WHO AM I?
This poem was created to answer the proverbial question, "Who Am I?"
Client: Myself
Collaborators: Myself
Tools: Text Editor
I am more than an artist
as art and design evoke my mind,
From a scribble to a drawing
my progression always growing,
Ideas generated into concepts
using two fingers on a mouse like forceps,
Birthing a creation of mind, body and soul
to fulfill a destiny and feel whole,
These are my hymns that drive me daily
creations nurtured, thriving and never afraid of failing,
You'll find, I am an artist of design
but more than an artist,
A leader!
A teammate!
A communicator!
Yet, only a sliver of who I am.
RAPID VISUALIZATION
This draft script was created to explain the use of Rapid Visualization.
Client: Los Angeles Film School
Collaborators: Myself (First Draft Only),
Tools: Text Editor
Rapid Visualization is a process/technique that incorporates creative thinking approaches through fast simple thumbnail sketches that allows designers to put pen to paper to capture a multitude of ideas, explore alternative solutions, and communicate rapidly to multiple audiences. A technical pen is mostly used in the Rapid Visualization process as it forces the designer to commit to their rapid thumbnail sketches without worrying about errors. It also helps builds their confidence when sketching.
In this class, we'll add to the Rapid Visualization process by interpreting shapes, learning how to use the Grid Method for scale and proportion, using and staging silhouettes to tell a visual story, speed sketching, hand-drawn lettering, and concept sketching. All of these activities will help you with the creation/prototyping process which follows the three stages that include brainstorming, refinement, and final development.
The first step of Rapid Visualization is brainstorming and ideation. This process allows a design team or designer to generate a multitude of ideas through the ease of rapid thumbnail sketching. These sketches are inspired by personal observations, word associations, and creative thinking. Personal observations are a visual interpretation of your immediate surroundings. Sketching with word associations is aided with the use of the mind mapping technique. Creative thinking allows for out-of-the-box thinking and problem solving when interpreting elements into rapid thumbnail sketches.
Developing the ability to quickly sketch thumbnails is a vital part of Rapid Visualization. Speed in sketching is developed through practice and can be honed through self-timing in increments of 1 minute to 15 seconds to improve your speed sketching abilities. The faster you can put pen to paper to convey your ideas the more ideas you'll generate allowing for more concept development. For example, during a meeting, an unforeseen problem with a proposed idea may be highlighted and require resolution. Through the process of rapid visualization, a designer may incorporate rapid thumbnail sketching to problem-solve the given issue and produce a solution within a few minutes. Saving the idea and solidifying the pitched concept.
The refinement stage of Rapid Visualization involves improvement through the use of multiple sketching aided by a simple design tool, tracing paper. Incorporating tracing paper in the refinement stage allows a designer to add on to an approved thumbnail sketch without the need to redraw everything over and over again. With tracing paper, you can overlay refined touches on top of your rough thumbnail sketches until you've completed the refinement process to create a final thumbnail sketch.
Once you've refined a final thumbnail sketch, you can incorporate the Grid Method to scale your thumbnail sketch into a drawing for various sizes pending the needs of the given assignment.
In the final stage of this process, you'll move to the final development where you'll convert your final sketch into a digital composition incorporating your hand drawn type and chosen colors into a concept that is ready for review by various audiences.
Remember, just like every other learned skill, the more you practice all of the elements associated with Rapid Visualization, the more you'll master them. This process should be used for the rest of your graphic design career. So pick up your technical pen and sketch pad and let's get started.
THE GRID METHOD
This draft script was created to explain the use of the Grid Method.
Client: Los Angeles Film School
Collaborators: Myself (First Draft Only)
Tools: Text Editor
In Rapid Visualization, there is a visual tool that designers use to help them replicate a form from an image while incorporating scale and proportion. This tool is called the Grid Method.
Designers would implement this method to create a replica of the original form while utilizing other design fundamentals. These fundamentals help stage the shape onto a new canvas. A design fundament that can contribute to stage a drawing is the "Rule of Thirds." This guide can be applied as you place your form on a grid. The grid method can be applied to a wide variety of media either of the same size or range from poster boards, billboard signs, to large wall designs.
In this class, we will use the Grid Method for both replication and scale and proportion. So let's get started. First, you'll initiate the method by looking for an image that contains a form that is vital to your grid composition. Once you've chosen your image, you’ll then apply the grid method onto it. You'll measure the picture's width and height to create squares that will make up a grid.
For example, If your image is 7 inches wide by 5 inches tall, you’ll create a grid that is made up of 140 small squares. You're probably asking yourself, "How did I come up with this number?" It's simple! I'll explain it now.
We'll start with the width measurement of your image, which is 7 inches. Most grids on an original image will be made up of squares that measure half an inch wide by half an inch high. By following this measurement, your grid’s width will contain 14 squares. You'll duplicate these row of squares down the height of the image giving you a total of 140 squares. Each measuring half an inch wide by half an inch high.
Now, the same amount of squares should be applied to your original image. However, these squares will be one-inch wide by one inch high, thus scaling your image.
Once you've created both your original and replicating grids, you'll focus on your original image one square at a time. You'll transfer each line and shape within each square to the new grid. Implementing this step will ensure that your form will have all the details needed to become a replica of the original. Remember to focus only on the main form that you want to replicate. All background shapes and lines should be ignored. When done right, you can create spectacular images that can be used for various print and digital concepts.
The Grid method is a useful tool for designers that do not possess strong drawing capabilities. And like all other skills, if practiced through repetition, you'll not only master the Grid Method you may one day be able to replicate a form using just your visual perception.