Using only an image of a light bulb, the words ‘light bulb’ and a block of colour of your choice create different designs that explore visual dynamics. Think about your composition trying each element at different sizes and cropping your photo. Create as many different designs as you can. Edit these down to about 20 designs that you feel represent the breadth of different approaches you have explored.
I did this exercise over several months as I could easily sketch different thumbnails as I travelled and as ideas came to mind. To start with I used a tablet and created random compositions as ideas came to me, this was followed by drawing thumbnails in my sketchbook.
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- Light Bulbs 1
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- Light Bulbs 2
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- Light Bulb 3
Finally, I tried to be more methodical using a grid that I initially used for sketching and then collaging. I realised as I was collaging that most of my previous compositions had been portrait so I then worked in landscape for the final ideas.
In total I developed 64 designs and by the end, although they were more neatly contained within the grid than my thumbnails, they felt like they were getting looser in terms of composition. I also played with the notion of what the ‘block’ of colour meant, cropping it for different shapes and using triangles instead of squares or rectangles. I was surprised about the number of designs that emerged and I could probably carry on developing them for the rest of the course! The challenge by the end was trying to make sure I wasn’t duplicating earlier versions.
Twenty designs
The final 20 designs I have selected show the breadth from hand drawn to collage. Some are quite formally arranged while others are more abstract with more random relationships between the three elements. It showed me the value of sketching a wide range of ideas before committing to a final design. It also reinforced the influence of composition when using the same three elements – how the interrelationships between the elements could convey weight, movement, light and so on. In some compositions I noticed my eyes were making a relationship between the light bulb and the colour as if the light was being cast by the bulb. In others the relationship was more random.
This felt like a very valuable exercise and followed well from my research into more minimalist design approaches. Having the constraint of the three elements was really useful in helping explore composition and showing it still leaves plenty of scope for creativity.
