Mark making

Creating marks inspired by certain words.

For this we were given 6 words for example loud/quite, fade/bang. We created a series of experiments using different kinds of mark making to visually communicate the words.

Some of these capture the word really well. I think particularly the one with the circles of nothingness representing quietness surrounded but paint splatters of noise. The lines coming out from the middle represents bang very well with the gradation tones and cross hatching representing fade. I wanted to have more controlled lines to show calmness and more dark expressive fluid brush strokes showing a sense of noise. Thicker lines represent deeper sounds and thinner lines represent high pitch volume.

Line drawings

Continuing with the line drawing theme, I decided to choose a subject matter (shoe) and create a series of line drawings experimenting with line and ways in which I can manipulate it.

                                          

 I did some continuous line drawings of my shoe. Some capturing just the essence of the shoe by using large brush strokes, really simplifying the subject matter into obvious features. I also used a dry painting technique which created really interesting textures and tonal quality.

I learnt a lot about line and the various ways i can use and manipulate line to create various compositions.

Line

Line is used for so many purposes:

To convey beauty

To divide an area/space

To delineate a thought/symbol

To define form by edge/contour

To catch and direct an eye

To produce a grey or tonal gradation 

To create a design

I explored the use of line and experimented with a variety of materials and techniques to create different line compositions.

Using a variety of different sized brushes and using different amounts of paint creating interesting textures. I experimented with the pressure of the pen slowly decreasing until there is nothing, creating a gradation tone. I also experimented with cross hatching to create a sense of tone. What I find quite interesting is the ink slowly becoming less opaque as it travels across the page, having a translucent feel. I used the back of a paint brush to create more of a scratchy feel which is quite interesting because there are so many tones within the line because of the texture. 

Transferring techniques into subject matters

I focussed on a subject (someone in the room) and tried to transfer my different line qualitys into the portrait.

Combining large brush strokes with little paint on, and smaller brush strokes with more paint on. I used the large brush strokes as a background effect. I think this is so successful as the low opacity large brush strokes make the focal line drawing stand out but creates an interesting background texture. The two line drawings compliment each other very well.

Using a Large paint brush. I simply just used a large paint brush with ink, making the absolute most of all angles of the paint brush. I have created some really interesting lines and I really like the contrast between the darker tones and lighter tones how they overlap to create even darker tones. I feel like this would look good as a screen print using various colours.

Using two pens, blue and black. This mirror image is very effective as the combinations of line drawings create an abstract composition fraying away from the obvious portrait drawing. 

Photoshop Induction

I chose one of my best black and white plant studies and created a series of Photoshop experiments. I used a variety of different simple process including inverting, colour balance, double exposure and painting into the composition. I think the more simple the image becomes the more successful. If i was to develop this further i could perhaps reduce the complexity even further and create some kind of logo maybe? 

Evaluation

At the beginning of the module, I started with minimal work in terms of development, but now I feel there is no end to creating pieces of art work, and the more generated, the more successful my final outcomes will be.

Using blog for the first time was very useful to me. I liked seeing my work posted online and felt I could be more organized with the posts and layout as opposed to a separate hand written critical journal.

Without having inductions for anything yet I wasn’t able to use facilities such as screen printing which would have worked quite well for some of my projects. I learnt a lot about layout, particularly with the ‘Illumination’ project – I enjoyed playing around with the same design but from different viewpoints. I think I’m lucky in having fairly strong ideas from the beginnings of my projects.

I am happy with all my outcomes but particularly the poster design. I enjoyed the project because I loved all the possible variations of design I created for it, which turned out being so useful in the process of creating 24 drawings. One session I particularly enjoyed was when we were given a word and had to visually communicate the word in as many ways as possible – this really opened up my creative mind and enabled me to generate a range of ideas. The small grids we had to work in also added to the success.

I found group crits extremely useful as they gave me alternative ideas and people pin pointed their favourite designs. It’s good to have an outsider’s perspective.

I learnt a lot throughout – I learnt it was ok to do rough sketches and be proud during the development stages. Maybe with some of my projects like the first one, I could’ve experimented with more techniques and materials. With the ‘Illumination’ project, I could have generated a broader range of ideas throughout my book. Also, at the beginning with the blogging, instead of describing what I was doing, more critical analysis was needed and more questions to ask myself. This is something I improved on as the module progressed.

For future projects, I aim to blog a little every time I hit a problem or am inspired by something which informs my practice. I will also talk in more of an analytical, reflecting way asking myself questions. I also want to start using the facilities LCA has to offer to broaden my experimentation skills.

                          

Final book cover

This is my final book cover design. I think the simplicity of the design works so well and the fact I have decided not to put the title on the front cover works as a subtle compliment - making the book become more intriguing and alluring, wondering what this book is all about. I decided to stick with a particular colour scheme to not over complicate the design. The mirrored image works well as it depicts a sense of double personality, and showcasing the idea of many sides to someone. The fragmented shapes represent the complexity of the brain.

If I were to do this again I could perhaps make it seem more professional by scanning it into the computer and smooth up the edges.

Rough sketches for final outcome

                                         

      

I did some rough sketches to see how my final design will look in terms of layout. I have decided to go with the two faces facing each other, front and back, looking at the title which will be on the spine and not on the front cover (actually i haven't decided yet) I just don't want there to be to much going on with the front cover and feel the title may create too much chaos. 

Research and development

So i started to play around with shapes and continuous lines with portrait to show a completely alternative side to consciousness. I think these are so successful as it is not quite obvious that it is a person. The designs have both a sense of alter ego and multiple personalities, as well as a fragmented structure with the shapes breaking away from the face, representing the different thoughts and mind processes. I think the overlapping lines give it a real sense of abstract value and make the overall composition even more intriguing. I think the combinations of various colours works really well - on a white background making it really stand out. 

I plan on sketching out my book layout with this design on it and start thinking about type as well as what i am going to have one the sleeves, spine and back.

Testing and experimenting

Sticking with the idea of simplicity, i moved on with another design, which is an adaptation from the original book design.

 I took an area from the complex book cover and played around with the shape making it come across more powerful and significant as i feel there is so much going on with colour and line that it takes away from the beauty.

 

                                            

 The science symbol works so well and just a simple line drawing of that with the font represents consciousness in more of a subtle way, staying away from the more obvious side. I experimented with a range of materials with this design, from expressive abstract brush strokes to more refined line work. I definitely feel the ones with colour are most successful. 

I will now start to explore shape within portraiture, suggested by people in my silent crit group.

Some roughs

I created 4 rough designs with the exact measurements of my book, to give me an idea of layout for 

my cover.

With this design I wanted to show multiple personas. The idea of an alter ego and how we see ourselves and how others see us. The contrast between the two, the conscious mind playing tricks on us. The colours represent different moods and emotions. The over lapped effect works so well and i really like how i have taken a quite simple portrait outline and immediately made it become more intriguing. I had a silent crit about my roughs and they gave me some ideas on how to develop it further. They really liked the idea of shapes and suggested including the shapes within the portrait to move away from the obvious representation and create something quite abstract. I found this really useful and it is definitely something i want to explore.

Playing around with multiple pen line drawings - double exposure effect. I think the font works really well with the image in this design.

What i really like about this design is the simplicity of the shape but then the real complexity of whats happening inside. Representing chaos quite well. I think the sleeves also work quite well and correspond nicely with the front cover design. I do however feel that the design is maybe too complacent and not as interesting as maybe it could be due to the fact there isn't much going on  

I really like the contrast between the black and bright contrasting colours with this design. The strong silhouette is very striking and corresponds so well with the colours. My silent crit group loved the aesthetics but found the concept to be quite cliche and used way too much when it comes to consciousness, which i agreed on. They liked how the coloured shapes and lines went over the front cover and onto the back, something to consider when going forward.

Alternative ideas

So i moved on to other imagery which represents consciousness - more obvious concepts.

The brain.

I used simple line drawings to represent something so complex. I was thinking i could draw a simple brain and then start to add in pattern texture and colour within the brain to represent a sense of chaos.

The colours over the top of the drawing work well and the question marks inside the brain also portray a real sense of chaos and consciousness. It could be interesting to perhaps scan some of these in and do some photograph experiments playing around with opacities and shape - multiple exposures.

Initial ideas

I initially started playing around with the shape of a question mark just because there are so many theories and concepts regarding the conscious mind, we don't know what to believe.

Playing with cut out pieces of paper - combining them to create interesting compositions. 

The shape of the question mark has slowly started to vanish and i am now left with a very interesting shape conveying a sense of science and music...

Developing into more of a logo type design.

I played around with a range of materials using the same shapes, creating various compositions. I like the overlapped effect and feel the colour combinations work so well together, creating really interesting structured almost logo design. I want my book to depict a simple look with not much going on and perhaps some negative space surrounding the central image.

I particularly like the cut out shapes mirroring one another, almost moving completely away from the question mark shape into something more abstract - exactly what i want to achieve as the mind is so complex and no one really knows how it all works, so something so simple yet very abstract fits the concept quite nicely and represents consciousness quite well.

I aim to experiment further perhaps with other alternatives like the brain (more obvious interpretations made into more abstract outcomes) also with the face - perhaps play around with fragmenting the portrait through shapes and colour to depict the complexity inside the mind?

Brief 3 - Judge a book by it's cover

Initial stages of development

For this project we have to re design an existing book cover from the library. I chose a book about consciousness as i felt there is so much imagery around the subject but I wanted to try and create an alternative perspective.

This is the book. Because the design is so retro i have every intention of creating a modern twist -  more simple with less colour, as the complexity of the book design over powers the meaning.

I aim to play around with simple shapes and line drawings as well as more expressive brush work.

Final designs

Here are my final images for my article. The simple line drawing works so well, creating a clear, concise reading. What i also quite like about it is that the style is very much aimed at the younger generation which works perfectly because the whole concept is about having fun and making things fun out of everyday mundane activities. 

I had a group crit and I gathered up a few feedback comments. Most people particularly liked the yellow paint and felt it instantly makes the image more intriguing making the viewer wanting to know more about the image. 

Some people questioned the negative space and suggested that more clues as to what is going on could be placed there perhaps? 

Third design

 This work reminds me of artists such as Patrick Caulfield and Roy Lichtenstein - Pop art vibes.

This design depicts a painting by numbers way of brushing your teeth. Instead of a tooth brush I have used a paint brush and added numbers on each individual tooth to represent painting by numbers - making brushing your teeth more fun. I feel like with this specific design a lot of colours would probably work to my advantage as the whole concept is painting so if i had the option of using more than two colours i maybe would have experimenting with painting each tooth a different colour and had paint buckets with specific numbers.

But for this specific brief I aim to use more of a simple design with the paint clearly standing out amongst the teeth.

Other outcome developments

For my other concept I wanted to show more of a fun way to go to and from the shops. I experimented with the figure using a range of materials and process to create various compositions.

Like with my other design I wanted to highlight the main aspects of the image - the shopping bags. Because the yellow and black idea was so successful I thought I'd try it out with this design too. The silhouette intensifies my intentions of making the shopping bags stand out, so in that respect it is very successful. There is a real sense of fluidity as well, portraying a real sense of movement and motion within the image. I think the recurring motif in each drawing works well and corresponds nicely with each other creating a niche style.  I also played around with more expressive compositions and again, i think they work well mainly because it plays nicely with the whole idea of performance.

I do however believe that the expressive design becomes too abstract and again loses the sense of whats going on.