Drawing + Imaging: Rebuilding Systems + Networks

 

For the second half of the semester, one of the themes was “Rebuilding Systems + Networks” where we drew a perspective drawing of a floor in the UC on paper and used that drawing as a basis to create a completely new environment using our imagination on photoshop or illustrator. We also had to include the 3 symbols we made for the tracing artifacts project before this within our imagined spaces. Above, on the left, is an image of how I developed the 3 symbols on illustrator from my scanned objects. The picture on the right, next to the artifacts image, shows the 2-point perspective drawing I did of the 5th floor in the UC. I really liked how the perspective drawing came out because I felt like I was able to draw the space accurately and proportionately. I was also very happy with the symbols I created from the scanned objects because I was able to draw from the details written on the small medicine bottle.

  

After looking at the space I drew and the symbols I created, I began brainstorming ways I could transform the space I drew and made a mood board that I could refer too throughout the entire project. Above is a picture of my planning page and the mood board I made.

At first, I was inspired to create an art gallery but then I decided on creating a modern office space that has artworks hung around because I wanted to include the desk I drew in my perspective drawing. I scanned my perspective drawing and dropped it into photoshop. I first traced the entire drawing on photoshop and added color on the ceiling and filled in the lights using the gradient tool so I can remind myself where the light source will be. Then, using the perspective warp tool on photoshop, I inserted a picture of a wooden pattern to create the wooden floor. Then I used a picture I took of a concrete wall and used that as the walls for my interior. I used the feathered brush tool to draw on the shadows of where I want my artworks to be hung.

       

I wanted to create a more interesting background so I decided to make a wallpaper out of a detail that is found on the medicine bottle in on of my symbols. I chose to draw the detail on a piece of paper, took a photo and inserted it into photoshop where I copy pasted it to create a repeated pattern and then using the perspective warp tool again, I selected the entire pattern used it as wallpaper. I inserted the artworks in the background of the interior using the perspective warp tool as well.

The interior space felt a little bit empty so I decided to add in gallery lights on top of each of the artworks, a desk and a long bench following the same dark neutral color palette. Using a large feathered brush tool set to a low opacity, I added shadows to the objects I added to bring out the depth and make them look more realistic. I then added a hanging installation artwork into the office space that is made from one of the objects I scanned and traced for the tracing artifacts project. Last but not least, I added a light source (coming from the top) into the interior space and created a spotlight effect on each of the artworks on the walls.

Throughout the entire process, I struggled the most with deciding where the light source should be and how to create it. Through this project, I am now much more familiar with the perspective warp tool. Something that helped me create this project was separating everything I did on to different layers on photoshop so that it was very easy to trace back my steps and change anything if I needed to.

Overall, I feel accomplished with what I was able to create in the end and I really enjoyed creating this project!