Order
Black Square Problem
Bold
Increase
Objective
Process
Reflection
The objective of this project was to portray the words: order, increase, bold, congested, tension and playful, through the use of 4 black or white squares. For this project we explored the use of contrast, overlapping, alignment, cropping and frame of reference.
After stating the problem, to create a composition using 4 black/white squares to portray a word, we researched the definitions and synonyms of all the words. After this we started brainstorming by making mind maps and drawing sketches. Then we drew 10 sketches of each word onto tracing paper and had a class critique. After the critique, we chose 5 of our best designs for each word and transferred/ revised 4 onto another sheet of paper. The best one out of the five was recreated using black and white paper and added onto the paper with the other designs. Once this was complete we recreated the designs into Adobe Illustrator and added them into the project grid.
This project reminded me a lot of project 3 with the point and line drawings, but this one felt more constricting since it had to be done with only 4 squares. I liked how we could do the white or black squares allowing us to have more of a contrast with some of the words. For order, I kept all of the boxes neat and lined up into some sort of cohesion or pattern, trying to keep an equal contrast. For bold I tried to work with comparisons, high contrast and “loud” patterns. For increase, I not only played with increasing size but also, line width and the sense of increasing dimension. With the word congested I kept a high contrast with overlapping and close edges to create a tight congested feeling. Tension was the easiest word for me because using the straight edges of a square made it easier to create an uneasy and taunt feeling. For the final word, playful I “played” with contrast, size, line width and angles to create a carefree happy feeling in the design.
Black Square Problem | continued
Congested
Tension
Playful