Project Statement
For this project my goal was to create a mandala that supported the design principle of movement. This can be such a broad principle; you can have a directional or linear movement. For my composition I focused on displaying a curvilinear, organic rhythm that flowed throughout the composition. Based on establishing the principle I wanted to emphasize and what tone I wanted movement to embrace; I made sure all elements throughout the whole process supported that. This being said, when it came to choosing my five abstractions made from natural or man-made objects, I paid close attention to the lines and shapes of each abstraction. I picked certain abstractions that either had a movement of their own or had a curvilinear nature to them that would add more to the overall mandala pattern. As I began to play around, iterating different ways to place my abstractions into the radial pattern; I used different line weights to add more depth. I kept the final design clean and clear to support an organic feel, I did not want my composition to be cluttered and hard to understand.
When it came to color application, I chose color palettes that reminded me of organic and free flowing things in nature. As I looked at my final mandala in grayscale, it reminded me of waves of the ocean so I chose a color palette that supported that idea. I also chose a green earth tone palette that reflected the organic tone of the movement throughout the final composition.
Process
View detailed project process at Mandala: Process
Reflection
This project really allowed me to express and challenge my creative side. While doing the steps along the way to creating my final composition; I got to explore different ways to express elements and create a certain feeling through a pattern. I was able to communicate movement well through my abstraction selection, value application, and my mandala grid as a whole. By having the intention to choose abstractions that supported what I wanted my final composition to be, organic movement, it created a cohesive composition that helps viewers’ eyes move around the composition. All my abstractions are related to each other as elements and as whole which I think worked well in my favor.
I really grew when it came to using illustrator to create a digital file composition. I was not very familiar with how illustrators worked before the start of this design fundamental course. This was the first illustrator heavy project, where I had to use several tools in the software program. My skills definitely grew and I feel more confident now then I did before this project. With this being said I think my craft in a digital sense could use some work and will practice getting more informed about different tools throughout illustrator to further my craft.