Introduction#
In the previous article, we discussed confidence and courage, mainly addressing the issue of how to take the first step, which is essentially a psychological aspect.
Psychology is abstract, while operation is concrete.
In this article, we will discuss the problems encountered in practical operations and my solutions.
When drawing a picture, the first stroke of the rough draft is inevitably a shape, with no other possibilities.
If confidence and courage are the first steps of creation, then shape is the first step of a work.
What is "打形" (shaping)?#
If you have ever been an art student, you must be familiar with the term "打形" (shaping). The first step taught by art teachers in the studio is always shaping. It involves using a pencil to determine the height, width, and position of the object (usually still life) on the paper, and then using lines to connect the object as geometric shapes. The most typical example is "peeling an apple," where a real apple is seen as a peeled apple. I believe that more than 99% of art students cannot skip this step. Only after this step do we move on to perspective, the intersection of light and shadow, black and white, and other theories. Let's take it step by step.
"打形" literally means "shaping." "打" actually means establishing order, establishing an order that makes the picture realistic. Whether this method comes from the Soviet Union or some Western academic ideas, it is a realistic painting method for domestic examinations and has nothing to do with creation. "打" is not a problem, but "形" (shape) is static.
Once it comes to creation, it takes on a different meaning.
What is shape?#
Shape has a rich connotation in art and design.
Simply put, shape usually refers to the outline or contour of an object, which is the basis for our recognition and judgment of objects. In the process of observing the world, our brains automatically recognize and classify various shapes, which become the foundation of our understanding and depiction of the world.
When it comes to shape in creation, it is no longer a simple depiction of the outline of a physical object, but a medium for the artist's personal expression. This medium has rich possibilities and includes not only the inherent shapes in the physical world but also the shapes generated by the artist's thinking and perception during the creative process.
For example, a simple circle, when combined with imagination, can transform into various new elements, characters, and scenes. It can also transition from abstract to concrete, and then from concrete to abstract.
At the same time, shape creation is not isolated; it is closely connected with elements such as color, line, space, and texture. Let's not introduce too many complex concepts for now and consider simple shapes in a single color.
Shape creation is not isolated; it is closely connected with elements such as color, line, space, and texture, which interact and collectively build the visual language of an artwork. Through the use of shape, artists can express various complex emotions and thoughts, making their works full of vitality and tension.
When learning to draw, we usually start with the simplest geometric shapes such as spheres, cubes, and pyramids. This is because the structural forms of actual objects in reality can be summarized to the greatest extent using these basic geometric shapes. And these geometric shapes are built from basic shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles.
For example, a square usually gives people a sense of stability, rigidity, weight, reliability, seriousness, and so on. A circle usually gives people a sense of perfection, infinity, softness, smoothness, and so on. A triangle usually gives people a sense of sharpness, danger, guidance, imbalance, and so on.
Therefore, shape can also be a projection of the artist's personal emotions. By using different basic shapes, artists can evoke corresponding feelings in the viewer's mind.
In artistic creation, the definition and use of shape are much more complex. It can be representational, directly depicting the shapes of objects in reality, such as the shape of an apple or a tree. Representational shapes require artists to have keen observation skills to capture the true form and subtle changes of objects and reproduce them on canvas using lines and colors.
Shape can also be abstract, such as the shape of a color block or a line. Abstract shapes are no longer a direct depiction of reality but rather the artist's understanding and expression of the essence of shape. The creation of abstract shapes requires artists to have rich imagination and create unique and expressive shapes through distortion, deformation, combination, and subversion.
In fact, from this perspective, a line magnified is also a shape, and a point magnified is also a shape. This is why I said in a previous article, "The essence of calligraphy is also painting."
What is a silhouette?#
Silhouette literally means the shadow cut out with scissors. In the era without photography, one could create with just a piece of paper and a pair of scissors. Its essence is the external contour of an object, the combination of shapes.
Seemingly simple, it divides a plane into "inside," "outside," and "edge." The "inside" and "edge" are the soil for imagination to evaporate.
When drawing basic shapes, even if two silhouettes are the same, they can still form different combinations of basic shapes.
Here, the more accurate term for shape is "projected shape." As the name suggests, it assumes that there is a backlight that projects the shape of the shadow.
Therefore, in my understanding, the essence of a silhouette is the combination of several "projected shapes."
Since a silhouette is a combination of several "projected shapes," it can also be said that a silhouette is the projection of a three-dimensional object onto a two-dimensional plane perpendicular to the human eye. Therefore, a silhouette represents purely flat information.
Shape, on the other hand, contains three-dimensional information. In any picture, the first stroke actually draws the shape. At this point, if the artist intends to create elements with perspective, there will inevitably be an invisible three-dimensional structure in their mind while drawing. This three-dimensional structure is reflected in the "edge" of the silhouette and will give rise to associations of details, rhythm, tension, dynamics, weight, and so on.
The quality of a silhouette is judged based on these factors.
What makes a good silhouette?#
In digital art creation, a good silhouette should be able to clearly express the shape and overall structure of an object. First and foremost, it should meet the prerequisite of appropriate exaggeration and correct proportions. This allows people to accurately associate the internal three-dimensional structure.
Initially, it needs to be concise and clear, removing unnecessary details and retaining only the core outline to reveal the essence of the object. At the same time, a good silhouette should be creative, creating unique and distinctive images through changes in the outline.
A good silhouette should be clear, concise, and powerful.
It focuses on the outline, emphasizing the shape and structure of the object rather than the details. This concise and clear visual effect allows viewers to immediately discern the main shape and structure of the object, making their interpretation of visual information more direct and efficient.
It should showcase the artist's unique perspective and creativity.
Through clever handling of the outline, artists can create unique and expressive silhouettes. This innovative way of expression not only showcases the artist's personality and creativity but also provides viewers with new visual experiences and sensations.
It should stimulate the viewer's imagination and guide them to explore and understand the deeper meaning behind the artwork.
Through the form of a silhouette, artists can abstractly express the shape and structure of an object, allowing viewers to fill in and understand the details of the object through their own imagination. This way of stimulating the viewer's imagination not only enhances the artistic appeal of the work but also provides viewers with more enjoyment and satisfaction while appreciating the artwork.
Architects and Archaeologists#
After understanding what makes a good silhouette, let's discuss the two approaches I like to use when creating silhouettes. These two approaches did not come to me at the beginning; they are a summary of my long-term creative process. Combined with my recent interest and research in knowledge management, they have given me new insights into the creative process of digital art, which I would like to share with you.
Architects and archaeologists are two ways of thinking in knowledge management to establish a knowledge structure.
Simply put, in knowledge management, the architect's mindset is to first plan the classification and structure, just like designing a blueprint before building a building, and then fill it with content in order. Similarly, in digital art creation, it means first clarifying what content to create and having a sketch and line drawing in mind.
The second approach is the archaeologist's mindset. As the name suggests, this creative process is not pre-planned. At the beginning, there may only be a vague image or element in mind, which is especially suitable for abstract creative themes.
For example, in the "Meditation Series," many of the works were not what I initially envisioned. Even at the beginning, they were just "clusters" formed by combining shapes. Then these "clusters" gradually formed a character performing an action and an appropriate background environment. However, after a day or two, when I looked at the theme of the creation from a different perspective, the entire picture became a detail of the final work.
Both the architect and archaeologist mindsets can be flexibly applied; there are no rules that dictate sticking to one approach throughout. I think these two mindsets are suitable for solving two types of situations in the creative process:
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The first situation is when you know what to draw but struggle with drawing certain details. In this case, it is more suitable to use the architect's mindset to re-draw the sketch and find some reference materials. Applying the architect's mindset to the details will make it easier to continue.
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The second situation is when you have drawn what was in your mind but suddenly realize that it is not what you wanted. At this time, you can try duplicating the original draft, identifying the unsatisfactory parts, removing unnecessary details, and returning to the initial silhouette. Then, using the archaeologist's mindset, rediscover new possibilities within it. Of course, if you find that you need to start over, you will need the "courage" mentioned in the previous article to bravely start again.
Conclusion#
Depicting shape and silhouette is the first step in any digital creative practice.
Understanding them will not immediately make your work better, but it will open up new creative directions. Techniques and routines are certainly important because they can quickly produce eye-catching results. However, over time or with exposure to more content, homogeneity will occur because the content itself is eye-catching. The only advantage is that it makes it easier for people to become interested and start learning. After this stage, you will find that techniques and routines are secondary, and they are only meant to improve production efficiency, which is a problem to be addressed later.
This article was originally published on CG Art Lab. Feel free to subscribe to the newsletter for free.