Haley Alexandra Gray | 0369029
Bachelors of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Design Principles GCD60804
Final Compilation | Week 7 (17.3.2025 - 24.3.2025)
Table of Content :
Design Principles GCD60804
MIB for Bachelors of Design (Honours) in Creative Media | The Design School at Taylor's University 2025
Task 1 | Exploration
Week 1 - 3 (3.2.2025 - 17.2.2025)
1. Selected Artwork
L'Etoile (The Star - Dancer On Stage) (c.1878) by Edgar Degas
2. Description & Design Principles
I chose this piece as I have always been in awe of Degas's art style as well as one of his subjects, the ballerina scene which feels and seems enchanting, depicting the setting of French entertainment during his era - although the backstory behind his compositions aren't as enchanting as it seems to be, I still appreciate the style and compositional story it tells. The painting is set onlooking a vast stage, with the star - the ballerina - shining as brightly as named, as the focal point in the foreground, and a gold curtain with a man lurking in the distance with other blurred-ballerinas in the background. The detail and technique included is mesmerising, and is something I wish to achieve in my own work, causing me to enjoy this artwork so much more.
The technique using the pastel medium is soft and alluring, with broken-up, repetitive strokes as per the Impressionist style (Samu. M, 2004) creating movement and life in the composition. The colours that set the mood create a romantic, entertainment setting, and evokes contrast between the shining and bright ballerina and the strong backdrop. The contrast from the colours and techniques used on the foreground and background creates emphasis towards the ballerina, with heavy detail on her and the soft white colour she wears, compared to the blurred and rushed background. There is also a sense of asymmetrical balance, where there is focus and weight on the ballerina on one end, and the weight from the collection of strong, less dominant elements on the diagonal end.
Task 2 | Visual Analysis & Ideation
Week 3 - 5 (17.2.2025 - 30.2.2025)
1. Selected Artwork
Artwork from Task 1
2. Visual Analysis
Observation :
In this portrait piece, the main focus is on the ballerina, on the right of the composition who seems to be in the middle of her performance. Her limbs are in motion; one leg raised and arm extended gracefully, and her soft, white dress embellished with red and yellow flowers. The lighting imposes a dramatic impression, where shines on the ballerina and creates vibrant colours and shadows. In addition to that, I have noticed that Degas has used pastels as a medium for this work, from observing the unique techniques used to express the colours, texture and blending of the work. The background depicts what seems to be big, textured gold curtains, with sight of blurry performers and people at standby, and on the right side is supposedly a blue sky and a house from a distance, perhaps posing as the backdrop for the performance.
Analysis :
We are immediately drawn to the ballerina in the foreground, due to the contrast in colour and style, where her design consists of bright colours opposed to the dark and strong background, and she retains detailed and fine brush strokes in comparison to the rest of the composition, acting as a focal point. Her position in the composition aligns with the Rule of Thirds, where it makes the composition more compelling and attractive, which naturally directs the eye to the areas of intersection, and evokes asymmetrical balance due to a heavy emphasis and weight on the right side, balanced by the full background scene parallel to her. The use of strong and repetitive brush strokes of multiple tones & colours and tones can be seen, creating movement and giving life to the backstage scene and a blurry, busy effect to the overall background, furthermore utilising the Gestalt Principle of similarity, where the similar colours and textures are grouped which represent gold curtains. The whole composition lacks mundanity due to the variety of elements, creating an overall sense of unity where each element has its own purpose and come together to narrate the theme of the artwork.
Interpretation :
This work by Degas was created during the Impressionist movement which we can identify from the use of the prominent brush strokes, depiction of light and colours, as well as the candid impression of the subject (Artistcoveries, n.d.), in this case appears to be the dancer during her performance and the backstage activity. The artwork seems to convey a realistic impression on what the performance scenes are typically like, where everything is calm and focused on-stage; the main focus is on the glowing dancer who looks satisfied with her performance, with her chin held up high with a pleased look on her face, which shows us that she is enjoying the recital, whereas what goes on in the background is blurry and complex, with a lot of movement, as well as on-lookers lurking in the background, suggesting that the backstage scene is bustling during performances like this, as well as holds a brooding narrative that reflects the ballet scene in the 19th century (Wheeler, 2019). The overall atmosphere holds a dramatic and realistic feel to it, however a serene and pacific atmosphere for on-stage, relative to the context of the performance scene.
Task 3 | Development & Design
Week 5 - 7 (3.3.2025 - 17.3.2025)
2. Rationale
Gilded Cage is an interpretation that enhances Degas' L'Etoile, in terms of context and composition, in my opinion. Depicting a ballerina on stage with an impending, eerie form looming over her, slowly encapsulating her, this work was influenced by the underlying meanings of Degas' works, that revolve around the dark realities behind ballet performances during the 19th century in France. It conveys the relationship dancers had with their craft, where behind the facade of a perfected and disciplined performance is tired, unfortunate girls tied to their sport to afford to live, through being subjected to sponsors, expressed through the dark, mysterious figure in control of the dancer. Compared to the original work, this design magnifies the intent Degas had, while creating a more compositionally-compelling piece through the use of abstract content and thoughtful use of principles.
The choices made for this design exemplify the relationship and scenario. The composition utilises positioning of elements to convey relationships and hierarchy; the surrounding elements gravitate around the ballerina, and are in a symmetrical order which give focus to the centrical subjects: The Shadow and Ballerina, which narrate a dynamic between them where the shadow looms over the dancer. The colours reflect hints of chiaroscuro, a lighting effect that creates emotion and contrast, depicted in this piece show the stark differences in presence, demeanour, and meaning between the forms. The hands around the dancer reflects the controlling and patronising relationship the sponsors have with their dancers, while the subdued, yet intimidating shadow reflects the actual sponsor, watching the dancer closely, placed above her to form power and control.
The composition utilises symmetry in the background, creating order and balance in the performance setting, which at the same time enhances the power and authority the figures have in the middle of the composition, to create emphasis on the main focal points in the composition to add meaning and direction to the piece. In a way, radial balance is employed, where the elements revolve around the ballerina, emphasising on the main subject, where everything gravitates towards her. Colour and lighting plays an important role as well, creating drama and contrast, as well as distinguish between the foreground and the background, with the ballerina brightly coloured in comparison to the monotonous, gloomy background and shady figure.
(379 words)
PDF Compilation
PDF Compilation of Task 1, 2, and 3
- What have I learnt in this module?
- What did I enjoy the most
- What did I not enjoy the most
- What have I learnt about myself through this module
- What has changed and what has not in my learning journey
- What are my aspirations
I have learnt quite a bit from this module, not just concerning design principles, but this module exposed myself to new exercises that I valued and thought to be helpful overall in my personal life as well as, hopefully, future careers. Despite having learnt design principles previously, the first task alone introduced me to a more in-depth exposure to them, where I learnt one new one to its extent; Gestalt Theory. Aside from the actual design principle theories, I have also learnt how to identify, interpret and use them effectively through the several assignments. The practice of designing several compositions to cultivate meaning made me see the extensiveness on how to utilise these principles to my advantage, as well as enhance my compositional skills. Additionally, this module has also helped me get more creative with interpretations in terms of content and adding surreal components. I have never adapted an artwork to suit my own interpretation and style, so this was a really interesting and fun thing to create and study.
What I think I have enjoyed the most about this module is the actual creation of the design works, as well as initial research. I always appreciate preliminary research before delving into creation or development, and being able to find out more about artworks, styles, techniques and other motives; without any research I probably would not have been able to create the work I have, and it influences me on my design choices to create what I think is a compelling artwork. Besides research, the actual creation process was the most enjoyable part, especially in the final task where I was able to fully express my interpretation through a finalised composition, colours and elements, and I wish there had been more 'final' artworks to make rather than sketches and initial ideas. Whether it is digital or traditional art I'm doing, it's always enjoyable to see how your design develops and turns out after all the planning and exploration.
What I have not enjoyed the most would be writing visual analysis's. The format was introduced to me as something new, and I was not familiar with the observation, analysis and interpretation parts as being separated, and having a specific way to word it. Of course, I will try and adapt myself to this format, however I have been confident and used to writing analysis's, or anything else in particular, in my own way I see appropriate.
Something I have learnt about myself during the course of this module would be
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