Final Project : Visual Analysis

Design Principles // Final Project

Ng Jun Wei / 0349827

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Advertising and Brand Management

4/2/2023 - 24/2/2023  (Week 4 - Week 7)

Final Project: Visual Analysis

Recap：

Visual analysis is a method of understanding art that focuses on an artwork's visual elements, such as colour, line, texture, and scale. In its strictest definition, it is a description and explanation of visual structure for its own sake. After that, I need to make my own works based on my understanding of the design principle of that artwork.

Part 1: Visual Analysis

Design work:

Figure 1.1 Illustration by Axiu on 2019

Source: https://pin.it/36BhjOg

This design was chosen because the image is rich and vivid, and it is my favourite style. It is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 14 of "Life Below Water". I think that the ocean is an integral component of the earth and that humans should coexist with it. Rather than indiscriminately murdering marine life. Putting valuable marine species on the verge of extinction.

Phase 1: Observation

This design work is in illustration poster format.  As for visual elements, the main colours observed are pink, blue, red and yellow.  Overall, it is a mix of warm and cool colour design. The composition elements of this picture are relatively simple geometric figures, mainly circles and squares. The focus is on the top right of the picture where the whales and girls are located. There are clouds all around, and they match the colour of the background. There are also some stars and two red houses of different sizes at the bottom left and middle of the picture.

Phase 2: Analysis

The emphasis is on the image - between whales and people - presented in a golden ratio, therefore also applying the Principle of balance. At the same time, both the girls and the whale are heading in the same direction. So I think there's an element of movement as well. A repetition of stars, bubbles and clouds is found from the top to the bottom of the design. There is unity in the overall composition as the objects are arranged to complement one another. There is the proportion in the layout, creating a hierarchy. In addition, the overall colour is uniform, and no particularly obtrusive colours are used - Harmony.

Phase 3: Interpretation

It was created by illustrator Axiu and released in 2019. I found that this design work combines elements of sky, land and ocean. For example, the clouds, moon, stars and planets in the sky. Flowers and structures from the ground, and shells and whales from the ocean. This means that everything in the world is somehow peacefully co-existing. Therefore, as human beings, we need to take care of “Life Below Water" and reduce the damage to them. Only by doing this will we be able to build a peaceful world where people, animals, and plants can all thrive.

Part 2: Design

References:

Figure 2.1 Retro Coral Reef Scuba Diving Travel Poster

Source: https://pin.it/4TbIcj3

Figure 2.2

Source: https://pin.it/79Gutgm

Inspired by Visual Analysis (Figure 1.1), I decided to draw an underwater artwork with a Golden ratio as the main feature. And incorporate various design Principles.

Exploration:

Figure 2.3 Draft 1

I develop sketches utilising the golden ratio method by the design principles I have studied. And use bubbles to achieve repetition. And those little dots are schools of fish, for movement.

Progression:

Figure 2.4 Background

Figure 2.5 Progression

Figure 2.6 Highlight

Feedback:

Ms Jinchi thinks it's mostly fine, but humans in the centre of vision can enlarge a little. For added visual impact, I could place some small plants in the bottom right corner of the image.

Final Design:

Figure 3.1 Final Design - Blue Love

Rationale: 

Figure 1.1 was the source of inspiration for this work, and I named it "Blue Love". Although the work uses cool colours that make people feel calm, I use bright yellow to warm up the overall image. This corresponds to what I'm trying to say. Humans are frequently destroying marine life nowadays. We must protect the "Life Below Water" of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and live in harmony with them as humans. We should not destroy them, but rather shine warm lights on them. Humans and whales coexist peacefully, as shown in this image, making our world sustainable and effective.

The golden ratio, which represents balance, unity and harmony in colour, the movement of fish, the emphasis on humans and whales, and the repetition of bubbles are all incorporated into the work. This is what I've learned this semester, and it's reflected in my work.

Reflection

My initial definition of "Visual Analysis" was very broad. I wasn't sure what I needed to do or what kind of artwork I should look for as inspiration. But as I looked more closely at the Lecturer's recording videos, I started to get some ideas. However, I had no idea what the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) were at the time, so I searched for a lot of relevant information online. Finally, I started looking for appropriate visual analysis works.

This assignment is difficult for me because I must incorporate all of the design principles I have learned into a work. So I studied a variety of works and learned how they were presented in order to continue my work. 

Due to time constraints, I did not create my artwork digitally this time. I borrowed an iPad from a friend and completed it using Procreate, which was a new challenge for me as I was unfamiliar with using electronic painting. Hence, the work's details were not as perfect as expected, but I was grateful for the opportunity to learn a new skill.