Chapter 6: Rhythm

The Rhythm is gonna get you...

Lastfm.  "Miami Sound Machine"  15 Nov. 2005. Web.  <http://www.last.fm/music/Miami+Sound+Machine/+images/248381>

Rhythm in design is based on repetition and recurrent motifs.  A successful artist or designer will make you feel like the design is actually moving.  Whether that be in the form of nature or the way music moves, this can be a powerful tool in a designers arsenal.

1     FamChinaski "Urban Painting Carugate"  23 Nov. 2008.  Web.
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/famchinaski/3052848686/in/photostream>

One of the ways to achieve this is through Kinesthetic Empathy.  This is the way the viewers feel the motion of the piece when looking at it.  We all know that paintings don't actually move, but the artist can actually make your brain feel like it is viewing movement when done right.  (1)  Although we didn't actually see this gentleman throw up we can feel the force in which it has come out.













Another way to express rhythm in a piece is by using Alternating Rhythm.  This is having an image alternate to create a anticipated design.  A master of this style is the one and only M.C. Escher.  (2)

2                 Escher, M.C.  "Two Birds"  Drawing.  228x243 mm.  February 1938.  Web.            <http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/prints.html>

3         Bradley, Steven.  2 Aug. 2010.  Web.  <http://www.
vanseodesign.com/web-design/size-scale-proportion/>

A similar style to Alternating rhythm is Progressive Rhythm.  Like alternating this also involves repetition, but this is when a shape actually changes.  (3)  We tend to see this not only in art, but in man made creations like buildings or even in nature.










Seen by many designers as the most complex rhythms are Polyrhythmic Structures.  This is where several rhythmic themes seem to overlap and get complicated.  (4)

Cooper, Justin "Polyrhythmic Art Print"  Web.  <http://society6.com/artist/Justin>

Headed into the Interior design field there will be many times when I am asked to create a specific feel in a place.  To be able to create rhythm where there is none will help define my abilities and intellect as a designer.  To be able to do it in many different ways may be the determining factor between getting or losing a job.

As you get to know me you will find I do not like to lose.  Tootle-loo.

Instagram: It's not just for the cool kids.

What the heck is Instagram?

Instagram App Logo.  2010.  Web.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram>

Instagram is an free app for the IPhone that was created in October of 2010.  It allows amateur  photographers to take, modify and share photo's with all of their fellow instagramers.

Here's how it works.  

Go to the ITunes App store and download it onto your IPhone (now, also on android) for free.

Go to the app once downloaded and take a picture.  Once the picture has been taken and excepted you are able to manipulate it by choosing one of the preloaded color settings.  As seen in photo 1 there are lots of great filters to choose from.    The filters change the photo in many ways including adding boarders (Earlybird, Toaster, Nashville, 1977, Hefe, Kelvin), going black and white (Inkwell), using sepia hues to give the photo an aged look ( Earlybird, Toaster, Walden, 1977) or even brighting brights (Hudson, X-Pro II, Kelvin).

The next step is to share.  This app is a child of the world famous Facebook, so you need to be friends with people, meaning virally, in order to look at there awesome pictures or just be friends with people, totally referring to reality here, in order to have some pictures to look at.  Attached are some of my personal Instagrams for your viewing pleasure, no friendship required.

1         Instagram Filters Photo.  2010.  Web.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram>
       

Chapter 5: Balance

Balance is part of the structural design.  The weight of the piece, if you will.  The designer can use this to connect wit reality, because we are all born with the ability to feel balance.  The designer can also use this against us and create a sense of imbalance and completely through us out of whack.

We will break down balance into five different types: Symmetrical, A-Symmetrical, Color or Value, Texture & Pattern and Radial.  Get ready for the scale tipping blog entry of the year...

1  O'Keeffe, Georgia.  "Cow Skull:
Red, White, and Blue".  Oil on Canvas.
39 7/8 x 35 7/8 in.  1931.  Web.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/52.203>

Symmetrical Balance (1) is the easiest to recognize.  If you split a picture in half down the middle, the left and right size are going to mock each other.  Both sides although not exact, are balanced by the mirror like image of the left and right.


A-Symmetrical Balance (2) is a bit harder to achieve.  One needs to create balance while using dissimilar objects.  The man smoking, who is also made up of words, is balanced by the glass.

2  Cooper, Rhys.  "Mark Lanegan Poster"
Screen Print.   2004.  Web.
<http://omgposters.com/2010/07/07/mark-lanegan-art-
print-and-concert-poster-by-rhys-cooper/>

Balance by Color or Value is using light vurses dark or the introduction of color to achice the balance.  We see in example 3 the artist is using light and dark values to balance the right and left of the poster, while adding in a pinch of color on the top and bottom halves too.

3   Gushue, John.  "Rock Poster"  Arcade Fire.
Print on Poster.  7 March, 2010. Web.
<http://johngushue.typepad.com/blog/2010/03/
who-says-rock-poster-art-is-dead-.html>

Balance by Texture or Pattern is a way to use the less is more theory.  A small amount of texture or a complex pattern can balance a large area of smooth surface.  In picture 4 we see a piece completed from a large flat surface that has had a texture added to create a work of art.  By the way, this guy is rad and I am in love with his work!

4            Farto, Alexandre aka Vhils.  "Scratching the Surface Works".  Moscow Building.  Web.
<http://www.alexandrefarto.com/> 

Radial Balance is where all elements extend from a common center point.  There are lots of examples of this balance seen in nature.  So naturally image 5 is all natural.

5                       Warner, PL.  "Blood Orange"  Photo Poster.  Web.
<http://www.zazzle.com/blood_orange_poster-228928013849367657>

It is very rare, but not impossible to create imbalance in a work of art, but in the majority of art balance is strived for or will just come naturally.  Either way balance keeps the weight distributed and the art works out of danger.

Go Balance!

Chapter 4: Scale and Proportion

Size does matter.

Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't. Design can be big or small, but the way you present it can make a all the difference.

Scale and Proportion refer to size, but it is also a measure of the two together that create the feeling of the piece.

Photo.  2007-2009. Web. <http://www.dogs4dogs.com/truth4dogs.html>

Today we are going to look at Scale & Proportion.

 

1  Rogers, John.  "Gibson Guitar Art"
Photo. 23 March, 2010.  Web.
<http://johnrrogers.com/tag/gibson-guitar-art/>

2 Gonzalez, Kelsey.  "Our son in front
of his favorite peice of art in Austin, TX"
Photo.  25 Oct. 2010.  Web.
<http://www.totsandtravel.com/2010/10/2607/
austin-childrens-museum-texas/> 

In photo 1 we see a guitar statue.  With no true point of reference we may assume this guitar is a normal size.  It is in front of a building, but the angle doesn't allow us to really see the proportion.  In picture 2 we now have a point of reference for the same exact guitar.  The child gives us a new look at the scale of the guitar, compared to his size.  The Guitar itself is part of a wonderful public arts project organized by Gibson Guitars in conjunction with the city of Austin.  Gibson placed thirty-five, ten foot, Gibson Les Paul's all around the city of Austin, to show off the idea of Austin being a guitar city, as well as proceeds and donations granted to local charities.









Scale and Proportion are forever intertwined.  Without them, I would be deathly afraid of spiders.

Derbyshire, David.  "Creepy Crawly".  Photo.  5 Oct. 2009.  Web.
<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1217709/Do-conkers-drive-spiders-bonkers-Royal-Society-Chemistry-tests-old-wives-tale.html>

Vocab: Chapter 4

"The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart.  "Legends Poster"
Courtesy WWE.  1 April, 2011.  Web.
<http://www.wrestlingwithpopculture.com
/2011/the-mouth-of-the-south-jimmy-hart-returns-to
-atlanta-for-wrestlemania-axxess/

Proportion:  Size measured against other elements or against a mental norm or standard.

Hieratic scaling:  A composition in which the size of figures is determined by their thematic importance. 

Fresco's:  A mural painting technique in which pigments mixed in water are used to form the desired color. These pigments are then applied to wet lime plaster, thereby binding with and becoming an integral part of the wall.

Pop art:  An art movement originating in the 1960's that sought inspiration from everyday popular culture and the techniques of commercial art.

Earthworks: Artworks created by altering a large area of land using natural and organic materials.  Earthworks are usually large-scale projects that take formal advantage of the local topography.

Surrealism: An artistic style that stress fantastic and subconscious approaches to art making and often results in images that cannot be rationally explained.

Enigmatic:  Puzzling or cryptic in appearance or meaning.

Canon:   A law or excepted code that prescribes a set of standards.

Golden rectangle:  The ancient Greek ideal of a perfectly proportion of a rectangle using a mathematical ratio called the Golden Mean.

Subjective:  Reflecting a personal bias.

Golden mean:  A mathematical ratio in which width is to length as length is to length plus width.  This ratio has been employed in design since the time of ancient Greeks.  It can also be found in natural forms.

Vocab: Chapter 3

Focal Point: A compositional device emphasizing a certain area or object to draw attention to the piece and to encourage closer scrutiny of the work.

Value: A measure of relative lightness or darkness.

Collage: An artwork created by assembling and pasting a variety of materials onto a two-dimensional surface.

Tuber, Brandon. "Original Design".  Collage on Cardboard.  2006.

Unity: short

Unity is comprised of elements in a design that are in agreement with one another.  Unity can have a sense of community or conformity, but no matter what it is a degree of togetherness.

Unity can be viewed in many ways. The three main examples in this photograph are the unity of the girls playing piano together, the unity of the keys on the piano itself, and the fact that music itself is a great unifier.

 Take that unity!

Tuber, Brandon.  "Daughters on Piano".  Instagram.  July 2011.  Photo.

Extra Credit: Form Follows...

Food!

Combos Baked Snacks.  "Pepperoni Pizza"
Web.  17 April, 2012
<http://combos.com/>

The term form follows function is based in the purpose of the design being seen in the shape of the design.  We are going to look at a change in this balance.  What if the function didnt follow the structural design but the flavor instead.


Take the delicious snack Combos.  When you tear into a new bag of pepperoni pizza Combo's you know that you are not actually eating pepperoni pizza, however, you don't care.  Combos are wonderful on their own.



What about root beer candy or butter flavored popcorn.  We see this all over the artificial food world.  We are a society of food rule breakers and that's why I say...


Form follows food!

Chapter 3: Emphasis and Focal Point

This chapter is all about where the artist demands attention.  The artist has very powerful tools to force you to feel exactly what they want you to feel or get you to look exactly where they want you to look.  We are diving into the latter.  The use of emphasis on contrast, isolation, and placement, as well as one dominant element or the whole over parts are ways to do this.  Just like a magician uses misdirection, these tools are used by the artist to create magic.

1                Tuber, Brandon "Wifey"  2011 Photograph

Emphasis by Contrast:  This style of design uses an element of surprise.  Giving a piece an over all feel allows them to direct attention to a specific focal point.  In picture 1 the photographer uses the contrast of light versus dark to direct your attention to the beautiful woman in the picture.  (who happens to be my lovely wife)  This can also be obtained by creating a pattern and then breaking it, using a specific color scheme and then adding a contrasting color or even using unnatural images and introducing a splash of reality.

2    van Gogh, Vincent.  "Irisas".  1980.  Oil on
        Canvas.  92x72 cm.  Van Gogh Museam,
Amsterdam.

Emphasis by Isolation:  Isolating an image or a fragment of an image can create intense subplot.  When thinking about isolation, I immediately thought of the painting Irises by Vincent Van Gogh.  (2)   A vase of carefully placed beautiful blue flowers and vibrant green leaves look as if they are still alive reaching for the sun, yet my ears continue to wander to the lifeless wilted grouping at the bottom right corner of the painting.

3   Callen, Kerry.  Princess Leah.  Star Wars.
28 March, 2011.
<http://kerrycallen.blogspot.com/2011/03/star-wars-deleted-scene.html>

Emphasis by placement:  This is as plain and simple as putting the focal point right where you want it and making it undeniable.  By putting the object directly in the center of the painting, as we see in 3, there is no doubt where the artist is directing your eyes.  It never hurts to make it really big either.








Emphasizing One Dominant Element:  This is similar to emphasis by placement, but utilizes ideas of theme and not just imagery.  Many times this is a design element in advertising, where you have limited time to get your point across and need it to be undeniably caught.

http://www.paulaner.com/high/

Emphasizing the Whole over the Parts:  This is taking in the whole design and not questioning how or why, but the feeling of the whole.  In 4 we see a piece of art depicting legendary rocker David Bowie.  It captures the essence of his shining star and doesn't matter that it's completely made out of glitter.

4         Glitter Morris.  "David Bowie, aka Ziggy Stardust"  12x12 Glitter on Card Stock.
1 January 2012.  <http://www.etsy.com/transaction/68522379>

No matter what emphasis the artist chooses to use, it as a sharp tool in their metaphorical toolbox.  

Try to look away, I dare you.

Vocab: Chapters 1 & 2

If we wanna walk the walk, we gotta talk the talk!

The Mad Shop.  "Big Mouth Billy Bass."  29 Feb. 2012.  WEB
<http://www.themadshop.com.au/buy_big_mouth_billy_bass_singing_fish>

Design-  A planned arrangement of visual elements to construct an organized pattern.


Form-   When referring to objects, it is the shape and structure of a thing.  When referring to two-dimentional artworks, it is the visual aspect of composition, structure, and the work as a whole. 


Content-  An idea conveyed through the artwork that implies the subject matter, story, or information the artist communicates to the viewer.


Aesthetic-  A branch of philosophy concerned with the beautiful in art and how the viewer experiences it.


Symbols-  An element of design that communicates an idea or meaning beyond that of its literal form.


Icons-  A religious image meant to embody the actual qualities of the depicted saint.  More generally, a symbol or sign, especially one with strong emotional power.


Pictograms-  A simple pictorial sign or group of signs intended to communicate without words.


Vernacular-  A prevailing or commonplace style in a specific geographical location, group of people, or time period.


Pentimenti-  (plural)  The artist's changes or corrections sometimes evident as traces in the surface.  From the Italian and implying "the artist repents."


Critique-  A process of criticism for the purpose of evaluating and improving art and design.


Illustration-  A picture created to clarify or accompany a text.


Unity-  The degree of agreement existing among the elements in a design.


Harmony-  The pleasing combination of parts that make up a whole composition.


Representational-  An image suggestive of the appearance of an object that actually exists.


Monochromatic-  A color scheme using only one hue with varying degrees of value or intensity.


Composition-  The overall arrangement or organization of visual elements on the two-dimentional surface


Collage-  An artwork created by assembling and pasting a variety of materials onto a two-dimentional surface. 


Gestalt-  A unified configuration or pattern of visual elements whose properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts.


Negative Space-  Unoccupied area or empty surrounding the objects or figures in a composition.


Proximity-  The degree of closeness in the placement of elements.


Nonobjective-  A type of artwork with absolutely no reference to, or representation of, the natural world.  The artwork is the reality.


Repetition-  Using the same visual element over again within the same composition.


Continuation-  A line or edge that continues from one form to another, allowing the eye to move smoothly through a composition.


Continuity-  The visual relationship between two or more visual designs.


Grid-  A network of horizontal and vertical intersecting lines that divide spaces and create framework of areas.


Modules-  A specific measured area or standard unit.


Rhythm-  An element of design based on the repetition of recurrent motifs.


Assemblage-  An assembly of found objects composed as a piece of sculpture.  See Collage.


Graphic-  Forms drawn or painted onto a two-dimentional surface; any illustration or design.


Analogous Colors-  A color scheme that combines several hues located next to each other on the color wheel.


Narrative-  The story that is told in the artwork.


*Vocabulary words are in order of appearance and defined by the glossary in the text Design Basics by David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak, 8th edition.

Chapter 2. Unity

Boulian, Tracy. "Cleveland Browns".  Plain Dealer.  Cleveland.Com
10 Oct. 2009.  Web.  <http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.
ssf/2009/10/with_braylon_edwards_gone_clev.html

Chapter 2. Unity        



If you were to even think about making a rule book for Art, Unity would contend for the top spot.  Unity can turn chaos into harmony.  Unity can take shapes, colors, lines, and objects and turn them into works of art when placed in the right composition.  Unity can be a design idea based on the fact that all used items are related, but we want to acknowledge the visual aspect.  The design that reaches deep into the depths of our subconscious and sends signals telling us that without even thinking we piece together the visual unity and it looks good.  There are five main ways to create visual unity: proximity, repetition, continuation, using a grid,and unity with variety.  Now, let's see a couple of examples...

1            Fondren, Rebecca. "Sweet Corn Sorbet". Chef Philip Speer.  Uchiko.  Web.  29 July, 2010.
                                   <http://www.tastingtable.com/entry_detail/national/1885/Sweet_corn_takes_the_cake.htm>

In the dessert above (1) by Chef Philip Speer at Uchiko in Austin, shares common themes of Unity.  Visual unity is undeniable in the color pallet, using shades of yellow to express the corn theme throughout.  We see other aspects of Unity in the way the chef has laid out the plate using a grid for the placement of the two main components.  We also recognize continuity as the polenta tuile is a continuation of the corn sorbet portion, sharing the rounded edge in the oval shape.  Just for kicks, I will let you know that every aspect of this dessert is unified with the ingredient corn; Corn polenta and polenta tuile, corn sorbet, caramel and buttered corn salt, corn bread soil, all places on a serving of corn milk.

2             van Gogh, Vincent.  "Starry Night" 1889

More examples of Unity can be found in the painting "starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh.  (2)  Here we see examples of proximity, with the stars and repetition with the swirling brush strokes.  The dark blue pallet chosen by van Gogh also leads to the undeniable unifying properties of his masterpiece.

Cemsoffit panal from Cemboard                      3

The last example we see is a standard paint color chart.  (3)  Set up on a grid and using the same shape as well as wood grain, the image shares an overwhelming sense of unity.  However the fact that we see colors from all over the spectrum allows for variety, while leaving our theme untouched.

                                                                       


                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                       
                                                           
Unity brings all of the elements of design together in exciting and creative ways.  As art progresses in this modern world always remember the great words of the 80's punk band Operation Ivy "Unity as one stand together, Unity evolutions gonna come".

Chapter 1. The Design Process

Chapter 1.  The Design Process

The design process can embody many different forms to many different designers.  Some are activators and jump head first into the creative process before even having thought about what the heck they're doing.  Some slow and methodical, thinking about the finished product even before the first stoke of a brush or the pencil has even hit the paper.  David A. Lauer and Stephen Pentak have narrowed this process down to three activities that lead us through to the Design Process.

Groening, Matt.  "Homer Simpson"
The Sojourn. 27 Jan. 2011.  Web.
<http://sojournoflife.blogspot.com/2011/01/case
-of-rejection-social-and-personal.html

Thinking:  Every piece of art was created with something in mind.  Whether the intentions are to inspire an emotion, solve a problem or just leave you with more questions, someone has put brain power into why it does what it does.

Before you can go off and create the next masterpiece there are many decisions to be made; what do I want to achieve as a designer, how am I going to get there, what medium am I going to use, and how is it going to be received, to name a few.  We can use everything that has been filling up our internal hard-drives to answer these questions, as well as the world around us.  Inspiration can hit at any moment and come from any source.

As we think about design we must consider the content and function of what we will be presenting.   These will shape the visual structure and determine whether or not the concept will even work.  Thinking through this will insure you start out in the right direction and hopefully save you from drawing yourself into a dead end.
                                                                       
                                                                            

   

1    Swim Goggle. "swim cap" Web.
          <http://swim-goggle-guides.
                  blogspot.com/2011/05/wore-swim-
caps-like-these.html>

                             Irish Central. "Sinead O'Connor; Nothing                        2   
 Comparesto You Period".  30 Jan. 2012 Web.                                                            
<http://www.irishcentral.com/story
/ent/amyandrews_gossipgirl/troubled
-oscar-nominee-sinead-oconnor
-back-with-her-husband-barry-herridge-
for-a-second-time-138317629.html>

                                                                               

Aerodynamics dictate that a shaved head allows a swimmer to hit speeds that the same swimmer could not reach with long flowing hair.  The swim cap (1) was designed because not everyone wants to shave their head (2).  Now that's design!

Other Ophthalmic Devices. "Glass
eyes with diseases".  2001-2010.
Web.  <http://www.eyeantiques.com/OtherOphthalmic
Devices/Glass_eyes_diseased.htm>

Looking:  This is arguably the number one source for any artist/designer.  We can use everything around us.  We observe and are inspired by acts of nature, historical references and artifacts and even other peoples designs.

Animals Doing It.  "Froggy Style"  20 Jan. 2011.  Web.
<http://animalsdoingit.blogspot.com/2011/01/doin-it-froggy-style.html>

Doing:  Take all of the thinking and looking and put it to use.  Just remember, you may not get it right the first time.  (3)  Draw sketches, play with different mediums.  You may spend hours upon hours on a project just to scrap it and start all over again.  Also remember that just because you think it's done doesn't mean everyone else thinks it's done.  Always allow room for criticism.  There are going to be times to hold true to your design and others to acknowledge that the clients opinion weighs more than your fragile ego.  

                3

Titanic Sinking. The Sphere.  27 April, 1912.  Gouache on Board/Lithograph.  Web.
<http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/matania.html>

These three steps rolled into one great Design Process can lead you to the promise land.  Remember to think about what you would like to accomplish as well as the means to do so, use visually poignant and stimulating design aesthetics and get your hands dirty!

Design Fundamentals: Intro

To design is to plan or organize, but who holds the rights to this word?  Nearly every industry in the world uses design.  We see design in every direction we look.  From the roads we drive on to the homes we inhabit.  The works of art on our walls to the cups we drink out of, someone's design influence is present.  Design is everywhere.

1  Ohioboy Art & Design "Built to Spill Poster" 2 color hand printed poster.  Square Records.  2011.  Web.   http://www.ohioboy.com/posters/built-to-spill/



The poster labeled 1 is an example of Visual Organization.  The letters from the band name, Built to Spill, are organized to visually play on their true definition.  The designer has painted you a picture of the spill, rather then just allowing you to read it conventionally.

In this piece we also consider the form and content, which are key points in the discussion of art and design.  The form in this poster is the visual aspect of the letters actually spilling or creating motion.  The drawing also draws attention to the content itself, the band, Built to Spill.

In the Beginning

Greetings design field.  This is my new blog and it all starts NOW...