DOT-LINE

These are all the broad idea that started the creative process for the 3 words I would choose.

At the start of this project, we were given the word gestalt. Gestalt is to see things as a whole before we see the individual components. This project’s obejective was to build a abstract iterations with little to minimal elements and create many iterations to then work on the iterations that would be the most successful. Using value, line, scale, and visual hierarchy to grasp the concept that was being protrayed in the artwork. As designers, we had to be aware of the similarity and continuations of the dots and lines to showcase the word we were trying to portray. There were a total of 3 in-class work days to complete this project. A majority of the work on the project was to be done outside of class. I like to spend extra time to make a project the best it can be. Although, after reading “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott I have come to appreciate my work even if it is not the best it could be under a time restriction. Understanding that not all of the work I create will be the best on the first attempt is one of the many lessons I learned in this design class. Abstract art is rather difficult to understand an work with. This was a challenging project that required me to think of the meanings of the different words. To disect the word itself, and how that could translate to art in an abstract form rather than a straight-forward image.

Left: The eleborate words of rejection, joy, and terror

Bottom: More iterations that would become the direction towards the final compositions.

Starting this process was not easy. Creating numerous sketches for the words that would successfully portray the word without all the detail of illustrating it. Choosing from those sketches the 3 iterations that I felt I could work on further was difficult. After I chose the 3 words I felt would be the most successful, I began cutting multiple circles and lines varyng in size and length. It was encouraged to play around with the composition then draw out the composition. This was a new idea to me because drawing is how I came up with ideas rather than physically moving things around. Continuing to work from those 3 iterations and expanding them while keeping to a schedule was challenging. How much work went into the project while balance other work that needed to be was an obstacle that needed to be overcome. A planner helped with the time management, so I kept working. Precision during the process became easier as I kept working, but during the in-process critque the measurement of the white square that the design would be put on was smaller than what was required. I found that the cutting mats had the measurements, but depending on the mat that was used the measuremets varied. After finishing the art work, it came to mounting it. Ensuring that the paper was sticky enough to stick to the mounting board while making sure that is would not curl up. This process was tedious, but the final result is one that I am proud of.

For the in-process critque, it was said that the image for joy seemed to be stuck. The dot seemed to at a downward incline where there is no exit. When I was creating this, I knew that the mounting board that was going to be used would be black so I wanted to make it seem that the black continued off the white square. My intention for this was a subjective joy. What brings me joy is the sport I played for 12+ years, softball. It was supposed to represent a home plate with an outside pitch which was my favorite pitch to throw. I think my classmates did not like it because they did not see it as the homeplate, but as a rut that was unescapable.

For this piece, I wanted to divide the two dots with the black line to show that when a person is rejected it is has if a line divides the two. The size difference between the dots is because the person who is rejected typicall becomes small and encloses on themseleves while the larger dot, remains unchanged or seems to grow. The smaller dot leans toward the line in an attempt to overcome that dividing line.

This piece I wanted to have the larger dot at the edge of the line to show that it was about to fall on the smaller dot. I wanted to show that there is fear in being squished by a object that is significantly larger than another. If I had put the larger dot closer to the top of the line, it may have shown more anticipation rather than terror.

After taking my classmates comments in the in-process critque, I decided to play around with the placing of the two black lines and the one dot. I knew that I still wanted to continue with the negative space of the black leading off the page, so I made the two lines larger and seperated them. I put the dot on the right side because I wanted it to be seen as if a person put the ball on a little ramp and then will watch it go down the ramp as some sort of entertainment. That is where the joy would so in this piece; however, my classmates still say it was not joy because the ball is leading down into an abyss. They did say it was an imrovement from in-process because rather than the dot being stuck in a rut, it has the ability to continue moving even if it is downward.

During the in-process critque, one of my classmates had one of their lines 3/4 of the way on the page, like the image to the left. I thought that was a great idea for my piece because instead of the line being set from top to the bottom, if it 3/4 of the way on the page it would look like the wall is moving up. I decided to change the color of the larger dot because if it was black it would match the matting board and it could be seen as if the dot was moving away from the line and the smaller dot.

I did not change much from the in-process critque. I mostly worked on cleaning up the gluing and made sure matting the final project was neat and clean. I did change the length of the line that the larger dot is falling off of and made the smaller dot a bit smaller. I think these changes make the image more central to the eye rather than the in-process image was off-centered and made the larger dot the sole focus. Now the whole issue of the larger dot about to fall on the smaller dot is more of the focus.