Design Principles : TASK 2 (Visual Analysis & Ideation)

 

Design Principles GCD60804

24/02/2025 - 03/03/2025 | Week 4 - 5

Jesslyn Octavia Tjong / 0374562 / Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media

Design Principles / Taylors' University

Table of Contents

I.   LECTURE

II.  INSTRUCTION

III. FEEDBACK

IV. REFLECTION

V.  QUICK LINKS

I. LECTURE

Visual Analysis refers to analyzing and understanding design by focusing on visual elements and principles. It involves describing and explaining visual structure, recognizing design choices, and understanding how formal properties communicate ideas, content, or meaning.  It's a key component to recognize the choices a designer made in creating the design, visual literacy, is crucial for interpreting images in various media.

Visual Analysis works in three phases: Phase 1 "Observation", Phase 2 "Analysis", & Phase 3 "Interpretation"

Three Phases of Visual Analysis:

• Phase 1: Observation: Closely examining and identifying visual elements, describing them accurately without prior knowledge of the design. Focus is on looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what I noticed.
• Phase 2: Analysis: Thinking about observations and making statements about the work based on evidence. Analyzing how visual elements combine to create design principles and their effects on the viewer. Considering how the eye is led through the work.
• Phase 3: Interpretation: Combining observations, description, and analysis with facts about the design (and designer, if available) and historical context from reliable sources. Focus is on determining the meaning and purpose of the design.

II. INSTRUCTION

MIB February 2025

RECAP

In Task 2, I need to provide a 300-350 word visual analysis of the artwork through the visual analysis lecture notes provided. After analyzing the artwork selected in Task 1, sketch 3 ideas on how the selected design can be improved and support it with a rationale in about 30-50 words. 

PHASE 1

Selected Artwork

Title: Impression, Sunrise

Artist Name: Claude Monet

Year: 1872

Size: Approximately 65 cm x 50 cm

Medium: Oil on canvas

Source: https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/impression-sunrise-by-claude-monet/

The design principles shown in this selected artwork are emphasis, contrast, movement, and harmony.

1. Observation: "Impression, Sunrise" is an oil painting capturing a hazy, harmonious harbor at dawn.  I observe that the background scene of various ships is enveloped in the mist. I like the use of a cool, muted palette dominated by blues and grays that define the water and sky. I would like to say how the vibrant orange sun commands my attention even if it is positioned slightly off-center. Other than that, I see that there are three boats in the foreground. The closest boat is dark and appears as a silhouette. The middle boat is a lighter shade of gray. The furthest boat is barely visible and seems to blend into the background (Plessis, 2022). My final observation sees the overall effect of soft edges and blurry forms to convey the nature of a moment. (122 words).

2. Analysis: This painting’s emphasis is the depiction of light at dawn, drawing the eye and emphasizing the play of light across its reflection on the water. The hazy atmosphere, created by mist and early morning light, softens forms, creating depth and distance. The visible brushstrokes of en plein air style and the depiction of the water's surface contribute to the feeling of movement. The complementary color scheme harmonizes warm oranges and cool blues creating visual interest and contrast, while the sun's glow, contrasted against the muted tones, creates a clear emphasis (Plessis, 2022). The painting's title, "Impression, Sunrise," highlights Monet's focus on capturing the fleeting impression of a moment rather than a detailed representation of the scene. (114 words)

3. Interpretation: The location depicted in "Impression, Sunrise" is Monet's hometown in Le Havre. This painting evokes a sense of tranquility and the morning chill where people begin their workday. As a city dweller, I find harbors to be rare, and this scene resonates with the everyday lives of the working class. Perhaps due to his personal connection to the city, Monet focuses on the harbor's serene beauty at dawn rather than the port's ships or industrialized landscapes. This painting explores how light and atmosphere transform our sense of perception. This choice is significant as it changed the art scene from representing traditional academic scenes to the Impressionist era of capturing a personal way of seeing and representing the contemporary life to the world. ( 107 words )

Reference :

Plessis, A. du. (2022, January 19). “Impression, Sunrise” Claude Monet - Its Historical Significance. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from Art in Context website: https://artincontext.org/impression-sunrise-claude-monet/

PHASE 2

SHOWING THE 3 SKETCHES

Idea: Readjust the lights and saturation to make an impression that hits the viewer's core memory

Rationale: This interpretation centers on the sun and boat, which changed positions from the original artwork, drawing the viewer into the heart of the sunrise. White waves emphasize the reflection of light, creating a softer atmosphere. The adjusted saturation and contrast helps the visual impact of capturing the nature of the scene.

Idea: A vibrant and abstract interpretation of "Impression, Sunrise" using bold geometric shapes and a playful color palette.

Rationale: This reimagining draws inspiration from abstract works of Bauhaus and tiles, which Mr. Vinod suggested during feedback. Perhaps with a softer, muted color palette and the deconstruction of Monet's scene into a dynamic composition of triangles and squares of modern  aesthetic. The central orange circle, reminiscent of the sun, acts as a focal point.

Idea: "Impression, Sunrise" through the lens of the sun where the sun had other elements inside contained oval, emphasizing the sun's dominance and the fleeting moment.

Rationale: Using a minimalist with a wide range of color approach, the circle frames the sunrise, focusing on the sun's vibrant glow. Blue lines represent the boat and industrial elements, simplifying the scene. The composition captures the "impression" of a fleeting moment, emphasizing the sun's central role.

III. FEEDBACK

Week 4

General: Complete the rest of Task 2

Specific: Mr. Vinod tells me to provide plainer observations rather than descriptive words that may provide analysis. In my interpretation section, Mr. Vinod asked me to rewrite it from my own point of view rather than from a general point of view. 

Week 5

General: Complete task 2 and submit before Wednesday deadline

Specific:  Mr. Vinod provided some guidance in helping me improve my sketches with a few suggestions, which he said to use my own imagination and let it spin as long the narrative remains the same with the selected artwork. Thus, I was given the chance to change sketches with much-needed help.

IV. REFLECTION

Experience :

In this task, I relearned the importance of having my own thoughts and voice in the visual analysis. Having an observation and analysis section showed my logical and critical thinking side while doing the interpretation section helped me evolve my thoughts and ideas of my right brain to work better. While I had done various visual analysis of renowned artists before, I never did one on Claude Monet or paintings that depict a normal scenery of life. Hence, I was glad to have the feedback and guidance throughout the task on phase 1 and phase 2 where my creativity was guided in this class.

Observations :

There are many details that are easy to be seen. easy to be hidden, and easy to overlook. In this task, I must reinforce the use of zoom in and zoom out of the artworks in order to get the right meaning and interpretations across as this was almost the case of improving the selected artwork and make it better with the correct reasons. During class, I observed many of my classmates were able to keep the elements and improve on their own creativity which inspired me to redo the sketches and show my skills better.

Findings :

Throughout Task 2, I learned the demonstration of the visual analysis: observation, analysis, and interpretation, which is later carried out into Phase 2. Although Phase 2 required communication and creativity from the original artist to the next ( in this case myself ), the students are given a chance to reimagine and interpretation in the new meaning as long the narrative remains the same. Putting the use of the design principles and concepts around me helps the artwork stay alive in harmony and do not remain monotonous.

VI. QUICK LINKS

Design Principles Task 1 

Design Principles Task 2

Design Principles Task 3

Design Principles Final Compilation