Design Principles Exercise 1 || Contrast & Gestalt Theory

Design Principles

(Week 1-3)
Jodiann Yeoh Chooi Kit 0352238

Module : Design Principles

Task : Exercise 2

Week 1(24th August 2021)

The class started off casually with the introduction of the lecture, Ms. Jinchi, as well as fellow mates attending the class, also, class/ common ground rules were touched on which consisted of the intolerance of plagiarism, the submission of assignments at a timely manner and ensuring that our progression will be shown/ explained throughout each week to ensure development in our designs, that we are on par and understanding of our new found knowledge. We then went through the Module Information Booklet, which contained the modules assessment structure & marking and how to achieve them. Overall, it was a fun and straightforward session to begin with. 

1. a recap of the selected design principles 

2. your design process:

- visual research
- idea exploration and description
- final outcome in PDF and short rationale
- feedback by lecturer
- reflection on the particular exercise

Exercise 1 (2 designs in total): Produce 1 design of Gestalt theory and 1 design of Contrast 

Exercise 1 : Contrast & Gestalt Theory

Contrast

Contrast, as Ms. JinChi explained in her recorded lecture 1.2 is the "juxtaposition of strongly dissimilar elements. Without visual contrast, visual experience would be monotonous. It provides visual interest, emphasise a point and express content." The way I view "contrast" is the conformity of two contradicting elements, to become a single harmonious being. You hear that term being tossed around a lot, and theres reason for that. Contrast is one of the aspects of the design/art world which deems to be important or even crucial for its attraction. Some might think that two different things wouldn't go well together, but it might surprise you that it is actually the enhancer and its what makes the piece come together. It creates a dramatic atmosphere which catches the public's attention for its pop of colour and oddities. That is why it is used so prominent amongst designers and artists.

Fig 1. Henry Matisse - Joy of Life.

Contrast in art helps define the identity of the finished product. It reflects the beliefs of the society during the time it was created, and from the painting above, it contains a blend of contrasting colours, almost like a dream world or even a fantasy. It also reminds me of the time God created earth which proves how much art was heavily influenced by religion and how the contemporary mix of colours, almost childlike, depicts the innocence of the time before the forbidden apple was eaten.

Gestalt Theory 

Gestalt's Theory is a Psychological based theory where principles of human's perception that describe how humans group similar elements, recognise patterns and simplify complex images when we perceive objects. It is a useful skill to organise content on websites and other interfaces so it is aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand. A single element is not only considered but rather of how the totality is perceived by ones eyes.

The whole is other than the sum of the parts. 

- Kurt Koffka

Thoughts - This quote speaks to me in the sense that what is being depicted towards our eyes does not necessarily have to be rich in detail and contents to be able to view the picture as a whole, nor does it restrict us from understanding its message and true form.

Relevant Principles of the Gestalt Theory

Law of Figure/ Ground

                                            Fig 1.1 An Old Woman and A Young Lady

This Law is where people instinctively perceive objects as being in the foreground or background. We are innately attracted to the stimulus, which is the figure that captures our vision. This form of principle is often applied in psychological tests to determine ones personality according to what image we perceive. And in this case, we might have seen either a young lady or a much older looking woman, or something else even.

Principle of Closure

Fig 1.2

This principle is the way people tend to perceive incomplete figures as complete by filling in the missing image's pattern in a cognitive manner/ in the brain. How we are able to do so is due to the simple idea that we see such figures and shapes all around us so we are wired to naturally be able to fill in the gaps of what's not there. The image above is an example of such principle, despite having a missing figure in the middle, it is quite obvious that it is a star shape due to the in-dents created upon each circle.

The Law of Continuity

Fig 1.3

Suggests that we are more likely to perceive smooth flowing, continuous lines rather than broken lines. This is an indicator that we organise our perceptions into a cohesive object rather than a series of objects/ parts.

The Principle of Similarity

Fig 1.4

Its how we group things visually, so things that look alike tend to be mentally grouped together. For example, walking on the black part rather than the whites of checkered tiles as it is "grouped" differently in our minds.

The Principle of Proximity

Fig 1.5

The organisation of sensory stimuli into meaningful perception. It asserts that things that are close to one another tend to be grouped together and if not, it belongs to another group.

Law of Symmetry and Order

Fig 1.3

The perception that elements are seen as symmetrical shapes and therefore perceived as a unified group. For example, the image below which was taken from google.

Exercise 1

Visual Research and Idea Exploration & Description

Fig 2. Dalmatian(Closure) 

After I reading on Gestalt Theory, an immediate association to The Principle of Closure came in mind. I thought of animals which I then associated to black and white patterns or a clear separation of colours wrapped around the bodies of animals like a Dalmatian, a giraffe, a jaguar etc. So I researched on google for these animals for inspiration and Fig 2 &   2.1 are the two images that I found that relates to my idea. 

Fig 2.1 A dairy cow with distinct colour separation 

I chose this image to replicate "The Principle of Closure" 

 

Fig 2.2 Sketch of the cow

Using the reference from Fig 2.1, I sketched out a general form/idea of the cows proportions, nothing too detailed as realism is not the main focus but rather a simple visual aspect which leaves space for the viewer to work out what it is.

Fig 2.3 Finished painting of the cow

The image above is my version of the Principle of Closure, referencing from the image of the cow from Fig 2.1 and a further completion of Fig 2.2(the sketch). The media I used for this piece is a 2B pencil for its sketch, then black acrylic paint, and finally touched up by erasing any extra sketches left behind. I am quite satisfied with this attempt as I feel that I've successfully created a complete image without having to fill in every single part and detail of the cow's features and colours therefore achieves my overall goal.

Fig 2.2 Model with Vitiligo(Symmetry)

Fig 2.3 Symmetry of a Butterfly 

I then thought of how this could be relevant to the human body and its symmetry. I recalled reading articles and watching documentaries regarding skin conditions/ diseases and came across vitiligo which is a skin condition most prominent amongst darker skinned people. I could imagine this image in my head if it were to be related to Principle of Closure, as well as Principle of Symmetry as though imperfect, the woman's facial vitiligo patterns are somehow symmetrical, like a mirroring of half the face to the other. Fig 2.2 of the models symmetrical facial features and pattern of the skin is identical in the sense that if you were to fold a butterfly in half then unravel it, it would be similar. Think of the butterflies pattern as the pattern of a human skin with vitiligo, each one is unique and different in shape, colour, pattern and size.

Process of Exercise 1 - Gestalt Theory

Fig 2.4 Photograph of my sister which I applied a black and white filter on.

Fig 2.5 A doodle on the picture of what I think vitiligo would look like.

Fig 2.6 Final Product on Gestalt Theory

Not only do animals have this unique pattern, but also us primates be it a birthmark or a autoimmune disease which causes skin disorders as such. I want to demonstrate my understanding of the Principles of Gestalt Theory through my work and description this work. An elaboration of how I came up with this design is derived from personal research and knowledge through articles, documentaries and the general web on the skin condition, vitiligo. The app that I used for this digital artwork is "Sketchbook", which is a great platform and is accessible to all and very straightforward. The gadget I used for this design is my Wacom Intuos pro, a refined tablet for digital art. I first started off with a photography session of the model, my sister, in order to use it as reference. I wanted to capture the general facial features, shape and idea but not the entirety and details of what a human face would look like. I used the basic two colours, which is black and white. I had to be very careful to control the impulses of adding in more details to make it an obvious image of a face, as I want to be very minimalistic in this piece. I selected a simple paintbrush, set in the opacity of 90% and selected the mirroring effect at the very centre of what I imagined to be the axis of the face. This mirroring effect enables me to draw half of the face, with the other half automatically imitating my brushstrokes from the other half which ensures perfect symmetry(Law of Symmetry), evidently in the image above. I then disabled the mirroring setting to create natural/ random patches of lighter areas(vitiligo) to show that this skin condition does not leave perfectly symmetrical marks but rather in various places of the skin. I feel that I have also achieved the details of what a human skin with vitiligo would look like, which is the freckling and splatters of lighter hues on the skin. I also feel that it effectively touches on the Principle of Closure whereby without including an overwhelmingly precise replication of a persons face, it is still very much detectible that it is in fact a face with some form of skin disorder, that is vitiligo.

Process of Contrast 

Overripe Banana Photography Session(Contrast)

Fig 3. Overripe banana

Fig 3.1 Overripe banana of different positioning

Fig 3.2 Chosen banana image for the painting. 

Fig 3.3 is the finished painting for "Contrast"

The painting above is an oil painting of a banana in a technique called "still-life". In this case, it is a commonplace food (natural rather than man-made) which conveys little about the rich associations inherent to this genre. The medium which I've used is easy for me to control and has a shinier finish as opposed to a matte watercolour finish, despite its lengthy time to dry. I am personally comfortable with the traditional form of art, which is painting and sketching as thats what I am used to doing as opposed to my new found interest of digital art. I chose to do this painting to show "Contrast" as I've intentionally chose a monochromic background/ set up and the banana as a pop of bright colour in contrast to the monotone, dull grey background.

Fig 3.4 Cropped the image as Dr. Jinchi requested to make it look neater

Feedback 7/9/2021

Dr. Jinchi stated that my exploration and how I reached my final piece for Gestalt was good and the work I did on principle of closure & symmetry has a very interesting effect. She then went on to review "Contrast", where she states that it was straight to the point(Banana) and how contrast was noticeable from the background and the main subject. She also said that there is contrast on the banana itself due to its black spotting on the bright yellow body. She then asked what the base of the painting was, which I explained to be canvas. 

Reflection 7/9/2021

I feel that it is important to utilise and demonstrate my abilities in pivoting between traditional styles of art and modern ways of conveying art(digital), thus why I wanted to show my technique of both worlds in Gestalt theory & Contrast. I also felt that it would be more interesting that way.

After receiving feedback from Dr. Jinchi, I realised that I should be more detailed regarding the materials/ supplies that I used, therefore in the future I will me more certain on specifying those aspects. Getting those feedbacks helped me understand what parts are needed to be tweaked and improved in order to have a positive progression.