Design Principles /Task 2: Visual Analysis

Start from 26.2.2024

22.2.2024 -7.3.2024 /Week 3- Week 5
Kong Cai Yi / 0363862 
Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media 

Task 2: Visual Analysis 

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INDEX

1. Lectures: All lectures 1 to 6 completed in Task 1/ Exploration

2. Task 2/Visual Analysis
3. Feedback
4. Reflections
5. Further Reading

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Week 3/ Task 2:Visual Analysis

LECTURE RECAP:

Topic 6: Visual Analysis

VISUAL ANALYSIS

• Is a method of understanding design that focuses on the visual elements and principles.
• In its strictest definition - a description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake.
• Visual analysis is a critical part of visual literacy, a skill that helps people read and critically interpret images, whether in a museum, on social media, in entertainment, advertising, or the news.

HOW DOES VISUAL ANALYSIS WORK?

• Phase 1: Observation
• Phase 2: Analysis
• Phase 3: Interpretation

PHASE 1: OBSERVATION

• Observation means closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in your own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at all.
• The observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you notice.

PHASE 2: ANALYSIS

• Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to make statements about the work based on the evidence of your observations.
• Think about how the specific visual elements that you’ve identified combine to create design principles that complete that work of design/art, and the effects on the viewer.
• How are your eyes led through the work and why? Apply the design principles knowledge you have learnt.

PHASE 3: INTERPRETATION

• In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy published sources.
• What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be created?

CHOSEN ARTWORK RECAP:

Title: Half Rabbit
Creator: Bordalo II
Date Created: 2017
Location Created: Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Medium: Mixed Media

Source link: https://streetartnews.net/2017/06/half-rabbit-by-bordalo-ii-in-vila-nova-de-gaia-portugal.html

Half Rabbit by Bordalo II

Fig 1.1 StreetArtNews. (2017, June 8). “Half Rabbit” by Bordalo II in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. 

https://streetartnews.net/2017/06/half-rabbit-by-bordalo-ii-in-vila-nova-de-gaia-portugal.html

Chosen SDG Goal: 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Design Principles: Contrast, Balance, Unity

Week 4/ Task 2:Visual Analysis

Instructions:

1. Recap Task 2 brief
2. Write a 300- to 350-word visual analysis of the selected design
3. Refer to Visual Analysis lecture notes and guide
4. Include reference links where applicable.

PHASE 1: OBSERVATION

This design is a portrait-format outdoor street artwork. The middle part have a rabbit, formed rabbit shape by using waste materials such as plastic, wood, old cars, appliances, industrial machinery and electronic waste. As its hands and legs are placed in front of its body, the rabbit gives off the impression of being silent and submissive. Its two sides are colored partly brightly and partially darkly. As for visual elements, the main colour observed are grey, brown, yellow, green and blue. All things considered, the design is creative and meaningful, using dark colour to highlight the rabbit is mouth, nose, and eyes. (103 words)

PHASE 2: ANALYSIS

Used actual texture as elements of design. Despite the asymmetrical composition, there is a sense of balance achieved through the careful arrangement of elements. The sculpture maintains visual equilibrium through proportional relationships and strategic placement of materials. Besides that, there is a sharp contrast between the vibrant colors of the animals and the muted tones of the surrounding environment draws attention to both the beauty of nature and the impact of human consumption and waste. Achieves unity by seamlessly integrating diverse materials into a cohesive whole. (86 words)

PHASE 3: INTERPRETATION

Bordalo II's "Half Rabbit" created in vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal (2017), He is a Portuguese street artist. His work consists mainly of large installations and murals made from recycled trash, with the intention of highlighting waste and over-consumption in our world today. The animals present in Bordalo II’s installations are species that are directly affected by this pollution and that could possibly perish to the effects of such waste present in their natural habitat. According to the artist, “The idea is to depict nature itself, in this case, animals, out of materials that are responsible for its destruction.” His creations show depictions of bears, foxes, various species of birds, elephants, felines as well as numerous different sea animals. By repurposing waste materials into art, Bordalo II encourages us to reconsider our relationship with nature and the role we play in its preservation. Overall, "Half Rabbit" serves as a powerful metaphor for the delicate balance between ecological integrity and human intervention in the modern world. (165 words)

References: Street Art Bio. (2022, April 5). Bordalo II | Street Art Bio. https://www.streetartbio.com/artists/bordalo-ii/

Fig 1.2 Half Baby Beaver – by trash artist BORDALO II in Switzerland. (2024, February 3)

https://streetartutopia.com/2024/02/03/half-baby-beaver/

Fig 1.3 Picci, B. (2021, May 28). Streetart – Bordalo II @ San Francisco, USA. Barbara Picci. 

https://barbarapicci.com/2019/11/27/streetart-bordalo-ii-san-francisco/

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FEEDBACK

Feedback from Mr Zeon

WEEK 4:

General Feedback: Add two more mixed media street art photo on phase 3.

Specific Feedback: Add artist style at the first sentences of interpretation. Start looking ideas for task 3 after finishing task 2 blog.

WEEK 5:

General Feedback: Add citation below phase 3 to support your statement.

Specific Feedback: Start doing 3-5 sketches for task 3.

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REFLECTIONS

Experience
This task has helped me gain confidence and clarity in each phase's requirements, preventing feelings of being lost. During the observation phase, I focused on surface-level details, noting the materials used and my initial impressions of the artwork. In phase 2, I delved deeper into analyzing the design principles present in the artwork, building upon my observations from task 1. Finally, in the third phase, I analyzed the deeper meaning behind the artwork and sought out two similar pieces. I discovered another mixed-media street art piece by the same artist, further enriching my understanding of their work. Overall, this structured approach has enhanced my comprehension and appreciation of art analysis, guiding me through each step with clarity and purpose.

Observations 

In completing this task, I've come to realize that every artwork holds a deeper meaning waiting to be uncovered and conveyed to its audience. Previously, I often appreciated art for its aesthetic appeal without delving into the underlying significance. 

Findings

This task has been a valuable opportunity to develop my skills in art analysis and explore the layers of meaning behind each piece. I am grateful for the chance to engage in thoughtful analysis, allowing me to deepen my understanding and appreciation of art. Moving forward, I look forward to applying these newfound skills to further enrich my experience with artworks, gaining insights that go beyond surface-level impressions.

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FURTHER READING

Hue, Value, Saturation

What is color?
In short, color is the visual byproduct of the spectrum of light as it is either transmitted through a transparent medium, or as it is absorbed and reflected off a surface. Color is the light wavelengths that the human eye receives and processes from a reflected source.

Color consists of three main integral parts:

1. hue
2. value
3. saturation (also called “chroma”)

Hue

• CMY: “pigment primaries”, no white, black, or gray is added when 100% pure. (Full desaturation is equivalent to a muddy dark grey, as true black is not usually possible in the CMY combination.)

Fig 2.1 Pigment Scale (5.3.2024-week 5)

• RGB “light primaries”, a pure hue equivalent to full saturation is determined by the ratio of the dominant wavelength to other wavelengths in the colour.

Fig 2.2 Light Scale  (5.3.2024-week 5)

Mixing Adjacent Primaries = Secondary Hues
Making Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow

Although additive and subtractive color models are considered their own unique entities for screen vs. print purposes, the hues CMY do not exist in a vacuum. They are produced as secondary colors when RGB light hues are mixed, as follows:

1. Blue + Red light –> Magenta
2. Red + Green light –> Yellow
3. Green + Blue light –> Cyan

Overview of Hues
The colors on the outermost perimeter of the color circle are the”hues,” which are colors in their purest form. This process can continue filling in colors around the wheel. The next level colors, the tertiary colors, are those colors between the secondary and primary colors.

Fig 2.3 Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Hues (5.3.2024-week 5)

Saturation
Saturation is also referred to as “intensity” and “chroma.” It refers to the dominance of hue in the color. On the outer edge of the hue wheel are the ‘pure’ hues. As you move into the center of the wheel, the hue we are using to describe the color dominates less and less. When you reach the center of the wheel, no hue dominates. These colors directly on the central axis are considered desaturated.

Fig 2.4 Desaturation: hue becomes less dominant, moves to circle’s centre (5.3.2024-week 5)

Value
Now let’s add “value” to the HSV scale. Value is the dimension of lightness/darkness. In terms of a spectral definition of color, value describes the overall intensity or strength of the light. If hue can be thought of as a dimension going around a wheel, then value is a linear axis running through the middle of the wheel, as seen below:

Fig 2.5 HSV Model with Hue, Saturation, and Value Explained (5.3.2024-week 5)

Better visualize, look at the example below showing a full color range for a single hue:

Fig 2.6 HSV Model With Full Range of Single Hue (5.3.2024-week 5)

Color Pickers

As a side note, notice that under the CMYK levels that Yellow and Magenta are basically equally represented at their fullest capacities. This supports how in the Subtractive Color Model, red is a secondary colour of yellow and magenta.

Fig 2.7 RGB Color Mode – Pure Red Hue (5.3.2024-week 5)

How to Use the Color Wheel?

The Primary Colors – Colors which, in theory, are able to mix most other colors in the visible spectrum. In art, the three primary colors are considered to be red, blue, and yellow. However, some artists consider magenta, cyan, and yellow to be more accurate primary colors, as they are able to mix a wider gamut of colors. For the purpose of this post, I will use red, blue, and yellow as the primary colours.
When you mix all three primary colors together, you get mud or a dark gray color.

Secondary Colors – What you get when you mix two primary colors together (green, orange, and purple).

Tertiary Colors – What you get when you mix a primary color with a secondary color.

Colors that are close to each other on the color wheel are considered to have a harmonious relationship and are known as analogous colors.

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Fig 2.8 Analogous colours

What About White and Black?

White and black do not have positions on the color wheel as they do not have direct positions in the visual spectrum of colors. As noted earlier, white is what you get when all the colors of light are combined. This is different from the way our paints work – when we combine all the colors we get mud rather than white light.