Faye Tikic

Apr 25, 2019Apr 27, 2019

Page Development

24/04/19

Activity content development

I have produced some mock up pages for my activities, exploring composition, form and space in each design. I was mainly thinking about the layouts and content of each page before I develop the visuals. After mocking up three design for each activity, I am able to understand what I need to do in order to develop clean clear practical pages. I will ask up to 10 individuals which lay outs are prefered to confirm direction.

Activity one: Learning a new language

Design 1

Here I used a variety of natural visuals, exploring plants and nature. I thought about what language would be taught which at this time would be Japanese, however that got me thinking about teaching other languages in future issues, so I decided to display other countries and names. I feel like this could be confusing so I decided to leave it in my upcoming designs. In terms of practical content I thought about how I would teach them on paper so I displayed the english and japanese adjecent for clear display along with small note on pronunciation, however I didn’t think this was practical enough. I liked the visuals and fullness of the design but feel it needs tidying up and expanding on.

Design 2

Here I wanted to produce a similar page with more practicality, using minimal visual stimulation and more page space. I decided to use coy fish shapes, waves and huts in a way that could contain the exercise and hold it together. I contributed more directional text such as “repeat me three times” in the pronunciation section which I feel adds more practiciality within the process. I didnt want to use as much text as to keep it self-explanitory and visual so I feel this is a nice balance. I feel it would be a good idea to display how to work through each activity perhaps in the contents page to avoid messing up the pages. I like the effect of this design as it looks like a planned exercise which is important though I do feel the imagery and details needs adding to.

Design 3

Here I wanted to take a more so visual approach, using a main illustrated design in the centre with symbolic ties to the activity. I used the theme of nature and japan, displaying road to freedom as a creative title to learning a new language. I prefer the creative take as it lightens the aesthetic and adds to the quirky fun feel, I could also use the visual as a colouring exercise. I like this design but feel it is simiar to the first in that it lacks practicality however I thought about adding two more words so the individual would have one a week till the next issue comes out furthering the effectivity of the exercise.

Activity two: Mindful Colouring

Design 1

Here I thought about what mediums the individual would use, I feel paint would be ideal for this however I want it to be friendly to felt-tips, coloured pencils and crayons. In my workshop, I gave everyone a blank piece of paper to work on so I thought about providing a blank space for expression, decorated with nature and example pieces from my workshop. I felt this would be a great idea as the individuals could add to the decorations too if they wanted. I thought about providing an inspiration box full of brush strokes and lines of crayon and sharpie. I feel this holds great potential but i got thinking about how some people would rather a contained illustration to lose themselves in so I thought about responding to that next.

Design 2

Here I created an abstract surrealst landscape, drawing from my theme and using modern arts shapes for a contemporary feel, it almost reminds me of my war work and ideas of using cubism and comauflage, I feel this could still be a good idea if I was to take an illustration route. By breaking the image into shapes and fragments, the individual can express themselves and engage until the picture is complete. I’m having difficulty thinking about which approach to go for, using an illustration or a blank space. In my next design I will focus on combining the two.

Design 3

Here I decided to use the entire page as its own contained illustration, composing two panels of space for expression. By placing the panels in the centre, the individual can further the illustration and connect the missing space or use it express their own pieces. I feel this resolves my problem however I don’t think a narrow space would work for expression, I could maybe expand the boxes or display one for expression with an accomanying illustration. I will ask the individuals during a survey which they would prefer.

Activity three: how to paint a landscape

Design 1

Here I thought about the activity in depth, and how they would be limited to paint which isn’t fair, so I thought about the idea of changing it to drawing a landscape with the option of painting if they want to, this makes sure everyone can contribute and engage. I started by referencing my primary magazine work, specifically the how to: tutorials in my painting magazine, these would all be displayed in clear boxes separated into steps as a demonstration for you to work alongside. I feel this doesn’t hold much excitement or context and could do with more detail and perhaps space to respond to. I do admire the practicality of the page.

Design 2

I then designed a basic page of visuals, using the overall result as the background with panels of space for the steps, I have realised that I need to provide them with response space which would need to go on another page, this would look like the official activity with blank spaces rather than evolving images. I feel this could be developed further through visuals. I need to think more about the image we would be drawing as well, I think using an image from one of my trips would work well, building on some values in each step teaching them the basics to drawing which they can then use on other subjects of their imagination.

Design 3

Here I used the practicality of the first design combined with the background illustration idea in the second, I then used the composition of steps with the boxes to further the design detail and composition. Over all I like the composition and feel it works well in terms of approachability. I feel the page looks the most methodical and complete out of the three but it would be good to provide some inspiration boxes like in my previous designs. I will be asking my peers and friends about their thoughts on each before I finalising a composed layout and structure for each.

Final Aesthetic for samples

Updated inspiration for activities and cover design

Apr 23, 2019May 13, 2019

Expanded Inspiration

Inspired by Ella Joosten

I felt inspired by Ella Joosten’s work as she paints colourful japan in a traditional yet modern manor, I felt captivated by her geisha work, using narrow panels and the backs, sides of their forms in pop colours. I wanted to capture a similar air with my own work, using contemporary recreations, I studied the shapes and composition in her work and was able to capture a likeness. I focused on the forms such as length of clothing, fabric design and composition of the fabric and hair. I really admire this outcome, I feel by planning what I wanted I was able to achieve full potential, I want to keep working with this subject further experimenting with similar subjects and styles.

I was able to do this photoshoot in southport by the water, capturing a few more images, I will continue editing these to explore potential, I feel I could now create illustrations inspired from these so I have a lot of options and feel it needs to be narrowed down.

Inspired by Osawa Yu-dai

Looking on the japanese graphic design website, I found some key suggestions on how to create a quirky japanese inspired design, using a bonsai from my primary photography I began playing with the abstract nature of Osawa’s work, using colour panels and bright tone to form a new design. I liked the outcome of this and feel some text would finish it off well. I am definitely sure on using colour panels and layers as it helps build on the design.

(To make this I cut around my shape, changed the exposure and edited the pot using selection and filters to make highlights. I then used lightly transparent sections to alter the colours of the tree and I did the same along the background, I flattened the image when I was happy and then changed the exposure on the overall design to brighten the aesthetic, next time I would plan the photography and design to fulfil potential, ensuring I know what I want)

Artwork inspiration – refresh updated artist research

I have taken some images from a japanese graphic design website and have been responding to some points and artists in development, these have been “un and co”, “Osawa Yu-dai” and “Ella Joosten” above you can see some results.

Pop design

I have gathered some more work that links with my result feedback, I have attached the artist name to the images so I can further research what gets me most inspired. I gathered a range of pop graphic design and minimalist natrue to fulfuil desired outcome.

Traditional Japan

Artistic vector illustration of koi carps couple in water

Experimentation

comic illustration

I decided to respond to some growing ideas in my sketchbook to further my visuals and keep my ideas developing, I felt inspired to use comics as I’m exploring pop art themes so I used some of my old comics for experimental material, creating my own sharpie illustrations with my new chisel tip pen. I felt this was fun as I havn’t been doing much illustration and i feel like they stand out well. I do feel that they don’t respond to my visual feedback as they aren’t nature orientated but I like the idea of using black simple illustrations over colour.

Tin Foil Painting

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After my activities workshop I had left over materials from their work, I provided everyone with tin foil to put their colours on. During the last task I asked everyone to use up their remaining paints and I was left with some interesting pieces of colourful tin foil – I didn’t want to throw these away even tho I used tin foil for simple tidying up, so I used them as paper for illustration. I focused on the forms of colour and worked into the shapes that were there, I then highlighted some areas with white. I felt this could be an interesting experiment for the visuals of activities but I again don’t feel they hold the right aesthetic; the landscape one fits nicely. I intend on experimenting a little with them in digital but this process has helped me understand further what I need to be making and what I want to make: funky landscape design.

Felt Making

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As I was experimenting I thought about making something different to scan in to push development, I made this using cotton and soap working/matting together my fabrics, I used bright primary colours on grey to contrast. I thought about sewing into it and adding to it day by day, creating a piece made through the concept of kaizen however I started to feel digital exploration is the way forward for a professional fitting outcome.

Apr 22, 2019Apr 26, 2019

Visual Development

I have focused on a range of subjects drawing from my theme results, looking at nature and colourful inspiration. I have a focus on plants specifically bonsai’s and bamboo but I wanted to further work with an idea of minimalism, peace, zen and nature so I went on a few trips. I decided to focus on water as it links in with the idea of continuous change and waves, flow etc so I visited the seaside in southport and a lake in bartington. I referenced my artist research here channeling the inspiration and drive into producing my own material to work from.

Photoshop

I’ve been using photography in photoshop to expand on my experimentation, using my plant photography, I was able to find a cut out tool and remove its background, using layers I then repeated the image changing the hue, exposure and saturation in each. I then played around with using the word Kaizen in Japanese, using colour blocking to further a graphic design aesthetic. I was pleasantly surprised with this as it started from a picture of bamboo and looks like a design flyer. I like the finish of this however I don’t think it is minimal enough, however I feel if I was to place blank boxes over the leaves this could be a beautiful activity page.

Zen Focus

I decided to use the same effects frommy pop art digital illustration here and in my later work, I found this added such a modern air to a modern image, almost as though it was black and white and has been brought to life and recoloured, I could perhaps use this approach in my activities, giving them a photography to colour in with some examples.

Southport Beach – Photography

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I have been exploring the potential of photography by capturing light scenes of people in nature, combining my initial thoughts of portraying people in pop surrealist styles. I wanted to explore this as I have been using the same effects with my illustrations, i feel this holds a better quality in that they are cleaner, brighter yet just as creative.

After I had played around with hues, I decided to add a filter, I found I could almost digitalise my photography to the point where it could look hand drawn or painted, I had used the glowing edges here and it seems to have added a quirky surrealist feel, I want to try out exploring animating photography, I feel using the cut-out filter will do this as it breaks forms down into shape and colour, portraying the style of a painting, I will begin exploring this further with other photography.

Pattern exploration

Using the idea of patterns from a suggestion in my questionnaire results, I decided to play around with repeating nature, using plants and colour to produce a variety of visual exploration. I found that this repeatition creates an almost snake skin effect, I really like the outcome as it embodies nature, structure and contemporary style, the black and white is my favourite though I must go in a colourful direction and less busy as these are highlighted in my visual feedback.

Apr 18, 2019Apr 26, 2019

Result Response Work

Responding to feedback

After I recieved back my completed questionnaires, I was able to understand what people find most appealing and in context with the magazine, it seemed that minimalist was a popular choice as well as nature, however it was apparent that pop culture was the most inspiring and so I have been responding experimenting with this feedback, using my illustrations in photoshop, I was able to collate the three themes into one, expressing a minimalist theme that cultivates a juxtaposed visual of pop culture and traitional japan, so my final theme is – Minimalist pop nature

Illustration Experimentation – Photoshop

I began using my theme visuals in photoshop to begin expanding on my feedback, I played around with pop and nature, creating different colours and variations like warhol. As I’ve been becoming more confident on Photoshop I have begun to use layers and new tools, I found by using the select tool you can select areas and change the filter, colour, brightness of just that section, so I began to play with this on the lower images, combining new found techniques with filters and hues.

I opened my illustration in photoshop, I playeed around with filters and found one called fresco which I liked, I decided to intergrate the pop culture theme by using layers and editing hues and saturation in each of the layers

I decided to intergrate the pop culture theme by using layers and editing hues and saturation in each of the layers

I then began altering the brightness and saturation further, building on light and colour

I used the fresco filter to start off, darkening the aesthetic, I then selected boxes within boxes, altering the colours and saturation in each untill I had bright colourful result, using layers to control each feature.

Photography Experimentation – Photoshop

After recieving my results I looked back at my artist research and felt inspired to use photography, looking a Ren Hang, I wanted to explore contemporary nature photography and so I began editing some images I have from the allotments and gardens using suggestions from my feedback. I decided to explore the idea of using pattern and colour blocking, I have been reading an article on Japanese graphic design and it is reccommended to explore colour. Below I had panel hues down the images and I had repeated the image on the top right to explore pattern, I feel these are interesting effects, I like using pop with photography as it looks interesting and inspired.

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Pattern illustration – Photoshop

I decided to keep trying out patterns with my other nature work, exploring pop again by altering the hue and saturation, I feel this will be the technique used to bring in a feel of pop culture, however I must be careful with the saturation as it can make it unnaturally vibrant.

I found it quite simple in altering these howver it was hard to chose which colours to save as there were so many options, I feel it this process would work well with the idea of pop culture and minimalism however I feel it would be good to explore other options further perhaps using the same effects here with more primary photography.

Apr 16, 2019May 13, 2019

Results: final activites

My activities workshop went well, I was able to collect the feedback I need to narrow down the most effective and favoured activites for development. These were activities four, five and seven: learning a new language, mindful colouring and drawing a landscape. I found the most favoured exercises were by individuals between 18 and 30 and mostly female, I feel I could rebalance my appeal through quirky fun visuals though I now have a clear direction in target market.

Below are some results:

Activity One – outcomes

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This was a successful activity, everyone was able to follow the instruction and visualise their breath as a drawing, the feedback from this was positive and helped everyone relax and feel uplifted, I found the same from my results from my presentation in Feburary.

Activity four – outcomes

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Activity four: how to imagine and paint a landscape, this activity was one of the most successful, each individual created their own landscape and they were all impressed with their results, most took them home but I was able to keep some good ones. I feel this was mostly fun as they used basic steps but everyones came out differently, I feel this would be a good one for the magazine.

Activity Six – outcomes

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Activity Six – how to draw an eye: This activity worked well however not everybody was happy with what they made, I found that people became more up-tight and worried about what they put on the paper, the best feedback was from the people who surprised themselves and felt good about what they had drawn and learnt.

Activity seven – outcomes

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Activity seven: mindful colour also went very well; I already had the paints out from before so I allowed everyone to use up their pallets in this exercise. This was one of the most favoured exercises and helped everyone express their creativity, I had a participant mention the fact that if this was in a magaizne not everyone could use paint as they may not have access, I felt this was helpful feedback and has made me think about creating illustrations for colouring instead or as well.

Working Out Results

logging results

I used this chart to log my results, each chart it one individuals feedback so I logged twelve. I then counted up how many individuals voted a certain number for which exercise and turned that into a percentage.

Questionnaire

My results have given me direction in aesthetic, I provided four themes and it seemed that pop culture, nature and minimalism were voted highest and almost came won, however minimalism was voted most in context, nature was most favoured and pop culture was most inspiring so therefore my final theme is a combination of the three. I gave the participants the option to suggest and reccomend other ideas and themes for further experimentation and so I will now begin exploring these results visually and practically.

below is my official report and results:

official results report

Questionnaire Results