IDW #107: Abstract Sculpture

[yoitisi]

Topic: Abstract Sculpture

Background: A bit of an experimental topic this time. Instead of designing a functional machine for this round, you're free to explore a more obscure region of (Industrial) Design. Imagine wandering around in a game and finding a small sculpture that helps you on your quest, or a huge sculpture standing in the middle of a square in a movie.

Mind you, you'll have to paint it and not sculpt it or model it in a 3D program. The degree of abstraction is up to you, so it could be either a simplified human statue or a cube if you so want. However, a description is needed for this round.

Brief:
1. Topic: Abstract Sculpture!
2. That's it... now draw!

Deadline: Tuesday, August 18

[Pixie Trick]

This requires............... thought. This could get interesting. Neat topic!

Edit: Some scribbles. I didn't mean to make anything that looked like anything but I guess it's like looking at clouds.

[theFoust]

Odd to be doing something so biomorphic for the industrial design of the week, but hooray for a freeing theme!
I like this one so I think I'll actually keep working on it (as opposed to my C.O.W.s, which never get past WIP).
Now, if only I could think of some description for this nonsense...

[Kristal Lee]

I'll make this my first weekly activity topic. The fact that it's so open-ended this week makes it a lot less intimidating.

[Kristal Lee]

Here's my first sketch. I was thinking about a giant sculpture on an alien world (or other dimension, or very distant future or past, etc...) that the main character (shown in illustration mostly for the sake of scale) has to figure out a way inside. Then, I got thinking about all of those little puzzles in RPG games like "Make the Ladder Drop Down so You can Reach It". So here we have our little dude looking at this giant... thing... trying to figure out how to get up there.

Oh, yeah, this is some sort of remains of some ancients. Probably alien.

[X@v.]

Well... i did my best for this first participation, not so crazy but still abstract.

"Mother and Child"

"A big thank you to our city for this kind gift during the inauguration of our brand new Mother and Child Hospital."

[Pixie Trick]

Did some more. Thought about inuit sculpture 'cause it's cool. Here are the finalists. Which you like? 1 8 and 5 are my current choices. I think I'll think of a story for each and then see which of the stories are best.



Crits (warning...I'm a bit hyper right now )

The Foust: Looking good! I like the pearls and the colour. It looks a bit like there's two sculptures put into one right now. The sphere and straight lines of the cut on the left doesn't quite match the really organic shapes on the right. If you felt like keeping that part, you could adjust the line of pearls or the angle of the opening they're in to angle more towards the sphere, and bring attention to it that way. The form of the most frontward protruding part is a bit confusing too.

Kristal Lee. Neat-o! I can imagine this in all sorts of settings, not just alien. It's basicly machinery, and having smokestacks in the bg makes the setting look industrial. It could be there to celebrate industry. If it were in the downtown of some shiny futuristic place, it could be commemorating their past. It could be in a colourful artsy area with cafes and stuff and just be funky!

X@v: We still have like 6 days left! There's sooooo much more you could do! What material is it made of? How are you going to paint that material? (it's kinda a matte plastic look right now) What size is it? Who donated the money to have it built? (because hospitals don't spend money on pretty things generally) Where is your reflected light in the shadow areas to clarify the shape? Where is your light source? It's looking nice, but there's soooooooo much you can still do! And it's fun to do it. It's like making up a little world where you are the supreme leader/god person (of whichever religion you subscribe to) and you control everything!

[Kristal Lee]

Kristal Lee. Neat-o! I can imagine this in all sorts of settings, not just alien. It's basicly machinery, and having smokestacks in the bg makes the setting look industrial. It could be there to celebrate industry. If it were in the downtown of some shiny futuristic place, it could be commemorating their past. It could be in a colourful artsy area with cafes and stuff and just be funky!

Thanks! Yeah, it would be cool to be some sorta cafe... Hard for the customers to get to but I suppose that would be part of the fun!

My favourites of yours are 6, 7 and 8. I like the shapes of them the best.

[Sir_E_Pent]

Not sure if this is what is meant but, I hope so. Let me know if I am on the right track? Also, Looking at the clouds you get a great deal more to work with. They make more than cotton balls.

Description

The eye on the top of the pyrimid is telling you that is where you will see your next clue. There is a looking glass at the pinnacle which holds the next place to go. Inside the looking glass is a man with a flag, and three location which the middle one is where to find him.

Second cube tells of a dragon and the thrird tells of a book.

[Pixie Trick]

This is a post more for people to thing about why their sculpture exist. I found two very different pages on public sculpture in Denver : one positive, one negative. Both talk a little about the symbolism of some of them, and their setting. I personally have some issues with the negative article, but it gives some points of view either way. And one on a giant bear and a bit on the construction and meaning. Not that they're particularly abstract sculptures, but I thought it was interesting.

Positive

Really Negative

Bear

If you are looking for ref, just type in public sculpture. About 80% is abstract I would say.

Goym: Well, you could make some clouds in PS and then look at those. Or just get a photo of clouds and make up some shapes!

[paradoxba]

The Metal Nightmare

*Tibin-random name for an alien race

[meganite]

Something I discovered as I was working on this is that words themselves are abstract. Letters don't look like anything in particular (unless you read heiroglyphics. There's an argument for Chinese in there too, but I'm not going to go there). The other thing I realized was abstract is symbols, emblems, anything that represents something. This flows into religious symbols, for example, a cross is abstract art. It only represents the actual cross, and is often embellished with design.

So my idea is a holy symbol for some kind of alien race that you're trying to discover more about. Perhaps Indiana Jones meets Metroid Prime?



This is totally like... unfinished. Should I still post it in finals? I mean, people were debating a quality bar, but I hate to turn in unfinished work. Dunno if I'll have a chance to finish it though. I would super-appreciate any feedback / crits =)

[Pixie Trick]

Here's a wip. Crits welcome.



meganite: That's really neat thinking about letters in icons. You might want to watch for the base of your statue being controlled by the same perspective as the table.

[Sir_E_Pent]

Goym: Well, you could make some clouds in PS and then look at those. Or just get a photo of clouds and make up some shapes![/QUOTE]


No, what I am saying is, there are worlds inside the clouds. Most people are just to busy to recognize it.

Pixie: Your stance is a good pose, however, I have been trying to see what position the body is and how would I get into that position. Also, if you added a way to have water trickling down into the pool that would add a great deal of effect.

Maganite: I would suggest take out the holy part unless you can put a story of the god behind the symbol. It takes the shape of a native with bow and arrows. Instead of using the term holy, replace it with sacred.

[Sir_E_Pent]

Foust: Yours could be representing a fruit, such as cherries, which your little nymph cherrishes or eats or trades for other goods. Or it could be the sign for a store up a head. This putting it into a RPG.

Cube from another angle.

[yoitisi]

Finals thread is up, in time for a change Good to see so many WIPs in here already, hope everyone manages to finish in time!

[Pixie Trick]

Another wip. I'm not going to do too, too much more on this. Is the person useful there? Is the clothing an ok colour? Other Crits?

[paradoxba]

Delete the person.
The sculpture in this picture doesn't need a measuring unit person,the trees are there to help that.

[Sir_E_Pent]

Pixie I would leave the person for the human effect. It makes the image more personal.

[PheKt]

Hey there, some cool WIP's here



sculpture in memory of a fallen hero, who gave their life defending a frontier colony. Constructed from the remnants of the ship that they piloted.

[Kristal Lee]

PheKt: Effin' sweeeeet.

[Munin Raven]

I would like to do something for this. What timezone does this operate under? I assume I would have until midnight of that particular timezone?

[yoitisi]

Munin Raven: Traditionally I close the rounds a little late so everyone has a chance to get something in on time, so you have about 20 hours left for this. I'll put up the next round somewhere today though

[Munin Raven]

Thanks, Yoitisi for the quick reply. I should have time to do something before I hit the sack.

[yoitisi]

Time to close this round, poll will be up in a second

Edit: Poll is up, check it out here: IDW #107: Abstract Sculpture - Voting