The Semantics of 3D Form
Translating natural and man-made forms through various mediums to understand how individual elements make up a larger form that is aesthetically balanced and visually composed
Exploring Natural Forms: The Starfish
[I forgot to take pictures of my shell drawings before I left Pittsburgh!]
Clay Iteration 1: Examining the basic form
Photographing all the angles of the starfish and printing them out to have as a reference really helped while figuring out the proportions and elements that make up the form.
I thought working with clay would be a familiar and easy way to figure out the form. The clay I bought was really hard to mold and especially once it was cold which made it hard to add on pieces and took away from some of the benefits of working with clay i.e. that it is an additive form.
Clay Iteration 2: Refining the Form
Stole some of John’s clay which was softer and I think worked better with mu form in particular. I also liked that it was white — the same color as the starfish-which I think benefitted me in trying to get the form closer to the original.
Wayne’s Critique:
Q and Wayne both mentioned that the abstraction was good with the form, however, mentioned there was a disconnect between the abstraction on the top-view and the detail on the bottom. To resolve this, I might balance out the detail — add some more to the top and smooth out the cuts on the bottom.
Clay Final Iteration:
Paper Iteration 1:
To tackle the paper version of the form, I began by creating an outline of the silhouette of each arm of the star.
As seen here, I tried to create transition pieces along the sides, however, was struggling with making small incisions and figuring out where the paper would go. I also realized that my paper was too thin and fragile thus making it hard for me to put the pieces together.
I realized along with the critiques I received, that the paper form lacked volume and looked very one-dimensional. The round center of the form did not seem to relate to the inner curved transitions of the star. It was also quite rough and lacking in the craft.
Final Paper Iteration
Using the same illustrator file, I printed out the outlines of the pieces and traced them over. I then used thicked cardstock and cut out pieces, making my central pieces inverted instead of circular. I also figured out a tabbing system to connect the ends of the pieces in order to make the arms volumetric and dimensional. I think I could have done with another iteration of this with the craft more refined and less messy, however, with the time I had I think this was a successful representation of the organic-ness form.
Exploring Man-Made Forms: The Mouse
Clay Iteration 1
Getting down the basic volume and structure of the form — not focusing on details. I talked to Connor about this — he mentioned focusing on emphasizing certain areas rather than trying to make a more exact replica to have a more dynamic form. We also discussed
Final Clay Iteration
I liked working with clay a lot and every time I would work on another form, I would spend 20 minutes fixing my clay form. I found that taking time off from looking at the form and constantly making small changes over the course of a week really helped in getting the model exactly where I wanted it to be with a good balance of representation and emphasis on the curves. I also really enjoyed the process and felt it was lovely to create.
Soap Iterations
(I forgot to take process photos initially)
So much more chaotic than the clay mouse, I became very frustrated with the medium. I mistakenly cut off the part of
I kept taking photographs along the way, comparing the two forms to each other — digitally drawing lines to see where I needed to subtract more soap from.
Final Pictures
