Layering of paint

Reference

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZFENVBK1wQ&feature=related

this was a nice reference to my layering idea.

Colour Swatch

The colours I think I am going to use are down the far end of this colour swatch. So I am using the pinks/red and blues. With use of fade and transparency and smooth connecting lines.

Idea 3

Mouse activates flowers on screen ( wherever mouse is clicked). The flower grows from the centre to form an over-all shape. Each petal codes for a differnt colour (semi moving/pulsing), and that codes for a different sound. Also each flower will have different coloured petals with matching sounds but occasionally expressing the same colour so that the sounds compliment each other.
All the sounds work well together so when played they are easy to listen to.
An advance made to this, is that instead of just flowers a over-all pattern could be created, using swirls and circles.

Idea 2

For school last year I experimented with ink in water, and running ink down paper and It looked really good. So I thought it would be interesting to try it out on coding. I'm not sure if you can get the same smooth, dark-light/patchy look but worth a try.
I think as you click your mouse you activate a line of ink to fall, and this will make a sound as it decends down the page. As you click more to the left it creates deeper sounds and to the right higher sounds this will also be matched by colours that I feel match each sound. Also to add another dimesion would be to had extra layers in the background and collate both my paint splodges idea with this one. Creating a inky look but in the form of a spoldge (almost as if it has been thrown at the screen).

Inspiration

I have always thought splodges of paint look very effective. So for this topic of transformation, I thought that maybe it would be a good idea if I encorprated them in some way. For my first idea, I thought that by clicking your mouse you were able to activate a paint splodge to be created on your screen, Almost as if you are painting your own painting. The background would be a canvis sort of style and each splodge would be a different sound that expressed the motion in which you click. Different colours that complimented each other would be used, and the an over-all picture would be created. To add extra interest to this, another component could be if the splodges had some sort of flash response or flickered a

little but these ones were only like this as they expressed the same sound? This is all me just typing up ideas.

Project two, Transformation

Process overview

I am the type of person that is all about process. My original idea is never the same as my final outcome. I use to think this was a bad thing but I have come to learn that this is what design is all about.
I started off with my original sketches. They were bright, detailed and didn't really match each other. They were four completely different wallpapers, which wasn't the concept that was asked of us. After getting feedback from the class and Ben, I went back to the drawing board and figured out what I wanted to stare in the direction of. This direction consisted of lines (which I refer back to in my previous posts). I ressearched and found some images I could get my inspiration from. This didn't work out too well via coding and the images became to similar and I felt that they weren't very original. Therefore, I moved away from this concept and leaned towards the idea of circles and use of lines and different shades of colour. I played around and found a code that made up one large circle with two circles beside each other inside of the larger circle, and then in each one of those circles another two were placed.
I then repeated the circle and changed the colour around and the size. This really proved to be trial and error but after a while of doing so, I made a few fortunate mistakes. As these happened and as things started to go my way, I evolved my design into something that I thought was really capturing. It is detailed but not confusing or too busy. I like the curve of the lines and how they are outlined in yellow, which made the circles pop and you are able to differnciate each circle from one another due to this. The background was a bit boring once I had done the circles, so I experimented with gradients. I found one that had a grid format which created a nice deatil and added texture to the overall concept. This tied the whole scale of the image together and sort of carried your eyes from right to left with the increasing exposure of the colour and then the gradual change into green. Also as the image moves from board to baord the circles become less complicated and intense which also drags your eyes from right to left. By creating one large image and splitting them up, they all work together and allow the over all flow and dynamic to occur with a punch.

Goals

Is there anything that you would want to improve in your next project? Goal and make a plan of how to achieve this.

I really like my design, but there are a few improvements that I would carry through to my next project. I feel that maybe next time I could read up on specific techniques a bit more, and really drill that knowledge into my head so that I could work more freely and quickly, instead of experimenting and doing it over and over untill I get what I want. I know that processing is about experimenting but as we heard in our lecture today from our guest speaker : you should learn the basics, it takes a while but it is worth it because it gives you a lot more freedom in the future. Another improvement I would make is my time managment. I am one to do things last minute. In this case I planned my time well, but instead of asking questions earlier on, I asked them near the end, so next time I will push this forward a week or two.

My goal and plan to achieve:
My goal for the next project 'transformation', is to allow time for mistakes and to ressearch everything I want to know how to do on processing. To achieve this I will put extra time aside outside of class, therefore allowing myself to learn more and become a stronger more knowledgeable student.

Reflection

Reflect on your learning process in project one. What have you learned so far, what helped and motivated you to learn?

When I first started creative coding I was very confused and lost. It was all so complicated and I felt like I was going no where and had no idea where to even begin. Other people in my class seemed to be steaming ahead and I felt within the first two weeks I had come up against a brick wall. I knew that I could concor this wall, it was just a matter of how long it would take and much effort I had to put in. I am a hard worker and therefore always strive towards getting things right but I have a tendacy not to ask questions. throughout school I never asked questions and have come to regret this, but have learnt that asking for help isn't a bad thing. From learning this I started to ask more questions even if they may of sounded foolish. By asking Ben, my tutor, I learned a lot and he gave me books and websites to investigate. By doing so, I was able to gain the key techniques that allow you to create designs on pattern maker.
I realised that you have to do a lot of your own work and what you learn in class is what you need to go home and practice untill it is stuck in your mind. Apart from my tutor motivating me, I found some exterior motivation in my ressearch into what my designs were actually about. e.g. I looked up the meaning of colurs and different types of circle patterns. I used these as artist models, and was able to stem my inspiration from them. Also once I had drafted my sketches and had decided on a final design, so I conducted a small survey to see what other views and perseptions I could gather. By getting their positive feedback, this gave me the confidence to follow through with my creation. I also got some constructive critisim, which allowed me to make slight allterations and test out other ideas in which some people expressed.
My design process was very slow. From school I learnt that it is essential to go through a process, no matter what it is. I did multiple sketches with differnt types of colours, weight lines etc. Then tryed them out on pattern maker. By having these variations so that I could physically see them really helped me to develope my over all design.
In the end I got there. I am happy with my design, the use of colour and circles is what I invisioned and I am very suprised that I could actually create something on pattern maker that I initially sketched. I made my 4 wallpapers coalate as one. Therefore when placed together they make one pattern. The first image starts off really intense with a lot of circles and more colour then carrys through to the forth image, where there are less circles and more darker colours.

Design processes

These are some of my designs and processes that got me to my final design and helped me make decisions.

interview 17/03/2011

A picture of my final design that I had drawn was shown to respond to the questions.


1. Architecture Student : Anna Mackay
Question 1: What appeals to you the most?
answer : " I really like the use of colour and the boldness of the lines used. Also The gradient of the green into the yellow."
Question 2 : " What do you dislike?"
answer : " nothing about it really catches my eye as 'bad', it is clean and well presented but also is intenese in places and allows the viewer to engage in its intricate patterns but at the same time not being confused on where to look, the line flows."

2. Carol Henderson - Adult, family friend
Question 1
answer : "I really enjoy the cirtcles and the motion in which they move and create an experience for the person viewing it. It is almost interactive."
Question 2
answer : "I personally don't like the colour green, but in this case. A small amount is used and it isn't a harsh green, it is smooth and blends nicely into the yellow. an overall 'happy' feel is created but also doesn't distract away from the abstract/bold circles."

3. Daniel Plested - friend
Question 1
answer : " The circles are a main feature that really pop out to me. I love the lines used and how the yellow is a outline for the circles instead of just being one colour. The blacks, greys and whites are also nicely done and create a clean feel. The density of the block colours are all paired very well and compliment each other in different ways."
Question 2:
answer : "No. I like it all, maybe try the gradient with differnt colours? Just to see if you like it. But I do like the yellow and green although I wouldn't pick them myself."

Final Wallpaper

Colour Spectrum

Colour Spectrum is how I made sure my colours would work well together, not only to my eye but to the technical side of it as well. Also to ensure my colours were appropriate I asked 3 different people for their opinions: 1.a design student, 2. Adult, 3. friend. Becuase not only is it important for you to think your design looks good, but also for others and to see what different aspects they focus on.

Meaning of colours

I find the meaning of colours quite an interesting topic. It is very important to consider this when designing something e.g. If making a bright, positive number the colours black, purple or maroon would not be appropriate.

The two main colours I have chosen for my patterns are yellow and green.
So I researched the meanings of each colour:
Yellow - Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit.
Yellow is one of the warm colors. Because of the high visibility of bright yellow, it is often used for hazard signs and some emergency vehicles. Yellow is cheerful.
For years yellow ribbons were worn as a sign of hope as women waited from their men to come marching home from war. Today, they are still used to welcome home loved ones.

Green -  Life and Renewal, the Nature and Culture of Green:

Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience.

Green is a restful color with some of the same calming attributes of blue. Like blue, time moves faster in a green room.

Because of all the green in nature the color is reminiscent of Spring.

Overall both these colours represent something good and bad, but in my case I am going to focus on the good side of these.

reference : http://desktoppub.about.com/od/choosingcolors/p/color_meanings.htm

Gradients

 To add some colour to my patterns I think that the use of a gradient would add a complex yet smooth feel. These are a few I found that interested me. I like the first image because of how the colours compliment each other and it shows how you can make a pattern out of just colours themselves (e.g. without any structural lines or form).
The second image is just a coalition of various colours that I thought I could end up using. Also you can see how particular colours work with one another e.g. green and yellow, pink and red etc.

Inspiration

I looked around the web and found some circular designs that caught my eye. I like the way the curves create movement and there are so many ways in which you can arrange and dissect the circles to make them into different patterns. I especially like the layered look, which allows depth to be added to a usually 2D object. After doing some sketches and researching a bit more I decided that this is the direction I want my creative coding patterns to be heading in. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6egUsZvWu4

This is a link to a technique called tall painting.
It is really interesting and got me thinking about how to combine a lot of different colours and their relationships with one another. Also the use of line thickness and the vibrant fresh effect that is given.
This ties in with the Missoni patterns I previously posted. I feel they both have that young, bold look about them which is the overall theme I am basing my wallpaper designs around.
This video also shows physical movement, but when the paint is dry, it still creates the same feel of its initial quality.

This is a designer fashion label that has always been a favourite of mine. I love the abstract patterns that are created by the bold colours and use of shapes. They all come together in the form of visually appealing images, that combine texture and give a sense of movement throughout the garment or object they are placed on. This sense of movement can either create a calm flowing effect or a busy intricate detail. This is why I love this brand and I have followed it for so many years. It was a good inspiration for me, and something that both gave me a stable starting point but also something I was passionate about and interested in, which got my ideas flowing. 

Website: http://www.missoni.com/ing.html

New blog

This is my blog for DSDN 142 creative coding.