Week 1 (4/1/22) - Week 7 (17/2/22)
Student: Tai Ser Yeet (0345798)
Programme:
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task: PROJECT
1: SELF-PORTRAIT
Jumplinks :
LECTURES
Week 3 (18/1/22 & 20/1/22) / Introduction & Briefing on Project 1
1. Tuesday's Lecture Summary :
There was no lecture today due to the Thaipusam public holiday.
2. Thursday's Lecture Summary :
Dr. Charles highlighted the phrase “contemporary forms of
self-expression”. Figure out the intent of your design by conducting
background research about yourself. There are various ways to approach
creating a self-portrait. Utilizing mixed mediums such as
sketching or even creating a collage using the photographs you have
captured. To get started, we ought to first understand who the “user”
is and in this case, it is you.
“Who are you? What are you?”
Intangible information such as hobbies, education, skills are merely
summaries of yourself. Look past them and you would discover much more
such as your taste in make-up, sense of style, favorite food, and so
forth. Do not only consider your internal attributes but your physical
attributes as well. Lastly, allow the design principles to guide your
composition for the project.
Week 4 (25/1/22 & 27/1/22) / Introduction & Briefing on Project 1
1. Tuesday's Lecture Summary :
A video regarding subjective definitions of self-portrait was shown in
the pre-recorded lecture. The words of a female talent from the video
have provided a relatable definition to what I had in mind. She states
that " a self-portrait represents who you are at a specific point in
time" which is undeniably correct because people change and it is very
natural to do so. In short, a self-portrait is also a visual depiction
of one's self; how I want to be seen by others, and also how I see
myself.
2. Thursday's Lecture Summary :
Dr. Charles had discussed about Project 3: Sense of Place and brought us
virtually to a public park at Kota Kemuning. I was definitely amused by
the breathtaking scenery and most importantly, his effort in making the
class more enjoyable for everyone.
INSTRUCTIONS
MY EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTES
1. SENSE OF STYLE
I would consider my style to be seasonal and mostly according to trends
circling around various social media platforms such as TikTok and
Instagram. Additionally, even though I possess a love-hate relationship
towards public attention, I do desire to be unique once in a while which
could also be seen in the way I dress.
Here is the complete mood board inspired by posts I have seen on
Pinterest.
Fig 1.1; My Mood board (28/1/22)
As seen from the mood board above, I lean more towards bright colors
instead of monochromatic colors derived from only grey or black
tones.
MY INTERNAL ATTRIBUTES
1. EMPATHY & VULNERABILITY
On the 15th of January 2022, I came across an Instagram story regarding
an 18-year-old boy named Sam Hong who was found dead on a roadside at
SS14, Subang Jaya. A few days later, the autopsy report disclose that it
was a case of a hit-and-run by a vehicle. Unfortunately, until this day,
there were no suspects detained for the murder of this teenage boy. I was
very shaken by the news because I just could not believe that this
innocent, young boy would be taken away from the world so fast. Moreover,
he was not walking on a dangerous pathway and instead, on a pathway meant
for pedestrians. Later, I also discovered that most of my friends were
acquaintances of the deceased which made the sorrow much
worse. Nevertheless, I had learn more about myself through events such as
these.
Below is a glimpse of my grieving process towards someone I do not even
know personally.
After watching Sam's friend grief on social media, I realized that I was
not as cold as I thought I was. I am capable of feeling emotions and most
importantly, capable of expressing them openly. I always believed that
sensitive emotions are meant to be hidden from view but as time goes by, I
acknowledged that there is no harm in showing them to the world. Maybe the
idea of vulnerability is what I am most afraid of. That needed to change
because keeping every bit of negative energy inside just cultivates a
pessimist. Besides, balling one's eyes out truly makes one feel so much
better in the end. Crying was not a habit I was able to "master"
ever since my childhood. Even at my grandparent's funerals, I was
laughing.
My father, on the other hand, is a master at hiding his thoughts and
feelings. I believe that I have inherited that side from him. Reading
him was next to impossible but I could manage, only because I was the
same. Some would say, a chip off the old block. It is fascinating how
genetics do not only determine how you appear externally but internally
as well.
In conclusion, empathy and the strive to achieve vulnerability are
amongst the important traits which have influenced my attitude,
behavior as well as my mentality in life.
2. SEPARATION ANXIETY
Typically, the routine goes like this. My mother would provide early
notice of her scheduled hang-outs and meetings so my brother and I could
settle our meals for the day. I would then unintentionally react with
angry outbursts as I initially believed she rather spent her leisure time
with her peers as opposed to her own family members.
Nonetheless, my given response never fails to make me feel shameful in
the end. It was indefinitely a never-ending cycle of condemnation. After
coming across an article by Norris (2015), I learned that there was more to it than meets the eye. It was never
about having inadequate family time but it was more of the anxiousness I
felt when she was gone.
For the longest time, I could not put into words, how I felt when my
mother had left me. It was not leaving for a vacation or 'forever', it was
merely leaving for grocery runs, and mostly meeting up with friends.
Looking back, I finally understood why I was sobbing from the minute I had
arrived at my primary school to the minute I was bound to meet my mother
again. On extreme occasions whereby she would disappear for a week or two,
I would actively count the days until I could reunite with her once again.
Many had teased me for my uncontrollable tears and daily companionships
from my homeroom teacher in primary school but I reckon they were not
entirely aware of what was going on. Nevertheless, finally being able to
put a label to this emotion feels somewhat comforting as I could now seek
specific advice and relate to victims suffering from the mental issue.
Even if mine just so happens to be trivial.
The article written by Norris (2015) shares her experience dealing with
separation anxiety from her mother. Her self-reflection has truly been a
blessing in my journey of identifying the root cause of my maternal
attachment issues. One of the paragraphs she wrote about mothers radiating
a sense of comfort struck a core inside of me. Below are a few phrases
that have put my complicated emotions into perspective:
-
"The only thing that could quell my anxieties was my mom’s
presence."
-
"My mom still possesses a therapeutical power to
turn her comfort into my confidence. It’s not so much that I vent to her my thoughts and feelings, I
just like to be in her orbit."
Essentially, my mother acts as a safety blanket and a pillow in
uncomfortable situations. I could always depend on her to make me feel
safe and sound. Hence, the sole reason why I could never detach myself
from her presence.
All-in-all, the separation anxiety has improved immensely ever since
I matured into an adult. Despite the reduction, a part of the
anxiousness still appears sporadically. As a result, I do experience
occasional mood swings and it has been something I am always striving
to improve.
3. FEAR OF JUDGEMENT
In one of Week 3’s lecture sessions, Dr. Charles stated that we,
humans tend to be biased when revealing our identity to others. But
frankly, I believe that only I truly know myself the best. I may not
have all the answers to my holistic attitude but nobody could describe
me better than I could. However, as confident as I may seem, not
everything is sunshine and rainbows. I do not hide my character as a
result of valuing privacy but because I am deadly afraid of the
critics. People who would judge my character once they have pieced
together various segments of my identity and decide that they dislike
who I am as a whole. Therefore, different individuals will only
receive certain parts of who I am and never me as an entirety. A
common Japanese proverb echoes my thoughts best. It reads,
Fig 3.1; Japanese Proverb (27/1/22)
Fig 3.2; Combined Three Faces (27/1/22)
As stated in Reid (n.d.)'s write-up titled "Your Character's Three
Faces", she describes that each face reveals a different aspect of
our character and we choose to present different parts of ourselves
to different audiences. For instance, I might feel comfortable
discussing the topic of reproduction with my close friends but I
would not dream of doing so with acquaintances. It is too
unimaginably awkward for both parties. Hence, I believe it is best
if 3 types of faces containing various authentic parts of myself are
kept separate from each other.
After some time, it gets very exhausting, having to always put up a
defensive guard in order to prevent getting hurt by others. However, looking on the flip side, not everybody has to see your true identity. Instead, it is reserved for those that truly matter. This definitely is a personal dilemma that I am constantly wondering about.
SELF-PORTRAIT PROGRESSION
For the sake of keeping the design composition minimal and less
chaotic, I have selected only a few traits that I believe best
represent myself at this very moment. Amongst the attributes I have
narrowed down are :
External attributes :
-
My obsession with puff-sleeve blouses
-
All-time favorite colors: Red and purple
Internal attribute :
-
Display of vulnerability through my backstory on separation
anxiety
Fig 4.1; McDonald's Playground in Malaysia (30/1/22)
Description
While drawing Sketch #1, I suddenly had an idea to take inspiration
from a McDonald's Playground. I used to enjoy this particular
playground structure because it allows me to envision that I am in
the space shuttle, flying to the moon. Thus, I wanted to recreate
that child-like feeling into my first Self-Portrait sketch.
Fig 4.2; Sketch #1 (23/1/22)
Description
Sketch #1 mainly stems from a belief that my personality is
divided into four quadrants and there is a tiny SerYeet living in
those quadrants. However, I ditched the idea of Sketch #1 even
before I was able to complete the bottom two quadrants.
Nevertheless, I will continue my explanation regarding this
bizarre idea.
From a bigger picture, we are able to see that when all four
segments are joined together, a face emerges from the background.
Starting off, the first quadrant on the top left showcases my
comfort space where I am able to unwind and free myself from
societal pressure of who I should be. The upper right quadrant
displays an infinity room where deep thinking is carried out.
Next, both the upper quadrants are equipped with a hemisphere
mirror (reference from the Mcdonald's playground). To put it
simply, both the mirrors are essentially just "eyes" that allow
tiny SerYeet to observe her surroundings without being noticed by
anyone. Lastly, the "eyelashes" that are illustrated by bendable
straws are a visual representation of my environmental
consciousness.
Fig 4.3 ; Sketch #2 (28/1/22)
Description
The ticking time bomb disguised as the subject's upper head
symbolizes my sudden bursts of anger. You never know when I might
explode in your face. Next, the mouth housing 4 fangs and many
jagged teeth represent the way I perceive myself during this
phase; a devil with a short temper. Surrounding the artwork, there
are grey "breaths" flying out of the subject's mouth. Besides
that, the breaths also possess eyes that are, in fact, a
silhouette of my mother and me holding hands.
In accordance with the backstory of my separation anxiety, I have
illustrated this sketch. To be frank, I created this design without
knowing which design principles to apply. Essentially, just going
with the creative flow and letting my imagination go wild. But one
thing is for sure, I wanted the subject as well as the area closest
to it, derive from similar color palettes whereas the other areas of
the background will be a contrasting color. Halfway into the
sketching, I recognized a noticeable symmetrical balance and went
with it. However, with symmetrical balance, comes rigidity and the
lack of dynamicity. I felt that the composition was too plain and
ordinary as symmetrical balance is commonly used in many amateur
designs. Overall, the design expresses the underlying cause of my
anger; the need for my mother's constant presence.
Rough Feedback for Sketch #2
Dr. Charles stated that the hand pointing towards the viewer
is very provocative. He recognized that the principle of
continuity is used in the curved lines that flow from the
center and spread out as it floats away. For instance, one
of the bubbles is going out of the frame which implies that
it continues beyond the premise.
Post- Feedback
Because the composition of Sketch #2 was too mundane for my liking,
I have sought advice from my best friend, Lily who is currently an
art student at The One Academy. During our interaction, she had
reminded me of the Rule Of Thirds concept used in both Photography
and Design. Moreover, she raved about how it has really transformed
her artwork in terms of making it visually stimulating.
Below are steps on how to apply The Rule of Thirds:
-
Decide on a subject of your choice as a focal point
-
Place the focal point where the horizontal and vertical lines
intersect with each other. Those intersection points would be
the areas in which the viewer will divert their attention first.
(Kassenova, n.d.)
In an article I have read regarding the Rule of Thirds,
Elliot(2021) suggested that designers who are
creating portraiture should note the naturally given stagnancy and
rigidity when the subject is placed smack-center on the canvas. A
way to bring a sense of flow into the composition is to move the
focal point off-center. That helps in enhancing visual interest
and softens the energy of the design. I found this viewpoint
highly relevant to this assignment and thus have decided to apply
it to my later sketches.
Fig 4.4; Application of The Rule of Thirds (28/1/22)
Description
I decided to draw the grid lines on a stock image, just to
familiarise myself with the placement of the subject and supporting
elements. As seen in the picture, the girl's head, her body, and the
adult's hand are situated directly on the intersection points.
Fig 4.5 ; Sketch #3 (28/1/22)
Description
I have used the referenced picture above as a guide for Sketch #3's
composition. In terms of the artwork itself, the screaming mouth is
still present but I have omitted the time bomb and replaced it with
regular eyes and two pigtails.
When Inspiration Strikes
Fig 4.6 ; Reference Image (28/1/22)
Description
This is one of the images used in my friend, Lily's design
journal. I was very captivated by the harmonious color scheme
used in this piece of artwork. Not to mention, the wavy lines
in the background provided a sense of continuity to the
design.
Fig 4.7; Sketch #4 (28/1/22)
Description
A different variation from Sketch #2 and #3. The focal point of
this version is an actual human instead of a cartoonish subject.
For Sketch #4, I have implemented the same pointing finger from
Sketch #2 and placed it dead center of the design, sticking with
the provocative energy. Other than that, taking reference from the artwork above, wavy lines were added in the background to illustrate the subject's
flowy hair. Outfit-wise, the subject is wearing a puffy blouse which
is my favorite style of clothing at the moment as well as a dainty
necklace representing feminity.
Fig 4.8; Coloring Sketch #4 (29/1/22)
Fig 4.9; Further Coloring Sketch #4 (29/1/22)
Description
The application of harmonious shades of colors from the reference
image can be seen here as I color in Sketch #4. I wanted to
incorporate more design principles into my design hence, the
illustration of the fist utilizing Gestalt's Principle of Closure.
For the sake of propelling the fist towards the foreground, black
color is used to create a sense of contrast between various focal
points.
FINAL OUTCOME FOR SELF-PORTRAIT
Fig 5.1; Final Outcome for Self-Portrait (29/1/22)
Short Rationale
A devil dressed like a daydream. At a glance, the final outcome consists of a juxtaposition between a goody-two-shoes appearance
and a satanic personality. A sense of
continuity
is shown in the wavy lines representing the subject's hair. For
instance, the hair continues out of the frame which evidently shows the
respective principle. Next, through
Gestalt's Principle of Closure, the fist was able to emerge to the foreground, unintentionally
provoking the viewers. Lastly, if you look closely, the light effects
drawn above the subject's head are silhouettes of a mother and daughter
intertwining hands. All in all, the most prominent design principle
applied here is
Asymmetrical balance
as seen from the placement of the subject slightly to the right and the
heavy
contrast
of the fist. Even though the composition seems unbalanced, elements such
as the bright orange hair flowing on the left provided weight and
ultimately stabilized the entire artwork.
FEEDBACKS
Week 2 / Progression Feedback
Sketch #2
Dr. Charles stated that the hand pointing towards the viewer is
very provocative. The heavily weighted lines used brought the hand
forward to the foreground. Almost like the hand is coming out of
the canvas and the fears in the form of bubbles are simultaneously
coming out with it. The placement of bubbles, reoccurrence of the
silhouette in the bubbles deliver a sense of repetition but also
dissimilar repetition as not all of them are exactly identical to
each
other. Symmetrical balance can also be observed through the position of the screaming
mouth, placement of the orange sun, the two clocks, and the time
bomb. Furthermore, a sense of continuity can be depicted due to
the curved lines that flow from the center and spread out as it
floats away. For instance, one of the bubbles is going out of the
frame which implies that it continues beyond the premise.
Additionally, a nice balance between warm and cool tones. Lastly, he noticed that I took a huge risk here.
Feedback For Final Outcome
Thankfully, Dr. Charles was able to recognize the pointing
index finger which made me glad. He also complimented my
interesting experimentation of various design
compositions.
REFLECTIONS
1. EXPERIENCES
I am very proud of myself for being able to produce a self-portrait in
the span of 1 week. I am also very glad that I had achieved my targeted
goal of applying my two favorite design principles and that is Gestalt's
Principle of Continuity & Principle of Closure to my project. Other
than that, Project 2 has presented me with the opportunity to discover myself
on a deeper level in terms of my true identity and how I allow others to
perceive my character.
2. OBSERVATIONS & FINDINGS
I was able to understand the concept of the Rule of Thirds and the
application process. Not only that, I began to recognize the importance
of focal point placements which also guide the viewer's eyes towards what you want them to
see first.
Next, after rewatching the video of me grieving for a stranger, I was
able to pinpoint the exact element which made me cry harder than I already
was. And that is the music. If it was not for the background music, the
tears would have stopped. For instance, there was a point in time when I
would begin crying the moment I had heard the theme song of a Korean Drama,
'' Crash Landing on You''. I could not recover from the emotional impact of
the Drama for two weeks. Besides that, during Tutorials, one of my peers
showed her self-portrait consisting of various action figures with
descriptive packaging. I thought that the method of expressing herself was
ingenious and that prompted me to think out of the box for future
projects.
Lastly, I finally understood the reason behind all the anxiousness when I
was separated from my mother. Thus, I could get closure towards that
chapter of my life.
REFERENCES
Your designs are one of the most sincere, which I have ever known so far! This speaks so much of yourself and these did not need to work hard to persuade me to believe you. But thanks to your sincerity in your design process, I was sold! There is so much value and weight in your final solutions. However, do know this; stay true to your solution. you need to believe in it. Because when you do, you are sincere! But others will have other perspectives towards your solution. that's why i also like the concept about having many faces or many parts. like your design having many parts and also many faces! excellent work!
ReplyDelete