Design Principles/ Project 1
Design Principles
Goh Jia Yih / 0342839 / Bachelor of Mass Communication
(Advertising and Brand Management)
Design Principles/ Project 1
Week 7
6: Self- Portrait
Self:
- How I see myself
- How others see me
- My experiences
- My interests
- My thoughts
A Self- Portrait is a self representation in the form of a drawing/ painting /sculpture /design. It is a visual depiction of the self. A self-portrait artwork represents the designer/artist. It’s not necessarily about creating a realistic image but an exercise in self- exploration.
Project 1
Self- Portrait
Visual Research
Figure 1.0: Inspiration 1
Based on these three inspirations, I wanted to create a design with warm colours that mirrored my heart. Although the faces in these self-portraits are not directly or clearly portrayed, they could reveal the author's state of mind through the artwork, which I genuinely love.
Idea Exploration
Mind Map
Figure 1.3: Mind Map
In the mind map, I write down on how I see myself, my experiences, my interests, how others see me and my thoughts. The mind map assisted me in developing ideas for what I want my self-portrait to represent for me.
Sketches
I started sketching up a cartoon version of myself, and I tweaked the hair part because I prefer the look with my hair down.
Figure 1.5: Sketch
I created two background designs for the self-portrait. Both designs illustrate the elements that I like (flowers and whale), how I see myself, and it both reflects my mind.
Figure 1.6: Sketches
Drafts
I digitized the sketch and I realized it was somewhat related to me, but somehow not.
Figure 1.7: Draft 1
For the background I used clouds and also included my favorite big whale in it. The design emphasises the metaphorical notion that I often immerse myself in my own fantasy, sometimes to the point of forgetting who I am. I enjoy imagining the unlimited possibilities in my imagination, which is difficult to explain in words but is possible in painting. My friends often say that I am a dreamer, even I myself feel the same way. I love spending most of my time inside of my own inner world.
Figure 1.8: Draft 2
I then digitised the other sketch. When I was doing the background this time, I tried to let my thoughts drift, playing my favourite music and colouring free-flow patterns on the canvas using my favourite colours.
Figure 1.9: Draft 3
I feel that this draft is more reflective of my inner world, from the color scheme to the composition of the illustrations.
Figure 2.0: Draft 4
After much experimenting, I eventually came to my final decision. It was a difficult decision for me, and I pondered about it for quite some time before making my final choice. I wanted to keep the focus on myself, hoping that the artwork I present, a peek into my inner world, may strike a chord with the viewers.
Final Outcome
Final Design " Be You" in JPEG
Final Design " Be You" in PDF
Rationale
"Be You," I called this self-portrait. It portrays my inner world and my thoughts. I am a person who is not very good at expressing my feelings with words, which often leads people to think I am cold, but I am not. I enjoy hearing amazing stories about other people's lives and pausing in front of lovely landscapes to try to capture the beauty of life with my eyes. I try to seize the small fortune in my busy life, and construct my own beautiful universe in my fantasy.
I used to worry about how others would see me, afraid of leaving a bad impression on others, but now I am not. I try to embrace my imperfections, accept myself, and try to become a better person.
In this design, the warm tones and smooth lines represent my deepest thoughts - I am a bright person on the inside, and I want to bring warmth to those around me. The free-flow design in the background represents freedom - the idea of being unrestrained.
This design's major design principles are harmony and movement. A variety of warm hues are employed to create a harmonious design. The wind, as well as the minor elements in the background, are movement traces.
After viewing my drafts, Dr. Jinchi stated that my first draft had more design potential. The second draft lacked a bit of character in the character design, because the overall color was too bland and so did not highlight the characters' personalities well. However, the background can still be used, but the flower part looks a bit sketchy, so the whale element can be added to the existing background.
Reflection
This project allowed me to go deeper inside myself. When I sat down to think about how I wanted to present myself, I had countless possibilities in my mind, such as what represents me, how my friends perceive me, how my family sees me, and how I am generally. But what I ended up with was the way I see myself. I'm happy with my final design, even if it's not the best, because it's unique to me. In this project, I found myself with a more defined style, and I hope I can discover more different styles in my future designs.
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