This was the week I was moved into another group that based their work on an alien colony which sounded pretty interesting not going to lie and then we all followed up the class and then talking about each of the things that were introduced in the class that I will be talking about below.
These are some of the early compositions that we did as an exercise in the class. I found it pretty fun because Alec talked about how everything thing or object can be looked at from a different perspective.
Early perspective discussion
This week the class discussion was about composition and perspective of everything that we look at when it comes to different kind of media. We looked at composition first and how people use their artistic arraignment and how they split an image into different parts of the page and how they arrange them to look perfect in their opinion. We then talked about the use of the camera and how it can be positioned and how the movements for the person taking the pictures can establish different changes of the situation and the mood. The person that is always taking pictures like these might change the position of the camera and different objects depending on the atmosphere of the place or a room. And most importantly the mood because it can change pretty quickly and then you might have to adjust to that. Then there is perspective that is very interesting because its an art technique that has been used for really long as it helps everyone create different illusions that really trick the eye and make it look differently and specific things. It can also create an illusion of three-dimensions which means it can change the depth and the space of the imagery. Or it can be as simple as two dimensions which means that the surface would usually just be flat. All of these combined can create amazing imagery that looks amazing to the eye.
When its used effectively like this it an make it look really good especially because it communicates your intent and your purpose of the image for anything that you might use it. As you can see in this image you can see the lines and how they line out the image and how each of the boxes have their own image inside them. It is also well spaces out so you can look at it without a problem.
We then talked about the rule of the thirds and how it is a type of composition that is often used in photography and it basically means when the image is divided into different even thirds, it is both horizontally and vertically and very often the subject that you are trying to capture is placed on the intersections of those dividing lines which is really cool. I think that they use this method so we can look at the image and see the equal symmetry and how important that might make the image look. The things or objects can also be places along the lines that are drawn in the imagery which also gives them some kind of importance.
After that we discussed the golden ratio and the phi grid. The actual phi grid actually helps you visual the golden ratio within each part of the image which I would say is really interesting to me because its often based on different combinations and smaller rectangles inside a simple grid over a specific image. Then you would have four rectangles that are usually based on the 1:1.618 ratio. These are often called the sweet spots and are often the places where they person wants to draw your eyes to a specific spot.
Then we were told to do this exercise in teams to take pictures inside the room or go outside the room and just capture different photos using the rule of third and just keeping grids in mind while capturing the images. I went outside of the room and start capturing different images while keeping the rules in mind and it was actually really enjoyable because while I was capturing different photos I kept thinking about how I could move or change the position of my phone so that different grids could be fit into the photos. It was also quite scary since outside the room there are only barriers holding you from falling down. I found this really fun because when I look at certain images now I can try to position my phone different to adjust to certain grids that I might want to implement into the photos. Here is a couple images I took while thinking about these grids in mind.
When I was taking these pictures I kept thinking about rules of the third and the golden ratio and phi grid to help me takes these pictures more efficiently. When I was looking at these pictures I kept thinking about the invisible lines that would make the picture look better and betray a point in the imagery. Then I took a couple of pictures that focus on the golden ratio and the phi grid which was quite a challenge because at first i couldn’t really find our the purpose of these grids, but then I found out that they help the eye to look at a certain location and spot of the image. This helped me a lot adjusting some of the pictures here. For the grid I tried capturing the images that would have people in it and everyone was okay with me taking the pictures. I asked before I took them. I made sure that the whole image itself is visible and looks really good and then the phi grid would have the person there. You are able to see that the some of the images above have people in them and thats where I would place my golden ratio and phi grid. I really like the photo where I took from the side of the wall looking the last year students which was really nice because one of them was posing perfectly for my image. I was really happy about that image.
My understanding of composition.
We were shown a couple of examples that take these grids into consideration when it comes to drawing them. I found this really interesting because you can see how some artists use this type go grids to create different imagery and their artwork definitely looks like its using grids.
Then we had a talk about symmetry and how it can be used in different photos and imagery as well. How it can be useful when looking at different images or creating them.
Symmetry means that a certain shape can become exactly like another one when you move it in some type of way or turn it any side that you might want, or even slide different things into different objects. For certain objects if you want them to be symmetrical, they first must be the same size and shape within a single object. Some objects might have different orientations and not similar to the first object. There can also be symmetry in a single object or a thing that an image might be trying to point out.
We then looked at more examples of symmetry being used in certain imagery and ill have them posted below because I found them really useful while capturing different photos and using symmetry within them.
You can see how some of the images have symmetry lines and how they then change your perspective on the image because you realise that they were making you look at certain locations and spots to make the imagery more impactful for the eye. It definitely opens your head and how they use these lines to make the imagery create illusions and then make you look at a certain thing or a spot.
We then got to do another exercise which was us going outside the room and capturing photos while having symmetry in mind. I will be posting my photos below here because i really enjoyed this one exercise because I really like when everything is symmetrical.
For these images I tried keeping everything symmetrical for the photos and adjusting my phone to keep the things that i wanted to be looked at in the invisible lines that are in the images. When I started taking the pictures i tried imagining a plus sign in the middle of each images and then trying to get placement for each of the things I want in the pictures. You can see that I tried my best with the things outside of the room to make sure they are all symmetrical and easy to look at. I also focused on each of the elements while i was capturing photos and how they might fit into the pictures frame. For the first couple of pictures you can see that I have looked at my images to make sure they all would have symmetrical lines that could divide the things in the image. You can see a lot of barriers in the first couple of pictures that create symmetrical look to the images which I really liked. When I was capturing these different images I have also looked at the amount of doors and windows that the images had and thought to myself that all of them could be put into squares above and below the lines. This would make sure that the audience that is looking at the pictures would have their attention towards those things and i think that would be the windows and the doors for most of the images that I have captured. Then I took some of the pictures from different angles, but I am still thinking about symmetry while doing it since I want everything in the image to have its spotlight. You can see that the last two images that I have shared on here have different positions inside them. I have used the wall so my hand would not shake and help me capture the things in the image better. For the symmetry the pictures on the walls and the door in the end was the main point I was looking at while taking those pictures. And then the last picture you can see that I am looking down at the next floor and I can see different sections down there, rooms divided into different sections. The walls of the room would help me with the symmetry line and and how they divide the rooms in the image. Then you are able too see tables and chairs in the two rooms and I felt like they would be the focus of the photo.
After this exercise we have talked about geometry in composition which can mean a lot of things, but the main thing is that its a combination of multiple transformation. Each of the transformations are performed on a single image which is cool I would say. The actual composition of reflections can be over different parallel lines and have the same effect of translations.
We then looked at a bunch of images and looks at how composition can be used to make something the target of the images or making something look very important. We also talked about how certain movie scenes use composition to make their scenes portray different characters in a certain way while using composition. This was really cool to see because I have never really noticed and paid attention to details like that when it came to me watching movies or just looking at certain images over all.
After this I took down a note to watch a couple of movies and then just look for composition and rules of third that maybe I could notice. I wasn’t asked to do it because I felt like it could be useful because I would be able to organise different images better or even notice things like that in other images. These are some of the screenshots that I took from some of the scenes of the movies that I thought were using geometry while filming them. The movies that I have watched and looked for geometric scenes were Five Feets Apart and Karate Kid. I have chosen these movies because I have watched them both before, so I could say attention to details of the scenes instead of actually watching the movie.
After we looked at the examples of different images with geometry in them we have been asked to do another exercise of taking pictures, but this time having geometry in mind. I also liked this exercise because I wanted too see if If I could actually capture something useful and something that would make sense to the topic. These are the pictures that I took while having geometry in mind.
As you can see these images aren’t the best when it comes to geometry, but I tried my best taking those and I did change the position of my camera a lot because I wanted to capture a certain object and make it all about it in the image. In the first two images I was trying to go for one of the objects in the back and It didn’t work out as I was hoping for because It seems out of lines and things in the images looks kind of cut off. When you look at the last three images you can see that I used a different approach to the geography because I wanted to capture the images differently. I places or used an object and took the image while using the object to extend the look of my image which points at a certain thing in the actual image. For the last three images I was trying to make the coffee cup the main object of the images and while I was using the different objects to make my image point straight at the cup, which I think it worked. It looks like the objects around the image are pointing at one things which is the coffee cup. I think its pretty successful captures that I have gotten and I definitely learned a lot just by taking the pictures. It is definitely harder then it looks.
While we were outside of the room and I was sort of finished thing my pictures, I have decided to look up a tutorial on Youtube about geometric positions because we had a little time left and I wanted to see If I could find something interesting. This is the video I have found.
In this video he talked about how a photographer often should just use geometric rule of thirds to just break down the subject that they are trying to capture, it can also be things like back ground or objects. He also mentions how different photographers use things like converging lines to capture different things professionally. It was a really informative video.
Then we were discussing about Tangents and what they are. They are often a a simple straight line or even a place that often touches different curves or even curved surfaces in the images at a single point. And if you extend the specific point it often doesn’t seem to cross it. Or it can even be a different line of thought to a simple action.
We also discussed about establishing shot, which is just the first shot of the scene most of the time and it is often used to show the audience where a specific action might be taking place at some point. I loved learning about this because the first shot can be very important for any of the scenes and it might show where an action is taking place. When a shot of something is often starting out it is often a very wide shot or just extremely wide. This is because we are trying to establish something or set the mood of the scene. We then looked at a different types of shots and their examples that I will post below because I love looking back at these while doing my work.
We have learned that each of the shots often have a purpose and they don’t go to waste because the purple is for the audience to notice and build something up. Wide establishing show is often used to show the whole wide scene of something or show the audience that something is about to come because often after these scenes movies tend to zoom into the details of the shot. We found out that that the medium show is also referred to a waist show, which is often used for dialogue scenes and things like body language and more of the actual setting of the scene. These scenes will often have multiple subjects in the background and in the space in general. It will always try to show some of the background, but still have the objects in the main part of the scene, which I think is pretty awesome. In my opinion the most important type of shot is the extreme close up shot because its add emotions to any scene out there. When it comes to movies it often captures and frames someones face, which means that the reaction of the face would be the main focus point of the scene.
We then talked about the aspect ratio and how important it can actually be when it comes to capturing stuff, games or movies. Aspect ratio of the scene basically means the width to the height of image or a scene that is being used. For every scene this has to be considered because audience tends to notice if you put something in without a reason. We were shown some of the examples of the different aspect ratios which I found really useful since different kind of shots will change the look of the scene immensely. This is because as the scene changes the ratio of an object being captured might change as well.
You can see that depending on what the scene might have the ratio changes because it has to since it wouldn’t look right if it didn’t. For example, if there whole scene is a face the ratio would have to be very small and zoomed onto the face.
After that we discussed about the camera angle and who hold the power when it comes to capturing the scene. And we discussed that the person who’s taking the photos or capturing something is the one who holds the power. This is because he decides where and how everything goes. Its up to the person in charge of the different angles to make sure that its being captured perfect when it comes to anything.
These are some of the shots that were were show in class and I really found them fascinating as images because they show me different angles and different emotions are being portrayed in all of these images. By looking at them you can kind of see what angles and methods were being used to take them.
Lastly we talked about different techniques of capturing and generating different compositions for the artwork. Some of these techniques are silhouettes, storytelling and solid base. These are the pictures that we were shown in the class.
For homework this week we were told to get together with our group and discuss different ideas on different land scape or even the interior of the world that maybe could be useful for conveying our world. This week the whole idea got changed into an Alien colony world which was definitely better the the last one. So we changed our idea completely into the Apocalyptic Aliens word so my home work is based on that world.
The story of the world is pretty much a specific alien colony is trying to conquer all the planets and pretty much destroy them. They would send out specific weapon that would destroy their existence in a matter of seconds. And each of the weapons would be personalised for each of the planets properties most of the time. They usually would send out alien eggs that would have a parasite inside of them. Then this would end up in the egg using veins to suck out the energy from these planets, As soon as they gather enough energy they would usually just claim humans and not let go because they would be a great heat source for the parasites. If they didn’t hatch onto a human they would eventually just die. These parasites would also try to keep taking energy out of earth and eventually breaking it. To prevent this from keep happening people started strong energy rockets to keep their city propelled in the air.
These were the really early sketches that I did on sticky notes while thinking about different designs that I could maybe come up with if I played with some designs. I was really interested in exploring different areas of the alien world and then maybe using some of the for my further design later on when I move onto the other worlds.
When we were talking to our group members they said we could change as much as we wanted when we came to the story and when they looked at the homework they said to come up with any design you want and then share them with everyone else. We also discussed how we could use some of the methods that were discussed in the class and put them into out composition studies at home.
For my homework I have decided to pick old school dragon ball z style and sketch out 3 really cool compositions that I thought were really nice. I have looked at multiple different compositions for different shows and animations, but I found that Dragon Ball Z backgrounds and style I prefer way more then anything else since i grew up with this show so this was a really fun task to do.
When I did these I looked at different references of different compositions and backgrounds from the show and tried to redo them on paper with as much detail as possible. I think this turned out to be amazing and I didn’t expect it to be this nice at the end.
Then we were told to do 20 thumbnails or more at home just different composition studies based on the world that you are in. I thought that this might be fun to explore, as it was, but it was definitely challenging trying to draw these compositions and I think I definitely have a lot of room to improve.
I found this really interesting because I looked at a lot of references like alien worlds and different backgrounds suitable for alien world etc. After I did some of these ideas on sketches I have posted them into the group and asked for some of the feedback from my peers and they said that they really like the ideas and these are some of the amazing design and they kept asking me how I came up with them. I just told using using a lost of references and looking at different art styles.
These are the references and ideas that I have used for my Alien Colony world. This was super useful because It helped me find a shape for certain aliens and other ideas that could be maybe used later on for different designs that my team would want to use.
After this i did a couple of the master studies based on shots from a single move, which is Karate kid, I choose this movie because they have some really good scenes and different shots that helped me with composition sketches a lot. These are posted below.
I really liked this this part because it allowed me to explore different movie scenes and sketch then out while using composition. I have added a little more details into these and I tried not to go over board with them when it comes to detail. This is because I am exploring the composition style.
I have also put together some of the images and references that I have used throughout working with these compositions and different styles. These are posted below for myself and others to see. I really liked using references because they helped me with atmosphere and how each things should be drawn. I really liked the stye of these drawings and how simplistic it was for me to look at so I am really happy I choose them.
Mantas Macidulskas 