Research:
- As part of our research on mashups, we listened to this podcast that is centered around the act of cutting and pasting different pieces together.
- For example, the story that was most talked about in the podcast was “Pride and Prejudice + Zombies”. Neither of these really go together but by dissecting each piece and putting together unique parts, a story/narrative begins to form.
- I also did some of my own research on ways to visually show the action of something. Below are examples that I found…
Exercise 1:
- We chose a font that we feel represents some aspect or quality of our personality.
- Then, we transferred this text to an isometric grid and created an extruded 3D isometric illustration of our name/initials.
Testing methods of drawing by using different tools in Illustrator. - Experimented with line weight, color, value and fill variations.
Iterations:
- I started off by making a list of mashup words that consisted of a noun and adjective/verb.
2. Then I began brainstorming ways I could visually show the definition of each word. I’ve often found in my design thinking/process that I easily become attached to my first ideas and struggle with thinking beyond what my first idea was. I noticed this within myself and wanted to work on pulling out bigger and more unique ideas/ways to create a design that I actually cared about and had some personal connection. I’ve realized over the semester, that by creating my own personal connection with each project, it inspires me more and helps my creativity shine.
3. I began thinking about people/things that are important to me and my personality. I instantly thought of music, my favorite singer being Beyonce because of her girl power and independence that radiates to people all over the globe. This was an idea I was becoming excited about. The word I decided to use is BEYPOWER
4. Then I started to brainstorm ways that I could resemble Beyonce in all her glory but also show the powerful aspect of it as well. I decided that having each letter be manipulated into a specific object or idea would help the viewer understand who the artist is but also what she represents in our society.
5. I began playing with the manipulations on the letters and quickly began to realize that manipulating each letter felt too busy and did not give the vibes that I was hoping to portray onto the viewer.
6. I moved on to realize that maybe actually showing who the word is about would bring more clarity to the viewer but also the definition of the word as well. But still adding slight aspects to the figure so that it is still embodying the meaning of the whole word.
Getting the Idea Together
- I wanted the figure to be extremely simple as it is only working to be a helpful tool for the viewer when trying to figure out what the word is consisted of and who it relates to.
Production:
Reflection:
- This project was definitely an interesting time for me. I really wanted to conquer the challenge of doing this project digitally as I have always had this desire to learn how everything works. But at the same time I felt like I bit a little more off than I can chew for this project as it was very stressful trying to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator on my iPad and desktop while at the same time creating a design that is strong.
- Another part of this project that I’ve had to learn to adjust to was time management. I think the stress of trying to get this project done took away from my ability to truly explore and dig deeper into my abilities to portray what I truly wanted to portray.
Link to Portfolio Project: MashUp