Module 1 - Complete

Module 1

Carlin Lyon Student No: 637315 Semester 1/2013

Group 9

Natural Processes Patterns

Microscopic photographs of butterfly wings: I found the different textures and shapes of the wing fragments intriguingly complex, however the patterns are fairly uniform which do not provide much opportunity to extract abstract patterns from.

These are some natural patterns that I have initially experimented with, to see what abstract effects I could derive from these subjects.

The top image represents the scales of a parrot fish which I found to be nicely irregular in terms of the scale shape.

The second on the left is an abstract trace of the pattern that sunlight makes on the ocean floor as it is refracted by the water. To the right is a sketch of the vegetable okra.

The image to the right traces the pattern of a giraffe, and the pattern right of that depicts a rock formation. Finally the bottom picture is a simple sketch of a shaft of wood.

Drawing Patterns

Analytical Drawing Kadensky’s approach to analytical drawing is focused on three steps; finding the essential form of a subject, finding its tension lines which indicate movement but are not ‘seen,’ and reducing the drawing to its concise representation of the abstract form.

The image demonstrates the process of extracting an essential form of an image. The final black line does not necessarily trace the original shape, but it also include implied or hidden relationships between the bicycle wheels, the wheel axes, and the centre of the bike.

Image from ‘Poling, Clark (1987): Analytical Drawing In Kandisky’s Teaching at the Bauhaus Rizzoli, New York’

The natural pattern I’ve chosen to work with is the exoskeletal shape of an underwater bug, the Tomopteris I like the smooth curve of its body, which constrasts very strongly with its sharp, or spiky looking exoskeleton.

My Pattern

Application To find the simple overall form of a subject, Kadinsky suggests to extract basic lines representing the direction and placement of forms, including obvious and ‘hidden’ relationships between them.

I tried to approach my image (of a segmented sea creature) in a similar manner, following the openly curved direction of the main body in a single line. I managed to find a focal point too.

(Right)

Analytical Drawing of Chosen Patern

As Kadinsky also mentioned that balance was important, I drew a single line to contrast the curve. The straight line represents where my eye travels along the image, and indicates movement in the photo which follows along the direction of the insect’s legs. (Left)

To create balance in the image, I attempted to exxagerate the protruding limbgs to produce a squre-like final overall shape.

This I find works well against the roundness of the creature’s body, and highlights the smooth inside curve in the image.

I also attempted to take a small segment of the boddy and reflect it, and potentially repeat it. This was an investigation in creating symmetry with this pattern. I could still continue firther and create a zigzag shape with the reflected segments.

Balance and Symmetry

Drawing Movement

This drawing was intended to represent the movement of the image, where I have taken away most of the insect’s limbs to avoid visual distractions from the spiral.

I like the general shape of the curve, as it produces a clean and even spiral, while the paterns within the curve give it a direction. This way the viewer’s eye is directed anticlockwise along the spiral, as if following it from the centre out.

The pattern I have ended with uses a combination of taking the key pattern, the essential form (which circulates around the whole body), and also the repition of a segment.

Once the rows of the segments are joined, a mesh like pattern is created, with unusual ‘hole’ shapes.

This can however, be forever repeated.

This is a rough example of a larger portion of the pattern. It is almost like weaving the pattern together to create a larger surface.

Current Pattern

Developed Pattern Although I previously found a pattern in my image, I thought it would be difficult to work with ‘rows’ of patterns, and so I tried to extract a single element. I found that I could use the spaces between the pattern rows in my initial drawing, and that the spaces created an unusual scale shape.

I then tried various transformation with this scale, rotating it to form a multi-line symmetry, which I found to produce a flower like shape.

I then tried extruding the scale shape, and I really liked the strange effect it produced.

Transforming the Base Shape

I initially created a single scale, or segment, from my pattern of a scaled creature, which I found created a unique form (left). I was then curious to see what would happen if I repeated it in a line, and then layered it. I really likes the movement of the scales in a line (middle), however I couldn’t find an appropriate way to join different segments and together. In the lecture, I saw the various ways in which I could transform my pattern, including scaling, rotating, and using symmetry.

The image on the right is what resulted when I rotated the row of scales around a central point. I thought this product was quite successful as it altered the overall appearance of the pattern, even though I still used the same base shape, and also had an sense of symmetry to it, along multiple axes.

My next approach however, was to extrude the scale, to create a more three dimensional object. I altered the shape a little so that the sides of the scales tapered in a little. I then rotated this, like I did with the first pattern, however this time only three scales could fit. The scales were also no longer flat, the were lifted up a little at the edges.

The Effects of Shadows

I really like the effect of the light as it passes through the form below, especially as the form is not linear, and so the shadows are slightly elongated at certain edges. This form however is not very stable on its own, as it tends to flatten out by itself. I think therefore the form on the left is more practical.

Transferring to Rhino Transferring my model into Rhino was initially quite challenging.

I found that the best way to produce the scale base was to create the bottom shape, resize it to a small scale, then loft it. One of the panels didn’t work however, so I manually drew it again and selected a planar curve. The biggest challenge of this exercise was figuring out how I could lift the scale edges up, as if it were a flower with petals curling in.

I trialled different tools like the 3D scaling tool, and the gumball tool, and eventually found a way to successfully draw it. I created axes along the floor plane at ever 30 degree angle, so that this I could use thses as axes to rotate the scale on; I kept the central point of the scale in position, and just lifted the edges of each scale. I couldn’t quite match up the edges though, so I added and extra joining plain between scales.

Antoni Gaudi I believe Gaudi’s Casa Batlló is a great representation of pattern integrated in architecture, in particular the rooftop. On one side of the roof, there are round edged ceramic tiles that cover the whole surface. It is believed that these tiles intended to represent the natural pattern of reptilian scales, or to imagine the texture ofv the back of a dragon. Gaudi has taken a slightly more organic, rounded ceramic tile, compared to common straight edged ones, which is more representative of the natural form of scales. He has then repeated this element, the tile, to create a symmetrical and even pattern, overlapping the tiles slightly between rows. This makes the side of the roof look united and consistent, while still giving in an organic form.

The other side of the roof consists of mosaic tiles, which are also repeated to fill the surface of the roof, however the pattern is slightly different to the ceramic tiles. Although the overall appearance of the mosaic side seems even and consistent, Gaudi has used irregularly shaped mosaic tiles, and has rotated them and resized each one to tesselate into a flat pattern. The individual pieces also appear to represent scales, however Gaudi has approached the design in a different way on either side of the roof.

The pattern I’ve chosen to use depicts a sea creature that has an exoskeleton, that also consists of scales that are repeated and slightly overlapped. Like Gaudi, I have attempted to take a segment of these scales, then repeat it, and rotate it. I found that rotating the unique scale shape and trying to tesselate the scales has given and interesting irregular pattern, that still overall appears consistent and not jarring.

Reading

This week’s reading Pattern Formation in Nature by Ball explored how natural patterns can be quite self-organised and mathematical. My choice of pattern of a scaled sea creature supports this idea, as it has a unique scale formation that repeats, and is consistently elongated as it progresses along the creature’s body; it is a very organised structure.

Another idea that the reading considered, was how the interactions between segments of a form can create a pattern. As in the image (left), the general scale/exoskeletal behaviour along the creature’s body creates a consistent pattern, as the scales interact and overlap eachother. And so the self-organised patter consists of “components, interacting via local rules that are often relatively simple.”

Shape of the Lantern Essentially I wanted to carry out the idea of overlapping scales, that I extracted from my original pattern. In the exercise we did in class, I explained to my partner that i wanted to produce a representation of scales, and the result is shown left. Originally I had considered scales to be large, wide and flat, however after seeing the model, I started thinking about smaller, and more repetitive scales.

The image on the right is a first draft of the shape I might eventually aim for with my lantern.

Modelling the Shapes These are some of my images where I have used modelling clay to sculpt more three-dimensional representations of scales. I found that even with simple overlapping scales, there were a lot of things I could do to transform it. I experimented with elongating the ends of the scales, making them long and sharp. Then I tried making them smoothly flow together (second to the right), as if there was a reference to feathers in a wing. And finally, I used flat wide scales, and tweaked the ends of each scale. I found that most of these models were quite successful in representing my intended unique forms of scales.

Modelling the Shapes These are some more detailed sketches representing the overall movement and shape of the lantern that I am aiming for.

Essentially, I would like the lantern to interact with the forearm, and to reach outward, and above toward shoulder height. I am trying to mimic the scale or armour plating of animals and reptiles, for example like the Pangolin. Looking back at these drawings however, I think that the idea of scales or armour plating would be more effective if I had larger ‘scales.’

Patterns on the Lantern

Finally, I begain experimenting with shapes that could be cut out of the lantern, to produce various light effects. Above is a thought process of how I could arrive at a pattern that incorporates different sized shapes. I broke down my initial scale shape into three triangles, and then elongated it to create small triangles that fit with long ‘shard’-like triangles.

These are some ideas on how I could incorporate the above designs into the general shape of the lantern.

Although I may no longer use my original scale shape, I still think that these ideas for the overall lantern incorporate my original ideas and intentions.

Lighting Effects As I previously mentioned, I would like to aim for ‘shards’ of light, mixed with smaller ‘holes’ for light to pass through in my lantern. The image to the left demonstrates the refraction of light through Swarovski crystal, which produces very thin long lines of light.

I also like how the shards of light often cross paths, and I hope to achieve this kind of irregularity with my lantern, by using round and irregular shapes for the lantern shape itself.

By using long thin triangles, I also hope to create the illusion of dramatically elongated shapes, where the ends of the shards of light begin to blur.