Visual Language - Shape

Shape

We where asked to produce 3 portraits of people in a cool outfit using shape only. They could be done in any media. 

I started by using cut paper to make some simple body shapes and pattern. I was a good quick way to get solid shapes with no outlines. It gave me a good idea to how I will have to simplify features to make them work as a shape.

 I tried out some different face shapes to figure out what media would work well. 

• I found the coloured pencils didn't make nice solid shapes.
• They look to faint and don't have enough of an edge.

• I experimented with marker pen which worked better than the coloured pencil but still wasn't getting nice crisp shapes.

• I applied media quickly to these designs and they unintentionally became more line based.
• I liked some of the facial structures that where being made but I needed the right way of making them solid shapes.

• I tried being more careful when applying marker pen.
• The shapes had nice solid edges but has lost a lot of character in the structure of the face.

• I tried applying the same media to a looser pencil outline.
• I could see how a design like this could potentially work in shapes but it wouldn't work in this media.
• I liked the subtle outline used for the face it works well.
• This process gave me the idea to create a digital design on photoshop from a pencil sketch of a character.

• I sketched out lots of character designs. I tried to think about the structure of the figure in a way that could work well as solid block shapes.
• The outlines needed be closed and connected up.
• I used angular block shapes to the structure the figures with simple closed shapes for the facial features.
• Creating outlines of figures in this way is something I am used to. So I'm interested to see how they will translate into shape with no outline.

• These where my favourites from my sketches. They where also relatively simple so I could figure out the shapes of them.
• I scanned them into photoshop and used them as guid lines to make shapes for these characters.

• I really pleased with how these turned out.
• I like some the random angular shapes. The unevenness looks good and adds character.
• I added a slight bit of texture with the brush tool to there jackets.
• After making these I felt that the designs could be more complex.
• It would look good if they where more built up with different coloured strips.
• After seeing how the shapes are bought together digitally it made me realise how more complex and overlapped shapes would be effective and achievable.

• I like these two characters I thought they would translate well into shape.
• The more abstract structures will look interesting with no outlines.

• This character turned out well. I like the colour scheme I think the different shades of turquoise combined looks good for an abnormal creature like this.
• I think some of the funky shapes are enhanced when made with solid block colour. I will consider this method in the future for my designs.

• The colours in this don't work as smoothly as the other. I think I should have reduced the amount of colours slightly.
• Im pleased with the staff that he is holding and the shoes. The small details made of shape work well in this.

Creating the last two designs on photoshop got confusing with the amount of layers you needed to create in order to move sections individually. I kept on having to copy and paste sections on to new layers. Somebody mentioned to me about how illustrator would work better to make complex vector shapes. And how each new shape you create is made automatically into a path which you can select on its own.

• I chose another rough sketch that would translate well into shape. Baring in mind what had worked well in the other designs like the staff, volcano head and abstract striped structure on the figure.

• Illustrator was much easier to use than photoshop when creating shapes from an outline.
• I used a Wacom tablet which really helped me to get them accurate.
• I made the sketch transparent and created the shapes behind it.
• I was able to edit the anchors of the shapes which was really beneficial when lining up the different sections.

• Im really pleased with how the sketch has translated. Shape with no outline worked surprising well for a character like this.
• Illustrator created much smoother edges than Photoshop.
• I took more care in the colour co-ordination in this design. It was much easier to edit the colours of the individual sections, even if they where on the same layer.
• It was also much easier to arrange the order and overlap of the shapes. 

• I tried out the same process on a previous sketch from vis language.
• I wanted to see how the design would look in shape and I don't think it has worked as well as the last. Maybe because the design wasn't created intentionally for shape.
• It is interesting to see how making vector shapes from a drawing can give it a totally different effect to the line based design.