Talking Colour / Talking Pattern – Janice Zhao

⋅

Talking Colour

This is a photo of a plant I took a few months ago in a coffee shop using a CCD. I used to sit in this spot to relax and draw, and I thought this corner had rich colors. I loved the purple petals and the vintage feel. So I decided to use this photo to start drawing.

  1. I started by looking at pictures and drawing. I used gouache, watercolors, and colored ballpoint pens. I used lines to depict the shapes of flowers and plants, and used gouache to fill in the colors. This painting is not very imaginative, but more concrete.

2. I used the invert color function on my phone and got a surprising color effect, so I painted according to the picture. I turned the picture upside down, and the feeling of the painting was completely different, it became weird, I started to fantasize, added black, and the colors became richer.

3. I changed the order of painting. I first painted the large blocks with gouache, and then added details with colored ballpoint pens. This created a new effect and gave the picture a sense of layering. Flowers were no longer plants, but pets in my imagination.

4. I tried to be abstract, using lines to divide the colors and pictures. I tried new bright colors to make the whole painting brighter. It was interesting and inspired my understanding of color.

5. I used gouache to draw the general color, I imagined blue flowers, and then I used a black liner pen to overlay different pattern lines on the surface. I felt the effect of superimposing layers, and I liked it very much.

6. In this painting, I became bolder and tried exaggerated and random repeated lines. I imagined that the flower was blooming vigorously, and the sunlight and colorful colors were radiating outward with the flower.

7. In this painting, I used simple geometric shapes and lines to depict the plants. I think this makes the picture neater. The leaves are sharp triangles, which seem a bit sharp, and the flowers might break when they fall, which reveals a story. I think this painting could also add some background patterns to make the color scheme less monotonous.

8. In this painting, I used black gouache to paint a flower, creating a color contrast with the purple flowers, like life and death. The seemingly neatly-governed weeds entwine around the flower’s roots, seemingly binding them together.

9. In this painting, I focused on the shape, texture, and color of the flowerpot, which resembles a large, multicolored cake. The weeds are blue, like water or a fountain, imbued with life. I like the grain of the table legs; I should have drawn them in more detail, using a liner, for a better effect.

10. I captured a small section of the reference image. I felt the window was like a picture frame, and the plants withered and dried up when they entered the darkness, struggling to grow sideways. I think if I had colored pencils, I could paint it in even more detail, highlighting the changes that the darkness had on the flowers.

REFLECTION

During the Talking Color unit, I gained new insights and ideas about color. Different painting orders can create completely different effects, which is very inspiring. I feel that my limited tools don’t allow for a more diverse effect. If I had colored pencils, markers, and crayons… I could have created a different style. During this process, I used gouache, watercolors, fiber pens, and colored ballpoint pens, combining them in my paintings. I enjoy the sense of layering and the clash of colors, but I need to be careful about controlling the brush thickness, which affects the precision of my details. I realized that a single image can be transformed by applying different techniques, such as color shifts or zooming in on a specific area. My paintings mostly present a two-dimensional effect. I should try creating three-dimensional patterns, which is also very interesting, and I believe the results will be surprising. In my mind, plants gradually take on character and personality, no longer static. I like to give plants life, making them seem like individuals, embellished with unique colors. I gained a lot of insights during this unit, which has inspired me and given me diverse inspiration, which I hope to reflect on fabrics.

Talking Pattern

I took a picture of a drink at a restaurant. I was interested in the shape of the longan pulp, the wood texture of the table, and the grain of the glass. So I decided to use this picture to start the Talking Pattern unit.
1. I used gouache to draw the general shape of the longan pulp, like a whole pattern.
2. I used colored pencils to outline the shape of the longan and used gouache to color the background. Now I have a different pattern effect.
3. I used crayons to draw individual longans and also colored the background so that the pattern and shape of the longans could be seen more intuitively.
4. I drew a longan pattern on the bottom layer, and then added a layer of free-drawn longan lines on top. Then I used colored pencils to color the overlapping areas, and I got a completely new effect.
5. I used gouache and fiber pens to repeatedly paint two longans in different shapes, forming a continuous pattern.
6. I combined the wood texture of the table and the pattern of the longan using colored pencils and gouache to paint. I got a rich sense of layering and I like this effect.
7. I used gouache to paint a regular and repetitive longan pattern, and superimposed another form of longan, which gave me inspiration for fabric printing.
8. I used crayons to draw several enlarged longan patterns and painted lines at the bottom, which was my imagination of the wood texture.
9. I used acrylic to paint the texture of the glass in the background, and used colored pencils to paint the pattern of longan. I like the combination of these two patterns, which brought me inspiration.
10. I used colored pencils to draw a repeating longan pattern at the bottom, and then layered a crayon-drawn longan pattern on top. I like the color variation where the overlap occurs.
11. I used acrylic paint on black cardstock. I didn’t use a brush, I applied the paint from the tube, and the result was very vibrant.

REFLECTION

I learned a lot in the Talking Pattern unit. I developed a concept for pattern development. I extract the desired elements from an image and then begin drawing, developing, innovating, and imagining. I use different drawing materials, such as colored pencils, gouache, crayons, acrylics, and fiber pens. Each medium brings a different effect. The combination of lines and patterns creates new patterns, which then continue to develop. I enjoy overlaying different pattern elements and combining them to create new patterns and unique effects. This often inspires me to create fabric prints. I also like to create repetitive and continuous patterns, such as the fabric print in the picture. However, I feel that I need to add more imagination to allow for more room for development. My patterns are relatively concrete, but a more abstract approach might also be effective.

Liked Liked
No Comments