Week summary - 4

This week covers the rest of the timepiece project.

After choosing one design from the previous sheet which I thought was the most aesthetically balanced I tried to make as many variations of it as I could, sometimes combining two previous designs or taking elements from one design to add to a new one. 

I found choosing a final design from this many versions very difficult, so I shortlisted six of my favourites to help me narrow down my choices, and finally picked one from that list. I chose design number four (see below) as I felt it was not too complex or too simple; it retained much more of the original silhouette than some of the later designs did, while being more visually interesting than the earlier ones.

I made a few final tweaks, and then started on a polished version of the object to use for the model sheet. I noticed that my iterations were a little off-centre and not symmetrical, so I constructed the final design with reference to them rather than painting over one. This process was a little time-consuming in Photoshop using the selection tool and the basic round brush and eraser, and I wonder now if it may have been faster using another programme such as InDesign or even Alchemy.

I made sure to include a scale indicator in my final sheet, as in a lot of the feedback I received people were unsure of the size of the device. In general, I see these timepieces as being variable in size and form, but in this case the piece is fairly large, though still portable.

Final model sheet

When painting my final concept, I wanted to show the kind of people who would be using these devices - scholars and scientists, working in their environment - but keep the timepiece as the focus. I initially had my two scientists on opposite sides of a desk or table, but dropped the idea because I felt having them on the same side felt more collaborative as well as less stale compositionally. Having both characters looking at the object directs the viewer's attention there also, and in my final composition I tried to use the hands to frame the device as well as the characters' faces.

Once I had a layout I was satisfied with I tweaked it a little to make it slightly more in line with the rule of thirds, and painted some values underneath the sketch. I wanted to keep the figures in relative shade compared to the timepiece, which would stand out against them in higher values, and balanced this out with the light source on the left - although the main source is coming from the top right, out of frame. I then overlaid some rough colours. 

Given that the featured piece is gold, I used a complementary purple to set it against in order to make it stand out more. In addition, these colours together, (along with the red I was using in the process shot below) are associated with nobility and royalty, showing the high regard this society has for learning and science. For the final painting, I copied the sketch and used it as a base for me to paint over in a larger document.

Process shot

As I was running out of time, I copied over the piece I made for my model sheet and adjusted the values a little, rather than painting it again in perspective. I would have liked to paint over it, but I felt that I was thinking too much about the details of the piece instead of the overall mood and tone, which is what is important in these pieces.

Final concept piece

Though I may have made some changes in hindsight (for example, populating the background may have made the image feel a little busier), I feel that the final painting showcases the piece really well, although I would like to present it in a group critique to see if my peers and tutors can offer any further advice to improve it. 

References:

https://alladdinmohsin.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/alla057.jpg

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/arabia-window-islamic-architecture-11224795.jpg

http://www.islamiclife.com/userfiles/images/2013/2955_jewellery2.jpg

http://www.zahras.com/ZahrasJewelry/Islamic/ISLM001_L.jpg

https://awalimofstormhold.wordpress.com/tag/jewelry/