" or "form" in German. It has five principles and four laws. Those principles and and laws are rules that describe how the human eye perceives visual elements which is believed to wired patterns, logic and structure. The aim is to show how complex scenes can be reduced to more simple shapes.
Visual References:
Figure 2.1 (Left) - Gestalt theory illustration from Wattpad
Figure 2.2 (Right) - Gestalt theory illustration by Mia Millie Evans
Idea Exploration:
Figure 3.1 (Left) - Rough sketch of the subject
Figure 3.2 (Right) - Final sketch of the subject
After looking at some art inspirations of Gestalt Theory on the internet, I decided to use a girl animation from Pinterest. But simply cropping its outfits doesn't give me the right to use it on my art. Therefore, I decided to draw my own subject using Procreate. Although I'm not so good at drawing, I eventually came up with a final sketch of a woman. Also, I drew the hair looks as if it's blown by the wind and added the curl on the edge of each hair line to give one of Gestalt principle which is 'continuation'.
Figure 3.3 (Left) - Placing the subject and the moon
Figure 3.4 (Right) - Adding elements
To be honest, at this point I am still not sure what my concept is going to be. But after colouring my subject and adding the filtered moon at the back, an idea suddenly pops up in my head and it was a horoscope. Since my horoscope is Virgo and my subject is a woman, I think why not use Virgo as the concept. So, I begin to search for some Virgo inspirations on Pinterest. I purposely cropped the description pictures uneven and tried to add a torn-paper effect using Twig brush on Procreate.
Figure 3.5 (Left) - Switch the moon into earth
Figure 3.6 (Right) - Rearranging the elements
I feel like switching the moon to earth because Virgo is an element of earth. However, I switch it back to moon because the colour seems more suitable and not too crowded compare to the earth one. Then I tried to add more descriptions of Virgo and placing them around the subject instead of above her to be more tidy. With the help and feedback from my lecturer, I finally finished my photomontage design with some edits.
Picture References:
REFERENCES
Wattpad - https://pin.it/547AiOs
Mia Millie Evans - https://pin.it/2rwSmOS
Volodymyr Burdiak - https://www.alamy.com/beautiful-sea-landscape-with-blue-sky-and-clouds-on-sunny-day-image258943743.html
Pinterest - https://pin.it/6h3Nf2O
Jakub Pabis - https://unsplash.com/photos/GXtjXPCt0NM
Our Mindful Life - https://pin.it/6RkW1wi
Amelie - https://pin.it/ujlBw7H
BuzzFeed - https://pin.it/5y0woJv
Final Design & Rationale:
Virgo (August 23 - September 23) is the sixth astrological sign in the zodiac, represented by the symbol of the virgin. As you can see in the design, a young lady poses confidently with her head up, dressed up by the white clouds in the background, enjoying her precious moment alone in the middle of the sea representing how other people see Virgo as someone who is famous for being strong and brave. Yet, they can be messy like the lady's wavy hair. And although Virgo is one of the earth signs, they are like water, powerful enough to drown you. So, why the moon? You might be wondering why it's not earth. Well, In astrology, the Moon is said to have an influence on emotions, feelings, and intuition. In the case of Virgo, the Moon plays an important role in the way they process and express their emotions.
Feedback:
"For the Gestalt (Continuation) design, the 4 pieces of notes/descriptions are quite distracting. Remove them so the design is clean. Then, move the girl slightly to the left so there is more space on the right. Just above where her hair flows, move the "Virgo" word there. This should project more of Continuation. The background and everything else in this design are ok." Dr. Yip Jinchi.
BALANCE
Recap:
Balance refers to the distribution of visual weight and is the visual equilibrium of design elements that causes the total image to appear balanced. It can be symmetrical and asymmetrical.
Visual References:
Figure 2.1 (Left) - Ying Yang by NarwhalDesignInk
Figure 2.2 (Right) - Duality by Mai Evangelista
Idea Exploration:
Figure 3.1 (Left) - Sketching
Figure 3.2 (Right) - Duplicate and arrange the sketch
Troye Sivan is one of my favourite singer and guess what, he is a Gemini! So, without any hesitation I start tracing his face because it will take me very forever to draw from zero. Sketching him made me realise how lady-looking he is. Eventually, I decided to turn him into a female. Then, I duplicate the final sketch of him and place it upside-down on the right side of the original sketch. Also, to help me through the process, I put the Yin and Yang picture at the back and lower its capacity.
Figure 3.3 (Left) - Adding some details
Figure 3.4 (Right) - The Golden Ratio
To make a difference between the two faces, I turn the colour on the left side into white. Learned from my mistake on the previous design, this time I made a more simple design without any unnecessary elements. I tried to create a symmetrical balance and make use of the golden ratio or also known as the divine proportion. At this point, I'm quite satisfied with my work, but I still can't find the right colour for the background and whether or not I should fill in and blend the face as it will take some time.
Figure 3.5 (Left) - First draft
Figure 3.6 (Right) - Removing unnecessary details
Deciding what colour is suitable for the background so that the black and white lines are shown equally was a bit time consuming. So, I decided to use my favourite colour, blue. Then I tried to add some colour to the lips and a little elements on both faces to show more of the difference between the good and evil concept. However, I don't like how it turns out, it feels more like a kid's drawing to me, so I remove it and add a line besides the 'Gemini' text.
Figure 3.7 (Left) - Colouring the face
Figure 3.8 (Right) - Colouring everything
I thought of submitting my design already (figure 3.6), but I was not satisfied with how it was. I was curious how it would turn out if I fill in those lines. So, I did. Surprisingly it didn't take me so long to colour one face by looking at Troye Sivan's picture to guide me with the shading. I continue to colour the hair and duplicate both the face and hair, then place it under the lines of the other face. Voila! The mystery is solved.
Picture References:
REFERENCE
NarwhalDesignInk - https://pin.it/1cgVCcF
Mai Evangelista - https://pin.it/4QE0YcW
Kenny Shen/Wikimedia Commons - https://www.thoughtco.com/mandarin-meaning-of-yin-yang-2278446
Final Design & Rationale:
Gemini (May 21 - June 20) is the third astrological sign in the zodiac, represented by the symbol of the twins. Twins may look alike, especially identical twins. But they can have the opposite characteristic from each other, although they grew up in the same environment and with the same parents. Gemini people are known for adaptability and curiosity. They are able to change personality depending on the situations they are facing and they treat people differently, that is why Geminis are famous for being two faces just like design is showing. Even though both faces (right and left) look exactly the same, the elements and colour are different. One is good and one is bad. I personally think it's a good trait, having more than one personality means you can balance your life.
Reflection
This exercise brings back the moment I used to feel in high school when I was studying Visual Arts. Searching for ideas, deciding what type of art do I want to create, 2D? 3D? Digital? Questions like, "What concept should I use?" or "What message is my art trying to convey?". It was so fun, yet frustrating at the same time. But the thrill is real every time I manage to finish the artwork. Through this project, I learned that simplicity can be so much better than complexity. Empty space does not mean it is bad or an artist doesn't know how to fill it in. It can bring our focus to the main idea of the art. I have so much more to learn and need to practice every design principles until I found my own design style.
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