Pages 21-30 in sketchbook.

 Page 21:

These are some of the primary photographs that I have taken of Times Square and of the view from the Empire State Building. I've chosen these images as they show the same thing from different perspectives, and you can see the buildings going further into the background, making there proportion in size smaller.






Page 22:

I decided to draw the bottom image as I feel that this was taken at a better perspective, and I feel that it seems like a more balanced image. I created this drawing using coloured pencils, which seems to work quite well, however I feel that I could have included more detail in this as the drawing uses a lot of block colour. This also uses geometrical shapes to create a skyline, and I am going to use this to help develop further research for my initial designs.




Page 23:

I decided to recreate this image as this building reminded me of  the Art deco movement, and due to the use of shape within the structure. I felt  that this building didn't really stand out as it fit in quite well with its surrounding. I used coloured pencils to recreate this, however i feel that this could have turned out a lot better/ neater, however it was quite difficult to draw neatly as some of the shapes within the building were so small.



Page 24:

To create this page I extended an image that I had taken of the Statue Of Liberty, using acrylic paints and coloured pencils. I really like this page as although it is simple, it looks quite effective. The Statue Of  Liberty was a gift from France to the United States and is recognised as a symbol of freedom and demcoracy. It was assembled by Augutse Bartholdi and Alexandre Eiffel in 1886 in New York on Liberty island. 




Page 25 & 26:

For these pages, I created a drawing of a skyline from another primary photo from Newyork. I don't really like these two pages as i feel that they look too plain and aren't detailed enough, which makes them look of a lower standard to the rest of my sketchbook.  I decided to recreate this image as it looks evenly balanced, I used coloured pencils and a a yellow pen to create this, which didn't work very well and I feel that if I had used a different media to create this drawing, such as graphite or oil pastels then it would have worked a lot better as the colours would have been a lot stronger, which would help create more contrast and value within the drawing.
Page 27:

This is the cover page for my primary research of Paris, showing some of the images that I have taken. I chose these buildings as they are both very iconic and both used shape and form within  the structure.







Page 28:

I decided to recreate the Eifel Tower because it is such a unique and iconic structure. The structure of this uses line, balance and proportion within it, as the tower gets smaller as it makes it's way to the top, which helps the structure balance it's weight evenly. I used graphite to recreate this to try and create a shiny steel effect, which I really like as it works well. Whilst drawing this, I pressed on harder when drawing the outlines of shapes to make them stand out and I also used a rubber to help highlight certain parts of the structure.


Page 29:

Instead of recreating this image, I cut out a section of the image and extended it on using coloured pencils. I feel that this worked quite well, however it may have worked better if i had used mixed media such as adding charcoal to the staircase, to try and give it more of an aged look/ style.





Page 30:

This is the cover that I created for my research on the art exhibition in London. I cut out the lettering from  a leaflet that I collected from my visit to the exhibition, and used it to create a title page.

Secondary research: Pinterest

Before starting my sketchbook, i had to collect secondary research aswell as my primary research. Most of my secondary research i collected from Pinterest, however i have also collected a couple from different websites. These are a few of the images i have decided to use as part of my research.

Pinterest:

Ive chosen to use this image, by Zaha Hadid because of how she has used the elements of design, such as shape  to create modern styled buildings. All of the buildings are quite similar due to the colour and the type of glass used on the buildings which i think works really well as they look really modern and stylish.

I've chosen to recreate the chrysler building in New York, due to the use of geometrical shapes that have been used to design the building and because it links in with my primary research from New York.

Ive chosen this image due to the use of shape used to create the unique structure of the bridge and the use of contrasting colours found in the image such as the blue and yellow. I really like this as i think that the colours make it look very interesting and eye-catching.

Ive chosen this image as it was computer designed, which i thought would be a good example of how i am going to create my own work. I'm going to be designing my own ideas and final piece, taking different parts of architecture and putting them all together to create something completely different and unique and maybe even a little abstract depending on how my designs turn out.

Websites:

http://www.designindaba.com/profiles/thomas-heatherwick

http://www.heatherwick.com/rolling-bridge/

Pages 11-20 in sketchbook.

Page 11:

This is more secondary research on the Gherkin building in London. Designed by Norman Foster, Ken Shuttle-worth and engineers from Arup, the building stands at 180 metres. I chose to recreate this image due to the unique shape and form of the building, as i feel that it stands out more than just a conventional rectangular building. The building uses a 'Diagrid' structure, a grid of diagonally interlocking steel elements to create the perfect shape and stiffness. I used coloured pencils and a black Biro pen to recreate this, however the quality isn't up to the standard of the rest of my sketchbook as it isn't as neat as my other drawings, due the lines going around the building, which I found hard to do neatly.

Page 12:

This is the cover i created of William Van Alen to show who designed the Chrysler building in New York. This is the second Artist / Architect that i have researched throughout this project so far.








Page 13 & 14:

Designed by William van Alen and Walter P. Chrysler, the Chrysler building was built to be the tallest building in the world, however this only lasted for 11 months until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building. I decided to recreate this image as it links to my Primary research from New York, which i will use to help develop further research and design work. I also chose this to recreate this building due to the use of geometrical shapes used to design this iconic building. I used a range of HB pencils to create this drawing, which i think works really well. I used a darker HB pencil on the outlines of shapes to help emphasize the building. If i were to recreate this drawing, i would use a different material such as graphite, as it has a shiny effect and may help the drawing look more like steel and more realistic at the same time.
Page 15 & 16:

These are the pages that I have created based on Louis Lozowick who is known for his lithographs of  New York City. These are some examples of his work that I have decided to use due to the pattern and perspective in the images. The first image has a repeat pattern in the structure, which includes line and geometrical shapes. I used HB pencils to recreate this drawing, which i think works really well, however i feel that it could be better if i pressed on a little harder to create darker tones and lighter tones in the drawing.

Both of these images use perspective, as they are both on a slight angle, which makes it look like the images are going into the distance and changing the proportion of things, such as the New York skyline in this image. To create this drawing I used a black coloured pencil, which I don't really like as it isn't neat enough and looks a little messy. I would definitely use i different material if i had to redo this, such as charcoal as it is darker and may create a better effect than coloured pencils.




Page 17 & 18:

These are some of the lino prints that I have created of the New York skyline.The lino prints that include black ink are the prints that I first created, however they didn't work very well as I didn't apply enough ink to the lino, therefore I tried to create some more. After my first prints didn't work very well, I created some more using different coloured inks, making sure that this time I applied enough ink. These prints worked a lot better as they came out a lot clearer and didn't go patchy like the first ones. I decided to create my prints based on the New York skyline so that it linked more to my primary research.


Page 19 & 20:

This is the cover for my New York primary research, which shows a panoramic photograph that I have taken of Times Square.

Research over 2 week holiday's: including exhibition visit

Over the 2 week holiday's, I took the time to gather more primary research for my FMP, which included visiting, Manchester, London and an architecture exhibition in London. I first visited London, where I took my own photos of some of the iconic buildings there such as The big ben and the London Eye. I also took a panoramic photo so that I had an image with both of these iconic buildings together.

Due to the weather not being so great on this day, it has effected the quality of the photo, however when creating this i will try and do it in as much detail as i can.



During my stay in London I also visited the "creation from catastrophe" exhibition at the royal institute of British architects, to see if there was anything that would help with my research. The exhibition showed how architecture could re build communities, due to man made or natural disasters in cities, starting with plans for London, after the great fire in 1666  to current day disasters in Nepal, Nigeria, Japan, Chile, Pakistan and USA. It wasn't really what I expected, however it still helped with my research to show the different reasons why architecture keeps changing. These are some of the design plans that i looked at in the exhibition.

Sketched by Akihisa Hirata.

This was designed by the Kumamato Artpolis Töhoku support group after the tsunami in 2012. This project was awarded the Golden Lion award for best national participation as part of the Japan Pavilion at the 13th Venice architecture exhibition in 2012. The team of four architects, Akihisa Hirata, Toyo Ito, Kumiko Inui and Sou Fujimoto designed this to resemble a grove, inspired in part by the floats on display in the annual Kenka Tanabata Festival 

Sketched by Toyo Ito.

This was also designed by the Kumamato Artpolis Töhoku support group  in 2011 after the worlds fourth most powerful earthquake hit japan, killing almost 16,000 people. Over 100,000 building were flattened or badly damaged, the support group saw this as an opportunity to create something together, and to help people tp become independent again. Ito said " i want to connect people through design, my goal is not to re establish the way of life before the tsunami, but to create a new social life for the next generation."  i really like this idea as i feel like it has really helped bring people together during this tough time, and help bring people back onto their feet.

After my visit to London, I then decided to visit manchester for further primary research on architecture in cities. I found that both cities focus on tourism, but use the architecture in different ways, such as London has a lot more iconic buildings to create tourism, for example people visit London to see the Buckingham palace, however Manchester uses the architecture to create shopping centres, hotels and local pubs for tourism.

I took this photo as it had a small resemblance of The Big Ben in London, which i thought would be interesting to show.

Aswell as this research, i also have photos from previous trips to Newyork and Paris which i also intend to use in my research.

This was a photo i had taken whilst i was on a ferry to liberty island. I really like this image as it is quite eye catching due to the colours including in it.

A lot of the photos i have taken of the architecture in New York are inspired by Art deco, so i have decided to create a design sheet based on art deco, to show that i am taking in everything into consideration and developing my ideas.

Start of sketchbook work. First 10 pages

Page  1 :

To start off my sketchbook research, I had to write about the 7 criteria's needed to pass the project and how I would do so; the seven criteria's are:
Context- To pass this criteria I will look at different types of architecture such as contemporary architecture, different periods of time such as the 1930's and even different types of skylines such as London, New York and what kind of impact they might have on the environment and their surroundings.
Research-  For this criteria I must research multiple things such as, my own primary research from previous trips to London, Manchester, Paris, New York etc, including observational drawings and my own photos. I must also have recreated drawings from secondary research and artist research such as, Louis Lozowick, Zaha Hadid, Thomas Heatherwick and different art movements such as Art Deco.
Problem solving- For problem solving, I will blog and annotate any problems that I may come across, whether it may be using a type of media, creating different compositions or coming up with initial designs for my final piece.
Planning and production- For this unit, I will set daily tasks, which will hopefully help me with my time management, I will also repeat multiple designs for my final piece, which will help with trial and error to see which designs will work and which won't. My designs will consists of different drawings to create a skyline, therefore I will create balanced designs, unbalanced designs and panoramic designs to see which I like best. These designs will also include multiple layered skylines and collage.
Practical skills- To pass this criteria, I will use a range of practical skills such as, collaging, printmaking, drawing using different types of media such as, ink, graphite, charcoal, pencil, paints and inks; I will also use different styles of drawings such as accurate, observational and quick sketches.
Evaluation & Reflection- For this unit, I will do weekly blog entries, on the work that I have created included how and why I have done it. I will annotate every piece of work that I create, complete a self assessment form and also a 750+ word  final evaluation on everything that I have done for the project.
Presentation- For the unit on presentation, I will be creating a 20 image presentation of my work, also known as Pecha Kucha and I will also be exhibiting my work at our end of year show.


Page 2 :

This is the title page that I created for my project, using a panoramic photo I had taken of the New York skyline on a previous college trip. I feel that I could have made this look a lot more creative and eye catching for a title page as it looks too plain, therefore if i have time to do so  I may create a more artistic cover.







Page 3 :

This is the second mind map that I have created showing all the different topics that I could have chosen for my project such as
Mechanical structure- Clocks, Engines
Body structure-   Bones, Muscles, DNA, Cells, Double Helix
Society-  Cultures, Religion, Social Hierarchy
Nature-  Branches, Trees, Birds, Flowers, Human Nature, Feelings, Love, Compassion, Behaviour.
Landscapes- Mountains, Oceans, Trenches, Volcanoes.
Architecture- Skylines, Art movements, Different times- 1930's, Contemporary, Modern, Old fashioned.



As I decided to use Architecture for my final topic, I created a third mind map, which is aimed only at the structure of architecture. This includes looking at Contemporary buildings, Bridges, Ruins, different materials such as trying to create a brick effect, glass effect and a steel effect. I decided to create my project based on architecture, as I feel that this will show what kind of work I am capable of producing , as to recreate architecture I will have to be very accurate and I will be able to include a lot of detail in the drawings I will be creating, which I feel really comfortable doing as I feel that this is one of my strengths.



Page 4 :

The first drawing that I created for my sketchbook research was of an old ruin. I chose to recreate this image due to the complexity of the image and also due to the perspective the image was taken at, as it is on a slight angle. I used coloured pencils whilst drawing this image as I felt I would be able to include a lot more detail in the drawing using this type of media. I was really pleased of the way that this drawing turned out, as the media helped create a  3D effect of the stairway. I wouldn't change this drawing as I am very happy with its quality.




Page 5 :

To start of my research I created a second drawing on ruins, however this ruin was created using a computer programme by Patrik Ruzic who creates his own fantasy scenes and images. I decided to use this as I feel that it is similar to my idea for a final piece of creating my own piece of architecture. Also, due to the use of strong contrast and composition of the image that he has created. I recreated this image using HB pencils and coloured pencils, which I like, however the sky in  the drawing didn't work as well as I had hoped, as I found it difficult to try and create clouds. This is something that i would change if I were to do it again, maybe using a different material such as, acrylic paints or inks.


Page 6 :

After researching ruins I then went onto researching different types of bridge structure. The image drawn is of the Rewa Rewa bridge in New Zealand, showing the Mt. Taranaki in the background. I decided to recreate this image as I found the bridge structure quite unique, due to the type of shape used and also due to the use of strong colour in the image, which I feel makes the image really eye catching.  For the bridge structure, I used a light HB pencil as it the bridge is white and I didn't want to have very strong outlines. For the background I used coloured pencils to help create a very vivid effect, and I also used a black Biro pen to create the pathway, which I really like as I feel that the different medias compliment each other well. The only problem with this is that as the page in front uses such a strong pencil, it smudges onto the drawing, unfortunately there's nothing I can do about this except keep rubbing out the smudges.
Page 7 :

The second Bridge drawing I have created, I chose due to the challenging, complicated structure and complex composition due to the perspective of the photograph. This image uses line and geometrical shapes to create the slightly abstract looking structure. I used coloured pencils and pen to create this drawing, however I feel that it could have turned out a lot better if I had better quality pencils for this drawing as I had used all my pencils that I normally use, therefore I had to compromise and use my spare ones which weren't as good quality. If I were to do this drawing again I would use a different media such as ink so that it looked more eye catching.



Page 8:

The third Bridge I have drawn, I used pen to create a monotone drawing, which I think works really well. I chose to recreate this image as I wanted to challenge myself. I also chose this image as I feel that it is evenly balanced, due to the number of diagonals used in the structure. I really like this drawing and I wouldn't change anything about it. However, when I was drawing the image I drew the drawing out of proportion, so I had to cover this with my annotation.





Page 9:

This is the first artist research page that I created in my research on the founder of Zaha Hadid Architects. I decided to research Zaha Hadid, as I like how she uses organic forms and shapes to create unique and modern styled buildings. The Images I have drawn are known as  ' The Heydar Aliyev Centre' which was built in 2012 for the Republic of Azerbaijan's cultural programme. To create these drawings I used coloured pencils, which have worked really well. I used a white pencil to help create a glass effect in the windows by highlighting the geometrical shapes.




Page 10:

I decided to recreate this image due to the unique shape of the structure. I also chose this as I feel that it stands out as it such a tall structure, which is stood on its own. I used coloured pencils to recreate this however, I wish that I had used a material such as ink to create a better effect on the water, as when ink drys it turns shiny, which would make the water look like it is reflecting the structure.