End Of Light Phenomenon Project

Our last part of the light phenomenon project was to design a luminaire that related to your early phenomenon that we photographed. My piece was about bending light. WHat's interesting is the piece looks to be bending ever more so when the lights are off.

I started off by making several different types of cones with paper to see what I could use in my final. My first sketch model of my design looked like this:

At first I intended to hang it from the ceiling and have different shadows of circles casted on the floor. When playing with the sketch model a happy accident occurred when I flipped it up-side down and realized how interesting it was. 

Seeing Others hard work pay off

This semester we had the chance to visit and see other upper years work. My group was assigned to third year critiques. Third year students had two projects this semester, one to design the interior space of Central Regional Hospital and the other was to re vamp a building in downtown durham off of W Parish Street.

When viewing all of the layouts and ideas I came across one that caught my eye by a girl named Kaitlyn O'boyle. Her concept was the seasons and the emotions each one evoked. The layout to me was very childlike, which was what the assignment was aimed towards. It expressed a happy sense of emotion which i enjoyed. There was color in her design but not too much.

106 Parish street is a building that will be turned into a wine bar on the first floor, with lofts on the second and third. The task the designers took on was trying to integrate the retail as well as residential spaces together. My favorite one was titled Lantern. This group talked a bout a bazaar which is like a flea market. The textures and material as well as lighting gave off a nice glowing feel.

Looking Back

This semester I created many drawings. Looking back on them, I see the growth in my work. Although I had previously taken a few drafting classes, they were nothing like this one. Each drawing presented a new challenge for me and I had to push forward. 

I learned so much though. The most enjoyable part of this class was the sketching of self- portraits. The self portraits i believe were my most successful drawings out of all. They have more detail than any other drawings in my sketchbook.

 

Scale Figures

      

Even when sketching scale figures without meaning to my technique is some what gestural and has sketchy lines. My favorite one is the group outline, although I didn't get the group. I am slow when drawing anything. 

My observings

Examining other ways

When examining Anuj's observational sketchbook I was struck by this drawing.

He uses several different techniques to achieve his shadows. 

He uses hatch patterns to show the detail and texture of the leaf.

I actually loved this drawing. I found it peculiar that Anuj critiques his own work by bullet pointing what he can work on. That is a good way to improve and work towards mastering the art of shading.

Ashley Bennett

In this drawing Ashley shows the texture of this leaf nicely. This drawing in particular i liked because she showed the curving feel of the leaf. 

Phase Two: Wood Analysis

For phase two of our final project we were to create a system using a 2x4 piece of wood that was 18 inches long. For me, using tools is a scary thing. As I used the tools more and more I grew more comfortable.

This what my first idea for the 2X4 project.
This was supposed to be a system of diamonds and squares that interlocked together.

My system is two squares held together by notches. The two squares are then held together by an X running through the center of both. This was my final 2X4

Full view

 Middle Joinery

Side view of Joints

Middle Joinery

Top Angle Joinery

Side View

Half View

Phase One: Light Phenomenon Observation

In my findings of observing light I learned how water works as a lens for light to pass through and project an image in the droplet. The process is known as refraction. We were then to make a 16X16 illustration board with a drawing, photo and model of the phenomena.

I was very happy with my illustration board besides my hand written text. If i could do it over I think a printed font would look much better and maybe even no text at all. My title is too over-powering, when it doesn't even really need one.

What is light? Who is Tadao Ando?

What is light?

Light something that is something that makes things visible or afford illumination.

Tadao Ando was born in 1941 in Osaka, Japan. Ando spent most of his time outdoors and was raised by his grandmother. At a young age Ando worked as a carpenter, where he learned how to work with wood and built numerous model of ships and airplanes. He said that he preferred learning things on his own rather than in a class room. At the age of 18 he began visiting buildings and studying them. He studied architecture by going to see actual buildings and reading books about them. Le Corbusier was one of Ando's biggest inspirations.

He uses light and empty space to create. The Church of Light is a building he is known for. It's one of the simplest designs. The Church of Light is located in Osaka, Japan. The floor descends in stages towards the altar, which is next to the rear wall, who's horizontal and vertical openings form a cross, flooding the whole church with light. The strong source of light gives spectators a feeling of something infinite beyond.

“Walls are the most basic elements of architecture, and in all my works, light is an important factor.”-Tadao Ando

Light influences all of Ando's buildings. Ando’s architecture is made of the simplest and most neutral cement surfaces. The softness of these, contrast the light that comes in almost caressing them. Ando’s architecture is also all light and reflection. He uses the flatness and neutral tone of the cement, to show off the different vibrations, ripples, textures of the water. Water is also the element to create light surfaces, to reflect light and to show depth. Through the way light is received by the water and by the soft cement, infinite conditions of light and dark are created.

“Entering a building requires an act of will and an awareness for the architecture.”-Tadao Ando

Le Corbusier was one of Ando's biggest influences growing up. Corbusier used concrete walls and believed in illumination.

Drawings

Object A and Object B

Pictorial Views

Strengths: accuracy, lettering, line weight

Weaknesses: composition, line quality, ellipses

Extra Credit Drawing

Strengths: accuracy, correctness

Weaknesses: composition, line quality and weight

Object Drawings; Perfume Bottle

Strengths:accuracy, correctness, lettering, composition

weaknesses: line quality, curves

Objects Multi-view Drawings

Strengths: line weight, lettering

Weaknesses: accuracy, composition

An Artist Worth Mentioning: Seth Riskin

Last week we went to see Seth Riskin, a visiting "Light Artist" from MIT. He is an artist who uses light to express emotions. I was actually fascinated when he was showing his "Light Dance" photos, because I am really interested in "Light Graffiti." They are closely related concepts. Riskin says he uses LEDs and attaches lights to his body in order to create moment. When I create light graffiti I take a light and draw into the air while the shutter of my camera is open. Here are some of Seth Riskins' work.

 And here are some of my photos:

In all of these below I set the camera to a slow shutter speed and moved

it around. The lights you see are headlights and taillights.

Light, Light And More Light!

 When given the assignment to photograph light I was extremely excited. I love photography and working with the lighting. My first ideas were different than the last one, the one I used.

Lens Flare: If you look to the bottom left of the photo you see

the bubble like form that was created by the light.

Reflection: The light is bouncing off the water and onto the sea shell

creating a reflection of the shell.

Light Diffraction: This is actually the same idea as my latest photograph.

Back Lighting: The frost on the windshield is backlight

by the rising sun, which makes them appear a darker color

than the sky itself.

Light Refraction: The water droplet acts like a lens, bending

the light as it passes through.

Leaf Journal Entry

This was one of my first journal entries. Out of all my leaf drawings I liked it best. It wasn't my favorite because of how i drew it; it was my favorite because of the emotion I felt when drawing. I drew it at my house in my bedroom on September 2nd. Now, i have learned better shading techniques than the ones I used in this drawing.

A container for 12 twigs

        Our latest assignment was to create a container for 12 twigs of your choosing. We could use any type of paper and one binding agent. Paper was also my binding agent. I cut the paper into Xs to hold my twigs in place. I also scored a grid into the paper. My idea was to make  my paper and design relate to the bamboo twigs. Bamboo was very difficult to work with.

place/making Assignment

Our assignment was to create a place for a leaf using only white paper. This is what I came up with. My idea was to make the paper look like water and the leaf almost float.

"Where do you find inspiration?"

My inspiration derives from my surroundings and how i visualize them. I see everything in a still-frame sense. A photograph can completely change the way an object appears. I'm inspired by the world around me in freeze frame.