In this project we analyzed both natural and synthetic patterns in collaboration with executing the use of design principles. We accomplished this by projecting abstracted shapes and configuring them in order to create a dynamic and organized mandala.
Research
To begin this project we took time to walk around and document patterns. We photographed both man-made and natural patterns. It was interesting to see how these two types could be so different or in some cases so similar and it is clear that many man-made patterns take inspiration from natural forms.
Exercises
Abstractions
Using ten of our best photos from each of the two categories, we broke down the basic shapes and movements of the patterns we found. These abstractions were later used in the creation of our final mandalas. I did this in Adobe Illustrator making it easy to pull the shapes from my different patterns and transfer them onto my mandala grids.
Iterations
Square grid
Using our abstractions we combined elements of each to create nine new patterns. From there we chose one of those patterns and employed principles of design throughout the square grid. I chose scale and unity to create my composition because I used a lot of the natural shapes in my pattern and I liked the how the different sizes created that wholesome effect.
Mandala Grids
To help guide the main mandala creation, I developed three different grids that became useful in keeping my designs organized and also pushed me to use several styles of both symmetrical and asymmetric mandalas. By making the grids first, I was able to try many designs to find what I liked best and ultimately it inspired the use of design principles effectively in my composition.
Process
When it came to designing the final mandala, the bulk of the work had already been done because I was pulling all the shapes I used from the abstractions exercise. All I had to play around with was the arrangement, line weight, and grey scale I wanted to incorporate. I also kept in mind the design principles when adding in all of my elements. I would say ninety percent of my shapes came from the patterns I found in my research and then I added a few or modified some to make it work how I wanted it to. I experimented in illustrator with clipping masks, the repeat tool, and shape builder in order to implement my designs.
Final
I made a few changes to my final after taking into consideration some constructive criticisms from Hazal and Jenifer, and I am very happy with the result. For my mandala composition, I chose to focus on the principle of movement. My second grid is what led me to this decision. I made a mistake with the spacing of the curved lines and it created a gap that I thought was a great opportunity to introduce asymmetry to my design. With that, the naturalness of the dividing lines made a flowing motion that I thought perfectly portrayed the principle of movement that I was going for. To make the distinction of this gap, I chose to use entirely different shapes and a gradient which is unlike the majority of the mandala design. I also used a spiral abstraction from my research in the center to involve movement within the rest of the composition as well. Through this process, I was able to articulate my skills in illustrator and strengthen my ability to visualize patterns and how they relate to and complement one another.
For the second part of this project, we evolved our original mandalas with the application of color. Through this process I was able to discover just how much different combinations of hues can alter a design.
Research
In order to build off of the greyscale value mandala we created, we began this project by learning about color theory. I watched a few videos, and referred to the power points provided to us to develop a better understanding of how to effectively use color in addition to the patterns we already created. Color theory emphasizes how color is able to draw your eye to an image, evoke a certain mood or emotion, or even communicate without words. Formulas based off harmony such as monochromatic and complementary are just two of the color schemes that are a part of this theory. Getting to know colors and their associations with one another before applying it to my mandala was extremely helpful.
In addition to the resources provided to us. I think a lot of inspiration regarding color can come from our experiences. We are drawn to certain hues or warm versus cool tones because of the colors we witness in our lives, whether that is in nature or artificial places such as in an animated movie. I think a great representation of this is the movie The Lorax based off of the Dr. Seuss book. It displays a variety of color schemes and uses shades and tints of a hue to effectively portray different moods. For instance, the Lorax himself along with most elements of nature represented in this animation like the trees, fish, and birds, all fit within an analogous scheme of oranges, pinks and yellows. In contrast, the Onceler, or the main antagonist, is entirely represented in cool grays and greens to represent his heartlessness and greedy tendencies. Even in a movie geared towards children, animators spend the time to make these connections using the proper colors to do so.
Exercises
Color Palettes
To establish which color palettes and schemes appealed to me and worked best within my mandala design, I created a variety of templates with possible ideas. To accomplish this, I used Adobe Color which was a great tool. I was able to pick a scheme I wanted and translate the same colors directly into Illustrator.
Interaction of color app
I also found The Interaction of Color app by Josef Albers which has great additional thoughts on color theory, informative tutorials, and it was yet another way to play around with colors.
Iterations
Because this project is in conjunction with the previous pattern project, we used the same mandala design we had already established in grey values. Adding the color was the fun part because there are so many possibilities and Illustrator makes it so easy to consider multiple iterations. It is astonishing how much color affects the appearance of the same design which was my favorite part of this exploration.
This was my first attempt at employing color throughout my value mandala. It looks nice, however it does not effectively emphasize the movement that I intended. I was drawn to this color palette because of its soft warmer tones, but the dull colors create no hierarchy with everything lying at the same visual level. I attempted to invert the pink gradient but it only slightly changed the look. Although this mandala didn’t come out the way I wanted, it was an important prototype that ruled out what was not working in the composition. Color can add such a powerful element and I knew that there were better ways I could use that to my designs advantage.
Because I learned that I needed to bring out the portion of the grid that represents movement based on my first iteration, I wanted to try using a complementary color scheme. Due to of their opposition on the color wheel, these sets of colors naturally create the most contrast and I thought I could use this to my advantage. Based on personal preference, I chose to use muted oranges and browns along with teals. I also played around a lot with the outline of the shape and line weights in this particular iteration versus filling the shape in. I like the end result but I didn’t think it was the strongest in terms of the design principle I was trying to emphasize.
I chose to use a split complementary color palette for this iteration because it allowed me to have multiple colors in the main part of the mandala to create depth, while keeping the movement out of the grid an entirely different color which I liked. It also had a meaning in relation to the name of my mandala which is “infectious”. When I think of the connotation of the word infection I think of a sickly green taking over and that is that is what I was going for in this specific design. I tried making the composition smaller to fit it within the art board but it diminished the feeling of movement. I also darkened the shades of greens for the final in order to provide more emphasis and set the greens backwards in the visual hierarchy.
For this last iteration, I chose to use a square color scheme because it brought in a lot of bold and vibrant colors. I left the movement portion of the grid as open shapes with only an outline for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it really emphasizes the separation and therefore shows the infiltration and movement of the un-colored section, but it also creates motion as the color slowly seeps into the separate section. My first iteration of this design looked a bit unfinished because of the outlines so I decided to play with line weight in order to make to look more intentional. I increased the weight but kept them all the same size which looked better but I still wanted some more variation. I decided to create a gradient like I had in my value mandala but instead portrayed it through decreasing line weight as your eye moves from the center to the edge of the board.
Finals
Adding color to the original greyscale mandala completely transformed the way the design presented itself to the eye. Adding color adds life, and each different palette was able to display a life of its own when applied to the same composition. I think a great takeaway from this project was how detrimental color can be to a design. In almost all of my trials, my mandala looked entirely different based on what hues I chose to use. I liked that the exploration of color was an add on to the previous project where we analyzed pattern and abstractions because it allowed me to focus solely on the color schemes and how they looked since my actual design was already set in stone.
View the final project at Pattern Activating Form: Final