28.03.2022 - 08.03.22 / Week 1 - Week 2
Lim Yi Xvan 0354552
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
fig 1 - refer to page 6
Week 1
On week one, we're advised to watch the pre-recorded lecture videos: Lec 1.1 & 1.2 Elements and Principles of Design & Contrast and Gestalt Theory.
As learnt there're 7 types of elements in designs which are: point, line, shape, form, texture, space and colour. These elements look yet simple individually but when you gather them, use them to create arts, they could be massively different and unique from what they actually are.
Then let's bring on to Contrast and Gestalt Theory.
There'll always be contrast in one piece. What's the purpose for? To lead the viewer to do something and to lighten the title/main of the frame. Contrast is one that will catches your sight at first when you look at the whole thing with an outstanding colour with it. In that way, readers will be easily get to know what is the main idea of the whole art.
And for Gestalt Theory, Gestalt means shape or form in German. It refers how human eyes view and perceives the entire visual or pattern not just the element itself. It comes with principle of similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure, law of symmetry and order. This explains why one will see different visual from another. As our brains are designed to identify patterns and fill in blanks.
Visual Research
1. Elements of Design
fig 1.1 - 7 elements of design (https://ux360.design/elements-of-design/)
The above figure shows the 7 elements of design with their details respectively.
fig 1.2 - A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat 1884
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat 1884 is an oil paint canvas with the
element of dotted forms and in analogous colour schemes.
This is an interesting piece from Tokyo-based artist John Battalgazi who is challenging himself to replicate famous paintings the Mona Lisa using only geometric shapes.
fig 1.3 -
Johannes Vermeer 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' 1665
fig 1.4 - line arts from instagram acc @aartfinesse
Nester Formentera is a Dublin-based artist creating mesmerizing, cross-contour line art,
primarily of the female body with the elements of simple lines. I'm so amazed by these!!
fig 1.5 - one of my sketches
This is one of my sketches back then in high school's art classes. It's with the element of form,
different shades of hues which sharpen the depth of the shadows and texture of the objects.
This is an example of the element space and the gestalt theory - closure. It has negative spaces, when we look at the whole piece we see the shape of the dog with the combination of two cats on the side.
fig 1.6 - Neg Catand Dog by Tomasz Borowicz
(https://dribbble.com/shots/4279570-Neg-Cat-Dog)
2. Gestalt Theory and Contrast
fig 2.1 - Principles of Gestalt Theory (https://blog.optimalworkshop.com/understanding-the-gestalt-principles-of-perception-for-ux/)
There're eight principles in Gestalt Theory which are -
- Similarity: Things appear to share some visual characteristics.
- Figure/Ground: Objects in the foreground and objects in the background.
- Proximity: Things close together appear to be more related than things that are further apart.
- Closure: When we look at a complex arrangement of individual elements, we first try and identify a single, recognizable pattern.
- Common region: Objects are located within the same closed region.
- Symmetry and order: Objects that are symmetrical with each other.
- Continuity: Elements arranged on a line or curve are perceived as more related than elements not on the same line or curve.
- Common fate: Elements moving in the same direction as more related than elements that are moving in different directions or stationary.
For more further explanation can visit these two websites below~- https://www.toptal.com/designers/ui/gestalt-principles-of-design
- https://blog.optimalworkshop.com/understanding-the-gestalt-principles-of-perception-for-ux/
And I also found a great explanation of Gestalt Theory in Youtube which is
very easy to pick up and understanding for beginners:
fig 2.1.1 - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4855512086296227/
fig 2.2 - Eg of Similarity and Continuation from Pinterest
fig 2.3 - Eg of Symmetry and Order from Pinterest
Contrast -
Refers to the arrangement of opposite elements and effects. For example, light and dark colors,
smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes. Contrast can be used to piques your
interest which let you first focus on something out of place.
examples from Pinterest:
fig 2.4 - Contrast in the Wording 'A'
fig 2.5 - The Blue Sky and the white wall contrast the whole pic
fig 2.6 - White wall and Blue Sky pt2
fig 2.7 - Walls and Shades with Blue Sky
fig 2.8 - Orange Walls with Blue Sky and Shades
Design Progress & Idea Exploration
So then I decided to create my designs with simple geometric shapes and in minimal style.
With some basics circle, rectangle, square etc...
I'm using Adobe Illustrator because I wanna start to learn on how to use it as in the further path, I'll be using it for alot of assignments so ya... wanted to try something new besides using the trand hand-drawing. So here're what I've came out with...
fig 3.1 - Closure
fig 3.2 - Proximity
These are some basic drafts I came out with just to make my mind clear with
all the theories and principles before I get things too complicated.
Then I make something more complicated and chose it as my final design which consist few of the principles in the theory.
( Similarity. Continuity, Closure )
fig 3.3 - Flow with the Bubbles ( B&W )
Final Outcome
Gestalt Theory
And then for my final, I decided to come out with something like flows in the ocean because I'm ocean lover and I just miss the waves so much since the covid thingy bumped into my life ;,)
fig 4.1 - my sketches for my final
First, I use curves to make it looks like wave and then I decided to use circles and combined them together so they could looks like bubbles. Then I align them and make them looks like a flow of bubbles in the ocean. Then I add on some shades in some bubbles so the whole thing will look more interesting and not too boring with the principles in contrast.
So my final outcome looks like fig 3.3 above. Then on Week 2, Dr. Yip JinChi said it would be more interesting with colours added into it so ya I added some colours in the bubbles and adjusted their strokes so they would look more realistic and 3D.
And here it is what it looks like at last...
fig 4.2 - Final PDF for Gestalt Theory// Flow with the Bubbles ( Colours )
I blended in few of the principles in Gestalt Theory which are Similarity, Continuation and Closure.
So this is my final for Gestalt Theory.
Contrast
And for contrast, I decided to go with something minimal in buildings, inspirations from fig 2.8 above.
And these is my final outcome...
fig 4.3 - Final PDF for Contrast// Shines in Orange and Blue
I think besides blue and red, blue and orange is also a very contrast blend in colours. So I picked orange and blue to bring out the whole contrast vision in simple blocks and buildings which look simple clean and neat.
Feedbacks
On week 2, feedbacks given by Dr. Yip JinChi for my Gestalt Theory final as I've shown previously referring to fig 3.3. She said that the whole thing is good and clear but it would be alot better and interesting if it comes with few colours filled in the bubbles for example, yellow she said. And then I took her advices but I kinda put in my idea again which I lastly decided to make my whole framework in colours and changed the strokes into white and thicker which they're originally black and thinner. So it looks more 3D in vision.
And for Contrast, I haven't done for it but I did told her my idea was to take photos of some buildings which looks like few of my visual research above. But then she highly encouraged that students should use their own designs as photography is not really encouraged for our recent exercises and for the upcoming's too but afterwards will be ok. So then I just thinking to draw them out instead of photography with Illustrator.
Reflection
Through the whole week of progress, I've actually learnt alot. This exercise I would say is a very memorable one to be as it's my very first exercise in uni life. I actually took a gap year after graduated in high school, I'm a UEC student so I directly skipped diploma or some basics in college and straight to degree which I kinda think that it'll be hard for me to catch up things since one year of no-studying plus directly went to degree. But I told myself that, because of this I should work more harder than others to catch things up.
We were told to organise a blog at our first class as our e-portfolio. Tbh I was kinda lost and have no idea what is an actual 'e-portfolio' and week 1 makes me really stress. But then phew luckily, I still managed to throw up everything out.
In this exercise, I learnt that actually there're rules and principles in designs which actually helps in managing your art contents and how it comes out in a better organisation and visual that makes you comfortable. I've learnt how to organise a blog by my own which that's really great I think. And one of the best part of this exercise is that you'll need to be very disciplined and written down everything, watched pre-recorded lectures and create relevant designs all by your own. There're mostly no restriction on anything, which means there're no limits for our arts and creativity. We can explore more and deeper and wider. This is what arts are existed and meant to be.
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