Introduction
The main aim of this project was to reset or unlearn everything I knew about the elements of design and learn the basics in different approach which what I achieved in this project. To use drawing as a tool for observation and representation. To use visual skills and techniques appropriately in order to be able to better visualise and communicate design ideas.
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Elements of Visual Language
1. In relation to the video on line & dot that I saw on day-1, now that the I am at the end of the project, I can say that on day-1 I was as stiff as the line. I had zero experience and did not know what only a sheet of paper and a pencil were capable of achieving. I felt as a confused or lost as the straight line when he did not know how to reach his full potential.
The first page I drew on the very first day of my FVL journey
It is clear that I had just entered the forest without a map and had to reach to my destination. I had no clear vision I trusted the process and took guidance from Dada and Josh sir, and they saved me from falling into the quicksand that came across very frequently. After the first day of FVL, I right away knew that I have got to think outside the box and make mistakes after mistakes but also learn from my mistakes. Learning from my previous mistakes was the difficult part because each mistake was new in a way and my teachers didn't really want me to know what mistake I had made. They did not give a clear response or review for anyones work but at the same time wanted all of us to make huge progress between each attempt. This made me so curious because I had to review the work I had done and what the others had done. To overcome this issue I kept an ear open to understand what feedback was given to each and everyone of us. I realised that they were giving constructive feedback and I used most of it for my feed forward. This way I was able to progress and learn experientially
Moving on, I had started using other mediums such as graphite, pen & ink, paint and charcoal. The easiest medium for me to work with is paint and ink as I have the best control over it. Ink is bold and expressive. Next, pencil/ graphite, I am able to work with it, but it does take sometime to draw lines, especially those which have to be very expressive. Graphite is good for intricate work and there are different shades which make it easier for different tonal variations to come about. Pen was amazing to use, I was able to make consistent lines and it is bold and dark and at the same time it is thin. I can see all these mediums having their own scenarios where they can be used.
2. The thematic representation had to be done by arrange circular dots of - varying sizes, filled/non filled, transparent - opaque, overlapping/ non overlapping in a given space and represent themes like clouds and rain.
Cloud - The first page (attempt 1) was not great as I had either not drawn the circles or there was shading being done. I thought outside the box by making clouds in concentric circles but I needed to have the circles overlap.
Clouds made from circular dots and/or circles (attempt 1)
But on the next page (attempt 2) I had shown the circles I used and instead of shading, I used tonal gradation. I achieved in making the a cloud with arranging circular dots/ circles in a way that look like the shape of the cloud. This took me a few tries.
Clouds made from circular dots and/or circles (attempt 2)
Rain - In this one I failed miserably. What I drew was not close enough even though I put effort into it. The rain is supposed to be scattered that means it doesn't have any pattern (there is no particular way the rain falls). There is supposed to be density in the rain to make it look like the Bombay ki baarish where as mine looked like Rajasthan ki baarish, basically meaning, it was not it.
The strategy was to make similar kinds of big dots and scatter them and then make smaller and smaller dots which are also scattered. After that I randomly darkened a few to get a little tonal variation. But somehow this strategy didn't work out and my rain was not dense at all. I could have done it better if I had been more quick at making each circular dot, since never ever do rain droplets look circular. They are stretched out ellipses, which would have come out looking great if I had drawn ellipses and circles really fast.
Rain made from circles and circular dots (failed attempt)
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Daily Drawing Document
Straight from the get go, I would like to say that I am not consistent with some types of work, especially work that involve daily drawing tasks.
From all the sketches that I did do, the most effective ones were towards the end of each day when I drawing for example a Jutti, it had gotten a grasp of how it looks and those kinds of shoes/ chappals are the kinds which I am able to do with ease. The most effectives ones would also be the ones where neither did I draw to many details nor erased the sketch lines.
I struggled with drawing and sketching everyday. There is no justification that I can give, I just need to be more consistent. I have already started working on drawing for half an hour everyday and rather than focusing on the accuracy of drawing them and observing them, I am focusing on being super efficient with each and every drawing.
Starting the drawing with bold, confident lines and starting from different parts of the shoe. Which means sometimes starting from the difficult parts of the shoe like the lounge and the top of the shoes and sometimes just being able to make the outline of the shoe and/ or starting from the sole and sketching those less curvy lines as efficiently as possible.
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