Art 220

Posted by Lindsay , Thursday, April 28, 2011 8:39 PM

According to our book, the exploration stage of the creative process can be compared to alchemists. Our process should be methodical while being impulsive, and we have to turn a basic idea into a golden one. I thought that it was a clever analogy to use, and it does make sense. It cautions the artist to not rush through the process, and to brainstorm and observe the idea from different angles. It also suggests to refine the idea until you get exactly what you want. The next section suggests to think about how the design will interact with its environment, and to sketch out various different possibilities. This is a good idea, and I will try to use it on my next project. Designs should be re-worked until they impact the environment as minimally as possible.

The next section states that the stereotype of artists always sketching is true. I also have found this, for the most part, to be true. Sketches are a great way of sharing ideas if you are not good at communicating them through words. It is said that everyone learns another language when they are children, of being able to create and recognize representation of objects. Because of this, we also tend to look for meaning where there is none, such as seeing faces and shapes in clouds. I used to love watching the clouds for things when I was in the car. Most children sketch when they are young but as they get older, they are criticized more, and most people generally stop while others go on to learn harder techniques. This happened to my little sister. She was always the better artist than I was when we were young but as we got older, she stopped drawing and I did not. The section goes on to list a few do's and dont's of sketching. A few do's are: Sketch quickly and repeatedly, sketch constantly, avoid limitations and use different media, sketch large and small, and consider the purpose of your sketch. These all seem like helpful ideas. There are only two dont's; Edit yourself, and keep your sketches to yourself. I have a problem with both of those, and will try to stop in the future. After sketching, forming a model should be done, or use computer-aided design to make one. Computer design offers more detail and speed. It also suggests saving a file after every large change when working with computers. This is a huge help, and I learned the hard way a few years ago to save after my changes. The section states that one of the only problems with creating designs on the computer, is that some of them can not exist in real life.

The next section is all about dialogue. It says to discuss ideas with everyone involved, and get feedback from them. It also says that getting from people not involved can also provide valuable feedback. I try to do this when I can, usually getting opinions from my sister. Reflection of a project at the end of the concept stage helps to figure out things when you are stuck, and it is recommended to sometimes just "sleep on it."

The perspective section of this chapter is about the artist and designer Leifur Breidfjord. He starts off by talking about how he first goes and scouts out the location of his project, to see how it will affect the environment around it. For example, if there is stained glass, he has to work around how that will change how the design will look. He has to consider many things from the outside and inside of the building, such as light, space, scale, and if the work should be abstract or figurative. He also considers color, and how it can change the space. He gives an example of a building that used yellow glass except for one small spot of a clear window that showed the sky outside. I have seen church's that have done things like that, and it has a really interesting effect. He starts off his projects by sketching in pencil, then making ones in gouache with a drawing of a person on the side so that he can keep the scale in mind. I think this is a really good idea. He tweaks it a little bit, then shows it to his client. If they agree on it, then he creates a full scale design in color. He only shows them one design, and works with them to change it. I found this interesting, because most people I have met suggested that it was better to show a few different options. He suggests to not limit yourself to one discipline, which i think is a good idea. I enjoy trying new things, such as sewing, sculpting and painting. If a person is having trouble finding inspiration, he suggests taking a break, or going to work on another project you have. I have started doing this recently, and it has helped more. I thought that his chapter on perspective has been one of the best ones so far. The last part of the chapter gives the previous exercises, but says to refine the ideas more, and sketch the idea out this time using different methods. It seems like it would be interesting to try.