PORTFOLIO
Foundations of Design : Representation, Sem 2, 2017 Lilie Paxton-White 911118 Studio 5 - Junhan Foong
Module 1 how to draw a croissant
MEASURED DRAWING OF A CROISSANT Lilie Paxton-White
185mm
ARCH10001
911118
Semester 2, 2017
How to measure a Croissant?
57mm
For our first module in this subject, we were charged with drawing a croissant. The aim of this task was to develop our architectural drawing skills, through drawing orthographic sketches of the various plan views and elevations of the croissant, and then developing these into 3 dimensions, using axonometric drawing techniques. We started off by drawing the croissant on tracing paper in three separate layers to give depth to the images. These were then layered in to Photoshop to give our orthographic drawings. The second stage involved converting these sketches to 3D axonometric drawings. This was achieved by using a set square to draw a grid over the images, which could then be used to compress the outline of the cross section. These compressed images could then be scanned into Photoshop as well, and layered over the plan view orthographic drawing, to produce an axonometric, 3D projection of the croissant.
Front elevation
84mm
I used my Canon600D to take these photos, using a home-made photo-stage, consisting of natural lighting, key and fill lights, and white paper for the reflective background. I think was quite effective in producing crisp, detailed images.
Base view Plan view
84mm
Side elevation
Cross section A C
B
A
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Cross section B
Cross section C
ORTHOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS ORTHOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS 185mm C
B
A
57mm
FRONT ELEVATION
84mm
When using Photoshop I found it difficult to layer these images and still retain the detail; eventually I discovered the “multiply” feature, which enabled me to combine the separate drawings without altering their opacity. I am happy with my shading; I used 4B and 6B pencils as recommended, which I think gives good depth of tone. For the hatching, I followed the shape of the croissant to give it more 3D form. However, I think I could have used different line weights to produce more detailed drawings.
BASE VIEW PLAN VIEW
84mm
SECTION A
END ELEVATION C
B
A
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SECTION B
SECTION C
AXONOMETRIC DRAWING
CROSS SECTION A The axonometric drawing was the most difficult part of this project, as it was something I was completely unfamiliar with. I attempted it three seperate times, however I am now relatively happy with it. Initially, I drew the cross sections the wrong way round, then the orientation of the entire image was backto-front. Although this one is far better than either of my previous attempts, it still seems as though the proportions are slightly off, as the croisant looks far too tall and vaguely squashed.
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CROSS SECTION B
CROSS SECTION C
Module 2 flFlatness vs Projection
Mario World 5-8
The making of a new Mario world
For our second module, we were given two screen shots of a Mario game and instructed to turn them into an axonometric drawing. We began by using tracing paper, a T-square and a set square to sketch the basic, underlying images as an axonometric projection. I found this process very time consuming and challenging - not necessarily because the process itself was difficult, but because it took a lot of thought and planning to lay out all the elements accurately and in a way that would be aesthetically pleasing.
The second step in this task involved combining the two panels into a 3D whole, and add on the extra details that would make our Mario world unique. As I had been given a snow world, I decided to embrace the cold, iciness that the images depicted, and turn it into a floating iceberg sitting amongst the clouds. I utilized many inter-connected geometric shapes to create a glass-like, faceted effect on the surface of the iceberg. However, I thought that wasn’t quite complex enough, so I sketched a spiral staircase in axonometric perspective and cut that into the ice face, leading downwards into the bulk of the iceberg. I hope that this, along with the balcony, hint at a hidden subterranean complex.
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EXPERIMENTATION
Early sketches. When designing my Mario world, I was aware that I would have very little room on the surface to get creative, so I decided to focus most of my energy on the world below-ground. In my initial sketches I wanted to make the hills almost like little houses, with hidden staircases providing access to the lower parts of the image, where rope bridges would connect the extention of these pod-like strucures. However, I wanted to embrace the iciness of my world more, so I eventually moved away from this idea. Even though in my final design the lower-levels of the Mario World was one giant ice-berg, I still wanted to pursue the idea of movement out of sight of the ground level, and by extension, the gamers. This led to my attempts at drawing a spiral staircase in Axonometic perspective, which was quite difficult, as it distored the shapes of each tread. I eventually created something that I believe is quite accurate, and I hope that it depicts how comfortable I have become with this type of drawing.
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When adding colour to the final linework, I utilised the original screen shots as a palette. I am particularly proud of the colour of the hills, which took many attempts to get right. I eventually found that using four different greens in a gradient from light to dark gave the best result, and made their curvature seem quite realistic. to bring in the purple of the sky, I coloured the shadows a light mauve which I think makes the image appear even icier and compliments the greens quite nicely. I had a lot of trouble with the clouds, as I wanted them to appear wispy and ethereal. After creating my own brush in Illustrator that used layers of transparent white lines to look like smoke, I eventually discovered that I could use calligraphy brushes to similar effect. This had the added benefit of not making the software crash. To further reinforce the idea of a snow world, I used a simple polka-dot pattern in the background as a representation of snowflakes.
NEW MARIO WORLD
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Module 3 Pattern vs Surface
PAPER LANDSCAPE The making of a paper landscape For this module, each student was given a digital section of the topography of Tasmania, and tasked with creating a 3D surface out of Ivory Card, using the 3D modelling software, Rhinoceros 5. Initially, the surface upon which the panelized terrain could then built had to be created using commands such as Loft, NetworkSrf and ptPanel3D. Once an aesthetically pleasing surface had been created, each shape had to be convert to a 2-dimentional net, printed, cut (I used the laser-printer) and constructed by hand. The process was incredibly complicated and time consuming, however I also found it very rewarding, as the end result was an intricate, elegant, and hand-made surface. Due to the nature of the pyramidal shapes I chose for tessellation, I had to net each one individually, hence making the process incredibly complicated. However, I soon gained an understanding of the processes involved, and learnt a great deal about the software we were using.
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2D panel with offset points. This was the first stage of creating our panelised surface, as it created the topography of the landscape. Attractor points could be used to give more dramatic changes in elevation.
Basic shape. The Rhinoceros software provided shapes such as the pyramid shown, which could be tessellated when using the ptPanel3D command. However, I wanted to create my own, slightly less angular shapes to create more interest in the final landscape.
Shape development. After much playing around on Rhino, I eventually settled on the three variants of the pyramidalshape shown above. It is essentially a square-based pyramid rotated 45 degrees. I was influenced by simple, geometric shapes like the cube, and the process of origami.
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Final design. I used a semicircular attractor curve on my surface to distribute the different shapes and give the surface an gently undulating effect.
PANELLING AND PROCESSES These are a few examples of the nets I created. Due to the fact that each shape ajoined adjacent ones with a shared face, I had to mesh each structure individually and connect them manually once they had been cut out. So that I could tell which shape was which, I utilised a grid system, naming each net with a letter and number ranging from A1 to J10.
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The construction of this surface was one of the most enjoyable things I did this semester. As I had finished the computer work ahead of time, I was able to send the files to the lasercutter to be printed which made the folding process much more efficient and infinitely neater. However, I did not quite understand how the printing process worked, so when I was labelling each net on the computer, I placed its serial number on it, rather than beside it. As a result, my surface is marred by many large letters and numbers that I now know could easily have been avoided.
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FINAL
This is my final design. It is easiest to see the different shapes I used when viewed from above, where the progression from convex to concave pyramid is clearly illustrated by the changing shadows. If not for the letters and numbers etched into the surface, I would be very happy with the result.
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Module 4 Frame vs Field
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INVISIBLE CITY
Cities & Desire 5: ZobeiDe Lilie Paxton-white, 911118
Cities and Desire 5 - Zobeide Module 4 required modelling of the Old Quad using the 3D imaging software, Rhinoceros 5, then overlaying elements of a story I had been given, to create a virtual 3D world. Using this 3D space, it was required that I produced an isometric drawing of the Quad and any elements I had included, as well as a notational depiction of my characters and their movements through the space. The focus of this task was the succinct use of notation in depicting our storyline. Additionally however, we were tasked with creating two perspective drawings from different angles, that bring the space to life and further emphasize the story. This is my Axonometric drawing of the Old Quad with the addition of the arcade and staircase, which turned the space into the ancient city of Zobeide. It depicts the path of the lady through the city to the point of her disappearance at the top of the staircase. The passage of time line delineates the space, showing who is visible from the first perspective versus the second.
Key Perspective 1 Perspective 2 Running Slowing down Walking Groups of people Staring 0
1m
2.5m
5m
Passage of time Disappearance
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A
B
c
d
I had four viewpoints to decide between when creating my perspectives. Each had benefits and draw-backs, however I eventually decided on C and D to use in my finals. The order and symmetry of C was one main reason for using it, as well as the sweeping view of the staircase which made it a real focal point of the scene. I had more difficulty deciding between the others, as I wanted to show a view of the arcades that was more cluttered with columns and other artefacts, to contrast with the order of C. For a while I was going to use B, as I liked that it seemed to be from the perspective to the girl. However, there was no main focal point in the scene, and the addition of characters didn’t make the space feel more complete. I eventually decided on D, as in this scene you not only get a view of the arcades and staircase, a pillar is blocking the view to the doorway, creating an ambiguity about how the girl escaped.
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PERSPECTIVE 1 My first perspective shows the attention the girl is drawing as she makes her way through the streets of Zobeide. By utilising a halo around her form, I emphasised the dream-like quality of the image. I also utilised lighting and shadows to keep the image clear and bright, and to draw attention to the girl. This was also accomplished by having her in the exact centre of the image, and the men on the periphery staring at her.
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PERSPECTIVE 2 For my second perspective, I wanted the scene to be darker and more confused. I changed the angle of the lighting to be highlighting the stairs, and casting the rest of the scene into shadow. The disorganised arrangement of the columns and the clustering of men throughout the space also emphasise the more insidious nature of this image. Despite the differences however, most of the attention of the scne is still on the staircase – where the woman would be if we could see her. Through doing this, I have linked the two perspectives together.
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REFLECTION Throughout the course of this semester, I have been forced to stretch not only my imagination and my creative skills, but my understandings of various software and the technical processes required in creating the four modules. At the beginning of the semester, I felt relatively confident as our first task involved drawing, which I have had a passion for since a very young age. However, having pre-conceived ideas about the process of sketching was perhaps detrimental to the process, as I often went ahead and drew something that looked aesthetically pleasing, rather than being technically correct. However, I think this was acceptable in module 1, as the overlaying of the three separate drawings in the orthographic images meant that lack of technical skill could be mostly hidden. This was not the case for the axonometric drawings however, which I got incorrect on the first try and had to re-do.
from my inexperience. A good example of this was the oblong rather than circular shape of the hills, which I eventually went back and corrected.
After the learning experiences of Module 1, I felt better prepared going forwards. Having a slight understanding of both Photoshop and Illustrator helped me initially, however learning the software to the standard required to produce satisfactory work was a challenge. Also, upon completing the drawings, I realised that I had not left enough room between the front and the back to insert something of my own creation into the space, as was required. As a result, I focussed most of my attention on the subterranean aspects of my Mario World, developing a vast floating iceberg out of a faceted surface. Overall, I was happy with the result, however again there were a few technical issues that likely resulted simply
The final module was a cumulation of all I had learnt this semester, and it showed, as the entire process was much smoother and easier. The flow between Rhino, Illustrator and Photoshop required to produce my perspectives was difficult to do at first, however towards the end I felt much more comfortable with the whole process.
Module three was simultaneously the most fun and most challenging module of the four. As a complete novice with the Rhinoceros software, I experienced a very steep learning curve at the start; however after our Workshops I began to more understand the processes, and found it to be a very flexible and useful tool. As previously mentioned, I utilised the laser-printer to cut down on time when constructing my surface, however to keep the pieces in place, they taped across each sheet of paper, which led to ripping of the paper. As a result, the surface of my landscape is not as pristine as I would have liked, however I now know I could have used a hairdryer or something similar to make removing the tape easier.
Overall, I have learnt so much this semester, predominantly about the different processes involved in the various representational techniques. Although I am still quite partial to the drawing process, I have greatly enjoyed each one, and especially look forward to learning more about 3D modelling in the future.
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