Graphics- Day 3

Fig 1. final poster (author's own)

 

I created my final poster by drawing the arrows by hand on an A4 sheet of paper, then scanning it and adding the typing (Times New Roman-bold) using the software 'Illustrator'. The idea was to use Photoshop to create the arrows but because of my lack of IT skills I decided I was better off with drawing them myself. One thing I would change about the poster is the size of the font, I think it would look a lot better and would stand out more if I was to make it a few sizes bigger.

Fig 2. final poster at an angle (author's own)

 

The message I am trying to get across here is; 'we're always told what the "only way is", but no way is the right way and no one is right, so don't be afraid of going "wrong".' 



Graphics- Poster plans

Fig 1. plans in sketchbook I (author's own) 

 

On self directed study days we were given the task to come up with plans for a poster representing ourselves in year 2033. This poster was meant to be more career based but Andy said as long as there's a 'rationale' behind it, it doesn't have to be a poster about your future exhibition. I decided to continue with my idea of travelling and freedom, so I created small quick plans in my sketchbook. I came up with 24 ideas, I am going to talk more about the four I liked most and considered as my final outcome.

Fig 2. plans in sketchbook II (author's own)

 

I played around with ideas and images on the paper, I used roads, the globe, wings, feet, the sun, clouds etc. I put a red star next to the ideas I liked most. As you can see in Fig 2, I drew a star next to idea number 13. The image is supposed to be of a pair of worn out shoes with the typing 'WEAR THEM OUT...' on top. This was supposed to represent travelling, but with a play on words. Of course you 'wear' shoes so wearing them 'out' literally is what people do. But this poster is asking for people to wear their shoes out, as in wear them until they start to crumble and give in, this will show that you have lived and you've seen all that's needed to be seen. The background was going to be plain white, the shoes a navy blue in order to create a contrast between the foreground and the background and the typing was also going to be a similar tone to the shoes so the picture would come together as a whole.

Fig 3. plans in sketchbook III (author's own)

 

I also liked plans 18, 22 and 24. I liked number 18 for its simplicity, this was more of a minimalist approach, it was just the word 'HAPPY' written in red on a plain white background but the Ps had ':D' on their rounded bits. I could see that one printed on a T-shirt. Number 22 says 'THE ONLY WAY IS EVERY WAY' with arrows pointing in all four directions. This idea again, refers back to travelling and how there is no right or wrong way of doing it, don't think, just do. Again, with a white background and black typing this time, but with red arrows to represent risks, hazards, confidence, danger, boldness and courage, everything that is needed within travelling. Number 24 is an intense development of the arrows in number 22. Sticking to the white background, I drew arrows of different lengths and sizes in the four directions of a compass. The arrows are red in this plan for the same reason as before. 

Fig 4. development plan (author's own)

 

I decided to combine ideas number 22 and 24 together...

Fig 5. final idea (author's own)

 

Fig 5 is an image a practice version of the two ideas combined in my sketchbook. I preferred the idea of the arrows being all over the page rather than just on a small section underneath the writing like I first did in plan 22 because this way, the representations (arrows) of the message I am trying to portray (travelling and making decisions) would not be something you have to try and notice on the paper, but something you can't help but notice. 



Graphics- Day 2, Part 2

Fig 1. FREEDOM (author's own)

 

I created this small poster-like square that represents me in 20 years time. My dream is to someday find freedom, I want to travel, explore and make decisions with no questions or explanations there to follow. So what better way to express freedom than with colour? A teacher compared the green outline to a coffin, and looking at it now, I can see a resemblance. So in 20 years time I could be dead? Maybe that's where true freedom lies. Anything's possible but of course my idea of freedom wasn't death related, but it's not a bad idea suggestion for a poster, it could be a humorous approach on life.

Fig 2. together (author's own)

 

In Fig 2 you can see a few of other people's work. You immediately notice the variety of colour representing the bright futures everyone can see ahead of them. We put took what we learnt about shapes and text in the last task and put it into making our small "final piece" of the day.



Graphics- Day 2, Part 1

Fig 1. scribble (author's own)

 

'The key is to be playful,' our graphics tutor Andy couldn't stress this enough. Being able to see your work as play opens your eyes to a whole new way of working. We were asked to create shapes by manipulating any form of media in any way we like and then turn them into letters. In Fig 1. you can see a shape that could be accepted as an 'M', 'E' or 'W' depending on the direction it is looked at. I used charcoal, masking tape, paper, fibre point pen, pencils, a craft knife, glue, I smudged, scrunched, stamped on, poured water, etc. My outcomes were not fascinating, especially compared to others', but I sure did play and I'll make sure to approach my future work with a similar mind set. 

Fig 2. scrunch (author's own)

 

Fig 2 is an image of the piece of paper I poured water on and then manipulated into this shape. I see an 'M', how about you? You may not even see a letter at all. If I was to redo this task, I would probably experiment with water colours and drawing around shapes of objects we find lying around.

Fig 3. combined (author's own)

Fig 4. amazing experimentations (author's own)

 

In Fig 3 and Fig 4 you can see a wider range of experimentation, and more obvious letters than my ones. When all the work was put together it created a chaotic sight, the colours and shapes engage you immediately. The alphabet has never looked so interesting.



Graphics- Day 1, Part 3

Fig 1. collage (author's own)

 

I collected images from magazines and newspapers and created this three faced collage. Some sections of it accidentally came together, for example, the lady who's missing an eye had her hair cut off for another collage that I was attempting to make, leaving behind this curve cut out above her head. She sat perfectly on top of the other two faces and gave the piece a direction of motion. The base of the collage is filled with well known slogans such as, 'I'm lovin' it'- McDonald's, 'We compare you save'- Carphone Warehouse, 'More of what matters'- Morrisons, 'Power to you'- Vodafone, 'Every journey matters'- Transport for London, 'Fuel your day'- Weetabix, 'Let's feel good'- Boots and 'Helpful Banking'- Natwest. The media is all around us, they have started to shape what we are. All these slogans are there to represent our environment and what we're becoming. We are the products we buy, we are controlled by them rather than them by us.



Graphics- Day 1, Part 2

Fig 1. ear (author's own)

 

We each drew someone's ear on a big sheet of paper. I decided to use a fine liner, this meant I couldn't do as much shading as I wanted to in the allocated time, so I shaded the most important bits that would make it look more 3D. I think if I was to do this task again, I would use charcoal or a thick graphite pencil instead, this way I would be able to give the image more tone plus less rough edges because you can smooth it out.

Fig 2. ears (author's own)

Fig 3. ears II (author's own)

Fig 4. looking down at ears (author's own)

 

In Fig 2, Fig 3 and Fig 4 you can see photographs taken of the whole class' ears from different angles. When drawing people, we never focus too much on their ears, we sort of just draw any old ear and focus more on the eyes, nose, lips, etc. but just like the way all the other features differ from person to person, so do ears. In fact ears are more complicated than we think. They have a variety of shapes, sizes, curves, dents and piercings, all different and just unique.



Graphics- Day 1, Part 1

Fig 1. drawn blind (author's own)

 

The first task that was given to us by our graphics tutor Andy was to look at a class mate for 30 seconds and then close your eyes and draw them. At first I thought this task was impossible, and that all I was going to find was a set of scribbles on my paper. Instead I found that once you focus on remembering where you placed the eye, nose etc. on the paper, and what the person actually looked like, you can end up with quite a decent drawing, far from perfect maybe, but satisfactory. You can see the outcome of my blind drawing in Fig 1, I quite like it because although it looks unfinished, you can see an expression in the face. This is my favourite drawing out of the four we were asked to do.

Fig 2. drawn by mouth (author's own)

 

Fig 2 is an image of a drawing I done using my mouth, just like the person I was trying to draw. Due to the limitation of control I had on the pen, the drawing turned out disconnected and loose which I found quite fascinating.

Fig 3. alternative hand (author's own)

 

Turns out I am better at using my left hand than I thought. We tend to cling to what we're comfortable with and don't always think to try out new things because of the fear of failing. Again this drawing (Fig 3) looks nothing like the person itself, but I still like its looseness, quite similar to Fig1 and Fig 2 although they have all been drawn through different methods. Maybe my style of drawing is quite loose in general?

Fig 4. continuous line (author's own)

 

Although you can see a face in Fig 4, I think my weakest method of drawing was with a continuous line. I'm not too keen on this particular piece because of its unrealistic feel, however, it does remind me of some of Picasso's work. An interesting resemblance.



3DD- Day 3, Part 2

Fig 1. going up the bridge (author's own)

 

Our final task was to create a bridge using cardboard, bamboo sticks, duck tape and elastic bands. The bridge has to be attached from one table to another and could only touch the ground from two points.

Fig 2. length (author's own)

 

As a team, just like I did with most of my other work throughout 3DD rotation week, we improvised. And luckily enough, our bridge worked! We started off with building a main structure, one half of the team starting from one end and the other half from the other end. We somehow met in the middle and aimed to attach our ends to the two points on the floor. If you look at Fig 3 closely, you will notice that we actually have six points but because they're stuck onto cardboard, the bridge is touching the floor in two places.  

Fig 3. the under structure (author's own)

 

Although improvised, the main structure of the bridge not only turned out stable but looked rather intriguing. It wasn't the traditional bridge which is probably why we liked it so much. Geoff drove his remote controlled car over it and he had to face a lot of bumps and turns. I think if we were to do anything differently, it would be the "road" of the bridge. Because of the limited time we had, we rushed it towards the end and didn't think much about its shape. What we were told by one of the teachers, and I agree with her, was that it would be great if we could strip all the cardboard away and spend an hour or so on enhancing the look and working with the beautiful structure we created with the bamboo.

Fig 4. a little message (author's own)

 

We gave our bridge little creative touches, such as the message you can see in Fig 4 that says "SLOW THE F*CK DOWN" and a speed bump. We thought since we didn't have time to create a pretty looking top layer, why not improve it with a little bit of humour.



3DD- Day 3, Part 1

Fig 1. bridge in sketchbook I (author's own)

 

Creating a bridge in your sketchbook sounds like a simple task, but I think I did quite a bad job with it. My bridge looks like it would only be useful if you wanted the people crossing to drown in the river when they're half way across it.

 

Fig 2. bridge in sketchbook II (author's own)

 

Of course the aim here isn't to make the bridge realistic, but I am sure you will agree, you wouldn't of thought it was a bridge if I didn't point it out. I found this task quite difficult because I spent too much time thinking rather than just doing, this is why my outcome was far from good. 

3DD- Day 2, Part 4

Fig 1. protect the interior (author's own)

Our structures were going to be destroyed, we weren't told with what exactly but all we knew was, something was going to be dropped on each and everyone of them, so our job was to create some sort of protection using paper. Assuming what was going to be dropped is heavy, I thought the only way I could protect my piece is by filling its interior, this way the force would be spread onto a larger surface area rather than just the spaghetti structures limbs. I then wrapped the whole thing with paper too, just to give it that extra bit of protection.

Fig 2. cast a shadow (author's own)

In Fig 2, the shadow becomes one with the structure, it looks as if it is the continual of the 3D piece. The shadow is larger than the piece itself, and somehow comes together to form an image of an unstructured yet conspicuous shape.

Fig 3. let it stand (author's own)

If I was to do this task any differently, I would probably try wrapping the outside of the structure more than filling in the interior just to see if there's any chance of saving it that way. But I still believe my approach was the most sensible one because what Geoff decided to drop on our structures was a basketball. Although it may bounce off from an outer shield, the chances of that are pretty slim.

Fig 4. the aftermath (author's own)

 

My structure remained unharmed! But I think this wasn't down to my protection, but to the glue! I used so much glue to build my structure that it just became flimsy and could even bend without breaking. I am quite happy with my outcome because if it was a building, I'd say it would of survived natural disasters with just a scratch.



3DD- Day 2, Part 3

Fig 1. spaghetti structures combined (author's own)

 

This is an image of all the spaghetti structures created by the class (well most of them). It was fascinating to see the results of the different approaches within the class. Some people created extravagant pieces that looked good but was weak, others created simple, small pieces that done the job and was a little more stable. Most people I think, improvised like myself, and as you can see, a lot of the structures managed to hold up more than three balls. One thing's for certain, no structure looked anything like the other, some looked like traffic lights, others stairs, towers and buildings, but all were different and intriguing. 



3DD- Day 2, Part 2

Fig 1. skeleton (author's own)

 

 Although I created plans in my sketchbook, I decided to improvise instead. I formed my structure using three spaghetti sticks for each support, this way the structure would be more secure and less likely to break. Also, since our only ingredients were spaghetti and glue, and there were no glue: spaghetti ratio specifications, I decided to form a structure with more glue than spaghetti.

 

 Fig 2. success (author's own)

My structure successfully held 3 balls. I created "floors", 1st and 3rd floor look one way, and 2nd, looks another, this way the structure would balance and the balls would fit (as seen in Fig 2).

Fig 3. in line (author's own)

In Fig 3 the balls look aligned with each other, they look like they are ready for something, as if they're about to dive down from the different floors they're on. This angle makes the structure look more compact, almost vulnerable.

Fig 4. at an angle (author's own)

 

I actually like the shape of this form, I could imagine it on a larger scale, as an attraction in the city. In Fig 4 you can see that the piece was taken at an angle, as if you are looking up at a building of some sort or a massive sculpture. The shine given by the glue also adds to the effect, making it look glossy yet rough at the same time.

Fig 5. monster (author's own)

 

The fourth ball (the shadow) is the most dominant ball in Fig 5. The eye is drawn to the shadow rather than the structure itself, it looks like the shadow is a monster creeping up behind the other three ball photos like this help to personify objects. I really enjoyed this task because I not only learnt that experimentation is key but also learnt to keep trying, one spaghetti stick snapping shouldn't be a reason to give up on a whole structure. The outcome may not be perfect, but it is still the product of free thinking, which is the start of all things great. 

3DD- Day 2, Part 1

Fig 1. illusion plan (author's own) 

 

The first task we were given was to create plans of structures that will be made using 20 spaghetti sticks and a glue gun. The aim was to create a structure that can hold 3 balls off the ground without them touching each other. In fig 1. you can see a plan of a structure I call the "illusion plan" because spaghetti, unless cooked, will not curve to make that shape, but if you break the spaghetti sticks into small enough pieces then you will be able to create the illusion of a curve.

Fig 2. blind plans (author's own)

 

These two plans were done blindly, when you don't look at the paper, your hand becomes free to control itself rather than your eyes controlling it. Again these plans are filled with curves, but I guess instinctively your hand moves to create rounded shapes rather than straight ones. I particularly like the green plan because of the accidental pattern created, looks a bit like the game noughts and crosses where noughts won. During this task I learnt that any idea is possible and you shouldn't hesitate to go through with the ones that seem unlikely to work out, at least try them out and don't be afraid to put them forward. No idea is a bizarre one. 

 

3DD- Day 1, Part 3

Fig 1. exterior (author's own)

The final task of the day was to create a structure that could hold you up, at least 30cm off the floor. So me and my partner Kanisha set out to do just that. Above is an image of the exterior of our "seat", it could do with a lot of improvements, such as a design or a more extravagant top layer (where you place your bum). But at the same time, I like the simplicity of its shape, in fact it could have been made simpler yet more effective by making the top layer into a triangle shape maybe.

Fig 2. interior (author's own)

Fig 2 is an image of the interior of our design. The equal distribution of support inside the structure enabled it to hold a person, in fact, two people (for a certain amount of time anyway).

Fig 3. all structures (author's own)

Fig 3 shows the rest of the class' work. They come in all shapes and sizes. I particularly like the very small footstall like one in the middle because; one, it's scale is completely different to the others' and two it's not an obvious "seated" design, it is not made for the bum but for the feet. And it actually worked.

Fig 4. disassembled (author's own) 

First we had to disassemble the structure and then put it back together within a minute. The structure had to be something you could easily pull apart and as you can see in Fig 4 we were successful in doing so.

Fig 5. the after math (author's own)

Our seat was able to hold one person up, so we thought, why don't we both try to sit on it? Surprisingly, the seat was able to take us both on, but only for a little while of course. Although it didn't fully collapse, we still did cause some damage to it (as you can see in Fig 5). Overall I believe our outcome was a successful one, in order to create a longer lasting seat, we could double the layers of cardboard to make it stronger and maybe even think about giving it a base of some sort.

3DD- Day 1, Part 2

Fig 1. Bottle holder (author's own)

 

We had to make a structure using paper and tape that could hold Geoff's water bottle. I however ended up cheating and also used elastic bands, but I suppose it wouldn't be considered cheating if you had no idea you weren't allowed to use it to start with. It was brought to the table, so I assumed it was one of the materials we could use. Fig 1. is a photo of my bottle holder, in the time given, I decided to create a structure not with intricacy but with roughness. I preferred for it to have the strength rather than the look, so ultimately, it didn't look great but it did the job (thanks for the elastic bands).

 

Fig 2. Bottle holder 2 (author's own)

 

Fig 2. is an image of a practice test run I conducted by using my own water bottle. I wanted to see if the structure would hold up. It did. But keep in mind my bottle was a lot lighter than Geoff's.

 

Fig 3. Bottle holder 3 (author's own)

 

In Fig 3. you see the final test. The structure managed to hold Geoff's bottle although it was wider and heavier than mine. If I was to improve my structure, I would start by following the rules. Therefore attempting to create it without the elastic bands. Also, this time I would like to focus on how it looks, so I would spend more time working on its exterior. Other than that, although my structure doesn't look like much, the process of making it was enjoyable.

 

3DD- Day 1, Part 1

At the start of day1 of 3DD week we were given various drawing tasks. Unfortunately I left the sheet in class, meaning I do not have photos of the images so I'm going to have to explain it from what I can remember.
The first thing Geoff  Henman (3DD pathway lead tutor) told us to do was to draw a squiggle, from that squiggle, we were then told to create a piece of furniture that would hold up two people and a cat. The more complicated the squiggle is, the more trouble you would have with creating the furniture. My squiggle was a little bit more complicated than most, but I somehow managed to fit two wonderful drawings of stickmen and a fluffy little cat somewhere on the furniture, I also had room to add a plasma TV.
We were then given instructions to draw ten dots on an area on the page, and then asked to transform that into an architectural plan of a two bedroomed bungalow house by joining the dots together. While doing this task, I came to realise obvious points you forget to think about, such as a hallway. We use corridors and hallways everyday but when told to count the rooms within a house, we forget to mention these spaces we take for granted. Without a hallway, all rooms within a house would have to be connected to each other, and I am pretty sure we wouldn't be happy if the only way for us to get from the kitchen to our bedroom was to walk through the bathroom.
We then transformed a simple drawing of our favourite piece of clothing into a lamp, in my case, it was a top. I had the light shining through all four holes on the t-shirt outline I drew. So, the head section, two arm sections and the waist opening.
"Draw your favourite fruit". So I did. I drew a blackberry, but little did I know this had to be changed into a rabbit hutch. I'll be honest, I didn't do a good job with this specific task but what I did was, use the blackberry as shelter rather than the hutch itself, then I created an "underground world" for the rabbits. I think the idea was good, but wasn't portrayed as well as I hoped in the given time (which was a few minutes).
We were also given other tasks such as; drawing two horizontal, one vertical and one diagonal line on the sheet and then creating a shopping mall plan from that. Here I learnt that the size of the car park is what determines the size of the mall, in my plan the car park was placed underneath the mall itself, making both the exact same size (from birds eye view).
Because we weren't told beforehand what we were expected to create, we drew our shapes, squiggles, dots etc. freely. And so, through this task I learnt that design and ideas are stronger and less restricted when its source is random and the aim is not planned. You can create anything from anything. A shoe can be a sofa, a bucket can be a lamp, a phone can be a car, milk bottles can be candle holders, etc. When Geoff told us to create some sort of mp3 player, everyone was stuck for ideas, once you're given a specific aim, you find it difficult to break away from designs you already know. We forget that it's okay to have an mp3 player that looks like a shoe, flower or a duck. Sometimes it's better to let ideas find you rather than you finding ideas.