SHAPE & COLOUR
Swetha Sutharsan
TASK ONE: Choosing & Drawing Subject
For the first task of the Shape and Colour assignment, I decided to choose my source of inspiration through a photo I took a while back of my cousin's pet dog, Reina. She is a two year old breed between a German Shepard and a Golden Retriever. During times of hardship and stress, Reina has brought together our whole family and has proven to be a loyal companion to all! I used to be really scared of dogs, but Reina has warmed up to me and showed me the perks of having a dog. Although she lives at my cousin's house, she is always a ball of sunshine and excitement whenever my family and I go to visit, and she will always have a special place in my heart.
I decided to choose this particular image of Reina since it perfectly captured her loyal and calming presence, as well as her beauty. I took this over the summer of 2021 after spending a long day with my relatives. We were all filled with joy and exhaustion by the end of the day, and Reina perfectly captures the mood at the time of the photo being taken. This photo also accentuates the definitions and imprints on Reina's fur, and shows the beauty of her mixed breed features. The light hits her at an angle, which beautifully carves out the valleys and mountains between the folds of her skin. The shadows are well defined and add even more character to the photo. I ultimately chose this photo, because this image, as well as the subject, triggers a lot of joyful memories for me and the composition of the photo has a lot of depth and character. I decided to make the photo black and white, in order to further accentuate the shadows and light from the image. I decided to also go one step further by masking the image in Photoshop, and clipping the subject away from the background to make it easier when drawing my object in Illustrator.
Once I had my final version of my image, I used it as a template to create my drawings. For my first drawing, I decided to use the curved pen tool to compose Reina's body through a series of curved shapes/blobs. I changed the uniform of the pen tool to make the image seem more graceful and to capture Reina's beauty. I used a lighter stroke to represent the light hitting on the dog's body, while I used a darker stroke to represent the shadows and depth in Reina's skin. I also used a dark stroke to accentuate her face and feet, and made sure to increase the thickness of the stroke to provide more guidance when looking at the image. I decided to try another drawing and experiment with a new tool to see what I am able to produce. I chose to use the basic pencil tool for my next drawing. I found it easier to create blobs, and I decided to experiment with some overlapping lines and added depth in this drawing, as well. Similar to the first drawing, I changed the uniform of the stroke to provide a more elegant image, and I changed the thickness of the stroke depending on the light and shadow values. I added even more shapes in between the main lines, in order to represent the texture and depth of her fur. For my final drawing, I decided to take a more angular approach. I made the edges more geometrical and abstract through using the pen tool and adjusting the stroke thickness and uniform. I liked the process of creating sharp edges and harsh lines in contrast to the softness and curves demonstrated in the original image of Reina. After finishing all my drawings, I decided I liked my second drawing the best! My second drawing captured the shape of Reina better, while also being more detailed and capturing the mood of the original photo. When I envisioned this drawing on the scarf, I was very pleased with my imagination and the ways in which I can further modify and play with this drawing!
TASK TWO: Tonal Mapping, Colour and Texture
For the next task of this project, I made sure to put a great emphasis on experimentation. After following the tutorials and viewing the lectures, I learnt how to add colour/texture, experiment with tonal mapping and execute clipping masks.
For the first stage, I took the drawing of my dog and filled out the image with various shades of grey (I used darker shades for her shadows, lighter shades for the highlights and mid-tones for filler). Once I achieved the overall essence of the shape of Reina, I decided to experiment with colour. I wanted to work with a cool colour scheme, so I opted for a colour palette featuring various shades of blue and purple. I made sure to frame Reina's silhouette even better, and use the colours to differentiate the different spots and shadows on her body. I think the lavender background juxtaposed with the bold, blue shades provides the image with a very contrasting, yet neat look. After experimenting with colour, I decided to pursue the texture component of this task. I used to lectures on D2L to guide me through the process, and I was quite surprised to see the end result. Although the textures varied drastically, they all seemed to flow nicely together. During my individual consultation with Professor Romanovska, I realized that adding texture to my image made me lose a lot of the initial shape of the dog. I kept this in mind while I created my final product. I ended up with a harmonious image of a texturized image of Reina with a blue and purple colour scheme. I am very pleased with the result, and I think I was able to capture the essence of the original photo, while also illustrating the image in a unique way!
I was very excited for this stage of the project! I was ready to get out my water colour and experiment with various textures, colours and designs. I decided to focus on two complementary colours (blue and orange- I chose blue since it was already featured on the dog, and orange was the contrasted and complemented blue very nicely). I started off by adding salt to my water colour, painting over collaged pieces of tissue paper and letting the paint drip down my page. I moved on to subtlety mix the orange and blue shade to create a beautiful sunset effect. Finally, I experimented with texture further by painting over an embossed paper towel.
I was very pleased with the unique textures I achieved, so I decided to paint a background for my scarf inspired by these textures and colours. I really liked the effect of salt on the water colour paint, so I began by painting a beautiful, uneven orange water colour background and then sprinkled salt over the image to add more depth and texture. Then, I attempted to create a symmetrical scarf design by adding dog bones around the border of the image and adding an even display of paw prints in the center. I was very pleased with the end result and decided to move on to the next stage.
Once I experimented with tonal mapping, colour and texture, I was ready to move on to the clipping mask process. I took a photo of the design I painted and began editing it in Adobe Illustrator. I used the clipping mask to make a symmetrical image for the scarf background. I clipped half of the image, and then duplicated and flipped it, in order to make it symmetrical on the other side. I also really liked the chevron design that was forming in the background of my image from the symmetrical brush strokes! I experimented further by adding semi-transparent overlays, to add even more colour and depth to the final product. Once I was done experimenting, I decided to clip one quarter of my painting, duplicate it and then flip it, in order to create an extremely cohesive and symmetrical image. I was immediately very satisfied with my final attempt at the scarf background. I decided to add a watercolour effect over the final image for a more washed out/tie dye result, and then I was done!
TASK THREE: Scarf Design
For the final task of this project, I let my creativity go completely wild. On a 12"x12" surface, I began by placing down the scarf background image, which I had painted and edited. I made the image a little smaller, so that I would be able to add a border and feature a background colour for the final scarf. I decided to experiment with another set of contrasting colours, in order to create a double complementary colour scheme. I featured a bold purple background colour, and used the pen tool to create tiny paw prints going all along the border. I think the boldness and brightness of the yellow border and purple background make up for the faded appearance of my scarf design. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to go with my scarf, but once I added to border I feel like it brought everything together and created an Avant Garde and Camp aesthetic.
Once I figured out the aesthetic of the scarf, I decided to go all out and make it very extravagant. I decided to incorporate a few optical illusions to my scarf design through the guidance of the lectures/tutorials posted on D2L. My first optical illusion is the use of the optical mix for the paw prints in the center of the image. I used tiny dots in various shades of dark blue to mix optically and create a harmonious image. Initially the optical mix was a bit tedious to accomplish as the dots were too large or the colours too vibrant, but I think the end result looks amazing! The second optical illusion I used was complementary contrast. I used complementary contrast throughout my whole scarf design without even realizing it. I used blue and orange to create a subtle complementary colour scheme, while also utilizing the bright purple and yellow to create a bold complementary contrast. I also subtly implemented the simultaneous contrast effect in my design. By placing a semi-transparent overlay of yellow over my image and beside the purple border, it completely changed to overall hue of my design. The scarf initially looked quite vibrant and fresh, but by adding this yellow hue beside the purple, my whole perception of the scarf changed as it became more warm and soft.
For the final stage of my project, I let my creativity go wild once again! I added the image of my dog in a symmetrical pattern around the corner of the scarf. Then, I used the pen tool and changed the uniform of the stroke to give an elegant yet simplistic frame for the highlights of the dog bones and the dog images. I think it adds an extra touch, emphasizes certain parts of the design and gives an illusion as if the dogs and bones are jumping out at the viewer through the screen! I went back to the border to add orange and red stripes along the border, so it would look give more symmetry to the design and look more uniform. Finally, I added my initials in a simple yet beautiful manner on top and bottom of my scarf design, in order to even further demonstrate symmetry!
