Iris Bench Poster

The Iris Bench design was inspired by a long metal piece that consisted of many elements and principles, which led to my concept model design. Everything that was built had to relate back to the elements and principles, so it took me many explorations of benches to get to my final design.

During the whole process, I realized how challenging it was to design any type of bench or chair. I never knew how important ADA requirements are until building my own bench. I think that I've grown so much from this project because I had to find the solutions and answers to my own questions and issues. I believe that I now have a better understanding of how the elements and principles work, and how they are applied.

Designing the layout of this poster was also a challenge for me. I've learned the importance of alignment because it is what makes a poster professional. Although posters look like they're pretty easy to design, it's actually not. It uses a lot of thinking and processing, which I now feel that I understand it more. Not only that, but the writing descriptions is also were very challenging because you can't use "me, I, or myself." Overall, this whole Bench project has definitely changed my way of thinking and perspective on design.

Sketch Book - Front & Back Cover & Reflection

I started with my Reflection, which led me to the theme of spring and flowers for my front and back cover. The colors are beautiful and they remind me of the blooming flower season. I like the looks of cursive writing, which fits perfectly with the girly look. Not only that, but I also drew these sketches during my Spring 2011 semester.

Writing the reflection really made me realize how far I've come. My drawing skills have definitely improved, and I feel that I am not the same anymore when it comes to art. My critical thinking about concepts and details are stronger now, and I want to continue to further my understanding.

Front Cover

Back Cover

My Reflection

Sketch - Outside Macro Sketch

The purpose of this sketch was to draw 4 vignettes of different objects close-up and turn each object into a work of art. I chose to sketch a pinecone, a plant, mushrooms, and a rock. I feel that this sketch was successful, and there would be nothing that I would change. I focused more on the layout of my 3x3 boxes because I believe that it is what makes this drawing stand out.

Sketch - Building Construction

This sketch was something of your choice that must be real. I chose my drawer in the studio. I used a lot of contrast to show the shape and form of the object, but by using only one color was quite challenging. I think that this sketch is successful because I was able to show the form through the light and dark areas.

Sketch - Kitchen Still-Life

The purpose of this sketch was to create a still-life on a table using kitchen/eating items and an unexpected item, considering the different textures, value changes, and volume of each. Sketching a still-life have always been a challenge for me because it is difficult to make sure everything is in perspective. I started building the still-life with a cupcake, then I added the wine glass and chopsticks. For the unexpected item, I chose a pair of pearl earrings to represent a girl. Since the chopsticks is very Asian and the wine glass is very American, I decided to capture the mood of the drawing as "Cute Asian American Girl." What I found quite interesting were the textures because I had to figure out how to color and shade each object to make it look like it's the right texture. I feel that this sketch was a success, but what I would do to make it better would be to try to draw it from one perspective.

Sketch - Value Study in Line

The purpose of this sketch was to draw two sketches of the same place on the same sheet of paper, but different ways of showing line weights and contrast. The place of the building needs to show a window wall, back wall, floor, and ceiling. I chose to draw our studio room. The top sketch shows the value of the space by using line weights, and the bottom sketch shows the value by using high contrast as the shadow. I think that I wouldn't change anything because it has fulfilled the purpose.

Sketch - Erased Negative Space

The purpose of this sketch was to use only shading and erasing of any object that has interesting voids. I shaded the background and then erased the graphite to show the frame of the flowers. This sketch was pretty difficult because it was not easy to erase the graphite off. Therefore, it doesn't have a clean look to the drawing. What I would do to fix this is to erase the graphite more to show the figure clearly.

Sketch - Still Life Cross-Section

The purpose of this sketch was to slice a fruit or vegetable that has an interesting interior and place it with two other fruits or vegetables as a still life. I chose to use bell peppers and a lemon. I used the scribbling technique, which I think was successful to show the details of the vegetable's shape and figure.

Sketch - Napkin

This sketch was drawn on a 5x8 white napkin of the floorplan and elevation of where you live. I drew the floorplan of my apartment and my kitchen as the elevation. I also annotated the drawing to indicate which part was which. It actually took me a few tries to make this drawing turn out right because if you don't press gently, the napkin will rip. I thought that this sketch idea was pretty creative because if there wasn't a paper anywhere and you have an idea, it's great to use whatever that is in front of you.

Resume

This was my first time putting a resume together. It was a great learning experience for me, eventhough I didn't have much to fill in. I never knew how important a resume was until now. I actually had some difficulties trying to find a good layout for it to look professional, so I went with a clean and simple look. By mixing big and small fonts, it gives a more creative and interesting feel to the reader.

During the process, I realized that I need to get myself more involved with jobs and activities. It is important to gain as much experiences as I can to understand what's out there in the world. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to write up my own resume because now it's easier for me to find a job without worrying how to write one.

Sketch - Chair Negative Space

I selected a chair from a magazine that had an open back to the seat, in order to show the shape of the chair in a negative form. As you see, the negative space is shaded in and it outlines the chair. What I would have done differently was to challenge myself by sketching the chair at the same time while shading because what I did was that I sketched the shape of the chair first and then shaded around the chair second.

Sketch - Black Paper

The objective of this sketch was to create an illusion through the use of colors and a sketching technique of an architectural element on a black sheet of paper. I chose to draw a hinge on a closet. It was a bit confusing and challenging at first because I didn't know how to create an illusion by using so many different colors that are nothing like the original piece, but I figured it out my second time. I'm actually satisfied with this sketch because I feel that I fulfilled the purpose of this assignment.

Sketch - Figure Tracing from Photograph

We had the opportunity to choose a random picture with a person sitting, running, standing, or walking. I chose one of my favorite celebrities and traced the her figure position. What I could have made this better was to use different size ink pens so it would differentiate the parts of her body so it would be easier to understand.

Sketch - Figure Tracing

The purpose of this sketch was to trace two figure drawings and then freehand the rest to fill up the page. This was my first time drawing anthropometrics, which I thought was a great experience as an introduction to these type of figures. These figures were also quite a challenge for me because I couldn't draw them in proportion. I need to practice more so I can sketch these faster and look neat at the same time.

Sketch - Room Corner

The objective of this drawing was to sketch an interesting corner from an angle that does not show too much ceiling or too much floor. The technique I chose to use was cross hatching. The closer lines show the darker areas and it also adds shadow and contrast. What I could fix about this sketch would be to use thinner lines and add more lines. I think it would look much better and more professional.

Logo

I used the initials of my first and last name for my logo design. The kind of style that I like is very dynamic, therefore, I tried to show the dynamic style by shaping the letters into a very different shape and form. I also added a scribbly line in the color green because my name also means green. By making the opacity of the scribbly line lighter, my initials stand out. It also works very well in grayscale.

What I have learned from this project of logo designing was that it's important to make sure the design still looks good in grayscale. Since I kept that in mind, I felt like I was really cautious and afraid to use a lot of details and colors. It'll probably take me lots of practice in order to come up with a design that will satisfy me.

Drawing and sketching on the Wacom tablet was a great experience for me. I will need to work with it more to get use to it. When that happens, I believe that whatever design I want to do, it will turn out the way I want it to be.