elaineroarrr - Tumblr blog

[elaineroarrr]

week 1

The first week of Year 2, feels good to be back to school but also feeling pressured about my future after the “personal development” class... Got lots to think about and I know that I should return to reality and face it, I am still working on ideas of my future aspirations such as having a Master Degree and joining a summer program at Korea University.

While worrying about school stuffs, I decorated my journel (handwritten one) in every two days with #mildliners . I did this to express my feelings and I hope that by doing this, I can be more organised and have better time management.

[elaineroarrr]

A design in an exhibition near the Louvre by HSBC

-

This pdp project seem boring, but I really liked this assignment, it gives us space to think, to express, to collect things about “art”. (thank god I finally don’t have to bother my friends who are not interested in this area) This is a place for us to reflect, to take notes, to think, and sometimes find inspiration from what we’ve taken.

I’m going home next month (great i can finally heal my homesick), staying for like 4 months. Apart from hanging out with old friends, doing parttime jobs, I’m gonna fill up all the canvases I did not finish and bought in art supply stores in this summer, and also updating this blog like the process of my paintings, learning deeper in coding, and post some photography of my home - Hong Kong.

[elaineroarrr]

Subway station signs

At first I just thought that it was some special station signs but then I realized they all use this font for the sign. Very interesting. For me, I think that all infrastructures should be like very formal, of course the use of fonts also. This font looks like you’ll be entering a haunted house or something creepy...

Alright, I got it, “think outside the box”. Not everything should be following the rule (you get what I mean, not the illegal things), I think that having ideas that no one in the world can think of and people like is count as successful. I don’t know when can I reach that “level” but I’m learning, and “collecting”!

[elaineroarrr]

Team project

Had a great experience working together with my three other groupmates, who came from different countries. We discussed and worked peacefully and all of us participated in most of the group activities, like talking about our brand guideline and app proposal at the library. They also helped me a lot in my individual projects, like giving advice and guiding me on someplace that I did not understand. 

My groupmates are so friendly and they are all willing to help me. This changed me because I thought that people from different countries might be hard to communicate and even chat freely. At first, when I came into the studio I was quite shy and thinking how did people think about me, turned out I only gathered with the same nationality. 

Although the outcome of our group project does not count any mark, I am still satisfied with what had we done, like our logo and the choices of colours. 

Find out “group discussion” isn’t that scary but I think I can still improve my communication skills in the future, instead of having thoughts in my mind. 

Apart from having design skills, another thing that I’ve learned and improved after I came to university in the UK, is communication skills like sharing thoughts with others and give/take feedback from others.

A good starting point as a foreign student ready to promote to Second Year and receive new challenges in the new year!!!

[elaineroarrr]

A catalogue introducing an exhibition of Van Gogh

Maybe because of Vincent Van Gogh is my favourite artist, I really liked this catalogue the most. It is full of images from the exhibition, which are some illustrations of his paintings. Also, its folding interested me -- you can see it at the second photo. It’s like opening up some treasures (for me..) and like walking into the world of Van Gogh. On the other hand, the catalogue provides all information for readers to know what to see, place, date and time, and how to go. Although I did not go to the exhibition, I would definitely keep this catalogue as a souvenir.

[elaineroarrr]

A ‘catalogue’ introducing CASS ART.

Took this catalogue while shopping at the store in Birmingham. I think it is useful enough for its customers, and simply promotes ‘making ART’ at schools, and of course, promoting the other stores spreading all around the UK.

And I think the most unique part of this catalogue is that most of the place is in hand-drawn fonts, which are literally “written in brush or makers, only some smaller text is typed fonts. Also inserted with watercolour painting images. This lets me feel like they really do support people to make art, that they lead by example. I think this makes the whole catalogue to successful.

It has lots of hand-drawn images and text but it doesn’t make me feel messy and hard to read. A good example for me to learn when doing my own catalogue. 

[elaineroarrr]

16/4/2019

In memory of Notre-Dame Cathedral being damaged from a fire accident yesterday. I was so lucky to go there before this tragedy happened. 

Paris ( anywhere else in France might be also the same or better but I just went here so I could just comment on Paris) was really a city that everyone should visit. I did not even buy souvenirs for my friends because I think they should go there and experience this city themselves. It is full of art, I mean fine art. ( I am still regretting not studying in a school that provides me with a fine art course back in HK) Wish the deadline of Global Experience module is in late April so that I could do this city instead of South Korea then I could answer the brief with ‘I would like to go France and study further post graduate in Coventry University.

[elaineroarrr]

Illustrations on the buldings in China Town, Paris

Actually, they are just some random pictures I took on the street, but they really attracted me to stop by and look at the paintings. I wonder how do they paint it? They’re sooo huge yet they look nice. I am not still quite sure if I want to be a graphic designer or an illustrator at this stage... Anyway, these two are quite good illustrations for me to learn drawing. 

[elaineroarrr]

Museé de Louvre

As a student from Hong Kong (and born in Shanghai), I am very proud of the Louvre Pyramid as it was designed by l. M. Pei, who was being raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai. I liked the pyramid a lot as it was surrounded by the Louvre Museum, which combines the old and modern architecture styles.

As for the inside of the museum, I did not pay too much attention to the tons of paintings but the designs, like the ceiling and the handrail — the ceilings have luxurious design which I could still feel the magnificent style of the ancient royals.

And the painting at the middle, it was the most impressive one of the museum (although I hadn’t browsed the whole one) apart from da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Maybe because I like architectural and landscape paintings more than portrait ones, the artist painted the work with lots of details like the tiny people on the ground, and the statues behind them, with shadings and small decorations.

[elaineroarrr]

I liked this tourist spot the most compared to others in Paris, the Sainte Chapelle. Even though I am not a believer, I could feel the sanctity of the seven-hundred-year-old church. Very impressing, I wonder how luxurious were the French royals were??? And for the stained glass, I thought they were purple before I went to visit the chapel, but turn out they were blue and red, with other small colour pieces like yellow and green, making lots of stories when grouping together. I still think that it is so impossible for the coloured-glasses keeping these colours for seven centuries and more, and also the whole architecture. 

After the trip, I realized that the world is so big that I might not even explore 5% of it. But I can use what I’ve seen and insert them in my designs and drawings in the future for school projects and my own ones. Dad was right, living and travelling in foreign countries can really widen my view, with different styles, cultures, languages, art, and people.

[elaineroarrr]

fight.

I am doing some amendments of the projects to due on 29/4 and everytime I do something, I question myself about the design — if they look good, appropriate, suitable, etc. They are always struggling in my mind whenever I am doing projects. Do people really can’t read the word “fight” above? I doubt. I like this design a lot because it’s designed into a house shape, as the fairytale is Hansel and Gretel. But I think confusing the audience can be an effect too. I tried a few changes of the design and I hope others can appreciate it and able to read it. Yes I insist to keep this design.

[elaineroarrr]

Dad suddenly just introduced me to his friend Francis to me while I was trying to find a freelance work about design on the web. Francis gave me a few works to design and using photoshop. I am so glad about this because I can use the skills taught by Pete in the last semester, and also using the calligraphy skills that I was practising. However, I am not quite confident on the work given as this is the first time I just hope I won’t fail the friend of my dad’s. He also mentioned that there will be some other designs that need my help. I just realised that I can be paid by doing something I am interested in!!! (really hope that Francis would like the design.

On the other hand, through this experience, I’ve learnt that being a designer does not only “design”, but also communicate, which can be the most important thing since designers should design what the client wants.

[elaineroarrr]

Using a photo to describe my passion for my doing work and being a designer.

I really can’t think of the word that can describe the Chinese idiom 驚濤拍岸 in English, searched online and it means “the waves thunder upon the shore”, which will be my caption for this picture taken on a ferry last year 5th April.

I had used this as the background for my portfolio submitted to Coventry University as an interview. Which was because it really describes me having a passionate heart of doing any kind of art and design. I had a classmate back in hk that she completely didn’t understand why would I love art I can make art in everything and paying lots of efforts. My writing and expression are kinda bad but the picture above describes everything, it is strong. However, in physhits, the sea waves move in a random way and having lots of interference from other features like boats, sea creatures, etc. This also describes some of my work... There are too many features that the design is too “noisy”, this is what I have to control myself and improve -- not putting too much in it. 

As the waves are moving randomly, it describes I do my works freely, without limit (except what the briefs and the title said). 

My words might not describe clearly what I wanted to express but here am I, writing to practice my skills.

[elaineroarrr]

T I M E

There’s a lot to say about time, in many perspectives.

From my view, right now, as the one who’s sitting in the studio, I think that I should have better TIME management not only on my projects but also my daily life. Such as doing housework, sleeping time, gaming time, different time zones between UK and HK , etc.

From an (ex) physhits student view, time can be calculated by dividing distance over speed, a “space” related thing, and many other theories that I’ve forgotten.

For now, all of my time has been focused on my studies as I don’t have many friends here so I’ve got lots of the TIME staying alone, that I don’t need to communicate with others. Hence, I gotta spend time more wisely, like not wasting it from browsing the internet and other useless stuff... I should really change my habit of being a lazy one. (this does not mean that I don’t do my projects and hand in on time)

Speaking of “time”, everything’s changing as “time” passes by, what we have to do is to make good use of it and not regretting about the decisions we’ve made, sometimes looking back at the time, and also plan for the future.

[elaineroarrr]

C A R

An event last week worthy to discuss:

Feedback from Phil (?)

C ontext (what)

Feedback from Phil on Wednesday

A action (describe wt happened)

A short conversation between Phil and I about my blog. He said that it should be more reflections and planning as I have had enough content of having memories and collecting.

R eflection and planning

I can add a paragraph under my collect/memorial posts about reflection, which my blog is lack of. As well as adding new posts, I think 2 to 3, about planning — before the deadlines (4/4 and 29/4); before I go home; before 2020, etc.

[elaineroarrr]

About the trip to Paris.

Unfortunately, I can’t make this as my title for the Global Experience module as the deadline is 4/4 and my trip is the day after...

However, I think that France is a place full of art, more than England. There are so many artists that I am following on Instagram are from France. This is a chance for me to learn more and gain more inspirations!! This is the first time for me to visit Europe, there may be some differences between my expectations and reality. Whatever. Gonna fill up my blog with the coming trip (about the art of course), and I can use the techniques from the above module to reflect about the trip. (My dad always asks me to change to study in France instead of UK... I’m gonna see how beautiful is this country and it might change my road in the future.)

[elaineroarrr]

Planing before April

My boyfriend’s gonna come visit me in the whole of April so I gotta schedule everything before the *deadline*

1. Project for Global Experience of Art&Design (4/4 deadline) I’ve done all of them but there’s still some places that need amendments -- poster (add a small paragraph about Korea); ppt (add the essentials or else I won’t have enough time for presentation!!!). Save 2 days for this module: 29,30/3 and 4/4 for last correction.

2. hmmmm... the most challenging part of Paula’s module is definately the webpage... anyway i’ve already planned for the 10+ viewpoints now what I have to do is illustrations and the coding... guess the coding won’t take my life cuz its a lot more simple than solving a physhits questions.. this may take a lot of time before the deadline.... I’ll reserve 22/3 for group project (app) then I gotta start doing it from 23,24,25/3..till 31/3 I think the whole week next week will be the focus of my webpage.

*5/4-14/4 are for Paris and London :o)*

3. Got some feedbacks from Paula this afternoon about my projects... Firstly, the catalogue -- wipe out the whole thing of second page and add date/time/location/tickets there (suggested with big text); less fonts, too complicated; play with the layouts; change the font of “come on in”, find fonts on google fonts; use same visual language as my poster - this leads to my second point, the poster. As they should share the same visual language, cancel the picture background and change to a various of green colours (woods); change the fonts of “conquer”, “your” and “and” into some kind of fonts like the “fear” and “fight”, liking some icing cream(?). I know, all of the people who had seen my poster misread the word “fear” into “bear”, change it. And change “fight” into something easier to read. Check also the tote bag if they all share the same visual and style. The schedule for catalogue might be on 22/3 as I think that group project doesn’t need this much time to spent with. Then the poster on 1/4, I think I can do some of the poster works next week too, doing coding all week might bore me to death-.- that’s it. ahah.