CDF: First step in color!

This week in Color we started with two examples of different color aide squares and combining them with other colors to show a contrast in saturation without changing the value, and a contrast in value without changing the saturation. It was a confusing topic to understand, but I think everyone, including myself has a better understanding of it.
Here is my value square:


and here is my Saturation square and selected colors.

Our next project sounds like it'll be fun, especially since I've had experience in doing Albers studies.

Reading: Anatomy of a visual message

Through out reading Dondis's, "A Primer Visual Literacy" he explains his views of Representational, Abstraction and symbolism. Dondis explains that Abstract imagery can be the kinesthetic quality of a visual even reduced to the basic elemental visual components, emphasizing the more direct, emotional, even primitive message-making means. What I got from this definition was that in order for an image to be considered abstract it has to be basic, and in someways unrecognizable. Taking away from an image is a good way to become abstract within how you draw. Another description of a visual message would be Representational. Which is what we see and recognize from environment and experience. In order to be successful with representational art is to be thinking in the mind of the viewer and think about how they are going to look at this specific image. A certain object has to be something that everyone would know and get a feeling of. The last description of visual message is symbolism. Symbolism is when the vast world of coded symbol systems which man has created arbitrarily, and to which he has attached meaning. It's interesting to think about how many symbols that the world knows and sees and recognizes as all the same meaning. It gave a good example within the text which was the peace sign that was established during the nuclear disarmament movement in England.

This reading was helpful when thinking about how to do my sketches because it helped me realize what kind of image I should go for with certain words. If it's a more abstract word that gave a certain feeling it may be smart to show it more as a representational image due to the how the mind works within. Also, if you have very literal and basic image try and get a little more creative with how you portray it..make it more abstract so that the viewer can try and make out that one object that everyone sees within their mind.

Vis Com: Haiku

For my haiku I decided to choose between two. I'm swaying more towards the first one.


Why so scrawny, cat?
Starving for fat fish or mice...
or backyard love?

30+ Words

Cat
Hungry
Slow
Person/People
Outdoors
Flowers
Small
Kittens
Grass
Leaves
Heavy
Fat
Fish
Mice
Tails
Food
Starving
Toys
Gluttony
Laziness
Love
Harmony
Loneliness
Playful
Companionship
Friend
Swing set
Trees
Games
Fence


The year-end party
I am envious...
of scolded children

New Years
Party
Fun
Confetti
Fancy
Night time
Dark
Flashy
Reflective
Fun
Food
Beverages
Green
Jealous
Envy
People
Eyes
Deceitful
Mean
Wishful Thinking
Hands
Children
Disciplined
Scolded
Toys
Colorful
Fun
Bed Time
Stories
Books
Parents

Here are some sketches for the three words I chose per each line which were:
Cat
Small
Leaves
Fish
Food
Love
Fence
Swing Set

And...

Party
Night time
Eyes
Toys
Stories
Bedtime
I definitely need to expand more as far as my words and my sketches go. I'll definitely be using the thesaurus.com quite often in the near future.

Update on Fermium

Here is some monogram iterations for my element Fermium. I used three different fonts. The first two example are Trajan Pro.

This is Helvetica Bold:
And this is Bernhard Modern:

I'm not sure which ones I'm favoring as of now. There are things I enjoy about each of these iterations of my logo for Fermium.

We also have to find some images to show represent our element. Since Enrico Fermi discover Fermium I decided to show some images of him, and of course a mushroom cloud from a hydrogen bomb explosion, due to where the fermium comes from, which is the debris of a hydrogen bomb explosion. I'm not sure about how I want to go about making a title for my element. There's not a lot of information about Fermium due to how it exists, and how recently it was discovered (1952). But some ideas I do have are something like....

"Radioactive Fermium"
"Fermi and Fermium"
"CAUTION: Fermium"
"THE VIRULANT ELEMENT FERMIUM!"


They definitely need some work............................


Here are my two paragraphs, and properties list about Fermium.

Paragraph #1

Fermium is a useless element, unless you’re considering blowing up something with a hydrogen bomb. The first discovery of Fermium was in 1952, first by Enrico Fermi, hence the name, and then by a team of scientists under the study of a man by the name of Ghiorso. They found this element in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosion. The atomic number for Fermium is 100, which any number above 92 means that it is highly radioactive. A good thing about this element is that there is no proof that it exists naturally. It has to be man made in order to do harm, so there is no initial health hazard.

Paragraph #2

The element Fermium is an element found only in a hydrogen bomb. Which was discovered in the 1950s, after the first hydrogen bomb explosion. Scientists discovered the element within the debris of the explosion, and realized how dangerous it was. Fermium is a very radioactive element, it is known that small amounts have ever been produced, or isolated. It is also said that there are no known uses for this actinoid, which means it’s radioactive. The process that Fermium takes is that it hits another element that is not radioactive and increases the size and weight of its nucleus, but doesn’t increase the number of protons. Then it starts the process of radioactive decay. Fermium is a synthetic element, which means it is too unstable to be found naturally on earth, it has to be produced and developed by a certain process.

Atomic number: 100
Atomic weight: 257
Melting point- 1,527°C
Discovered by: Enrico Fermi
Appearance: Unknown, probably silvery, white or metallic gray
Element Classification: Actinide
Phase: Solid

CDF: Final Oppositional Pairs Book

In Color Drawing Form, we're just finishing up form. For finishing up we created a book with four different oppositional pairs with our letter forms that we built. We had to show contrasts within our book by pairing photos of our letter forms. Such as balance would be showing stability, and instability, and Space would show depth and foreshortening.



Within this book I feel that I did a good job by pairing each of my photos. I chose Balance, Movement, Proximity, and Space. Since my letter was a more of a free formed letter it was a bit harder rendering certain characteristics within a photo. I felt that balance was a bit harder to show with my T due to the unstable look of my letter. Another tough one was static, due to my letter form looking very rhythmic.

The entire process of this project was pretty interesting for me, I've never actually built something like what we've built in CDF, it was definitely a good skill to acquire.

Everyone should see this.

Final Statement: Juxtalines

My book, "Q & A" is a series of juxtapositions with photographs that I took downtown, with line studies; some manipulated, some manipulated then vectored, and some just plain line studies. Within this project the goal was to create a book with at least 6 spreads to interpret a part of Kansas City by only showing lines. My Images consist of objects such as: windows, structural beams, buildings, gutters, and stairs. I wanted to keep my photographs abstract enough to where you have to take a second or two to think about what you're really looking at. I really wanted to emphasize how important lines are in everyday life, they are obviously everywhere, and no one seems to notice them. My use of figure/ground and framing/cropping I feel played a large part in how I rendered each juxtaposition due to my cropping.

Title: Q & A. Due to my semi-abstract quality in my compositions I felt that people would start to question what they were looking at. So, I thought it'd be interesting to play off of a question, and have my book be the answer. So I basically ask, "What if lines did not exist?". I wanted to keep the book light hearted, so that these somewhat silly questions could be answered within my juxtapositions.



Combining the photograph and line study was probably the toughest part for me. It was difficult to find a good juxtaposition between two completely different characteristics, such as photography, and basic black and white line studies. Although, when you do find that one juxtaposition that does work it's an odd connection because you never would have thought that the line study that you created was actually out in the environment, it's quite the coincidence.

The way my book is arranged is by aesthetics. I tended to go towards: simple to busy, busy, simple, busy, busy. Arranging my book this way is to give the viewer somewhat of a break from a complicated line study and photograph, to something simple and understandable. I also tried to connect each photograph and line study to flow from spread to spread through their tone or the way their seams align.

Project 2: Reading Response

Figure/ Ground and Framing, are an obvious element designers try to always have within they're designs. Not only to have within their designs but to be a great way to integrate within their idea to how it is almost unnoticeable when unneeded, as what the reading said. I feel that these three elements always play a large role when I, personally, try to put together an idea. Framing and Cropping could possibly be more important than figure/ ground to me. If you have a good composition within your frame it is normally due to how it's cropped. Such as within our project we are doing in class right now, framing is one of the main elements. Especially in my book, I have a lot of tighter crops to get more of an abstract image, but still be able to tell what the object is. That is where figure/ground comes in; cropping it just enough to where you can still tell what the figure is and what the ground is.

Sequential Process

Through out this entire process I have produced basic line studies, to random line studies, and then integrated them into one large complex line study.

This was my initial line study: Balance

Initial line study: Progression

Initial line study: Progression
Initial Line Study: Random

I then integrated them in to a complex line study:

I did this by taking the first line study, balance, and filling the three blocks with the other three line studies.

This process was long and tedious. I had to redo many different complex line studies many times to get the craft just right. It taught me a lot about craft especially to pay attention in the beginning and be very specific with what I produce.

The next process was manipulation and that was something I definitely enjoyed. Rendering these line studies to be completely opposite or to give the meaning of the line study more depth and help the initial definition out. My example is one that we projected and took a photograph of on the wall/ceiling.After the manipulation process was over I then was put on a photo safari to look for lines, and only lines:This was so that I could start pairing up my line studies with actual environmental photographs so that in the end I would have a successful juxtaposition with a vectored line study and a photo.
To use this photo and that manipulation together I had to hand vector with a pencil the manipulated line study to make it flow better from the vectored image into the photo:

This was done on tracing paper, and by doing this by hand improved my hand craft greatly. I learned about about craft within this entire project. It's definitely good to be precise, and aware.

After the hand drawing I vectored them into the computer. I decided I liked the image inverted because the white beams in the photo flowed better with these white lines in this vector, rather than the black line into the white beams.Finally after all the process for this specific line study I put them together to make a juxtaposition:

SCHER VIDEO

During class Monday we watched a video about Paula Scher who is a designer for the firm Pentagram in New York City. She talked about how much her work is influenced by the city she lives in. She said she wanted to live somewhere she could see her work everyday. I felt that the reason she said this was that so she could see what everyone else saw. Not just in a designers' eye, or an artists' eye; just a normal everyday person walking around New York City. She likes to be in the environment that she is prospectively designing for so that she can render the correct mood for that design. She is also influenced by how large everything in New York City is. She likes to work large, and she is definitely successful at it. Her environmental designs are large and "in charge", you noticed them, no matter what. It definitely relates to what I'm working on right now, my juxtalines book. We have to create a mood/narrative with our images, and I was definitely influenced by my imagery that I used, which was images from my environment to use the appropriate type and text.

Fm, Fermium

From start to in progress. I started off with doing just random sketches of my letters Fm, for the element Fermium. It is to end up being a logo representing the element. I also did a lot of research learning about what the element is and what it is used for. I wanted each letter to have a on going line from one letter to an other to make the logo a cohesive graphic, so that the viewer is not looking at too many different things at one time. I feel that some are definitely more successful than others. My favorite one is probably the two capitol helvetica letters joined at the top of the F going into the top of the M. That could definitely change though.

The element Fermium is an element found only in a hydrogen bomb. Which was discovered in the 1950s, after the first hydrogen bomb explosion. Scientists discovered the element within the debris of the explosion, and they realized how dangerous it was. Fermium is a very radioactive element, it is known that small amounts have ever been produced, or isolated. It is also said that there are no known uses for this actinoid, which means it's radioactive. The process that Fermium takes is that it hits another element that is not radioactive and increases the size and weight of its nucleus but doesn't increase the number of protons. Then it starts the process of radioactive decay. Fermium is a synthetic element, which means it is too unstable to be found naturally on earth, it has to be produced and developed by certain
process.
Atomic Number: 100
Atomic weight: 257
Melting point: 1,527 C
Discovered by: Enrico Fermi
Appearance: Unknown, probably silvery, white or metallic gray
Element Classification: Actinide
Phase: Solid

Color Drawing and Form Update

Moving on into color, from our three dimensional letters is honestly, quite exciting. I'm sure that color for everyone is exciting. It's a completely different part of design, and definitely can make a design fail, or succeed. For our first project in color we're making a book to play along with a narrative. In this project we are again using photography, but instead of making a completely different image, I think that we get to alter, and mess with the images that we take.

Small ideas:
-Collectibles
-Music
-A walk
-Documentary
-A relationship
-Animals
-Vintage
-Sewing
-Knitting
-Quilting


Big Ideas:
Within this idea I'd like to something to do with the sewing process. It could be Knitting, Quilting, Sewing, or Hand stitching. The list can go on and on. The process really attracts me and it involves many different colors. Such as different fabrics, tools, machines, and environments. Or another option for this idea would using photographs that are just images of different types of fabric, yarn, thread, essential sewing supplies, with out use.

-Everyone has something that they collect, I'd like to go around and find little knicks and knacks that people have collected throughout their life. Or they could all be my collectibles from what I've collected. These would all be very coloful items of course.

-One object: different environments:
For this idea I'd like to find one specific item, knick knack, or figurine to have in every photograph, but change the environment it is in. These would vary from outside to indoors, it could be anywhere really. In a class with me. Anywhere that I see a lot of color I'd like to put that object in a photo.

Juxtalines

For my final accordion book, I hope to incorporate eight of my compositions as my way to show how lines can be the most important thing when it comes to what the eye sees, everyday. Here are a few shots of how my mock up looks like. The second two images are two different compositions for the book. The first is a diagonal line study that was first a combined line study that was projected on a wall. I decided to vector it due to the quality of the photo that was taken, it didn't fit well with my photo. The last image is a combined line study projected on the wall as well, but is not vectored. I felt the look added a good aesthetic feel to compliment my photo of shadows in a coffee shop.

For the writing portion of this accordion book I based my initial idea off of how the world would be a hard place to live in if lines didn't exist. Which in some aspects is completely true.


It's interesting how well lines work. They make objects, they form details, they work as two dimensional forms, and also three dimensional forms. Lines work in so many different ways, that I feel the world would not function if lines did not exist. It's an odd thought. What if lines didn't exist? What would the world look like, and what would make a good substitute for a line? Dots? Squares? Triangles? Would people be people? Would buildings really exist? Would a building even be able to close completely without one straight line? There would be no visuals to look at without lines. So, I think I prove my point. Lines are essential, and the world would not exist without them.


What if lines did not exist?

What would take their place?

Would something even take their place?

Squares?

Dots?

Circles?

Triangles?

What would everything look like?

Would humans exist if lines did not?

Would buildings be buildings?

Are lines really that important?


Titles idea:
The end of lines
Ending lines
Never ending lines
Q and no A
Q and A

F + S

"I feel like there are more possibilities when I work with my hands."
-Oded Ezer

I really enjoy this typographers work. Ezer is known for integrating Hebrew text with graphic design in a different manner, he enjoys working with form in a three dimensional way, and it usually tends to be smaller. The first image I have is a picture I took from one of my books: New Masters of Poster Design, which they even said it was quite an anomaly for a typographer being in a book about posters. The second image is off the internet, and I really enjoyed this because it shows that he's not specific in what he enjoys to do, he's very diverse and is willing to experiment in many different ways.

Quilting

In my fiber class we're working on our quilting swatches. It's my first time experimenting with Quilting, but so far it's pretty enjoyable. It's nice being behind a sewing machine. I also really enjoyed the colors I chose to use within my swatches, I think it'll definitely have some influence when we start up with the color section in Color Drawing form. I also messed with some typography within my applique swatch. FUTURE T!..sort of.

Text Options

"The man who asked"

As I walked out of Jimmy Johns I transitioned my mind set to only see lines, lines, and lines. It's in someway how Superman can see through walls; to show an extreme comparison. As I started walking down Main towards 12th street, a man passed me and said, "what are you taking photos of?". I respond with, "lines." He had a puzzled look on his face due to the confusing aspect of taking pictures of lines. As I walked away thinking of why he had a puzzled look it occurred to me that the everyday person doesn't look at the structure of lines, or how lines basically make every single object around us.

"Juxtalines"

Lines forming from one point to another can be infinite or can be choppy and start and stop just like that. They can be random, they can be progressive. It's just in the idea of how each line forms a relationship with another line. Which in my case, make a juxtaposition. Juxtapositions and lines have a lot in common. Just like lines, juxtapositions can be infinite and have the need to go on past the composition. As well random and metaphorical, while not just looking at the image, you look at the content in what is within the composition.

"Armageddon of lines"

It's interesting how well lines work. They make objects, they form details, they work as two dimensional forms, and also three dimensional forms. Lines work in so many different ways, that I feel the world would not function if lines did not exist. It's an odd thought. What if lines didn't exist? What would the world look like, and what would make a good substitute for a line? Dots? Squares? But wait, lines make a square. This isn't going very far. So, lets go with dots. Using dots instead of lines would be an interesting substitute. Volume, and depth would no long exist either, due to dots not conjoining without a line. In a broader look though, a dot is technically a circle filled in. And a circle is one line connected as an infinite form. So, I think I prove my point. Lines are essential, and the world would not exist without them.

Titles Options:
Kansas City
Downtown
1 day 1 line
12th and Main
Linear aspect
A view of a linear block

F+S

I found this image surfing the web, and I felt that this was a really great example of what most of us in class are looking for in our juxtapositions. Although, this has two different important aspects to it. First, the obvious similarity in shape, and size. But, also the different between new, and old. Which, I feel is also a great way to show a juxtaposition after looking through so many images that they explain themselves as old and new. It's interesting to see the use of a juxtaposition, rather than just the shape, and size, but also what they present and bring to the entire image.

Here is another juxtapositon that I felt was different, but also had some good qualities.

The reason I see it as being a juxtapositon is the obvious seam that lays throughout the entire image. The horizon line, along with the hot air balloon, and the boy in the river.
It's odd looking at a juxtaposition within one image, rather than pairing up two different images and making it one, so I thought both of these photographed brought a new aspect to my eye.