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Design Principle // Final Project

30/10/2020 - 29/11/2020 (Week 10 - Week 14)
Fann Man Ling - 0344623  (BDCM)
Design Principles // Dr. Yip Jinchi
Final Project : Visual Analysis

LECTURE

WEEK 10 // 30.10.2020

VISUAL ANALYSIS

  • Method of understanding design that focuses on the visual elements and principles.
  • Recognise the choices that a designer made in creating the design
  • Understand how the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
  • Critical part of visual literacy-helps people read and critically interpret images.
  • Practicing visual analysis sharpens critical judgement skills and seek out answer actively rather than passively receiving information.
Phase 1: Observation
Closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design and describing them carefully and accurately.

Phase 2: Analysis
Think about observation and try to make statement about the work based on its evidence. 
(How the specific visual element that you've identified combine together to create a whole & what effect? How and why your eyes is led through the work?)

Phase 3: Interpretation
Observation, description, and analysis of the work are merged with facts about the design work's meaning, purpose & background (designer).

FURTHER READING:


WEEK 11 // 06.11.2020
In this week, we need to show a selected design work of our liking, and explain the reason of choosing it and provide a background about the design. Then, we were given feedback based on it.

WEEK 12 // 13.11.2020
Feedback given on our visual analysis (Part 1).

WEEK 13 // 20.11.2020
Feedback given on our sketches and idea for Part 2.

WEEK 14 // 27.11.2020
Feedback given on our finished work.

INSTRUCTION

For our final project, we have 2 parts to do. 

The 1st part is to choose an artwork to do visual analysis of a particular artwork or design work that we like. The 2nd part is, using the information from the analysis to create our own design, it can be inspired, influenced by the artwork that have analyzed in part 1 or as a reaction to it.


Fig 1: Lecture 8 & Final Project brief

FINAL PROJECT : VISUAL ANALYSIS

Any medium

For the first part of visual analysis, we have to came out 3 phases (Observation, Analysis, Interpretation).

PART 1: VISUAL ANALYSIS

Attempt 1:

Initially, I did the visual analysis on the movie poster of the movie La La Land.

Fig 2 : Visual Analysis for 'La La Land' poster. (Source:The New York Times) (5/11/2020)

Attempt 2: 

I've decided to find other work of design to analyze as I had no idea to further working on the first attempt for the following Part 2.

The art I choose to analyze is one of the illustration work in The Washington Post that designed by Lisk Feng, a Chinese illustrator.

Fig 3.1: The Washington Post (12/11/2020) (Source: LiskFeng)

Phase 1: Observation

This design work is in landscape format. As for visual elements, the main colours observed are green, white and blue. There is a lot of space at the foreground filled by green colour, while significant amounts of space on the top of the artwork is filled in blue. There is a character in white in the middle of foreground, sitting on a red circle object. There is a brownish-yellow rectangular object in front of her and a white object on the top of it. Furthermore, there are several white oval-shaped objects floating from right to left on the top of the artwork. There is small amount of space is filled in blue at the right middle side of the work. There is three black organic-shaped object placed respectively in the work, one is at the top left, another one in the slightly middle of the top right side of the illustration, and the last one is at the bottom right corner. Lastly, the overall colour of the work is fading from the light to dark, and from the top to the bottom.

Phase 2 : Analysis

The design is asymmetrical balanced. Other than that, the work uses an open composition. The character in white, revolved around with the brownish-yellow and the red colour in the middle of the large green ground creates a contrast, which in a sense, makes the character as the emphasis part. Aside from that, there are several objects such as the black stones, white clouds, and white curvy lines at the ocean as well as their shapes are repeated in the artwork creates repetition.  With the repetition of the white clouds and white curvy lines at the ocean, movement is achieved in the artwork. Not only that, the simple colour palette brings harmony and unity into the overall artwork.

Phase 3: Interpretation

This is an illustration work created by Lisk Feng, an editorial and commercial work illustrator based in Queens, NYC, designed for the editorial images of The Washington Post. Looking at most of her work, I feel that she love to experiment with colour palettes and develop more conceptual ideas for her illustrations, so does this Fig 2.1. Back to this illustration work, she created this was to cater to the title and context of "Ready to write your own bestseller?" in The Washington Post editorial. I believe the character who using her laptop in the middle of the artwork reflects she's planning to write her bestseller, while the view, in which the large green cliff besides the sea indicates the big world in her mind while doing her writing. Besides that, I believe there's a reason why Lisk Feng depicted the scenery, it promotes a sense of calmness which is important for a writer as she might get a better inspiration at such place and thus write a bestseller.

Fig 3.2: Editorial (Source: LiskFeng)

Fig 3.3 : Artworks by Lisk Feng (Source: LiskFeng)

Reference: http://liskfeng.com/

PART 2 : DESIGN

IDEATION

Shown below are my sketches of idea.

IDEA #1
Because of most of the artwork of Lisk Feng, the artist that I am studying on for this project, are created for commercial purpose, namely, editorial, book cover, wallpaper for app, etc. Hence, I wanted to create my work out of something. I've decided to represent the song "Leaving on the Jet Plane" that I've been listening to on loop lately. There's a lyric in the song "When I come back, I'll bring you wedding ring.". Thus, I tried to depict the scene in my work. Besides that, I was also inspired by another artwork of Lisk Feng, in terms of its composition.

Fig 4.1: Idea 1_Sketch (20/11/2020)

Fig 4.2: Lyrics_Leaving on the Jet Plane_covered by The Macarons Project_Inspiration

IDEA #2

Both sketches are basically inspired by the artwork that I've analysed Fig 3.1 and another her artwork, in terms of their colour setting, sense of calmness and harmony, and elements. I also wanted to express my feeling and the thought that I want to be stress free, as I was so exhausted after doing another project the other day. I imagined how good would it be to lie on a vast meadow and do all my favourite things that I don't have time to do now and just relax. 

Fig 4.3: Idea 2a _Sketch (20/11/2020)

Fig 4.4: Idea 2b_Sketch (20/11/2020)

IDEA #3
I've noticed the work I've analysed Fig 3.1 includes nature elements and repetition of simple elements like rocks, and clouds. Furthermore, in my interpretation, the character in the work Fig 3.1 is doing something she likes. Hence, I was thinking to draw myself in doing something I enjoy at a place that surrounded by nature elements which brings a sense of peace.

Fig 4.5: Idea 3_Sketch (20/11/2020)

PROGRESS

Dr. Jinchi suggested me to further working on either IDEA #1 or IDEA #2a. 

ATTEMPT #1

I've decided to give a try on IDEA #1 first as it is more closer to the orginal work that I've analyzed Fig 3.1. Before I began to work on my work, I firstly set the colour scheme for each element in the work while taking reference of the original work so that my work is aesthetically pleasing.

Fig 5: Moodboard (26/11/2020)

Then. I started the process of illustration my work on Adobe Illustrator. I started illustrating the character by using pen tool to trace from my scanned sketch.

Fig 6.1: The character

Secondly, I drew the vast meadow, mountains, trees, rock and filled the colour with the colour I've decided in the moodboard.

Fig 6.2: Meadow, mountain, trees, rocks.

Thirdly, I added the sky, clouds, and the drawing tools.

Fig 6.3: Sky, clouds, drawing tools.

After that, I illustrated some shadows of clouds on the meadow to show there's some big fluffy clouds floating above her.

Fig 6.4: Shadows

To make the work looks more appealing, I added shadow, highlight and details on every element by using the artistic brush to paint over. Moreover, I also added some texture to the work by choosing effect-brush strokes-spatter in AI, as the original work includes the similar texture. 

Fig 6.5: Details, highlight, shadow, texture.

Lastly, I added Grain texture on the artwork to finalize it.

Fig 6.6: Grain texture

I emulated the original work, in terms of the shapes of elements like rocks and clouds, the vastness of nature and the style of the artist. Furthermore, the meaning behind this artwork is a imagination of myself finally taking a break at a calm and peace nature surrounding after completed assignments.

Fig 6.7: Outcome of Attempt 1 (26/11/2020)

ATTEMPT #2

After I showed the final work of my first attempt (IDEA#1) Fig 6.7 and another refined rough sketch of IDEA #2 Fig 7.1in the class, Dr. Jinchi suggested me to try working on IDEA #2, as it is more meaningful and is stronger by showing the freedom of moving around and feeling comfortable and safe since we are all stuck in our place due to the pandemic, as well as expressing the longing to meet someone. 

Fig 7.1: Refined rough sketch_Idea 2 (26/11/2020)

I personally like the meaning behind this sketch too, so I'd like to give it a try then only decide which artwork to be my final work. I started off with the decision of colour. The bluish purple colour means not only he is taking the plane in the evening probably after finished his business or task, but also promotes a sense of harmony.

Fig 7.2: Moodboard (27/10/2020)

After that, I started the process of illustrating the artwork on Adobe Illustrator. Firstly, I drew the character by using pen tool to trace from my scanned sketch. For colouring, I used monochromatic colours in the same hue in the overall artwork to make sure the sense of harmony and few contrast colours to create variety.

Fig 8.1: The character

Secondly, I drew the chair, wedding ring and its box, and plane, and filled with the colour I've decided in the moodboard. Then, I added texture, shadow, and texture to the all of them by using the artistic brush.
Additionally, the wedding ring and its box was coloured in a brighter and contrast colour as it is the emphasis in the work. I learned that from the work of Lisk Feng that I took reference on in creating this artwork, as I noticed she painted the girl and the book in contrast colour as the focal point.
Fig 8.2: Chair, plane, wedding ring with details, shadow, texture.

The suggestion given by Dr. Jinchi was to add an airplane window to make it more interesting. The suggestion was good and I've applied it but with a house window of his girlfriend who is waiting for him to get home. 
Fig 8.3: Window

After that, to make the artwork more meaningful, I've decided to draw a hand that is stretching to the window in a way to express her longing for him to come back. Besides that, I added a little heart shape on the top of the character's head to show the romance feeling that he has when looking at the wedding ring and imagining the process of his wedding proposal.

Fig 8.4: Hand, little heart shape

To finish off the artwork, the overlapped colours and lines were covered by using rectangle tool and pen tool.

Fig 8.5: Finishing touches

Lastly, I've added the Grain texture to the overall artwork in finalizing the work.

Fig 8.6: Grain texture

In the end, I've opted for Attempt 2 as I've consulted with Dr. Jinchi and she was happy with it. The hand adds on to the subtlety and the overall looks good.

Recommendation: Listen to the song while looking at the Final Work:)

Fig 8.7: Leaving on the Jet Plane_covered by The Macarons Project_Insipiration

FINAL WORK & RATIONALE:

Fig 9.1: Final Project_Final. jpg (28/11/2020)

Fig 9.2: Final Project_Final. pdf (28/11/2020)

RATIONALE
This design is inspired by Lisk Feng, an award-winning illustrator who is initially from China and now a New York-based freelance illustrator. Most of her works are created for commercial purpose, like editorial, book cover, poster, wallpaper for apps, etc. I've noticed her works involve lot of story-telling yet colourful with emotion and most importantly, they're accessible. I like the way she experiments with different colour palettes to develop her conceptual idea for her artwork. Hence, as a reaction to it, I got an idea to create my work out of something. I've decided to represent my favourite song that I've been listening to lately, "Leaving on the Jet Plane" by The Macarons Project. There's a lyric in the song, "When I come back, I'll bring you wedding ring". I can feel the romantic feeling that the character towards his loved one through the lyric and I was impressed by it. As such, I wanted to develop the meaningful lyric and tell the story in my work. I've adopted the illustration style that I've observed from Lisk Feng's work in creating my artwork, in which the texture, the application of colour like making use of few selected colours, and the feeling of harmony. Aside from that, I've experimented with different brush tools in an attempt to achieve the visual outcome similar with the analysed original work. Lastly, in order to add more sense of depth in my artwork, I've decided to add a hand stretching to the window which represents his loved one looking out the window with longing since he is far away.

264 Words

FEEDBACK

WEEK 11 // 06.11.2020

Specific Feedback: Part 1
  • For Phrase 1 (Observation), don't try to explain what they're doing in the poster, you only see the visual elements. Fig 2- "La La Land" Movie Poster (Attempt 1)

WEEK 12 // 13.11.2020

Specific Feedback: 
  • For Phrase 1 (Observation), don't say there is ocean since you've described all the object that observed in the work. You can mention that later on. Fig 3.1- Attempt 2
  • For Phrase 3 (Interpretation), other than the artwork is for hinting the title "Ready to write your own bestseller?" purpose, it means something more like showing the character in the artwork is writing her article at a place that promotes a sense of calmness which might get her better inspiration then eventually manage to write a best seller.

WEEK 13 // 20.11.2020

Specific Feedback: Part 2
  • Your first idea is interesting because of your connection to the song. However, try not to confine him in the aircraft cabin as it somewhat makes the artwork looks mundane. Perhaps you might want to emulate the original work that includes colourful background or find another way to show your idea.
  • You can choose either IDEA 1 (Fig 4.1) or IDEA 2a (Fig 4.3) to further working on.

WEEK 14 // 27.11.2020

Specific Feedback:
  • The first one (Fig 6.7) reminds me a lot of the original work, but your reason of doing this because you were inspired by the vastness of nature and imaging yourself taking a break at this kind of thing. So it's a meaningful work. The work is very obvious that you were inspired by the style of the artist that you are studying on. It doesn't exactly the same like the artist work because you have your own illustration style.
  • However, when I see the another rough sketch (Fig 7.1), I feel that it is more meaningful and stronger, perhaps is because we are all now stuck at home, and we'd like to imagine ourselves free and able to move around yet feeling comfy and safe. I feel that this might be a better choice.
  • However, I also want to make sure that you are doing something that you feel about and you like. But I guess you feel about these two, otherwise you won't have a little sketch about it.
  • It would be cool that the boarder can be the window of an airplane, can add a bit of surrealism.  

FINAL REFLECTION

What have I learnt in this module?
I think I've learned a lot and grew the most through this module. Before taking this module, I never knew to apply design principles into my work. As we need to produce our work of design for every principle on a weekly basis, I kind of continuously learning new things and improving my design knowledge every week. For the past weeks, there were sometimes I got stuck with ideas for the exercises, so I often seek idea from the Internet in hopes of getting inspirations. Somewhat the work came up similar with the reference, and I've always confused between imitating and transforming. Luckily, Dr. Jinchi would point it out and explained clearly for us. As such, I learned the difference between plagiarism and originality.

What did I enjoy the most?
I enjoy the most when there's no limitation to explore and develop the idea I like. I find myself enjoying the process of idea and creativity exploration. Apart from that, I very appreciate the feedback session, I like to receive feedback from Dr. Jinchi as it often enables me to get new insight into my work. Moreover, I acquired new knowledge every time Dr. Jinchi gave feedback on my classmates' work and the different styles of painting that applied by artists. I had studied some of the styles like impressionism and surrealism, but I don't have the knowledge to apply them in my design work. Through the teaching of Dr. Jinchi, I know better about them. Lastly, using manual materials to complete the exercises was a good experience for me.

What did I not enjoy the most?
Actually, I can't think of something to be complained about in this module. Although I think the weekly exercises were challenging sometimes but it certainly helps me to be disciplined and manage my time wisely, as well as keep myself learning consistently.

What have I learnt about myself through this module?
I've learned to believe in myself and don't easily give up regardless how hard the ideation is. I am glad that I found myself into illustration and I have my own illustration style that I would like to further develop it.

What has changed and what has not in my learning journey?
I realized that my presentation skill has improved when compared to the past years in Foundation. I don't have a very good command of English, so it's a bit hard for me when it comes to presenting my idea. However, the feedback session every week encouraged me to speak more and learn from others' presentation style. It really helps me to present well in the end. This is important and encouraging for me as I know that designers not only to be good in conveying messages via work of design, but present clearly about the meaning to allow people have more understanding to the work. Moreover, looking back from my previous work and my current work, I realized I've learned to make good use of design principles into not only the work of this module but also other module's works, and the outcome was better than before. I feel grateful for the opportunity this module given to encourage us learn more than design. On the other hand, the thing that has not changed is my time management. I tend to complete my work at the last minute.

What could be improved in this module?
There's nothing else to be improved in this module as everything is complete and ready. Dr. Jinchi has handled the classes very efficiently. She posted a clear instruction in Times that stated all the platforms that we going to use for this module. We can easily find the recorded lecture videos, meeting videos and slides in Microsoft Teams and further information for the topic in Times. Additionally, the lecturer is engaging and explains things well. Lastly, I am thankful for the willingness of Dr. Jinchi to help us out with any problem and question pertaining to our work after class via Telegram. Overall, the module is beneficial and the style of teaching is helpful to me.


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