Design Principles Project 3: Visual Analysis
26.10.2021 - 23.11.2021 (Week 10- Week 14)
Sasilvia Cheong Pei Hoong / 0345031 / Bachelors of Design in Creative Media
Design Principles
Project 3: Visual Analysis
Lecture 8
Visual Analysis
- A method of understanding design that focuses on the visual
elements and principles
- A description and explanation of visual structure for its own
sake
- Recognize the choices that a designer made in creating the
design, as well as to better understand how the formal properties
of design communicate ideas, content, or meaning.
- Helps people read and critically interpret images
How does visual analysis work?
Phase 1: Observation
-Closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design,
trying to describe them carefully and accurately in tour own words.
Do not read beforehand about the design at all
- Looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you
notice
Phase 2: Analysis
- Think about your observations and try to make statements about the work
based on the evidence of your observations
- How the specific visual elements that you have identified combined
together to create a whole, and what effect that whole has on the viewer
-How your eye led through the work and why (apply the Design Principles
knowledge you have learnt throughout these weeks)
Phase 3: Interpretation
-Observation, description, and analysis of the work are fused with facts
about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical
context that you find in trustworthy published sources
- What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be
created?
TASKS
INSTRUCTIONS
For our final project there are two parts:
Part 1: Visual Analysis
- Select a design of your choice ( poster/ billboard/ illustration/ etc.)
- Conduct a visual analysis if the design in about 500 words ( refer to the steps shown above as guidelines).
Part 2: Design
- Produce a work of design, in A4 or A3 size, inspired/ influenced by the design you have analyzed, or as a reaction to it.
- Write a 150-200 rationale for your design
PART 1: Visual Analysis
Fig. 1.1 Takato Yamamoto 「Nosferatu・Joy」2018年
1) Observation
This illustration is in portrait format and it
includes two subjects a human and also a vampire. The
vampire is the one with the orange hair, the vampire can be
seen finishing his "meal" which is the human with black hair
on the ground. Blood can be seen flying out of the vampire's
mouth. As for the human, the blood can be seen flowing out
of the neck where the source of blood is the bite mark
created by the vampire. Both subjects can be seen with their
heads slightly titled backwards with expressionless emotions
in their eyes. There area other elements in this
illustration, the rose flower with leaves, the twig, blood
red moon, broken looking concrete and dark cloudy sky. The
amount of details present is breathtaking. The colour
palette includes the colour peach, black, blue,
off-white, pink, green, red, grey, orange and brown. As the
medium used was watercolour, there are blotchy looking
texture.
2) Analysis
Fig. 1.2 Breaking down the elements
The illustration emphasis is on the left side which
is the vampire with orange hair. The hue used on the vampire
is the brightest and the orange hair makes the vampire stand
out even more. There is proportion in the layout, as
the way that the human laying on the ground, the rose
flower, the twig and the moon points towards the vampire
creates hierarchy which guides the viewers attention
to the vampire. The moon, rose and vampire's orange hair
with brighter tones contrast the pale and dull
looking colours. There is a sense of
movement where the blood from the vampire's mouth can
be seen dripping down back to the source which is the human
and also the soft clouds in the sky. Repetition of
hair strands can be seen on the vampire's orange hair. There
is a sense of harmony throughout the composition as
the colours and theme all go together very well. A good use
of texture is applied to make the illustration more
realistic and delicate. The foreground - (the vampire,
human, rose) , middleground - (the broken concrete, leaves
and twig) and background - (the cloudy night sky and
the moon) are all separated and it creates a sense of depth
in the composition.
Fig. 1.3 The two subjects are aligned
After further analysis, the two main subjects can be found aligned with one another as there is a line that can be created.
3)Interpretation
「Nosferatu・Joy」is an illustration created
by Takato Yamamoto who is from Akita, Japan in the year 2018.
His works has a slightly sinister and beautifully grotesques
"Ukiyo-e" style. He also developed a style that is called
"Heisei Esthiticism", which is drawing on both Japanese
historical art and homoerotic imagery.
Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the
17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock
prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties;
kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and
folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna;
and erotica.
Fig. 1.4 Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861)
Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre or Mitsukuni
Defying the Skeleton Spectre Invoked by Princess
Takiyasha is an ukiyo-e woodblock triptych by Japanese artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861). Kuniyoshi was known for his
depictions of historical and mythical scenes, and combined
both in portraying the tenth-century princess Takiyasha
summoning a skeleton spectre to frighten Ōya no
Mitsukuni. In the image, the princess recites a spell written on a
handscroll, summoning a giant skeleton. It rears out of a
black void, crashing its way through the tattered palace
blinds with its bony fingers to menace Mitsukuni and his
companion. This artwork shows how fearless and rebellious
Princess Takiyasha is to summon a skeleton spectre
and eventually defeating the plotters.
Fig. 1.5-1.7 Heisei Esthiticism artworks by
Takato Yamamoto
Japanese artist Takato Yamamoto’s developed his own artsyle which is called “Heisei Esthiticism” which reflects a myriad of cultural
influences from traditional Japanese art and European
Renaissance. Characters are depicted in a surreal setting. His repeated use of ornaments such as skulls and skeletons, eyeballs, and severed heads in fabulously detailed and intricately opulent and patterned backgrounds reveal a fascination with violence as beautiful aesthetic phenomena rather than morality, and he depicts these themes as subjects of sophisticated titillation. Yamamoto's sumptuously detailed paintings are focused on the beauty in pain/pleasure and child-like interest in the ominous and monstrous. Yamamoto's rich work adorns the covers of novels and magazines, nourishing a half of our brains that is often rejected and repressed. Yamamoto's rich work graces the covers of novels and magazines, and nourishes a side of our minds that is often denied and repressed.
PART 2: Design
I want to incorporate both "ukiyo-e" and "Heisei
Esthiticism" art styles in my work. I also did some research
on erotism and wanting to add some minor elements of
it into it to show that human nature is beautiful. Eroticism is both a property that creates sexual feelings and a philosophical reflection on the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. So I came
up with the idea of having the theme of a toxic relationship. There is also some Japanese elements and meanings that I will symbolize in my artwork.
Fig. 2.1 Skeleton model study
Fig. 2.2 Eye licking from Shojo Tsubaki
I found this scene from an anime movie called "Shojo Tusbaki" to be oddly interesting as it might have look like they lick someone's eyes as a fetish but I am not too sure as there is no accurate source on this.
Fig. 2.3 Rough sketch
Fig. 2.4 More detailed sketch
Since my first sketch was super wonky and the anatomy was messed up I decided to create a more refine and detailed sketch so that it will be easier for me to do line art on later.
Fig. 2.5 Line Art
For my line art, I made the colour of the lines different for certain elements so that it will be easier for me to differentiate and colour them later. In this, I also redrew the hair strands on the lady since the previous one was a bit all over the place.
Fig. 2.6 Adding base colours
Fig. 2.7 Highlights and Shadows
I was having a hard time drawing the organs and Dr. Charles gave me feedback and said that the organs does not have to be too detailed and the centipede on the lungs should be more obvious as right now it is barely visible.
Fig. 2.8 Adding details
I coloured the wisteria plant, added details on the butterfly, finish colouring the organs, recoloured the centipedes, added more shading to the skeleton and also changed the colour of the smoke from red to white to match the overall drawing more.
Fig. 2.9 & 2.10 Hannya mask and Hannya Irezumi
I wanted to add a Hannya Irezumi on my main subject as I thought that she looked a bit plain and I wanted to symbolize her true character, where how she looks outside is very kind and innocent but the inside she is a twisted lady whos is filled with jealousy and obsession towards someone she loves. The meaning for Hannya and Irezumi is written below:
Hannya:
The Hannya mask is used in Japanese Noh theater. The Hannya mask portrays the souls of women who have become demons due to obsession or jealousy. It is characterized by two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth.
Irezumi:
Irezumi is the Japanese word for tattoo. Tattoo's are considered as taboo in Japan as many years ago it was used as a form of branding for criminals. Yakuza (Japanese criminal organizations) are also known to have them as to display strength and endurance.
I did some research and watched some documentary about Irezumi and Yakuza a few months back and it is very interesting to see how former Yakuza lives their live before and after they quit becoming one.
Here are some videos I watched:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVmt80EXNGI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS50vl40wd0
Fig. 2.8 Drawing the Hannya Irezumi
After my feedback session with Dr. Charles I decided to draw a Hannya Irezumi (Japanese tattoo on her hip). Dr. Charles also warned me not to add too many things into my drawing.
Fig. 2.9 Adding small texture details
To make the elements and subjects more alive, I drew on lines of texture onto the lady's body to achieve skin texture and also onto the skeleton for a worn out texture.
Fig. 2.10 Applying Blending mode
For the final touch, I wanted to create watercolour texture to my artwork so I used the gouache brush that is provided in procreate and slightly colour all over the artwork in grey. After that I used vivid light blending mode and turn down the opacity to achieve the texture I want without affecting the artwork too much. I also tried on a soft light blending mode on the Hannya Irezumi (Japanese tattoo on her hip) and it came out pretty nice so it took me some time to decide which one I want for my final outcome. In the end I choose the black one as it is more obvious and refined.
FINAL OUTCOME
Fig. 3.1 Visual Analysis Final Outcome JPEG
Fig. 3.2 Visual Analysis Final Outcome PDF
"He is mine. He can't leave me."
Obsession, jealousy and possessive, are these the
actions of true love?
She might start off as loving and caring to someone
they have a strong affection for until their romantic love, admiration, and
devotion becomes feisty and mentally destructive in nature. Her love towards
that special someone will turn to over-protectiveness, violence, brutality. The
lady licking the skeleton eyes is a fetish she has to mark him so that no one
else can have him and he will be hers forever and ever. He who fallen in love
with this lady who he though would be a happy relationship can be seen with
only his skeleton and organs left. The one he thought he loved ended up sucking
the life force out of him through this toxic relationship and his humanity is
slowly fading away as he is on the verge of death.
The lady's hair is red in colour which shows dominance and power towards someone else. The green eyes shows jealousy and obsession. The lady licking the skeleton eyes has this
expression of pleasure and lust where her eyes are mesmerize towards the skeleton and has blush on her cheeks. The lipstick spread on her cheeks shows the violent and slightly unbalanced mentality she has. The tattoo on her is a Hannya Irezumi which is
a Japanese demon tattoo that symbolizes a lady who is filled with jealousy and
obsession. The skeleton with organs shows that a man who once was in a relationship with this lady started dying off, where skeletons normally signify as death The centipedes inside and outside the skeleton represents the toxic relationship eating him away slowly. The purple wisteria flowers on the right might look pretty but it is actually very poisonous to animals which perfectly represents our subject who is pretty on the outside but toxic on the inside. The overgrown grass, butterflies and white smoke is too cover up this ugly act that the lady has committed towards her lover.
Fig. 4.1 Lady and skull
Fig. 4.2 Skeleton
Fig. 4.3 Lady
Fig. 4.4 Eye licking
Fig. 4.5 Organs
Fig. 4.6 Hannya Irezumi
Fig. 4.8 Overgrown grass
Fig. 4.9 Wisteria plant
Fig. 4.10 Smoke
Design Principles
- Emphasis: The lady's hair
- Balance: All elements are balanced
- Contrast: Contrast between the two subjects (the lady and skeleton) and the background
- Lines: Many individual lines are used to create texture for the drawing
- Movement: The white smoke
- Harmony: All of the elements are in perfect harmony and does not clash with each other
- Texture: There are many texture applied towards this artwork. From the grass, the wisteria flower, the lady's skin and hair, the skeleton being worn out, the butterfly and also last but not least the watercolour painting texture that is used placed over the entire drawing.
FEEDBACK
Week 11 (2/11/2021)
Very nice artwork choice for the visual analysis. The emotions and the body movement created by the vampires are so erotic, maybe write something about erotism. There is no boundaries in art so do not be afraid about creating works like this, do not set any barriers for yourself.
Week 13 (16/11/2021)
Very nice sketch compared to the first one. The composition and emotions looks great.
Week 14 (23/11/2021)
The centipede on the organ has to be more obvious as right now the colour blends in too much with the organs. The organs does not have to be too detailed. The meaning of the Hannya Irezumi (Japanese body art) suits the character of the lady, so it will be okay to add it, but make sure not to add too many things as it will look too messy.
REFLECTION
I had a lot of fun with this project. At first, I kind of doubted if I am allowed to go with a rather graphical and sensitive topic about erotism and nudity. But after my feedback with Dr. Charles I felt like the chains and cage I once gave myself has been unlocked and I been set free from my own restrictions. He told me that I should not be afraid about talking or going with this topic, art has no boundaries and you should not restrict yourself, erotism is part of human nature and it is beautiful in a way. Since I live in a rather conservative family I always try to limit things I draw since I do not want to be questioned. I felt so happy and committed throughout this project, I wanted to create something that the old me would never dare to draw. This was sort of a scary choice for me but I gave my mom and sister to have a look at my final work and to my surprised they liked it. My mom said it was cute and my sister said it was scary so the opinions are very opposite. This was a challenge that I accepted and I am very proud of my final artwork.
REFERENCES
Fig. 1.1 Takato Yamamoto
https://www.instagram.com/takatoy999/
Fig. 1.4 Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takiyasha_the_Witch_and_the_Skeleton_Spectre
Fig. 1.5-1.7 Heisei Esthiticism artworks by Takato Yamamoto
https://www.instagram.com/takatoy999/
Fig. 2.1 Skeleton model study
https://www.redbubble.com/i/art-board-print/Human-skeleton-with-organs-and-circulatory-system-by-StocktrekImages/25631801.NVL2T
Fig. 2.2 Eye licking from Shojo Tsubaki
https://www.tumbex.com/akatako.tumblr/posts?tag=rose+colored+monster
Fig. 2.9 & 2.10 Hannya mask and Hannya Irezumi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannya
https://www.reddit.com/r/irezumi/comments/axnqle/chest_piece_hannya/
Hannya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannya
Irezumi
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/irezumi-japans-tattoo-culture/
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