GIF

My first GIF!!!!!! >.<

Concept Board and Research

Marian Bantjes

(www.designishistory.com/2000/marian-bantjes/)

-a designer, typographer, writer and illustrator

-I am attracted to her design because of her different ways of designing the heart shape. Also, her design is very detailed and contains a pattern as well as highly ornamental style.

Research:

(http://www.bantjes.com/project/i-wonder)

(http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-marian-bantjes)

Forms or Movement/Inspiration that influenced her:                Admire:

-mediaeval manuscripts/ illuminated manuscripts                   -Eike König

- islamic art                                                                               -Chris Ware

-14th–18th calligraphy                                                               -Robert bringhurst

-art nouveau                                                                              -Ricky Jay

-the Arts & Crafts movement                                                    -Naomi klein

-typography                                                                                -Ed Fella

-textiles from around the world

-old lace

-Baroque

-Rococco or Gothic anything

-ornament

She was born  in 1963 and grew up in Saskatchewan. At first, she thought that she will become a “commercial artist” and at that point, she never heard of graphic design. Then, she gave up of being an artist. After she dropped out of art school, she works with publisher Hartley & Marks where she helps to do general job and type-works. She learned typography from Hartley & Marks who trained her on XyWrite (a word-processing program). She first started recreating pencil-drawn, marked-out layout and learning about margin and gutters.It is a aptitude  for computer typesetting  that slowly influence the public and developed into the understanding of typography and design. Bantjes was clueless about different design and designer until she was asked to teach a class in typography that led her to research and learn about the design and history of typography where she learned different typeface.

Bantjes started working in the field of visual communication in 1983 and worked as a book typesetter from 1984–1994. She then opened her own design firm in 1944 and in 2003, she starts to experiment  design of love that is highly personal, obsessive and sometimes weird.At the same time, she began writing the “Speak Up” and her cheeky and thoughtful articles help her gain recognition and soon, she caught the attention of other designers and art Director in North America. The “Speak Up” allow her to met new friends and shift her life focus from Canada to America. In addition, it let her realized her passionate about graphic design. Furthermore, she was often hired to create custom type of advertisements, magazines and special projects due to her unique style of typography and illustration includes extremely detailed letterforms, ornaments, lovingly precise vector art , pattern and  has been featured in design publications all over the world. “Bantjes’ work contains an underlying structure and formality that frames its organic and fluid nature.” So, the combination of her style has drawn the interest of a wide variety of designers and typographers that lead them to teach and experienced formalists to students. Her design is still very influential to other designers and the world.

Good Design

Good graphic design
Location: 103rd street

Letter Project Reflection

1. Before actually start to design my letter, I start to brainstorm my letter through a web chart. I choose letter Q because it the first letter of my name and starts to associate ideas, environment, activity, animals and memories that associate with my letter. Then, I finally came to the conclusion of choosing a peaceful environment as my concept. This process was helpful because brainstorming my idea actually helps to developed my idea. Then I start sketching 20 thumbnails of my design and choose my first design as my draft which turn out to be final. Since I want to create a peaceful environment, I thought it will a good idea to draw a tree and incorporate the tree to my Q. Then I realize it will look more peaceful to create a cherry blossom tree. Due to the fact that I like panda, so incorporate panda into my design.My other design was a bear. After having my drafts,  I ask my classmate for opinions and discuss what can it be improved. This process helps me gain suggestions from other people and make my design better. Finally, it helps me to choose my final design.


2. My concept for my letter is a quiet environment with no distraction. So, I decide to separates my letter into two part, one with a big leave and other includes my tree. Then I thought about adding animals to my letter and I choose panda. I decide to add three panda, one sleeping on the leaf, once climbing the tree and under just sitting under the tree. I add panda because it will make more like a nature environment and associate with my interest which is I love panda, At first, the tree only have leafs but I ended drawing flowers/blossom to create a more lovely and peaceful. After, I start to add flowers to the ground which turns out to be pinkish ground. I also draw flowers that are flowing around. All those helps to developed my concept of a nature environment. After sketching all the parts, I choose color pencil and use a lot of warm and light colors such as light green, different kinds of pink and red into my letter. The colors I choose help to form a peaceful and warm environment. It also make you feel relax and calm. This makes me want to sleep under the tree and feel connected to nature as well as wanted to go picnic with my family and friends near the cherry blossom. It seems to be a place that I wanted to live. 

3. I think the most challenge aspect of the project is how to create a peaceful environment and make the letter I wanted to be because there many ways that you can incorporate your letter with nature. Also, I was a little struggle about what kind of materials should I use because there was no time for me to experiment with different material which was very sad.

4. I am very satisfied with my project because it come out the way I wanted be. Looking at my design, I feel my letter is very warm and cute. I very like the idea of having different position of my panda because I love panda. I feel like the letter very represent me and reminds of what I like and the type of environment that I wanted to be in.

5. If I can change anything about my design, something I will do differently is using pencil watercolor and have the time to experiment different type of materials. I also wanted to use different color such as blue and darker color and see what kind of change it will make. Also, by using darker color to make my tree stand out more. In addition, I want to use sunset or the sky as my background to see if it will look better. Finally, I wanted to be more detail with my panda and make it more realistic as well as adding other animals like bird to my design.

Inspiration/Interests

My major interest is AMIGURUMI, in Japanese, it refers to knitted or crocheted stuffed dolls. Well, making amigurumi requires practice and patience. I was exposed to amigurumi last year and I totally fall in love right after seeing different kind of crochet animals that are being created and they are totally adorable. I was amazed by it and wonder how those cuties are created. So, the next few days, I started buying the materials and search tutorial videos and blogs that teach me the basic of amigurumi and how to read the patterns including the abbreviation for stitches and direction. Also, amigurumi also required the skill of sewing the all the body parts together which is the most difficult steps to me.

Mei Li Lee, is one of the blogger I love and her first amigurumi book just published few weeks ago. It called "Hello Kitty Crochet" that contains super-cute amigurumi patterns for Sanrio friends.. In the book, pandapple is my favorite pattern because I love pandas!!!!!!! I guess what inspired me the most was it that it helps to developed my patience and how cute those amigurumi are. The book also remind me of my childhood (memories) and the cartoons movie I watched when I was young.

My Pandapple!!!!