18/10/2021 - 22/11/2021 (Week 9 - Week 14)
Metta Angelica (0349095)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Design Principles
LECTURE
Lecture 8: Visual Analysis
In Lecture 8 video recorded by Ms. Jinchi. We are going to learn about Visual Analysis, but before we go to that topic, she described what is visual literacy first.
Visual Literacy is a set of abilities that enable an individual to find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.
Visual Analysis
Is a method of understanding design that focuses on the visual elements and principles.
In its strictest definition - a description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake.
Yet the purpose of visual analysis can also be to recognize the choices that a designer made in creating the design, as well as to better understand how the formal properties of a design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
Visual Analysis is a critical part of visual literacy, a skill that helps read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news.
We are constantly confronted with visual media. Practicing visual analysis sharpens critical judgment skills and helps people seek out answers instead of passively receiving information.
Visual analysis can include three-phase:
- Phase 1: Observation
- Observation means closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in your own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at all.
- The observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you notice.
- Phase 2: Analysis
- Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to make statements about the work based on the evidence of your observation.
- think about how the specific visual elements that you've identified combine together to create a whole, and what effect that whole has on the viewer.
- How your eye is led through the work and why? Apply the Design Principles knowledge you have learned throughout these weeks.
- Phase 3: Interpretation
- In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy published sources.
- What was the meaning of the design? what was the purpose of being created?
Week 11
INSTRUCTION
Final Project: Visual Analysis & Final E-blog
Part 1: Visual Analysis
- Select a design of your choice (poster/billboard/illustration/etc.)
- Conduct a visual analysis of the design in about 500words (refer to the steps shown as guidelines)
Part 2: Design
- Produce a work of design, in an A4 or A3 size, inspired/influenced by the design you have analyzed, or as a reaction to it.
- Write a 150-200 wor rationale for your design.
Part 1
At first, I was just looking around and then used any art that I find interesting or maybe something similar to my preferences. But I change my mind because I want to show the art of an artist that gave an impact on me and inspire me with ideas.
Phase 1: Observation
For this phase, I will use Figure 5. Looking at the art, the colors complement each other very well, and I like how clearly the expression of the character is clearly being seen and expressed. The contrasting colors emphasize each different element and it's very eye-catching to see the hair and the fishes are trapped in box-shaped water.
Somethings usually have a reason why it is put in there. Qinni or Qing Han has a particular thing or something like a brand that helps me know that this is her art. Often she would emphasize the stars or fish with the golden glow very much. Almost all her illustrations contain feeling that easily reach through the heart of the audience.
Phase 2: Analysis
The very first thing I noticed is the girl in the middle, maybe because of the contrast of colors, I could easily distinguish each and different elements contain inside the art.
Looking at the girl, she is trapped in box shape-like water. She is holding her heart while crying, and she may feel suffocated inside. It is very obvious that she is expressing her negative feelings.
Goldfish usually represent wealth, fortune, and luck. But I also found that spiritually fish represent the unconscious of higher-self, feelings, and motives.
Looking for the symbolism of water in art. I found that water is often used as a symbol that represents tranquility and purity but at the same time, it can also be tempestuous and forbidding, impossible to control, and unreliable.
So from my analysis, I can conclude that this art is very rich in emotion and each element contains its own meaning which is then united to a whole.
Phase 3: Interpretation
You could obviously see the negative feelings contain in that single art, and unconsciously when looking at it you tried to put yourself in the same situation. This somehow builds up the emotion level even higher and makes it clearer for the audiences to know what is happening in this art.
At first, I was just looking at this because of the attractiveness of color and style, but the more I look at it the more I became emotionally attached to this artist. Her art interprets her depression, anxiety, wishes, and hopes.
Looking at the picture in Figure 5, I know that the artist is feeling a heavy burden in her head and felt depressed that she felt suffocated inside with no comfort at all. I am still wondering what's the real reason she likes to put fish, but I don't really mind because I felt some harmony in her art with those fishes.
Qinni went through a lot of difficulty in life because of her illness, sometimes when would post her current condition with the art. It's a pity that she had passed away, but it is already a miracle that she was able to survive through those hard times. The reason I like her is that out of all artists she is the only one I could distinguish very clearly from another artist and she also gave me so much inspiration from a single piece of art.
Qinni has a very notable or noticeable thing in her art. This includes fishes (goldfish), flowers, stars, and water. They are some galaxy theme colors that she makes but most contain symbols of stars and fish.
As the reason why she creates this art is that she wants to leave her trace. If I don't remember wrong, one of her posts mentions that she wants to leave her trace in this world, to make people know that she had existed before.
Part 2
For this task, I want to express the reaction I felt when I look at this artist. My art style is very varying so I don't have my own fixed style yet. But I don't really mind this aspect of mine because I felt that it is very fun to have various kinds of things to do.
Below are the sketches I have made.
 |
| Fig. 6.1 |
 |
| Fig. 6.2 |
 |
| Fig. 6.3 |
 |
| Fig. 6.4 |
 |
| Fig. 6.5 |
 |
| Fig. 6.6 |
I want to create a galactic coloring and I want to give a sense of time dissipating. So I choose Fig.6.6 because the shape that almost similar to a hourglass and I also add water going down to make it similar to an hourglass.
This is the result.
 |
| Fig. 7 |
To be honest, I do like the style I did for this but wasn't satisfied because it didn't give the sense I want to show. I also show this work to Mr. Charles and he gave me some advice which is to explore the keywords tempestuous, control, and the opposite of control and justify the design principle used for these.
So I recreate everything from scratch, first I look at myself and think what is the thing I usually do at home, when I am alone, or something I do. And I think a mirror is best for this.
Like how the artist Qinni use elements or object to express her feeling, I use the mirror to reflect myself.
Mirror reflects us and our own awareness, it's like reflecting the truth. Because I often use the mirror when I am alone to train or to rethink my thought, I look at myself in the mirror and think about what I lack or what I am actually feeling.
This is the design I came up with.
 |
| Fig. 8.1 |
 |
| Fig. 8.2 |
I want to emphasize the dark part so I did a few edits on it.
 |
| Fig. 9.1 |
 |
| Fig. 9.2 |
 |
| Fig. 9.3 |
 |
| Fig. 9.4 |
 |
Fig. 9.5
|
It was hard for me to choose, So I ask help from Mr. Charles to pick which.
The final was this.
 |
| Fig. 10.1 |
When looking at this I felt something lacking, so I did a last-minute retouch.
 |
| Fig. 10.2 Final Design |
For this art, it reflects the me that been doing well every day being happy, but the other part that had cracked open reflects the part of me that often hide the agony or negative feeling that accumulate over the series of depression, anxiety, and fatigue that I have experiences. The reason I put the hand is to give the sense of me trying to chase or grab the mirror that falling apart. Giving the sense that I want to reach out to the happy me reflected in the mirror.
I tried my best to build myself using the mirror. When I have some difficulty, I trained in front the mirror. Using the mirror, I see myself like how others see me. I talk and move to my own reflection like it is another person. In the end, it also reflects the part of me that I hide in the dark.
FEEDBACK
Week 13
It would good to explore the keywords tempestuous, control and the opposite of control and justify the design principle used for these.
It will give purpose to the main character.
And make you tell the story better.
REFLECTION
At first, I wanted to make something that reflects everything about her in one picture, but after making sketches and giving it to Mr. Charles to look at I realize that what I make is no different from the artist and it is basically not my style.
So I changed and focus on myself, and progressed on the task in the way that I believe it is me reflected. I have to thank Mr. Charles for giving me some advice on what should I do and explore because of this I found the theme I made.
FURTHER READING
Johnson Museum Visual Analysis 101.pdf
Comments
Post a Comment