Design Principles - Project 2: Sense of Place

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12/10/2022 - 04/11/2022 (Week 7 - Week 10)

Ahmad Firas Bin Ahmad Fisal | 0345121

Design Principles (GCD60804) | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Project 2: Sense of Place

INSTRUCTIONS


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1. A recap of Project 1 brief

2. Your design process:
    2.1 Visual references (designs that have inspired your own)
    2.2 Idea exploration and description
    2.3 Final outcome in JPEG and a short rationale
    2.4 Feedback was given by the lecturer
    2.5 Reflection on the particular week

PROJECT BRIEF

We are to utilise and apply the design principles we have learnt to express a location of our choice. The place becomes the subject of the composition in which the design principles are used to capture the social and environmental aspects and even the time/s effects that best express their intention/interpretation for a particular location.

Observe our surroundings - people, vehicles, buildings, plants, signages, nature, and activities. Record these in sketches, photography and/or video recording. Study all the visuals that we had collected and select visuals that we find relevant and exciting and translate them into a design work that reflects our interpretation of a place.

In the pre-recorded lecture, we were given ways to improve our observation skills;

1.     Know your subject
2.     Slow down and look outward
3.     Try something new
4.     Improve your concentration by cutting out distractions
5.     Challenge yourself to a mental workout
6.     Test your observation by playing a memory game
7.     Record and consider your observations
8.     Stay inquisitive

The final design could be based on three options, a place we wish to be, a place we wish to go back or a place we are currently at. The place that created a lasting memory in you or a place that we had gone to multiple times could be the selected ones. 

The place that I would like to explore in this project is Iceland and its beautiful natural wonders.


PROJECT 2: SENSE OF PLACE

VISUAL REFERENCES

The visual references were made and sourced to spark inspiration for the art style that I would like to go for. The inspiration for the colour palette, and generally how I would envision the direction of this whole project.

Figure 1.1 - Artwork by Gabriele Donelli



Figure 1.2 - Artwork by Shahid Mahmood



Figure 1.3 - Artwork from Pinterest



Figure 1.4 - Illustration by Shadow Z



Figure 1.5 - Illustration by HUA



IDEA EXPLORATION

Selected Place: Iceland
Sense of Place: Calmness & Serenity
Main Design Principles focus: Harmony & Unity (Colour Palette) and Emphasis (Aurora)


When I was creating the mindmap, the Iceland location is what I had in mind and these are the selected places in Iceland out of many that were giving me a feeling and sense of serenity. Iceland has been a dream place of mine that I would love to visit because of the beautiful natural wonders.




Figure 1.6 - Mindmap of locations



Sketch 1 is also an approach where I'm trying to make it look as if a figure (myself) is overlooking a box that contains all of the dream places in one place. In a way, this is a box that I would always go back to whenever I'm feeling stressed out or disturbed to calm myself down and manifest the dream of one day visiting Iceland.



Figure 1.7 - Sketch #1



Sketch 2 idea came to mind when I was doing my visual research of paintings made by different artists and that is how I find the activity of navigating a boat a suitable one to include in this sketch idea. Boat riding is usually associated with the emotion of calmness while you view the beautiful sceneries of your location. Seeing that Iceland is surrounded by water, it seems more fitting because it ties in with the emotions that I intended even though it wouldn't be as realistic due to its freezing temperature.


(colours used are not the final palette, these light tones were used for personal use to envision the Art as a whole without having too many colours that would disrupt my thoughts in the early creation stage.)



Figure 1.8 - Sketch #2



Sketch 3 is when I further digitalized it to see what it would be like if it was inked through. However, I agree with the feedback given by my lecturer. It is too dull and dark and almost every component in this artwork needs tweaking. The only thing that is well thought out is the cave and its texture I feel like. From this Sketch onwards, I decided to go back to the mood board and refigure things. 


Figure 1.9 - Sketch #3



Upon figuring things out, I've decided to play around with a softer brush to have softer edges so that the final artwork is not too harsh and also choosing a set of colours to ensure that the harmony is there so other components are well together.


Figure 2.0 - Colour and Brush Ideation



These are pictures of the progress made in creating this new artwork. Going back to the mood board and recouping myself with the new methods and styles to elevate the previous sketch was worth it because of what I was able to achieve here. It was also intentional to ditch the mountain idea because I was conflicted between choosing the daytime or nighttime, if Aurora were to be present, it needs to be in a darker setting, this is why the mountain now is more of a silhouette rather than the originally planned as per the picture in the visual mindmap above.

Further accentuating the Aurora because that is the main emphasis of the artwork. However, at the bottom left we could also see the Ice Cave put into the artwork and a silhouette of a boat directed towards the cave. We could also see the difference in size showing that the point of view of this artwork is from afar.


Figure 2.1 - Art Progress



Final Outcome (JPEG) with Rationale (50-150 words):


Figure 2.2 - Final Outcome for Project 2: Sense of Place


Looking at this artwork I've created, it really does feel like the first time I realised Iceland was the dream place that I would like to visit because of its beautiful natural wonders years ago. Being able to have the same feeling just by looking at this artwork gave me satisfaction and an indication that I've successfully captured the main objective of this Project 2: Sense of Place in my opinion. It is more of an expressionism to me because of one of the unrealistic depictions of a boat figure sailing around because as we all know it is almost not impossible due to its dangerous black beach, Reynisfjara and not to mention the freezing temperature too. However, by adding the silhouette, it is successfully depicted by the idea of being there to experience the Aurora Borealis, the Reynisfjall Mountain, the Reynisfjara Black Beach and the Crystal Ice Cave.



FEEDBACK

Week 9: Great description made to navigate readers of your blog to know what is the chosen place and also the senses that are associated with the final work of the project. Feedback on the sketches was given and Sketch #2 is more thoughtful than my original description (which was also an intention of mine to create sketch #2 with it being the better idea). A smaller boat navigates through the river to focus more on the landscape and to show the differences in scales. It is also better for me to change it to landscape format to further highlight the Aurora Borealis and a better chance to show the other natural wonders. While harmony & unity is one of the many design principles chosen, emphasis will also be a part of the artwork expressed from the Aurora Borealis. 

Week 10: This artwork could be tweaked to make it better. The mountain could have more lifelike features and the aurora should have a closer depiction of the real version. The angle of the figure and the boat should be properly angled as if it's showing them moving into the cave rather than upwards. Textures of the sand should be depicted properly as well. The water, sand, mountain, figure/boat should be tweaked. The ice cave is great.

REFLECTION

Project 2 really taught me that it's okay to stumble when creating art pieces. It's also entirely okay to go back to where you started/initial phase to re-strategise and recoup on how to depict our interpretation and how the choice of our art style and other artistic choices will affect our artwork as a whole. It's also been fun knowing that I could point out different design principles now and that is a handy skill needed as a designer and also for what's to come in the next Project 3: Visual Analysis.


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