Exercise 03: Design Principles

 -Week 5-

(21.9.2021)

Design Principles

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Topics: Harmony, Unity, Scale & Proportion, Symbols, Word & Image

From the recorded lecture, Ms. Jinchi show as some design principles. There are harmony, unity, scale & proportion, symbols, word & image.

Learning Outcome:

HARMONY is the principle of art that creates cohesiveness stressing the similarities of separate but related parts. It is the sense all of the elements fit together. Harmony also can be described as sameness, therefore it can be created by using similar tone color or the order proportion and balance.

Fig 1: Harmony flower

Fig 2: Harmony painting by artist Sumita Kathuria

UNITY is achieved when the components of the artwork are perceived as harmonious, giving the looks of work a sense of completion. It is the feeling that everything in the work of Art works together and looks like it fits. And also, add on variety to make it more interesting.

Fig 3: Unity in color

PROPORTION is the size relationship of parts to the whole and to another. SCALE refers to the relating size to the constant, such as the human body.

Fig 4: Giant Flamingo

SYMBOL is a sign, shape or object that is used to represent something else. In design, symbols can provide or convey information. Symbols can be separated into figurative representations and non-figurative representations. Besides that, we learned that figurative representation is including visual and graphic symbols. While graphic symbols can be separated into pictorial symbols, abstract symbols and arbitrary symbols.

Fig 5: Peace symbol

Pictorial symbols refer to the expression or illustration regarding the information or activities through images and simplified pictures. The picture visually helps you to understand data.

Fig 6: Life cycle of butterfly

Fig 7: No Smoking Symbol 

An abstract symbol is a symbol that is not concrete or tangible.

Fig 8: Dancing abstract people

An arbitrary symbol is a sign that seems to be logically unrelated to the object is it supposed to represent. Arbitrary symbols are invented with meaning.

Fig 9: Traffic symbols

WORD&IMAGE also can be described as Typography. Typography is the design and arrangement of text to convey a message or concept. We have to choose the right words to pair with the imagery as it would deepen the meaning of the design.

Fig 10: word&image

Below is my design process for Harmony & Unity:

                                  HARMONY                                 

Visual Research:

Fig 11: Natural Harmony

Fig 12: Chromatic Harmony

Ideas Exploration I:

Fig 13: Coffee

As we can see, this art paint used analogous color to create harmony.
So I decided to use analogous color with blue to create a design since I like blue.

I think the ocean is linked with blue, so I decided to draw a marine animal. 

I choose to draw whale because whale is the biggest mammal animal in the ocean. 

Whales are unique, beautiful and graceful.

Sketch I for harmony:

Idea Exploration II:

I found this picture in my Facebook album.

This is a picture of my pet, a green iguana. 

I have an idea to draw it in the jungle since the jungle was green too.

Sketch II for harmony:

Feedback by lecture:

Ms. Jinchi suggested me to continue the second sketch, which is the green iguana. Besides that, change the orientation to landscape format. She also told me to add the iguana tail at the edge and try to play with different colors, not only the analogous colors of green to make it more interesting.

So here is my result:

First, I color with analogous color of green.

Then, I try to color with different color.

Feedback by lecture:

Ms. Jinchi recommended me to color the background because 

the white background looks no harmony.

---------FINAL RESULT---------

                           UNITY                            

Visual Research I:

Fig 14: Colorful Buildings

Fig 15: Bicycle

Idea Exploration I:

Fig 16: International Women's Day 2020

This picture showed unity in women with different nations.

Due to the pandemic of Covid-19, we have to wear mask when we go out.

So, I have an idea to draw people wearing mask in the street.

Sketch I:

Visual Research II:

Fig 17: Unity Seagulls

Fig 18: Unity Koi fish

Idea Exploration II:

This is my notebook cover. 

The visual research II for unity showed unity in same animals.

So, I decided to draw giraffes to create unity.

Sketch II:

Feedback by lecture:
Ms. Jinchi wanted me to finish the color first to see the result. Besides that, change the proportion of the orientation. And I decided to continue this sketch since this is more interesting. I also think the first sketch for unity looks very common.

My process & result:

Feedback by lecture:

Ms. Jinchi suggested me to move the tree near to the middle since the visual movement is across the giraffe from bottom to top. And also, do some research on giraffe color.

---------FINAL RESULT---------

REFLECTION:

This is my first time draw digitally by using Adobe Illustrator to create a design. 

I feel happy because it was interesting. Besides that, I also learn ways to create harmony and unity. Although I didn't choose symbols and word&image, I think I will try to use them in my design later on. I enjoy this exercise very much.