Lets Vectorise again

So since my first attempt at my pictograms and my second attempt did not work out, I was determined to get it right with my  contour lines concept. So I tried it out on the Kiwi first:

I really liked this concept as it worked really well showing the shape of the kiwi and using simple lines to portray the animal. This was inspired by my original idea of using horizontal lines. However in this concept the lines contour to the shape of the kiwi. So I took this to feedback and we had trouble with the legs.

After getting feedback I had a better understanding of how the legs were not working. We also talked about how I had converted the lines into contours and how this would work with my integrations and 3D artifact.

So after some deep considerations and trying to get the feet to work, I decided to get rid of the feet completely as the birds had enough signifiers to identify what they were without feet. The contour of the feet were not consistent with that of the body as they were open. So I said goodbye to the legs.

Vectorise

I then vectorized my ideas to try the layered grid system and I presented in class and tried out the integration too which turned out like this:

I had really “interesting” feedback about my latest vectors. Although the pictograms may work, the integration was not working at all. I thought about combining the lines on top of each other to integrate but it turned out to just be super position and it became very phallic looking. So I had to fix this. I tried using negative space and changing positions but none of it worked.

Re-drawings & Experimentations

I tried out systems using grids, shapes and contour lines. So I basically came up with three ideas of which I liked the lined layered grid system and contour lines which was really unique.

Best Pics

I went through the various photos that I found and decided to pick these three photos to use for my pictograms of the three birds.

I chose these because they had very similar poses and they were facing the right way and if they were not, I could easily flip the image and trace on that.

The Kea

Since I changed one of my birds, I followed the proper way of doing these pictograms. So once again I looked at different photos of the kea and what were the features that defined it. It is mainly the scuffled feathers and the sharp beak.

Pictograms?

It was time for me to present something in class so I thought I would give a crack at doing some “pictograms” of my chosen birds. So I attempted these:

From my understanding of picograms, I had to create icon like interpretations of my chosen animals. But from the feedback that I received at first I was confused at what I was doing wrong and then I realised from much explaining what the brief was actually asking me to do which was more to simplify and create a system to recognise the animals rather than a logo type assignment,

From the feedback that I got I also picked up quite a few things, how inconsistent the icons that I created were even though I was following a ’rounded’ system. For example, the positions of my birds were different; the kiwi and peacock were facing the side whereas the penguin was profiled and looking straight. My scales for the birds were off which meant that my proportions were too when the birds were lined up next to each other as the penguin should have been larger than the kiwi and the peacock the largest.

From this I decided to change the peacock as I felt it just was not working for me in terms of size and proportions anymore and I wanted to create a deeper link for my animals. Since my approach to the pictograms was incorrect anyways, it was not too late to change my animals as I was to follow the proper procedure anyways. So I decided to change my birds and make them all NZ birds; the kiwi, penguin and the Kea. I thought the Kea would work well in terms of size and would be a unique addition to the other two.

Animals Photos

So I started exploring into different images of the birds that I chose. I looked at their shapes and body language and what was common among them. I looked at what features of each bird was definitive and identified them as their specific species.

All three birds were very rounded and their signifiers seem to be their beak, feathers and wings. I decided to pick images where their poses were quite similar.

Irreduceable Essence?

This is my first post as I came back from my overseas trip, I started late into the project while everyone had already moved on to the second part. I did not quite understand the brief but after seeing everyone’s work and talking to my tutor I got the gist of it.

So I was to choose three animals that related. I did a brainstorm to start with and looked at the array of different animals that I was familiar with that I could work with. I looked at how these animals would relate to each other and elements that connected them.

As I was looking at my options with animals, I came to birds and I thought about flightless birds. This got me interested into looking at NZ’s iconic bird, the kiwi. I really wanted to incorporate the kiwi into my project, as no one else had chosen this as well. So then I thought about what other bird could relate to the kiwi and in what way. Finally I decided to go with penguin and the peacock. I thought these would go along really well as they could not fly; although the penguin could “technically” fly underwater.

So there I had it, my three animals decided; the kiwi, peacock and penguin.