Sketch: Series 3

n this assignment, the objective was to draw four leaves by improving on the techniques I have learned in studio.

Blind Countours

Negative Space

Detail

Shadow

Project 3: Structure

In this project, the goal was to create a 4x4x4" cube structure using white Bristol board and intersect them using straws that would sit on an 8" platform. So far, this has been my favorite project.

In my first step I decided to create a 4" cube using cardboard because it was a material I had handy and I wanted to see if my design would be sturdy. I cut out 4" squares and connected them using a square joint. I attached separate 1" squares to the square joints that were already in place. While the cube gives the impression of only being 2x2x2" I consider the integrated square joint as part of the cube structure. I also like the abstract expression of the square joints having to positive spaces and two negative spaces. The concept behind the design was to emphasis the harmony and intersection of squares. The straws were added on later as the project progressed. I used transparent straws for this phase and integrated them into the negative spaces of my square intersections to play off my concept of abstract cubes.

In my 2nd phase, I transferred my design into Bristol board with little complications.

Here was one of my ideas of integrating straws (coffee stirrers) into my design.

This was my 3rd phases. I was playing around with several ideas of how to connect my cubic structure and integrated straws with my two platforms.

My 4th phase and final step was a success. My concept, along with the idea of a purely cubic structure in abstract form, was to have a precise and neat design. I focused on the ideas of scale and size in my final revision.

My intersection cubes are 1", my central cube is 2", my cube base is 4", my 1st platform is 6", and my 2nd platform is 8". I also chose to have each layer a different size. I used Bristol board for the cube and 4" platform, 1 layer of foam board for the 6" platform, and 2 layers of foam board for the 8" platform. These decisive ideas give the structure a harmonious flow and emphasis geometric rules just like a cube.

Lastly, I utilized the coffee stirrers to play off the abstract square intersections on my cube, having 2 straws per square represent the positive space with two open ended negative space edges.

Series: Shoe Sketchs

The outline of this project was to draw five interesting objects by sketching them and then by drawing those same five items in blind contour style. This helped me practice drawing full lines in pen as well as trying a new technique. I choose five random shoes for my objects.

Five Blind Contour

Five Sketchs

Project 2: Intersection

For my final revision, I really tried to bring out the abstract essence of the watch. I cut and designed a cardboard container to fit the scale of the watch and left just enough room for the clock to protrude outward, giving the impression that the container itself is a designer clock. I utilized squares instead of the circles because the shape of my watch is actually a square. The proportions of the squares are 12 centimeters as well as 12 thread marks along each edge of the squares to imitate the redundancy and emphasis of the number 12 on a clock. Also, the threads from the top view give the illusion of tick marks on a clock. I designed four 6" cardboard slabs diagonally to support the structure but also to bring out the four large diagonal tick marks on my watch. I bent the slabs at a slanted angle so that it gives the design a sense of movement, like gears in a clock, and also represents that time is....timeless.

After much critique on my design having to much literal focus I decided to tinker with more abstract techniques. Here, on a miniature version, I tried to utilize negative space to create the tick marks on a clock while the positive space (cardboard slabs) would hold the design up and the watch would fit through the center square.

These next two pictures show the second stage of the design process once I gathered ideas on what my special object should be. I quite literally designed a retro clock to allude to the special object inside, my watch. I choose the 1" squares with the roman numerals on them because I thought they resembled a gear as well as the tick marks on a clock.

For this project, the goal was to design a container for a special object using some form of paper, fabric, and thread.

This first picture was a preliminary stage. I could not decide on a special object at first because I didn't feel I had anything small enough to design a 'container' around. I ended up choosing a mushroom in the shape of a shell that was an experiment in my joinery project. I choose this because 'special' has a very loose meaning and I interpreted it as something interesting as well as intimate.

The Foust Building

This Building is a very rustic landmark on campus and while it has appealling architecture one soon learns that it is not easy to depict on paper. I started with trying to scale the outline to incorporate as much of the architecture as I could while still concentrating on the details within. Even with only half of the frontal depiction the minute details and even the scaling of the windows were a challenge. However, I feel that my portrayal of the center towers and the roof line give the building it life and partially 3 demensional shape.

Project 1: Joinery

For this project, my concept was to join two very different elements in nature through contrast in color, form, shape, and style and combine them in a way that made the two elements compatible; almost as if nature had constructed it. My strategy was to take a pine cone and shape it into a flower by trimming the edges to give the appearance of artificial petals. I took the ivy and created a backsplash for the 'flower' and give the dullness and roughness of the pine cone a softer and more vibrant look.