Design Principles / Exercises
30/8/2022 - 23/9/2022 / (Week 1 - Week 4)
Derin / 0354969 / Design in Creative Media
GCD 60804 / DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Exercises
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LECTURE RECAPS
Week 1 - Elements and Principles of Design, Gestalt Theory and Contrast
In the first week of the Design Principles class, Ms. Jinchi briefed on the module information booklet. It contained the materials, outcomes, assessments, and information regarding the development of our ePortfolio. The class ended 2 hours earlier than scheduled, and Ms. Jinchi advised us to watch pre-recorded lectures topic 1 that was uploaded on Microsoft Teams by our own.
Elements of Design
Visual communication is about utilizing design to convey purposeful messages to a target audience. Applying the elements and principles of design is important in order to achieve effective communication through design.
Elements of design are defined as individual "building blocks". Elements of visual design include point line, shape, form, texture, space, and color
POINT, or dot, is the most basic design element. It can be used as repetitive mark forms a line. Other two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures and forms are created as the point moves through space.
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| Fig 1.1 Point as an Element of Design |
LINE is a continuous mark made on a surface by a moving point. It could be actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or contour. Lines can be thick, thin, close together, far apart, wavy, jagged, diagonal, horizontal, and vertical in a variety of ways.
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| Fig 1.2 Line as an Element of Design |
SHAPE is a confined area that is either geometric or organic. Shape refers to a two-dimensional element with an area on a plane.
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| Fig 1.3 Shape as an Element of Design |
FORM refers to a three-dimensional element with volume in space. When form encloses space, the space is called volume. It must also be implied in two dimensional media.
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| Fig 1.4 Form as an Element of Design |
TEXTURE is a shape's surface quality, or how it appears to feel: rough, smooth, spiky, soft, hard, and glossy, etc. Texture can be created using pattern designs, so repeating shapes and it can mimic real texture.
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| Fig 1.5 Texture as an Element of Design |
SPACE is the distance or area around or between elements in a work. The actual space of each picture’s surface is defined by its edges –the two dimensions of height and width. Space can be defined as positive (filled space) or negative (empty space).
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| Fig 1.6 Space as an Element of Design |
COLOR is the visible spectrum of radiation as it is either transmitted through a transparent medium, or as it is absorbed and reflected off a surface. Color is also known as hue in some contexts.
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| Fig 1.7 Color as an Element of Design |
Gestalt Theory and Contrast
CONTRAST is the juxtaposition of strongly opposing elements (opposite colors, value eg. light and dark, direction eg. horizontal and vertical). Without contrast, visual experience would be monotonous. The greater the contrast, the more something will stand out and call visual interest to itself.
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Fig 2.1 Contrast in opposed colors https://id.pinterest.com/pin/38773246781526400/ |
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Similarity: Similar elements in a design is perceived as a complete picture, shape, or group, even if those elements are separated.
Fig 2.2 Three forks aligned together
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/149111437653345334/
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Continuation: Elements arranged on a line or curve are perceived as more
related than elements not on the same line or curve.
Fig 2.3 Roads overlapping
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/279434351865436233/
- Closure: When we look at a complex arrangement of individual elements, we first try and identify a single, recognizable pattern.
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Fig 2.4 A hand imitating a light bulb
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/444519425721533017/
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Proximity: Close proximity indicates that items are connected or have a relationship to each other and become one visual unit which helps to organize or give structure to a layout.
Fig 2.5 The relative size of the flower cues the eye to perceive it as her skirt
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/384846730656372726/
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Figure/Ground: Objects are instinctively perceived as being either in the foreground or the background.
Fig 2.6 The negative space created by the silhouette forms a figure of rabbit
https://id.pinterest.com/pin/85568461655678855/
- Symmetry and order: Objects that are symmetrical with each other.
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Fig 2.7 Alignment of the girl and background creates a
symmetrical illusion https://id.pinterest.com/pin/543950461223050384/ |
Week 2 - Emphasis and Balance, Repetition and Movement
In the second week of the Design Principle class, Ms. Jinchi reviews over our assignment, which are 2 of our designs and blog based on the design principles explained in the lecture videos. After the class ends, I watched Lecture videos 2 and 3 that were uploaded in Microsoft Teams.
Balance & Emphasis
BALANCE refers to the distribution of visual equilibrium of elements in a work of design that causes the total image to appear balanced. Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
- Symmetrical Balance: Symmetrical balance has equal weight on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum.
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Fig 3.1 Symmetrical balance of a bridge as both size are equal
in terms of size and shape. https://id.pinterest.com/pin/331155378821429834/ |
- Asymmetrical Balance: Unequal visual weight on each side of the composition. One side of the composition might contain a dominant element, which could be balanced by a couple or more lesser focal points on the other side.
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Fig 3.2 The right side is more dominant in the piece which creates
asymmetrical balance. http://idesignbyuh.blogspot.com/2011/01/asymmetrical-balance-composition-by.html |
- The Golden Ratio: Also known as phi, the Golden Ratio is a mathematical concept and a
number that goes on indefinitely. many have perceived the Golden
Ratio as the representative of perfect beauty or is uniquely found
throughout nature.
- Rule of Thirds: It is a composition guideline that is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself.
EMPHASIS is a principle used to create dominance and focus of the viewers in a design work. Various of elements can be used to create emphasis, such as size, color, texture, shapes or value, to achieve dominance.
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Fig 3.3 The character in white stands out form gloomy
background Art by avogado6 on Twitter |
Repetition and Movement
REPETITION is the act of repeating the same or similar design elements and making them come together as a cohesive whole. The repetition of elements of design creates rhythm and pattern within the work.
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Fig 3.4 The position and how the Oreos lined up creates a
repetition. https://id.pinterest.com/pin/107804984825206301/ |
MOVEMENT is the path the viewer's eye takes in, around, and through a composition, often to focal areas. Such movement in a visual image can be directed along shapes, forms, lines, and curves.
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Fig 3.6 The size of the white and black boxes creates an illusion as
if the image is moving. Art by hbeimers on flickr |
Week 3 - Harmony and Unity, Symbol, Image, and Word
In the third week of the Design Principle class, Ms. Jinchi reviews over our assignment, which are 2 of our designs and blog based on the design principles explained in the lecture videos. She also checked our changes on our previous design according to her feedback. After the class ends, I watched Lecture videos 4 and 5 that were uploaded in Microsoft Teams.
Harmony and Unity
HARMONY is the visually satisfying effect of combining the selection of similar or related elements that shares a common trait. It is the sense that your elements in a design fits together. They may have the same theme, aesthetic style, or mood.
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Fig 3.7 The contrast of the two yin and yang fishes creates
harmony. https://id.pinterest.com/pin/725149977516963207/ |
UNITY refers to the repetition of particular elements composed throughout your design as though they are balanced and give a sense of oneness.
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Fig 3.8 The placement of the squares creates a sense of unity. https://id.pinterest.com/pin/1900024835110706/ |
Symbol, Image, and Word
SYMBOL is a sign, shape, or object that can provide or convey information.
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Fig 3.9 Minimalistic restaurant symbols https://europeitoutsourcing.com/blog/graphic-design/principles-icon-design/ |
IMAGE AND WORD. Choosing the right words to pair with the imagery is of high importance as it would deepen the meaning of the design. It plays a vital part of design, be it print or digital.
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Fig 3.10 A camera and the word 'CAM' overlapping. https://id.pinterest.com/pin/16325617390952372/ |
Week 4
This week is the submission period for our first exercise. Ms. Jinchi reviews our blogs while correspondingly giving feedback. Midway through the review, Ms. Jinchi briefed over the outline of Project 1. For the project, we were assigned to create a self-portrait of ourselves through self-expression by applying the various principles we learned through these weeks. Before starting the project, we were advised to create a mind-map about ourselves.
INSTRUCTIONS
Adhering to the brief, I have selected 5 design principles and will create 1 design for each principle. The design principles I have chosen are:
- Contrast
- Emphasis
- Movement
- Repetition
- Harmony & Unity
EXERCISES
1. Contrast
Contrast creates dissimilar relationships between elements. In design, we use contrast to generate impact, highlight importance, express content, and visual interest & dynamics.
My Design Process
1. Visual References
Below are references that have inspired me to create my Contrast design.
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Fig 4.1 https://nilediting.com/black-white-lightroom-presets/ |
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Fig 4.2 https://iprofiles.ru/aleksandr-vedenin/5962471/ |
2. Idea Exploration
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| Fig 4.6 (Week 1) |
3. Final Outcome
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| Fig 4.7 (Week 2) |
I had so much fun making this design :)
I used the portrait in Fig 4.1 as a reference to create my Contrast design. The portrait inspired this finalized design. There's a perfect combination of contrast with the lighting and the angle of the head. This specific angle of the head allows me to hide his tears well. I tweaked the initial idea and hid the sad expression in the black space, making it less conspicuous. In my opinion, by doing this, the design will be more impactful in the eyes of the audience.
Additionally, I made some changes according to Ms. Jinchi's
feedback on the Contrast design. She suggested drawing a puddle
below so that the man's neck doesn't crop awkwardly.
Last, my final design is about a man who hides his tears with
anger as a façade, as seen in figure 4.6. A person who shows a
tough front while is soft on the inside.
4. Lecturer's Feedback
In week 2, Ms. Jinchi reviewed my blog and gave her feedback on
how I could improve my design. She advises using the space at the
bottom left to add a design element by adding a small puddle to
indicate his tears dropping. The way my Contrast design cuts off
at the neck looks a bit rigid, so it will add more depth to have
something organic at the bottom.
I'm thankful for her feedback on what area I could improve!
2. Emphasis
In design, Emphasis is used to create dominance and focus. Various elements can be used to create emphasis, such as color, shapes or value, to achieve dominance in a design. For my design, the element I chose to emphasize is size.
My Design Process
1. Visual References
Below are references that have inspired me to create my Emphasis design.
https://animoe.tumblr.com/post/143941144939/big-anime-girls-small-cities-what-if-anime-girls
2. Idea Exploration
The following are my sketching process for my Emphasis design. I used the software Clip Studio Paint to create these sketches. I was a big fan of Gulliver's Travels, so the idea was implemented in my Emphasis design. In Fig 4.3, I drew the giant girl in a different style with the villager boy to create a difference between the two.
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| Fig 5.4 (Week 1) |
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| Fig 5.5 (Week 2) |
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| Fig 5.6 (Week 2) |
3. Final Outcome
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| Fig 5.7 (Week 2) |
For the outcome of my Emphasis design, I decided to color this piece instead of leaving it in a monochromatic state while also adding some finishing touches. The background is blurred so that the main focus stays on the characters. The canvas is resized so that the top of the giant girl's head is cut off; I thought this would give the impression that the giant girl is too big to fit on the canvas.
3. Movement
Movement is the path the viewer's eye takes in, around, and through a composition, often to focal areas. Such movement in a visual image can be directed along shapes, forms, lines, and curves.
My Design Process
1. Visual References
Below are references that have inspired me to create my Movement design.
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Fig 6.1 https://www.dreamstime.com/boy-throwing-white-paper-plane-low-angle-view-image107723486 |
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Fig 6.2 https://www.deviantart.com/guweiz/art/Rooftop-646685590 |
2. Idea Exploration
The following is my sketching process for my Movement design. I used the software Clip Studio Paint to create these sketches. It took me a long time to finally come up with a composition I am satisfied with. I plan on utilizing subjects and objects to create the movement.
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Fig 6.3 (Week 3)
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| Fig 6.4 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 6.5 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 6.6 (Week 4) |
3. Final Outcome
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| Fig 6.7 (Week 4) |
For the outcome of my Movement design, I tried my best to align the objects around the character, such as aligning the paper planes, doves, clouds, jet, and even the character himself, to create the flow of movement. I did, however, contemplate the character's hair color as it may be distracting to what principle I am executing.
Overall, I'm satisfied with how it turned out!
4. Lecturer's Feedback
Ms. Jinchi comments that the successful part of my art piece is not only the character's movement but also the other subjects, such as the birds going in different directions. She thinks that it's an excellent way to show movement. Regarding the character's hair color, she suggests I keep it as it is, or else it will blend in too much.
4. Repetition
Repetition is the act of repeating the same or similar design elements and making them come together as a cohesive whole. The repetition of elements of design creates rhythm and pattern within the work.
My Design Process
1. Visual References
Below are references that have inspired me to create my Repetition design.
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Fig 7.1 https://www.amazon.com/London-Pigeon-Wars-Novel/dp/0374192057 |
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Fig 7.2 https://www.pngitem.com/middle/hiTohix_sprite-animation-flying-bird-hd-png-download/ |
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Fig 7.3 https://www.treehugger.com/peacock-facts-5094142 |
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Fig 7.4 https://stock.adobe.com/sk/search?k=peacock+feather+drawing&asset_id=245881317 |
2. Idea Exploration
I looked through the pdf lecture files Ms. Jinchi shared in Microsoft Teams and stumbled upon the image as seen in Fig 7.1. I thought of creating a pattern of a bird's silhouette flapping its wings. I used the software Clip Studio Paint to create the sketch. The following is my sketching process for my Repetition design.
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Fig 7.5 (Week 3) The image in Fig 7.5 is the process for my first take on the repetition principle. As seen from the idea exploration, I have changed the layout to make the design look more attractive. I added a streamline behind it so that the order of the bird's flapping motion isn't confusing to viewers. Ms. Jinchi comments the silhouette's outline doesn't speak much and that my design doesn't fit well with the design principle I am after. She suggests an illustration of just the wings in variety. So the wings themselves become the design. From there, I can form my repetition idea without breaking away from the initial design. I considered her suggestion and started creating another Repetition design. This time, I created a peacock's feather using Adobe Illustrator. and made a repetition pattern. |
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Fig 7.6 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 7.7 (Week 4) |
I asked Ms. Jinchi which color would be best suitable for this design. She replied that the third one with the green background would be the best as it has the best contrast.
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| Fig 7.8 (Week 4) |
The image in Fig 7.8 is my final outcome for the design of the repetition principle. I took Ms. Jinchi's advice into account and decided to do a repetition of a peacock's feathers since the pattern seemed interesting to me. I tried arranging and cropping the feathers as though they were connected from end to end, which creates a continuous cycle. The image in Fig 7.8 is my outcome for the design of the repetition principle.
4. Lecturer's Feedback
Ms. Jinchi comments on my design in Fig 6.3 that the silhouette's outline doesn't speak much and that my design doesn't fit well with the design principle I am after. She suggests an illustration of just the wings in variety. So the wings themselves become the design. From there, I can form my repetition idea while not breaking away from the initial setup.
A week later, as seen in Fig 7.7, I asked Ms. Jinchi which background best suited the repetition of the peacock's feathers. She responded that the third one with the green experience would be the best as it has the best contrast among the three.
5. Harmony & Unity
Harmony & Unity refers to the sense that all of the elements of your design fit together with the use of repetition, whether they're colors, shapes, or materials.
My Design Process
1. Visual References
Below are references that have inspired me to create my Harmony & Unity design.
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Fig 8.1 https://yonaphoto.com/2013/04/25/one-buddha-a-thousand-hands-and-infinite-prayers/ |
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Fig 8.2 https://viola.bz/thousand-hand-bodhisattva-dance/ |
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Fig 8.3 https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-image-thousand-hand-dance-china-performance-guanyin-dunhuang-image74779425 |
2. Idea Exploration
The following is my sketching process for my Harmony & Unity design. I used the software Clip Studio Paint to create these sketches. I tried to position the hands in a circular motion and create a more expansive space for the character, as advised by Ms. Jinchi.
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| Fig 8.4 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 8.5 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 8.6 (Week 4) |
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| Fig 8.7 (Week 4) |
3. Final Outcome
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| Fig 8.8 (Week 4) |
I chose to draw a scene from the dance of 'Thousand Hands Buddha' since I think the concept in itself screams Harmony & Unity because, based on my religion, Buddhism endorses harmonious social relations.
The coloring style for this piece is different from my usual one. Instead of the standard base color and shade, I tried grayscale first since it is easier to see the values. Before coloring, I used a gradient map over the grayscale so that it didn't look monotonous during the process; I duplicated the layer, used a gradient map on it, then set the layer in Multiply mode while the duplicated layer was over the original one. I began coloring it afterward, using soft light as the layer mode.
After that, I played with the lighting using the 'Glow dodge' layer mode for this illustration to show light coming from above. I also added a faint white glow at the back of the character and the hands to make it seem like she is shining.
Fig 8.8 is my outcome for the Harmony & Unity design. The hands' circular motion and position are proportionally balanced, creating perfect harmony.
4. Lecturer's Feedback
In Fig 8.4, Ms. Jinchi suggests a composition change in terms of space into a wider one, referring to the display of a grandeur/figure. I would want to show the full circular motion of the hands. Space should be part of my consideration, she adds. She also suggested that I add more pieces of jewelry, so they blend in well. Lastly, she commented on how the lighting would significantly impact this design.
REFLECTION
Week 2
I have learned a lot over the week. As a self-taught artist, the materials presented thus far are new to me. It was exciting to put what we've learned into practice with a drawing design! I got precious feedback on what I can improve on as well. Overall, I'm glad to have this as one of my first assignments as a kickstart to my university life.
The best part about this exercise is I can draw without feeling restricted with my art style. Initially, I was worried if I overdid my design or if it didn't match what was assigned. Glad that wasn't the case! I will continue to stick with what I'm comfortable with, but of course, while not forgetting to execute the design principles in the design ;D
Week 3
Overcame another week B) I took Ms. Jinchi's feedback for granted and fixed my artwork designs. She also looked through my designs on the principles of Movement and Repetition. Not much input or suggestion is given since my progress is still reasonably little.
Week 4
This week has been pretty hectic. The principle 'Harmony & Unity' design took longer to complete than anticipated and the thought of submitting these exercises past the deadline had me panicking all the way through. I shouldn't have procrastinated on week 3... it led me to rush the 5th design since I had to fix the previous designs according to the feedback given x_x. This is what happens when you have poor time management, hahaha!! Anyways, I'm glad to have completed everything on time. The feedback given so far has helped me improve! It made me realize that I am still lacking in a lot of things, especially when it comes to compositions. But overall, I think I did well for these past 4 weeks. I haven't done fully rendered pieces in a while, so this was great practice!