Blind Drawings
To loosen our engineering prowess left from the previous module our first task within the Ways of Seeing module was to focus on the people sitting around us and draw their portrait – without taking our pen off of the page; without looking at the paper; and with a 30 second time restraint.
Continuous Line Portrait – Group
Continuous Line Portrait – Group
The portraits themselves were to be completed in a layering technique, drawing the first portrait with a red pen, a second (of the same person) with a green pen then concluding with a blue pen. This contributed to the portraits in an interesting manner, showcasing each human’s nature of being a fully fledged built up character with layers of personality. In my own case I found the technique to be extremely useful as I later utilised it in latter productions and could see myself using it as a way to portray the 3D nature of a character/product or possibly an emotional piece, showcasing change.
Classmate Portrait 1
Classmate Portrait 2
Classmate Portrait 3
Not looking at the page meanwhile was more difficult to appreciate and not just because of its unusual, unpredictable results or the prolonged eye contact. In order to create some control, I developed an additional technique by using my left hand to note the centre of the piece allowing me to determine where I was on the page from the general location of the nose allowing for more accurate placement of features throughout. The latter three portraits also allowed for the conclusion that the larger the paper, the easier it was to create a clearer portrait. Despite my hesitation, I can see this being used in projects based on identification or issues with structure or a disconnection from reality.
Quick Interview
As a way to further our portraiture skills we were then provided another challenge, this time being able to look (which still didn’t assist the quality). This time we were to interview a fellow student and create an A3 continuous line drawing to go alongside it.
Having participated and conducted multiple interviews in the past, creating questions was relatively simple but without a true goal it was rather broad, however asking simple questions such as favourite colour helped to provide the portrait with a bit more personality as I discovered my subject’s favourite colour was green resulting in the green colouring (the process of which became much more useful later on in the module itself and prepared me). The continuous line aspect however did confuse me at parts and did lead to the overall cartoon-y nature of the final outcome which I did not desire as I looked for a more realistic approach and provides the portrait with an ‘uncanny valley’ effect – still I can look back and appreciate the skill as it was useful in other aspects of the module and I can see myself, now having developed it as a skill, utilising it in quick sketching for generating ideas and shapes quickly without a great amount of thought.
Circuit Portrait
With the course being of the science variety we were then tasked with introducing circuits to our art.In order to create the circuits and keep them as compact as possible, we first experimented with the use of conductive ink.
The ink itself was easy to draw with and despite the long trying time and had the capability of holding circuit pieces together making it rather useful. However, despite the extensive possibilities of using the ink, the ink itself was not incredibly conductive by utilising a large quantity of the ink the resistance increased substantially but in order to hold any item in place a large amount of ink was required, which caused the circuit to cease conducting. As a result, our final circuit was created as a simple wire setup.
Visual Personality
Employing the skills developed over the last week, we were assigned another interview with a different student to which we had to manufacture a visual representation of that person within a portrait.
In order to provide a built up sense of character I made use of the previous layering technique. To which I decided to draw the items of personality onto tracing paper which allowed for a softer, diffused appearance unless the portrait’s outline was cut out (prevalent in the bar layer). In concurrence with the answers given, the portrait references:
- Halo – Favourite Holiday is Easter
- Banner, rose and bird imagery – Love of tattoos
- Bar environment – Favourite outing, activity and hangout spot
- Silhouettes – Representation of friends
- Tacos – favourite food
- Dog filter – Favourite animal
- Feathers – Her wish to be able to fly
Reading Week (Journey Maps and Snapshots)
Over the next week, classes were not scheduled and instead a week-long mapping and sketching assignment was provided which consisted of creating A3 maps of any form to describe each day and our experiences throughout the week alongside a sketch representing a location or task from the day.
Monday:
Map:
- Based on an Audi TT car engine to represent travel.
- The wires and pipes represent the winding roads taken between each location.
- Each location is represented by a landmark
- Each location is placed accurately (West and East)
- The use of graph paper provides accuracy and represents the engineering side of the map setup.
Sketch:
- Casual sketching for a calm day represented by the use of free-flowing marks.
- Soft shadows provide a sense of comfort
Tuesday:
Map:
- Based on the west of Scotland railway lines.
- Drawing of the events is placed in the location they happened.
- Continuous line utilised to represent continuous walking
- Red lines represents the internet connections made in that day
Sketch:
- Backpack to represent travel.
- Contents represents the shopping undertaken. (Skull = Halloween)
- Diagonal lines are an influence of the Kengo Kuma Lecture
Wednesday:
Map:
- Day out in nature represented by leaf map
- Veins are winding paths echoing wandering around
- Simple line representations to keep with the vein motif
Sketch:
- Sketch of a taken image
- Use of watercolour to infuse colour
- Faded watercolour provides texture
- Harsh line creates a sense of focus
Thursday:
Map:
- Music Sheet; continuous in one direction replicating the day
- Gaps equivalent to breaks in study
- Unfinished appearance is due to the trail off at the end of the day
Sketch:
- Same technique as task one
- Overlap of all instruments used
- Generally centred and concise, a development from task one
- Quick, simple sketching method that is effective
Friday:
Map:
- Continuous line for elongated reel
- Each frame showcases an aspect of the day
- Overall drawing could be clearer; solved by planning
- Work on perspective
Sketch:
- Limited 10 minuet sketch
- Proportions altered for paper size
- Crosshatching provides form
- Final sketch would be more striking if made in pen
- Work on poses
Visual CV
As aspiring designers a portfolio of work is incredibly useful within the field and therefore the creation of a visual CV was an interesting idea to undertake.
First Concept
Final Branch Concept
Folding Out Notation
In order to create an accurate and varied map, I sketched a generalised map of influences and skill icons alongside a general path which I then developed further; expanding the final ‘tree’ appearance to that of a brain segment, based on the expansion of knowledge throughout the years to come. Within the developing stages the inspiration aspect was also condensed to create a child-like appearance as most influences come from childhood.
As secondary was a significant moment in my journey it appeared to be that of a lightbulb moment, resulting in the development of the lightbulb shape and overall folding style of the map into that of a wire, lightbulb and fuse.
In conclusion, the map itself was bright, colourful and provides the skills and qualities listed within my CV alongside my influences and work to be viewed and asked about up to the moment of its creation. However, the map does suffer from slight misinterpretation due to the complexity of shapes involved and a lack of clear labelling of areas (e.g. primary, secondary etc).
Arduino Character
The last week of the project and the most complex task of all; challenged with creating and fleshing out a flat-pack character with a programmed LED, modelling them and creating a backstory to which their personality comes from.
The reference of a cube-like character was provided which in itself was flat packed, this led to the start of a development into a robot design as its angled structures would be easier to construct through paper. The frog design came from a want to oppose the portraiture aspect of the early project, to show a variety in design alongside a recent interest of my own into robot ‘dogs’ by Boston Dynamics. Learning from previous experiences, all aspects of the robot model were planned.
The final design was built from a frog paper craft body – in order to replicate the form smoothly with an added pattern – a hemisphere net and card stock limbs all of which can be flat packed (paint was added to the formed model to reduce paint chipping). In retrospect, further planning into the general concept to create a more complex character and overall more complex design should be made but I was apprehensive due to the flat-pack element of the design itself, ensuring that would work first over complexities.
Original Concept
Full Frog Net
Full Frog Prototype
Dome Concept
Final Net
Dome Net
Eyepiece Net
Production Image
Movement Image – Extended
Movement Image – Sitting
Code
Circuit (blue)
Circuit (red)
Final Concept with LED
The storyboard concept itself is relatively simplistic but open ended:
- Animals are disappearing
- Scientists are baffled but create robots to assist in holding the ecosystem stable
- The government integrate camera for spying
- One robot escapes its defined confines to discover a real frog to develop its AI
- Scientists study the robot but begin a deactivation process when it travels too far after using the camera to observe nothing
- As the frog slowly shuts down it spots toxic waste, the origin of the issue leading to an open ending of do the scientists start using the robots as says for waste but with the issue of them being used for wrongdoing or not and kill the environment. This aspect ties in the portraiture aspect of the course: ‘Ulysess1’ being the portrait of what we want, saving the Earth.
Final Sketchbook
Conclusion
In conclusion, the module itself was entirely useful as a process of development in sketching, drawing techniques and presenting skills. The skills of layering and continuous line drawings will be especially useful in later projects to quickly and absent-mindedly create interesting forms and concepts. Other skills such as portraiture, not observing the drawing and mapping may not be as utilised in reality but was useful in creating unique styles and developing an art style throughout (which I can see through my sketchbook).