Layering Space: Process

To begin the brainstorming process, I made a list of potential themes that could be used within my initials. However, I was limited in that aspect since my initials are GVG. The list included ideas such as nature, coffee, volleyball, powerlifting, and more. To differentiate myself from my peers I chose something that I assumed others do not partake in, which was lifting. Once this decision was made, I explored the creation of different gym equipment within Adobe Illustrator. This involved a treadmill and various free weights like kettlebells and dumbbells. While experimenting with an uppercase G, I struggled to keep the original form of the letter so I quickly shifted to lowercase in order to utilize the negative space. I also played with different fonts as I found that they made a large impact on the vibe of the design. Choosing a typewriter g allowed for interesting negative space to be utilized but it also felt too feminine. Since lifting isn’t necessarily associated with that, I chose to switch the font to a more block-like letter. I ended up deciding between the examples in the screenshot below since they were easy to understand yet interesting to look at. When testing on scrap paper using the laser cutter I liked the look of the 45 lb. plates more than the kettlebell because the details caught my eye and the laser could handle the thinner lines. Once this was complete, I used rubber cement to put attach the black cardstock to white bristol paper (seen below). This process and the decisions involved allowed the brainstorming stage to flourish.

Brainstorming different ideas that would work well with the layers concept was a challenge for me. I only found a couple that I really liked since I wanted to expand upon depth in an object that already contained it. I was able to create small thumbnails for each of these ideas (shown below). These themes included nature (ocean, forest, sunset, etc), beauty/jewelry, and family (gatherings). Once I was able to visualize each of these I dove deep into three of them. The forest, ocean, and jewelry themes sparked my interest the most so I researched ideas within them. The work of Iris Van Herpen brought curiosity to how I could incorporate animation into the layers. However, the depth of the ocean and all the living organisms involved also intrigued me. Ultimately, I chose to work with a forest and the animals involved in my final composition. Doing so would aid in the process of revealing emotion while simultaneously implementing the principles of movement and emphasis. Moving forward, I began drawing different structures to include in the final composition. This included trees, cabins, wolves, deer, rabbits, snakes, birds, and flowers. All of these organisms belong in a forest ecosystem but I didn’t necessarily want to incorporate all of them because it wouldn’t allow for enough emphasis on my surprise element. Building a vision board on Adobe Illustrator came next as I pieced together different layers of the forest. I wanted to simulate the viewer walking through a forest, so the trees toward the front are much larger while the ones in the back are smaller and in the distance. This evoked the mysterious and dark emotion that I desired. Once I placed each drawing into the spot I wanted, I split the vision board into layers. I could then see each layer clearly and was able to order each in a way that they would be placed in the horizontal display. Using different shades of grey allowed me to separate layers on artboards that were the size of the opaque apparatus which would allow for easy transfer to the laser cutter. While the wood apparatus would have followed the forest theme, I wanted to be able to leave gaps between the layers in the final composition. Adding space in between each would allow more depth to show. On a different note, implementing my surprise element of stars was the most difficult part because I had to find space through each of the layers for light to shine through. In order to hide the stars when light was not shining, I added tracing paper in front of the layer. After finalizing the files in Illustrator, I perfected how I wanted each layer to look and was ready to use the laser cutter. Once all six layers were cut I was able to make small placement changes and decide on the direction the light should shine through the composition. This resulted in my final outcome which can be seen below.

Within this assignment, I was able to create a structure focused on depth that conveyed an obscure yet welcoming natural environment. Creating floating objects was my biggest challenge and accomplishment in this composition. Being able to produce objects that weren’t connected to the surrounding border like the rest of my layers was something I was able to solve using a connective material like glue. Problem-solving through difficulties allowed my layers to come to life and taught me that your best idea isn’t always your first idea. However, to improve upon this composition I would love to add sound. The rustling of leaves, the whistling of the wind, and the chattering of animals would advance the emotions conveyed. Looking back, I also regret how much time I spent on exercise one because it took away from possible iteration time. Nevertheless, I was able to learn that small tweaks can make a large difference in the design process and outcome.