Exercise : Train your eye.
Tutorials February 7, 2008
One of the big difference of people trained versus non-trained ones in the visual arts is that the layman plunges ahead with no thought to effect on others but mainly he or she is completely engulfed in the effect that the colors and layout have on him- or herself.
Since the very first day when I set foot into my new class room at the art school we were trained and coaxed and kicked into opening our eyes and LOOKING.
It’s not just SEEING, it is LOOKING.
Looking what others are dong, looking what a natural path of reading is (top left to bottom right for us western people). Looking what can stop such a natural flow, what can re-direct this flow of eye movement, looking how readers can get dispersed or how the message can be brought home with bravura.
An other word for this “looking”, a word much better suited is actually OBSERVATION.
The important things is to learn to observe without adding what one expects to happen, without adding ones own ideas into the pot, setting everything else aside and just LOOK … - OBSERVE.
Observe your own reactions to different types of websites, such with a lot of information versus minimalistic ones. Which type of sites do you frequent to learn something, which do you visit for distraction? And which ones leave you with a headache and dispersed?
For several days, pay attention to these things - expand it from the web browser to your daily life - observe how the kitchen is setup, how is the visual flow there and how do you react to it? How does your eye flow naturally on your way to work? Where does your eye come to rest and where does it get bounce back and away from? Do it also in your living room. Just have a seat and observe. Look from the left to the right of the room, let your eyes wander casually and relaxed from left to right, let it follow the furniture’s and small items which you have in the room and observe how your eyes rest longer on some items then others, observe the colors and forms of these items and the feeling of pleasure some of them give to you.
Feel free to take notes along the way. Write down what you observe about yourself and the path your eyes take and what influences them how to change direction, to linger or to jump.
And, after you have done this for a few days, maybe two or three, now sit down, get your water colors out, or your pen or go into Photoshop and create a piece with colors, forms and fonts which sums up what you have discovered for yourself over these past few days. And, if this is something which does not tickle your creativity, create a piece where you put to use what you have observed.
I hope you find this exercise useful. Let me know!