Figure Drawing: Assignment 1 - Explorative Self-Portrait.

We are to draw a self portrait of ourself with adding elements that represents us.

So I was thinking of elements that represents me.

I was thinking of 

• Cats.
• Japanese.
• Korean.
• Music.
• Vintage.

Before drawing the ways I want it to look like.
I practice sketching the things I'm still lacking at.
I tried drawing eye, a cat's nose, a cat's face and sakura (Japanese's flower).
I also thought of adding a Korean/Japanese idioms.

I was thinking of doing a cat's face but with a human eye and mouth.

Then I started creating ideas on how I want it to look like.

The first one is me holding a box filled with stuff I like, so when I open it, everything I like will come out.

Second one is me pouring pink paint and forming a sakura tree with a polaroid frame making it look a bit vintage.

I tried drawing and colouring a sakura tree. Well I tried my best.

Third one is a half human and half cat face with few elements throwing in.

Forth is just me sitting on a moon with a cat beside me, this idea was given by Annabel :3 because I couldn't think of what to do with a star. 

A very incomplete drawing for my fifth one heh. Basically I wanted to make myself lie on a flower? so yeah...

But sad news, this wasn't what Mr. Ernesto wanted. He said "self-portrait darling, with your face." and rejected all of it.

So I sat down and think and came out with a new idea.

As I was Google-ing trying to think of something nice. I saw this on the image search page. I got inspired to do my self-portrait according to this.

Gillian Wearing "Me Now in Mask".

Therefore, I tried to draw a portrait of myself by looking at one of my self-taken picture.

Well it isn't exactly the same as the real picture but everyone who saw this said it does look like me a bit.

I drew this according to the below one but the mouth I tried to follow the above one. Well it somehow looks like me? :D

and I was thinking of using a masquerade mask as one of my elements. So I was inspired by this one and tried doing a sketch of it.

When I showed him this yesterday. He said my idea is good just try adding a different elements to it.

He also gave me an artist name, Salvador Dali, and told me to do research on him since I'm doing a surrealism style for my self-portrait.

F. 

2 Dimensional Design: Progress of Our Float Exhibition.

[5/8/2013]. [12/8/2013], [19/8/2013], [26.8.2013]

Throughout all those dates, we have been having tutorials on our float exhibition and also a self-teaching class when Miss Lisa couldn't make for the class.

Also our float exhibition was postponed to 16th September 2013, which is the Malaysia day instead of 29th August 2013 on Thursday due to the insufficient time we have.

So we as the head of this project has to manage everything with the help of of course, Miss Lisa, herself, and our juniors or maybe our seniors in their degrees. We divided ourselves into groups. Where 1 group has to come out with an abstract painting according to the Malaysia flag colours. i.e 1 groups has to do yellow, while others has to do red, white and blue. Also made another group to assign them to do a design for our lanterns. We have to design the lanterns according to the Malaysia ethnicity. i.e 1 group has to do a Malay design, while others has to do Indian design, Chinese and the Minorities a.k.a Orang Iban, etc.

I was in the Indian design group and yellow group.

These are my yellow ones.

 and the Indian "henna" designs.

We were suppose to show it to Miss Lisa on the 19th August 2013, but failed to because she couldn't make it and so she asked us to upload it on our Facebook page so she can see and evaluate it. 

She didn't say anything bout my yellow abstract one but the designs, she asked us, the Indian design group to think of a design that's cut-able since we're doing it on stencils. 

So we were given another week to come out with a new one.

As I was trying to design my own, I decided to make a new abstract paintings, cause I think the previous was was written "lazy" all over it.

So here's the new ones. I did 6 just in case.

I showed her during the next class and she personally liked the 6th one. She also told me to try again but this time with less usage of others colour and just use yellow.

and I also showed her my Indian design, she told me to not do it and just help Hidayah, Nicholas, Raymond and Jamie with the proposal for the whole exhibition because she doesn't want to me to stress my fingers while I cut it.

but here are the designs.

This is just a practice on my sketchbook before doing it in an A4 paper.
I even tried cutting one part of it to make sure it's the right way.

F.

Contextual Studies: The Starting of Our Assignment: Film Noir.

So me, Annabel, Farah, Ching Hsin and Eka are in a group and we're suppose to make a film based on the theme noir. We gathered for a day and discussed the things we want to film. We decided the genre will be thriller since it will look really nice with black and white theme.

Here's are the things we plan to film:

‘Silent Murders’ Settings and Events.

Setting : The Pipe. (PART 1)

• -Fauza, Eka, Farah, Ching Hsin and Annabel are all at The Pipe, refiling their daily dose of drugs into their bags.
• -After done refilling, Farah says she needs to talk to Annabel about something.
• -Annabel says wait as she continues to fill her bag.
• -When she was done, the others watch as Farah and Annabel walk behind a pillar to talk.
• -Camera flashes on Fauza, Ching Hsin and Eka’s face. (Noticing Eka’s pendant.)
• -Farah seems to be trying to convince Annabel about something as she waves her hands angrily in the air.
• -A blackout happens.
• -Farah’s voice is heard as she calls for the others.
• -A loud sound is heard.
• -Lights are back on and it seems Annabel turned on the lights.
• -Everyone realises Farah is still behind the pillar and runs towards her.
• -Farah is found dead.
• -Annabel bends down and closes Farah’s shocked eyes.
• -Annabel goes to wash her hands as she got some of the blood from Farah’s forehead on her hands.
• -Eka gathers the others around and starts a conversation about her suspecting Annabel. (Annabel was the one who killed Farah and turned the lights back on, she was the only one near Farah.)
• -Annabel eavesdrops on their conversation for a while and seems to look angry before making a loud entrance.
• -Eka, Fauza and Ching Hsin immediately stops talking.
• -Fauza walks to Farah’s body and suggests that they bury it.
• -Everyone starts moving and digs a hole.
• -Farah’s body is dragged into the hole and the hole is covered.
• -Ching Hsin warns everyone to not say a word about it or the cops will find out about everything.
• -Eka suggests that they should all go home now.

Setting : Walking out from The Pipe. (PART 1)

• -They all walk out with Fauza and Annabel in the back.
• -Annabel keeps eyeing Fauza.

Setting : Outside the pipe + behind some bushes. (PART 1)

• -When they were outside, Annabel pulls Fauza aside with her back faced to Eka and Ching Hsin.
• -Eka and Ching Hsin heard and watched them closely.
• -From Eka and Ching Hsin’s point of view, Annabel seems to be trying to tell Fauza something.
• -Ching Hsin shouts ‘cops!’. Everyone starts running and hides behind some bushes.
• -After the cop’s car passed through the area, they all come out from hiding and go home.

Setting : Fauza’s Home. (PART 2)

• -The next night, Fauza calls Ching Hsin.
• -Fauza asks Ching Hsin to come pick her up to go to The Pipe.
• -Fauza also says that she has something to tell her….
• -There is a knock on Fauza’s door.
• -Fauza asks Ching Hsin to hold on and she holds the phone in her hand and goes to get the door.
• -Fauza opens her door.
• -A shadow of someone with a bat is standing at the door.
• -Fauza’s scream is heard and she drops her phone on the ground.

Setting : In front of a shop or somewhere on the streets. (PART 2)

• -Ching Hsin keeps shouting for Fauza on the phone.
• -Ching Hsin decides to call Eka.

Setting : Fauza’s Home + Eka’s car. (PART 2)

• -Ching Hsin and Eka puts Fauza’s body into a big box.
• -They carefully check their surroundings before carrying and loading the box into Eka’s car.
• -On the way to The Pipe, Ching Hsin and Eka talk about Annabel being the killer.

Setting : The Pipe. (PART 2)

• -Ching Hsin and Eka open up the box when they reach The Pipe.
• -They carry Fauza’s body out from the box and start digging a hole.
• -Annabel walks out with a clipboard in her hand and says that she was counting their drug stock but stops talking midway when she notices Fauza’s body.
• -Annabel puts down the clipboard and holds the knife at her side.
• -Annabel packs up her things and walks out of The Pipe.

Setting : Outside The Pipe. (PART 2)

• -Annabel is seen hiding near the entrance in her car.
• -Eka and Ching Hsin walks out of The Pipe.
• -Annabel watches them and digs around in her bag until she touches something inside.
• -Eka and Ching Hsin get into Eka’s car.
• -Annabel zips up her bag and follows them.

Setting : Outside Ching Hsin’s Home. (PART 2)

• -Ching Hsin gets down from Eka’s car and Eka drives away.
• -Annabel parks her car and follows Ching Hsin.
• -Eka looks in her rear view mirror and sees Annabel following Ching Hsin.
• -Annabel watches as Ching Hsin opens her house door.
• -Before Ching Hsin closes the door behind her, Annabel pushes inside.

Setting : In Ching Hsin’s Home. (PART 3)

• -Ching Hsin is in shock.
• -Annabel tries to calm Ching Hsin down as she places her knife down on the floor showing Ching Hsin that she is not a threat.
• -Annabel sits Ching Hsin down on a chair and explains everything that happened.
• FLASHBACKS.

Setting : The Pipe. (PART 4)
F1

• -Farah arrives early and spots Eka talking on the phone.
• -Farah almost walks towards Eka when she hears what Eka was talking about on the phone.
• -Farah hides behind a pillar and listens to Eka on the phone.
• -Eka was talking about killing all of them and she sounded like she was talking to someone elder as her tone was more respectful. Eka mentions the name of the person on the line. 
• -Farah gets scared and slowly creeps towards the entrance.
• -Farah feels like the name Eka mentioned sounded familiar so she decides to research on it.
• -Farah researches and finds out the name belongs to a cult leader that is now hunted by the police.
• -The cult leader instructs his followers to kill in order to gain benefits from the victims and in their case, the cult leader wants their drugs.
• -The website also shows the cult symbol and it looks familiar.
• -Farah returns again but this time she makes a loud entrance and Eka stops talking on the phone.
• -The camera flashes on Eka’s necklace. It has the cult symbol on it.

F2

• -When Farah and Annabel walks behind the pillar, Eka was watching them as she suspects Farah because Farah may have overheard her conversation on the phone.

F3

• -While no one was watching, Eka turned off the lights and caused the blackout.
• -Eka creeps through the dark and knocks Farah’s head on the pillar.
• -Eka quickly creeps through the dark back to Ching Hsin and Fauza’s side before Annabel turns on the lights.

F4

• -When Annabel was closing Farah’s eyes, Annabel slowly picks up Eka’s necklace from the ground.

Setting : Outside The Pipe.
F5

• -Eka watches Fauza and Annabel when Annabel pulls Fauza aside outside The Pipe after Farah’s murder.

Setting : Fauza’s Home. (PART 5)
F6

• -Flashback of the part where Fauza says that she has something to tell Ching Hsin.

Setting : Outside Annabel’s Home.
F7

• -Eka watches Annabel come out of her home with a knife at her side. 
• -Eka knocks her fist on a tree angrily as she is going to have a hard time killing Annabel.
• -Eka looks at the list on her phone and the next person on the list is Fauza.

Setting : Fauza’s Home.
F8

• -Eka decides to kill Fauza first. Fauza’s killing scene is showed but with Eka’s face.

Setting : The Pipe.
F9

• -Eka smirking at Annabel when Annabel saw Fauza’s body.
• -Flashback of Annabel holding the knife at her side and glaring back at Eka.

BACK TO ACTUAL WORLD :

Setting : Ching Hsin’s Home. (PART 3)

• -Annabel shows Ching Hsin Eka’s necklace.
• -Annabel and Ching Hsin sigh as Annabel sits next to Ching Hsin.

Setting : Outside Ching Hsin’s door. (PART 3)

• -Eka is sitting next to Ching Hsin’s door with the bat in her hand.
• -Flashes of Farah’s and Fauza’s body is shown.
• -Eka stands up.

Setting : Ching Hsin’s Home. (PART 3)

• -Camera shows Annabel and Ching Hsin.
• -Camera shows the door opening. (Insert creaking sound.)
• -Camera shows Annabel’s knife on the floor, out of reach.
• -Camera shows Annabel and Ching Hsin’s shocked faces.
• -Shadow at the door with a bat.
• -High pitched screams.

FIN.

So we showed this to Mr. Charles during tutorial and he told us to include a cult and a manifesto. So we made a new one and did a timeline for it to understand the story better.

This time he said it's fine but need more cult appearances. 

Therefore, we're gonna make more appearances for the cults/manifesto.

and we also took a few photos for the main events to show him at the next tutorial.

*will upload next week*

F. 

[20/08/2013] Contextual Studies: The Power of Contextual Narratives.

Mr. Charles quoted;

"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances: and one man in his times play many parts, his acts being seven ages." -- William Shakespeare.

Who are the players?
-- Human are the players.
example:

1. politicians -- Person skilled in political government or administration. An expert in politics and political government.
2. hero -- Everyone can be hero just by doing a good deed. Like a fireman saving someone's life in a house on fire.
3. investigators -- detective investigate a certain issue to solve the problem.
4. people who do piracy -- It's illegal to download a movie or songs on the internet as it is copyrighted.
5. Illusion creators -- Steven Spielberg is a worldwide known film maker. His best work was the animation cartoon he directed.
6. Scientist/Philosopher -- Person discovering new information using Science. Stephen Hawking is one of the worldwide know physicist. 

He quoted again;

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." -- Buckminster Fuller.

Definition of obsolete -- of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date: an obsolete battleship.

Places where you can be the player.

1. Stage -- Natural stage [jungle], fantasy world, underwater.
2. Exits and Entrances. -- Cliffhangers. Example: Old people, they live their life as toddler and end their life as toddler. 

[30/7/2013] Contextual Studies: Introduction to Contextual Studies part 2/Assignment 1.

Last Tuesday (30th July 2013), we learned a bit more about Contextual Studies.

It includes,
1. Making a problem statement.

2. Finding the purpose. 

3. The meaning implied. (the context behind it)

4. The context represented. (using a metaphorical/conceptual vehicle)
 example: Antonio Gaudi (an Architect) uses nature in his works.

The nave in the Sagrada Familia with a hyperboloid vault. Inspiration from nature is taken from a tree, as the pillar and branches symbolize trees rising up to the roof.

 

 

5. Symbols become indentities based on the  context it represents.

example: Nicholas Roerich, Gerald Holtom, Belthoven, Dove.

 

Gerald Holtom's CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) logo which became an international peace symbol

 

A Dove bird also represent peace/effort.

After the lecture was done, he gave us a task/assignment throughout the whole semester. We were asked to form group consist of 5 members. We were asked to film a short film based on last week's topic, noir. So our film visual style is noir. Everything has to be how it is in film noir, the lighting, shadow, title font, etc. Our theme has to include cult. We are given a week to come out with a storyline and title and show it to Mr. Charles on the next class. If he approves with out work, we can start producing the film. To be frank, I'm really excited for this assignment.

 

REFERENCE:

1. Bassegoda, Juan., 2002. Gaudi o espacio, luz y equilibrio (in Spanish), Madrid: Criterio Libros.
2. Ken, K. & Mike, S., (2008). Peace: The Biography of a Symbol. [e-book] National Geographic. Available at: http://www.peacesymbol.com/ [Accessed 3 August 2013]

F.