OGR INVISIBLA CITIES

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Thomas ward

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2 comments:

  1. tutorphil8 October 2015 at 03:43

    OGR 08/10/2015

    Hey Tom,

    First things first: well done on getting your OGR out there as promptly as you did. It hasn't escaped my attention that even as you adjust to what must be an overwhelming new learning culture, you're being attentive, proactive and seeking clarification as and where necessary.

    I very much enjoyed your rationalisation of Octavia and your referencing of the huts/pods as domestic structures. It lends your city a real sense of 'ethnicity' and I think there's yet more to be done with this as you finalise your designs. Visually, the idea of the dweller's possessions hanging below the hives presents you as a concept artist with some lovely opportunities. In terms of enriching your vision further, I've got a few suggestions/references for you and a few things to think about too:

    Firstly, when it comes to thinking about your city as a 'metropolis', be aware that cities are made up of hierarchies of structures; cities are not just made up of houses, they are made up of cathedrals, factories, cultural spaces (theatres, stadiums), and power supplies. I think, in imagining this city, you need to be careful that you're not just designing a 'hanging settlement' or 'suspended suburbia' - I want to get a sense of enormity and a complete civilisation. You might want to think about the way your city is ordered in terms of class/wealth/power. Often, the cathedral in a city might be considered it's heart, from which everything else radiates; or maybe the 'seat of power' (Government building/Palace?). Obviously, these bigger, more important elements of the city might be constructed differently from the smaller 'domestic' pods. This city is exposed to the elements too - so are they using wind power for energy maybe - or if they're using fire, how are they preventing the fire from putting this 'city on strings' at risk? In short, by thinking now about some of these logistical details, I suspect you'll get even more inventive.

    In terms of thinking more about the structure of your city, here are a few examples of 'hanging' stuff that might inspire further:

    http://www.calder.org
    http://p-fst1.pixstatic.com/52545418dbfa3f2ca100e7e7._w.400_h.400_s.fit_.jpg
    http://www.upcyclist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2.jpg
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cxeYsxItVW4/UlQzchCh5OI/AAAAAAAADaY/IEJnxDOODrs/s640/quirkey+lamp+shade.jpg

    As you've picked up on an ethnic feel to your city, you might want to align yourself even more closely - for example, in terms of picking colours and surface texture etc, so:

    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/89/bd/50/89bd50ea9e24b47fe5910dd78ec2244f.jpg
    http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_03/africa12DM1902_468x690.jpg
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Initiation_ritual_of_boys_in_Malawi.jpg

    So - in summary: think now about your concept as it aligns with the idea of a city in all its glory (range of building types, range of scale and importance); truly embrace that idea of possessions hanging, chandelier-like from the structures (but thinking not just about them hanging straight down, but maybe extending out from the structures like a Calder mobile), and think about really pushing that ethnicity though everything you design.

    Obviously, you're still getting to grips with the tablet, but I want to see you turning away from those grey pencil sketches and really using Photoshop to layer up/duplicate components and punch up an expressive use of colour throughout.

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  2. tutorphil8 October 2015 at 03:44

    Oh - and you've got your post and presentation entitled 'Invisbla Cities' as opposed to 'Invisible Cities'...

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