Aeluna - Studio IIA

At first I wasn’t really into the blog process. I thought it was basically having two workbooks, digital and physical. But I realised that it was more of a recount of experience. After starting to use the blog correctly I started to really enjoy it, and I find ti way more natural to write like this compared to physical workbook. I think the two go hand in hand perfectly.

The blog has helped me to figure out my ideas. It sort of worked as a venting mechanism for me. Looking back at now there are some bits that stray away from being reflective, I start to analyse in some parts (e.g. artist models, illustration developments) which in hindsight probably would have made more sense in my physical workbook. But together they inform each other.

Formative Feedback.

illustrations I showed in formative.

Starting to consider type layouts. I don’t really have a technique in doing this, my process is just to continuously iterate and re-iterate. 

Today’s lesson we started experimenting with maps. 

I found this quick activity really helpful. Up until now I hadn’t even put much thought into my map so I’m glad we were made to do it in class. It put into perspective the kind of composition I’ll need to use for my map.

There is more evidence of my iterations and ideas in my workbook but this is the idea I think I’ll develop. 

The idea is to have the milk spilling out of the cup in a dynamic way to illustrate the movement of direction from A to B to C. Looking at this now, I would like to rearrange the layout to make the blue background appear as if its the waterfront. 

Thinking about what we talked in during class. I think the simpler the better. I don’t want too much information or symbolism. A lot of people used landmarks throughout their map, but I’ve already used these in my illustrations so I would rather not repeat these elements.

Refining my illustrations - starting to consider layout

I’ve finally come to the conclusion of the direction I’m taking with my illustrations. 

Fidels

Left - I first produced this drawing which is just an iteration of my spilling drink composition for interim. And then after brainstorming a few elemental ideas I decided to add the Cuba street fountain as a landmark, which could represent the area Fidel’s is in.

Right - I didn’t like the placement of the fountain in the first composition so I started moving it around and somehow ended up with this visual integration of two elements. Immediately after this I started to get a better idea of the way I want to execute the rest of my illustrations, and I’m starting to feel more confident with my choice of imagery. 

I have also just added some random type over the top as a way to start thinking about how it will look. Obviously I have two very seperate pages but I don’t want to leave type to the last minute and find that I have no where to fit it. So through my process I’m just trying out random layouts whilst referring back to the layout artist model in my workbook. 

(add image of artist model)

SHAKE

continuing from the Fidel’s illustrations that I was really happy with, I’ve now created a similar play on visual elements using the research I had for SHAKE. The cafe looks out onto the waterfront so I think thats a perfect landmark to use. This illustration is breaking the border of the composition a little bit more and isn’t so confined. This is probably the only thing I like about the image so far.

Andre’s feedback on this specific illustration was that its too ambiguous, could be any shake and any location. There’s nothing special about the way it looks and the reference to waterfront is so lost. So I went back and did some quick sketches (evidence in workbook). And will re-iterate this later on.

MIDNIGHT ESPRESSO

Since I decided on Midnight Espresso so late down the line, my illustrations are suffering a little bit and I have a long way to go with ideas. I completed this illustration really quickly (using a reference image found online) just in order to get the wheels turning in my head about development, and just to have something to put into my first printed draft to show in class. 

Interim Presentation

The process of the interim really worked for me to be able to decide on which illustrative style to go with. I like that we had to show two of our different styles. I wish that I had produced much better work, I feel like I would have received even better feedback.

But in saying that, even with these basic images I have produced, I could tell through my feedback that everyone was leaning towards one. I usually get stuck between a million ideas and become so indecisive. But this helped me to just scrap the SHAKE idea and continue to develop in the illustration style that everyone liked. 

This is what I managed to hand in for my interim presentation along with some thumbnail sketches. I am not completely happy with what I have produced so far but I know that I still have time to refine and explore my ideas even further.

Everyone seemed to like the effect of the colour blocking. So I think the second Fidel’s illustration is the style I’m going for. I now need to apply this to my shake illustration and then midnight espresso (which I haven’t begun). 

(brochures to collect).

Working on the grid (type)

(paste image)

Starting to think about the way I can layout text next to my image. So far I like the way the colour block works. I am referencing my artist model in the way that she segregates illustration and main type between the two pages. 

Below I am starting to work on my SHAKE illustration. I haven’t had a chance to explore this one too much yet, and so far the idea of it to me seems quite dull and two dimensional. I have literally take the outline for an image and drawn it in the background, I think this is too literal. In my workbook I’ve started to sketch some new ideas but for interim this is probably all I’ll have time to hand in.

I fell behind with my work during the last week. I haven’t really completed the collages so I wasn’t able to receive any feedback or critique on my work so far. After today’s lesson I decided to start looking at some illustration styles and techniques. I gathered a variety of photos from pinterest.

I know that I shouldn't refer to or rely on pinterest too much. But I used it more so to create a mood board of illustrations rather than artist models. I haven’t really done digital illustrations like this before so I just wanted a range of successful images and techniques that I could refer to.

This helped me a lot. I started with just sketching some quick compositional concepts to be able to know where to start with my illustration process.

Through some quick sketches I noticed that I’m interested in somehow combining the actual physical milkshake cup with the surrounding environment. Already with these two ideas I can see two elements being communicated. 

I jumped right into creating some illustrations of the cups using photoshop. So far my focus is just on Fidel’s and SHAKE, as I need to complete two different styles for the upcoming interim.

These are the two milkshake illustrations I’ve created so far. Im quite happy with the fidel’s metallic cup on the left. I think it resembles the metal quality quite nice but still retains an illustrative/sketchy element.

After this I just jumped right into throwing these two images into different compositions. At this point I know that I’m not 100% happy with the way they look, but I want to get the entire concept on lock before I begin to start refining the finer details. 

I chose to use the orange colour from my original colour swatch (in workbook), and layered my illustration within a few different compositions. While starting to think bout page layout at the same time. 

((((analysis of artist model)))

What elements or graphic treatment have contributed to the mood of the compositions and stylistic approaches identified?

Consider colour, font choice, image treatment, (vector, photographic, duo-tone, collage, illustration), scale, orientation etc.

FIDELS primary/secondary research

This week we were asked to bring any sourced material from our place, and crafting mediums. I haven't had a chance to visit all my milkshake cafe’s yet so I brought an object I thought would be relevant to my theme; a straw. 

Some of the other classes seemed to have a structure or tasks to the way they drew/created. But we were just told to draw and redraw our object as many times as we could on A3 sheets of paper. I liked this, it gave us creative freedom and helped us look beyond the physical boundaries of the object. 

These are a few of the drawings I completed which are now pasted into my workbook. 

I wouldn't say these are up to my drawing standards however I know this was besides the point. 

Before completing this task I didn’t really think too much about using illustration for my images. I thought I’d just use photography. But looking at this I can see how illustrations and use of colour could benefit my theme a lot. Just through endless ways I can change the physical features of a straw, I could do the same with my shakes. 

at the moment my drawings don’t really resemble any emotive qualities. I could probably experiment more with repetition, pattern, visual flow to tie in this element later on.

Homework:

We were asked to complete a more structured visual matrix, using our images, words and sketches.

This is what I created based on the instructions I understood. I tried my best to make it relevant but I didn't feel like this process informed my creativity at all. It felt too forced, and I feel like I’ve moved beyond the matrix stage. So I did’t continue or make any for the rest of my places. 

I still felt that I need evidence of some sort of emotive quality so I quickly scribbled some ideas using photoshop. I used illustrative lines and words and tried to associate them somehow to fit in with different emotive elements that could be found within my locations.

Food + Drink Matrix - Milkshakes

During today’s lesson I got a chance to show Donald my (what I thought was) final Matrix. I chose to do milkshakes in Wellington as I thought it was quite a fun and bubbly idea. I usually think too hard about topic ideas and try too hard to do something original. But for this class I decided to just bite the bullet and choose something easy going and go with it. I want to let my design be the element that separates this idea from the rest. 

Donald could see the differentiation between Fidel’s and shake, but we both agreed that Mama browns needs to be replaced. He suggested I choose just any dairy that does cheap shakes in “The longest drink cup”. However after class this week I went to a few different dairy’s and had no luck, I couldn’t find any that did the cheap shakes.

So I went back to the drawing board and scribbled some more ideas down through a brainstorm.

Homework:

We now had to create 3 visual matrix’s for each of our place. I have chosen to compile a collection of photos found on the web as a way to visually describe the atmosphere/aesthetic/experience of each place. Donald and Andre also explained that it would be useful to have a set of words to go along side each matrix.

So far I have only created two visual matrix’s as I am still struggling to find a third milkshake location.

Fidels mood board (visual matrix)

Retro. Theme. Revolution. Cuba. Havana. Dim. Moody. Dark. Atmospheric. Cold.

SHAKE mood board (visual matrix)

Ideate

In a small A5 sized frame, we had to design a “postcard” to represent a part or a moment in our summer break.  This activity really got my creative flow going again. 

After a 3 month break from uni work I’m feeling a bit of a creative block. This post card design represents my trip to south island this holiday and a cruise through milford sound. I chose quite a literal representation using landscape and title. 

In a group, we got together and wrote down as many activities/events/places etc that came under the categories Sports and Rec, Arts and Culture, Food and Drink.

What I understand from this class so far is that we will be creating some sort of brochure/pamphlet to represent 3 places within the same theme/category, but of distinctly different features. I’ll probably stay away from sports and recreation as I would prefer to choose a topic that I’m familiar with. Don’t want to choose something I’ve never done before. 

So far I’m leaning towards the idea of art gallery’s. I like the idea of using photography to capture the structure of the buildings and potentially combining this with illustration. I would like to visit art gallery’s also. 

I also think food and drinks would be a good topic for me as it would be so easy to collect imagery and Wellington city is the heart of amazing restaurants and cafe’s. 

Independent study:

For homework we then had to complete 3 matrix grids which were given to us. I found the structure of the matrix really confusing at first (in terms of secondary communication points etc). But after seeing some of the student exemplars I understood the relevance of this. It helped me dispose of a lot of my topic ideas  as they were too ambiguous or didn't have enough differentiation between them. 

Food/Drink Matrix

Art/culture Matrix