Design Principles / Task 2

03.02.2025 - 09.03.2025 / Week 3- Week 5

GAN YI KIAN / 0374572

Design Principles / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Task 2 / Visual Analysis & Ideation

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LECTURES

Visual Analysis

• Closely looking at and identifying the visual elements of a design, trying to describe them carefully and accurately in your own words. Do not read beforehand about the design at all.
• The observation phase is about looking, thinking, and finding good language to communicate what you notice.

Analysis

• Analysis requires you to think about your observations and try to make statements about the work based on the evidence of your observations.
• Think about how the specific visual elements that you’ve identified combine to create design principles that complete that work of design/art, and the effects on the viewer.
• How are your eyes led through the work and why? Apply the design principles knowledge you have learn.

Interpretation

• In this final phase, your observations, description, and analysis of the work are fused with facts about the design work (and in some cases the designer) and historical context that you find in trustworthy published sources.
• What is the meaning of the design? What was the purpose for it to be created?

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INSTRUCTIONS

Task 2 / Visual Analysis & Ideation

This task requires me to assess, investigate, document and analyse the existing art/design work you selected in Task 1. I will study the design principles found in that work, as well as the size, placement, purpose, and effectiveness of the design.

Using design principles knowledge, sketch 3 ideas on how the selected design can be improved. Describe each idea and support it with a rationale in about 30-50 words. 

Fig 1.1 Water Lilies by Claude Monet(source) (13/2/2025)

Title: Water Lilies (French: Nymphéas)

Artist: Claude Monet

Year: 1897–1898

Size: 75 x 100 cm

Medium: Oil on canvas

Source: https://art.icity.ly/entries/ftlwv51,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Lilies_(Monet_series)

Observations

This is part of Monet's Water Lilies series, which uses cool tones such as lake blue and water lily green to bring calmness and tranquility to the paintings. Monet cleverly places warm yellow into his cool tones to highlight the water lily flowers he uses as the focal point of the composition. The pink and purple accents fill the scene, making it less monotonous and adding depth and richness.

There are many water lily leaves in the painting, but in reality, the water lily leaves are slightly different in size and color; so the scene feels more natural and organic. This painting also shows Monet's soft and loose brushstrokes in the water and water lily leaves, creating the effect of movement as a river (like ripples) gently ripples across its surface.

Monet presents a layered composition, namely foreground, middle ground and background, to give it a sense of depth. The two water lily flowers are particularly prominent, one in front and one behind, creating a sense of three-dimensionality, making the picture more dynamic and even placing the viewer in the tranquil world of the painting.

Analysis

1. Contrast

Fig 1.2 Contrast(source) (26/2/2025)

•  The picture uses a contrast between cold and warm colors. The blue water surface forms a sharp contrast with the green water lily leaves and white water lilies, making the main subject stand out.
• The bright white water lilies stand out against the darker background.

2. Balance

Fig 1.3 Balance(source) (26/2/2025)

Fig 1.4 Balance(source) (26/2/2025)

• Although the picture does not appear to be completely symmetrical, the distribution of the water lily leaves creates an asymmetrical balance, allowing the eye to smoothly scan the entire picture without feeling unbalanced.

3. Emphasis

Fig 1.5 Emphasis(source) (26/2/2025)

 

• We can see that the focus of this photo is on the two water lily flowers, and the contrast between the dark background and the warm colors of the main water lily flowers is used to highlight the main subject. 

4. Repetition

Fig 1.6 Repetition(source) (26/2/2025)

When the water lily is removed, we can more clearly see the repeated arrangement of the water lily leaves, creating rhythm in the work to keep the rhythm exciting and active and avoid monotony.

5. Movement

Fig 1.7 Movement(source) (26/2/2025)

The direction of the author's brushstrokes for the lake and water lily leaves can be seen in the picture, vaguely guiding the reader's sight. The curved edge of the water lily leaf is not monotonous either, and there is a slight ripple on the water surface.

6. Hierarchy

Fig 1.8 Hierarchy(source) (26/2/2025)

There are also obvious layers here, first the water lily, then the water lily leaf in the middle, and then the underwater reflection part.

7. Harmony

Fig 1.8 Harmony(source) (26/2/2025)

The colors and elements are harmoniously matched, with evenly matched warm and cold tones, making it look calm and gentle.

8. Unity

• All the elements in the picture, such as water lily, water lily leaves and lake surface, revolve around the same theme and echo each other, without any sense of disobedience.

Interpretation

This painting depicts a soft and pretty nature in its quiet and peacefulness. The blue water and the green lily pads make the atmosphere peaceful; the two yellow water lily flowers are able to stand out to give life.

The water has movement in Monet’s soft brushstrokes. However, although the lily pads are basically the same, they are a bit differently sized and have a color somewhat different, which gives the scene a more natural feeling. The composition is multi layered, the elements placed in the foreground and background to give an illusion of depth to the piece.

It is not so much the details that Monet exhibits but the light and mood of the scene, in order to give his viewers a feeling of the serenity of the pond. In this quiet moment, he invites us to pause and enjoy it.

Sketch and Rationale

Sketch 1

This design retains the tranquility and dreamlike feeling of Monet's original painting. I want to enlarge the main water lily in the center and make it the focus of the whole painting.

Fig 2.1 Sketch 1 (3/3/2025)

Why did I choose a square size in sketch 1&2? Because most artists choose to use a rectangular shape to create their works, and I want my works to look different. I also prefer a square shape because it is easier to balance the overall work space when designing.

Sketch 2

Added water lily flowers, including those that are not only on the water surface but also have visible stems

Fig 2.2 Sketch 2 (3/3/2025)

Sketch 3

The distribution of water lily and water lily leaves, as well as the ripples on the water surface, draw attention. The foreground, middle and background seem a little unclear.

Fig 2.3 Sketch 3 (3/3/2025)

Sketch 4

This photo is a water lily photo I took when I went to Taiwan. I thought I could use this photo as one of my references. There is a water lily in the center of this photo, and there are other water lily flowers next to it.

Fig 2.4 Water Lily Photo(3/3/2025)

I used Photoshop to resize the photo into a square, and then I planned to draw this photo as my fourth sketch.

Fig 2.5 Water Lily Photo(3/3/2025)

This is a rough sketch I drew based on my picture. It's not very similar, and I don't know if this idea will be accepted.

Fig 2.6 No.4 Sketch(8/3/2025)

This is actually similar to the idea of ​​my first sketch, which is to place the main water lily in the center, and then there are lotus leaves of the same proportion next to it.

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FEEDBACK

Week 4

Specific Feedback: Keep working

Week 5

Specific Feedback: Explore Sketches 1 and 2 a little more, and explain why they are square in size.

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FURTHER READING

Lotus or Water lily?

Water lily and lotus look similar, but they are actually different species.

Fig 3.1 Lotus (source)(6/3/2025)

Fig 3.2 Water Lily(source)(6/3/2025)

Lotus: Belonging to Nelumbonaceae

The flowers of water lilies are usually close to the water surface, and the leaves float on the water surface with no obvious gap in the middle of the leaves.

Water Lily: Belonging to Nymphaeaceae

The lotus flower is usually above the water surface, and the leaves are above the water surface. The leaves have wax on the surface, which allows water droplets to roll off.