Task 2 - Visual Analysis & Ideation

Requirements:

In your Task 2 Visual Analysis & Ideation post in the blog,

1. Recap Task 2 brief.

2. Write a 300- to 350-word visual analysis of the artwork you selected from the art gallery. Refer to Visual Analysis lecture notes and guide to write the visual analysis.

3. Next, using your design principles knowledge, sketch 3 ideas on how the selected design can be improved. Describe each idea and support it with a rationale in about 30-50 words. You may include some visual references (cite the sources) that inspire your own ideas. Plagiarism in any way (p. 13 of MIB) will result in an F grade for the overall module and the student will be subjected to the policies of the University concerning academic misconduct. You shall also adhere to the guidelines and expectations for the responsible use of GenAI.

4.Feedback from the lecturer

WORK PROGRESS:
Discuss and show your progress to your lecturer to get approval each week.
Your weekly attendance will be marked upon consultation.

Submission
Task 2 blog link (make sure it is under the label of Design Principles GCD60804)

SUBMISSION

Visual Analysis

Title: Urban Nature

Artist/Designer: Antoine Doré
Year: 2022
Size: Unknown
Medium: Urban Nature
Source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/98066801/Urban-Nature-Series/modules/566190337

Phrase 1 : Observation

Antoine Doré's Urban Nature uses color palette of warm orange, cool purple and lime green which is contrasting and highly saturated to create a dreamy and slightly surreal atmosphere. Also, the author uses these colors to clearly differentiate the plants in the foreground, the plants in the middle and the city in the background which enhances the readability of the work. The lime green plants and the warm orange city make the silhouette of the black cat in the center of the picture stand out. The dark purple plant in the foreground all extend towards the center and lead the viewer's eye to focus on the black cat more naturally.

Phrase 2 : Analysis

The strong color contrast in the work can instantly attract the viewer's attention. Gestalt theory of continuation is used to create a sense of movement by guiding the viewer's eyes to the center through extended plant lines. The black cat silhouette and lime green plants and warm orange city, dark purple plants and lime green plants, these two sets of strong contrasts of light and dark, emphasizing the black cat in the center and the lime green plants, making it more eye-catching. The lime green plants on the left and right sides are in different shape but in similar size, forming an asymmetrical balance and creating a sense of dynamic equilibrium. Meanwhile, the black cat is placed in accordance with the rule of thirds, serving as a stable visual anchor. The limited three colors and the elements of plant, city and cat maintain the unity of the image and the theme. Black cat as a symbolism to stimulates multiple interpretations of the image and sublimates the theme.

Phrase 3 : Interpretation

Antoine Doré is influenced by retro sci-fi with punk and futuristic influences and a strong color palette. Urban Nature explores the relationship and balance between cities and nature. As human civilization advances and modern society becomes more and more economically prosperous, the author is calling for sustainable development in light of the many natural environmental problems that come with it. The whole work uses color and layout to give the viewer a sense of calm and contemplation. It makes people start to think about whether they should continue to lose themselves in hard work or find a more balanced and natural life, which is a kind of inner sense of belonging

Symbolism

Black cat:

Guardian of the forest: symbolizing protection. The black cat looks at the disappearing natural environment in the city and reminds people to pay attention to the relationship between man and nature.
Symbolizes independence and self-confidence , representing the pursuit of freedom.

Plants: represent the exuberance of nature and symbolize freedom and tranquility.

City: symbolizes the progress of human civilization.

Window: symbolizes the medium linking nature and the city.

My Observations:
Color Palette: The warm orange cityscape, along with the purple and cyan-green plants, adds a dreamy and slightly surreal atmosphere to the artwork. The strong contrast between purple and cyan-green creates vibrancy while maintaining balance. The use of neon tones further enhances the sense of mystery, blending naturally with the black cat at the center of the composition. The cyan-green plants in the midground bring vitality to the scene.
Composition: The artist skillfully uses color to clearly distinguish the foreground plants, midground plants, and the distant cityscape. This clever layering enhances the readability of the artwork.
Perspective: The foreground plants appear larger, while the distant cityscape appears smaller. Additionally, the chosen viewpoint aligns closely with the height of the cat, creating an immersive perspective. This perspective technique strengthens the storytelling aspect of the artwork.

fig 1.1 Analysis by Rule of Thirds

Phrase 2 : Analysis

1.Gestalt Theory
Closure: the plant in the foreground partially obscures part of the window outline, but when we browse the painting we can still naturally visualize the information in our minds, which enhances the immersion of the reader when enjoying the painting.
Continuation: The plant forms and the lines of the window frames guide the viewer’s eye from the foreground to the background, creating a sense of space. The plant forms in both the foreground and mid-ground lead the reader's eye to the cityscape in the background.
2.Contrast
Color Contrast: cool purple and lime green are used in the plants in the foreground, and warm orange and yellow are used in the city in the background, which form a strong contrast and make the picture very attractive.
Texture Contrast: The detailed texture of the plants in the front contrasts with the rough texture of the plants in the center, adding visual interest.
3.Emphasis

Color Emphasis: The yellow oranges in the background reinforce the contrast of the black cat from the warmer city, thus providing a focal point for the painting and lighting the way for the attention of the viewers that often subconsciously rest on the cat.
Contrast Emphasis: Two light/dark pairs of opposing contrasts:

The surroundings consist of a dark, the city, and light plants which demarcate the center and foreground as being light, as well as the city and building background, defining regions of interest that work in conjunction with the light dark blending differences. These provide emphasis to the focal black cat.
There are dark plants in the foreground and mostly light center plants. This combination will provide emphasis to the center and background parts of the composition.

4.Balance
Visual Balance: The plants on the left and right sides of the composition have similar shapes and sizes, creating a sense of dynamic balance. The black cat, positioned along the rule of thirds, serves as a stable visual anchor.
Color Balance: Cool-toned plants frame the outer edges of the composition, while the warm-toned cityscape is concentrated in the center. This strategic use of color naturally draws the viewer’s gaze toward the middle, emphasizing both the city and the black cat as focal points.

5.Movement
Line Direction: The curving shapes of the foreground plants and the hanging vines create dynamic, flowing lines that add a sense of movement to the composition.
Gradual Scale Change: The foreground plants appear larger, while the background cityscape appears smaller. This gradual transition in scale from foreground to background mimics depth perception, guiding the viewer’s eye smoothly through the scene.

6.Harmony & Unity
Color Harmony & Unity: The composition maintains consistency by using a limited color palette of cool tones (purple, teal) and warm tones (orange, yellow). The sky in the background cityscape transitions from light red to soft orange to yellow, creating a natural and harmonious gradient.
Thematic Unity: The black cat serves as the focal point, bridging the natural world in the foreground with the urban environment in the background. Its presence unifies the two contrasting elements, preventing visual disconnection. Meanwhile, the window acts as a dividing line between nature and the city.

6.Symbol

The focal point of the image, the black cat, has a symbolic meaning. Ancient Egyptians worshipped black cats because of their association with the cat goddess Bastet, symbolizing protection, prosperity and divine power. In relation to the theme of this piece, “Urban Nature”, the black cat is like the guardian of Mori. The black cat sits quietly in front of the window, like a forest guardian. This suggests that the natural environment in the city is disappearing, and the black cat as a guardian is like a reminder to people to pay attention to the relationship between human and nature.

In modern culture, black cats are often associated with independence, self-confidence, and mysterious temperament, for example, in pop culture, black cat characters are usually smart, witty, and uninhibited images. It sits quietly in its chair, enjoying its own world. This may represent the pursuit of freedom in the city, or the desire to be alone in nature to relax and seek balance, as well as the process of pursuing oneself due to the stress of daily work.

Phrase 3 : Interpretation

About the Author:

Antoine Doré is a French illustrator and artist whose work is influenced by the science fiction aesthetic of the 1950s and 1970s, often with a retro sci-fi feel and a blend of punk and futuristic elements, while using a strong narrative and visual impact with a tense use of color. His work is often laid out using a grid system. His work is characterized by clear outlines, subtle lines, and distinct color blocks. His work often contains a sense of storytelling, bringing not only visual impact, but also provoking the viewer to think.

The theme of the work is explored:

The theme of this work is Urban Nature, which explores the relationship and balance between the city and nature. The plants inside the window represent nature, the cityscape outside represents the city, and the black cat in the center of the picture symbolizes the link between the two, as well as the guardians of the forest or the humans in the city.

The work may be a metaphor for the impact of urbanization on the natural environment. With the advancement of human civilization and industrial civilization, there are more and more skyscrapers in the city, and the economy of modern society is becoming more and more prosperous, which also brings many natural environmental problems such as global warming, and everyone is calling for the reduction of carbon emission. In this work, I also see that the author is calling for sustainable development.

The presence of the black cat is like an observer, sitting quietly by the window and looking at the city in the distance. It is like people in real life who are pondering whether to continue to lose themselves in their laborious work or to find a more balanced and natural life. It is a reflection on inner belonging.

The viewer's emotional response:

The contrasting colors bring curiosity to the viewer to take a closer look at the piece. The gradation of colors (orange, pink and yellow) used in the sky outside the window gives a peaceful, warm twilight color, which creates a feeling of rest and contemplation in the viewer, and brings the viewer a calm feel. The green plants in the foreground are full of vitality, giving people a relaxing and healing psychological feeling.

Phrase 4 : Conclusion

Antoine Doré's work is a clever blend of urban and natural elements, exploring the relationship between human and nature through strong color contrasts, clear composition, and storytelling. The use of design principles such as emphasis, contrast, balance, and harmony gives the work a richness of layers, making it visually advanced and appealing to the eye. Not only does it bring visual impact, but it also guides the viewer to think about the impact of modern urbanization on the natural environment and how to find a balance between modern life and nature. It brings viewers a sense of tranquility and healing, immersing them in the experience and triggering in-depth thinking.

3 Sketch Ideas

fig 1.1 Original Design Work

Mr. Fauzi advised me that the compositions and colors were already well done in the original image, so he suggested not to change them. Instead, focus on telling the story of the image. Based on this advice, I made the following sketch ideas.

Sketch Ideas 1

Title：Neon Eden

Rational:

From the perspective of design principles：Increase the contrast between the internal natural environment and the external urban environment by changing the view outside the window to make it more sci-fi. Also, the perspective relationship of the outdoor environment is increased, and the picture looks more natural. ( 41 words )

From the perspective of Graphics：Make the scene outside the window more cyber-sci-fi, extend the indoor plants to the outside of the window to establish a connection between the inside and outside of the window, and the sunlight from the more cyber-sci-fi scene sprinkles on the plants, conveying a harmonious and beautiful scene. The cat wears an electronic collar and calmly looks at the person who is looking at the painting, like a reminder to humans to protect nature.

What did I change ：

Make the scene outside the window more cyber-sci-fi.
Add a beam like the Tyndall effect.
Extend the indoor plants to the outside of the window.
Draw eyes for the cat and draw an electronic collar.

fig 1.2 Sketch Idea 1

fig 1.3 References Board for Sketch Idea 1

Sketch Ideas 2

Title: Whispering Nature

Rational:

From the perspective of design principles：Increasing theme unity highly through add butterflies and spiders to make the foreground looks like in the forest, enhancing the storytelling of the work.It can also can increase the balance of this work.( 33 words )

From the perspective of Graphics：The flying bird in the foreground seems to want to break into the outside world, creating an artistic conception of city and jungle, and conveying a beautiful vision of symbiosis between man and nature.

What did I change ：

I added butterflies to the upper left and lower right of the image.
I changed the purple vines that were shaped like leaves above the window into spiders, and added spider webs in the corners to add to the realism of the image.
The dark purple plant under the cat looked like a bird, so I changed it into a more obvious bird shape.

fig 1.4 Sketch Idea 2

fig 1.5 References Board for Sketch Idea 2

Sketch Ideas 3

Title：The Reckoning of the Nature

Rational:

From the perspective of design principles：Although the hierarchy is clear, the theme is not clearly communicated. There is a lack of interaction between nature, the city, and the cats. The theme of the relationship between humans and nature can be conveyed more clearly by emphasizing the details in the foreground world.( 46 words )

From the perspective of Graphics：The face in the upper right corner is staring at the black cat, and the claws seem to be trying to catch the black cat. The picture is full of tension. It symbolizes that the natural environment is angry about being destroyed by humans and wants to punish humans. It calls for sustainable development.

What did I change ：In the original work, you can see that the dark purple plant in the upper right corner looks like a human face. And the dark purple plant in the lower right corner looks like a hand trying to reach out to the outside world. So I made an LSD effect based on Mr. Fauzi's suggestion. Combine the eyelashes of the human face in the upper right corner with the light emitted by the sun. Combine the beard of the human face with the tentacles of the octopus.

fig 1.6 Sketch Idea 3

fig 1.7 References Board for Sketch Idea 3

LECTURE

Lecture 6 - Visual Analysis

The three stages of visual analysis

Phrase 1: Observation

Look closely at the visual elements of a design and try to describe them accurately in your own words. No need to look up information, focus on what you see, think about it and express your findings.

Phrase 2: Analysis

Reason and interpret the work based on what you observe. Examine how the visual elements fit together, how they embody design principles, make the work appear complete, and influence the viewer's perception. Analyze how the eye is directed and why.

Phrase 3: Interpretation

Combine your observations, descriptions, and analysis with information about the context of the work, the designer, and the historical background. You may refer to some reliable sources to explore the meaning of the design and the designer's creative intent.

PROGRESS

Here is my sketching process:

Rejected idea: Changing the color, making it smoother

Color: The artist effectively distinguishes the different layers using color, making the depth of the image clear and easy to read. However, this strong separation can also create a slight sense of disharmony. Therefore, I want to use smoother color transitions while still maintaining contrastive colors, similar to the reference I found.

Reason: Mr. Fauzi said that changing the color did not make it any better and suggested that I delete it.

fig 2.1 Rejected Idea & reference

Sketch Idea 1

After I finished the sketch, I found that the sense of space was enhanced, but it was not natural enough.

Later I added beams to the sketch to make it more natural. At the same time, I extended the plants at the bottom back out of the window.

fig 2.2 Progress for Sketch Idea 1

Sketch Idea 2

This is the initial sketch

fig 2.3 Initial Sketch Idea 2

Later, I blended the foreground color in Photoshop. But Mr. Fauzi gave me feedback that it was meaningless and he could not see any changed sketches. He also gave me references of butterflies and spiders to add to the work.

fig 2.4 Progress for Sketch Idea 2

Sketch Idea 3

This is the initial sketch

fig 2.5 Initial Sketch Idea 3

Later, the plants in the upper right and lower right were changed to human faces and hands, but Mr. Fauzi gave me feedback that the change was minimal and not noticeable.

fig 2.6 Progress for Sketch Idea 3

So later I integrated the human face and hands into the eyes, the eyelashes made of sunlight, the whiskers made of octopus, and the claws. I also made the cat look frightened to enhance the sense of story and make the picture more unified.

fig 2.7 Progress for Sketch Idea 3

But I found that the face and hand were on the right, which would make the picture unbalanced, so I put the claw in the lower left corner of the picture to form a diagonal line with the face to achieve a balanced picture.

Week 5 in class, Mr. Fauzi said that the frightened cat did not conform to the Cats principles and hoped that I would change to a calmer state.

fig 2.8 Progress for Sketch Idea 3

FEEDBACK

Week 3

General Feedback:

Following Mr. Fauzi's guidance, I started working on Task 2 before class. I tried to find inspiration for sketch ideas online and discovered some color references and inspirations on Pinterest. During the class, I shared these ideas with Mr. Fauzi, and he provided me with some new suggestions.

Special Feedback:

Mr. Fauzi thinks that the idea of recoloring the artwork is great and emphasized the importance of color.
Mr. Fauzi mentioned Doctor Strange. Since Doctor Strange has the ability to travel from one universe to another, perhaps I could add flying elements in the foreground to make them appear as if they are about to break into the background world. I could also add more details in the foreground, such as flying insects, to make it more lively.
Some plants in the foreground resemble human faces. Perhaps I could create an LSD-like effect in the foreground.

Week 4

General Feedback:

I started to make three sketches according to Mr. Fauzi's instructions. And I continued to change the sketches according to Mr. Fauzi's suggestions and instructions.

Special Feedback:

Sketch 1: The idea of changing the color did not work well and did not present the work better, so Mr. Fauzi suggested that I change this idea, but do not delete it, because it is part of the production.
Sketch 2: add more element to tell the flying wanna break into the urban universe story
Sketch 3: make the old man more visible, make the lower right corner plant into a hand like wanna to get in the urban universe .

I continued to make changes according to these suggestions and sent them to Mr. Fauzi for review. Mr. Fauzi said that the changes I made were not obvious and did not seem to be recreating this work. He gave me references of butterflies and spiders and told me that I could put them into the picture. I continued to make it according to his instructions.

Week 5

General Feedback:

Continue to sketch, and start looking for references about the final project and do some simple efforts in PS.

Special Feedback:

I continued to change the sketch according to the teacher's suggestions, and got Mr. Fauzi's affirmation. Mr. Fauzi said that it was interesting to make a sketch with LSD effect, but the cat's condition was not good. It can be replaced with the cat in the more sci-fi idea sketch, because the cat in this picture looks calmer and more in line with cats principles. Mr. Fauzi suggested that I continue to elaborate my work.

REFLECTION

Experience：

This is a brand new experience, but it is difficult for me because I have been frustrated in sketching. I did not understand how to sketch at first, so I took many detours. Fortunately, under the guidance of Mr. Fauzi, I got back on the right track. At the same time, I carefully completed the visual analysis and summary of this work. Since most of the visual analysis was completed last week, this week I focused on summarizing the visual analysis, and then used the design principles knowledge I learned before to carefully explore many ways to change the work.

Observation / Finding：

I found that when we think about how to change the work, it is not simply thinking about how to modify the work to be better looking, but it requires basic theoretical knowledge as a basis, plus creative ideas. This requires a comprehensive visual analysis in the early stage to find the shortcomings of a work. Every work makes people feel comfortable, which is the result of the design principles used by the author. So when we make modifications, we also need to be careful not to make the original excellent work inconsistent with the design principles.

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