Digital Photography (WK3) - Creativity Exercise: 30 Circles 2.0

 


Last week I wrote about the 30 Circle Challenge because I hadn't tried it yet...and I had some difficulty. So I decided to try it again this week to see if I had gotten any faster, and wouldn't you know it, I was able to get a few more ideas on there! My drawing skills are not that great, but we're not critiquing my drawing abilities here! You know the drill, but here's the breakdown of how to do the 30 Circle Challenge if you haven't done it:

1. Gather supplies. You will need a pen or pencil and a piece of paper with 30 blank circles drawn on it. You can either trace a coin to make your own circles or find and print a template online (I downloaded mine for free from this link: 30 CIRCLES FREE )

2. Set a timer. The typical duration is 3 minutes, though it can be done in 2 to 5 minutes depending on the desired intensity.

3. Start drawing. Turn as many of the blank circles into identifiable objects as you can before the time runs out.
  • Focus on speed. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible in a limited time. Don't worry about making perfect drawings.
  • Feel free to "break the rules." If the instructions don't explicitly forbid it, you can combine circles to create more complex objects, like a snowman or a traffic light.
4. Reflect on the results. After time is up, review your finished circles. Consider the following:
  • Quantity: How many circles did you fill?
  • Diversity: How many unique ideas did you come up with?
  • Process: How did you approach the task, and how did the time pressure affect your creative process? 
The first time I attempted this, I filled 8 circles. This time, I was able to get 13! Proving that you do get better with practice. I learned to just let the ideas flow and bounce off of one another (you can see where I went from a snowman to a jack-o-lantern, and then the poker chip to a lifering...I correlated seasons, and then I thought "wow, a poker chip kinda looks like a lifering"). I noticed I started getting hung up on how the drawings were looking, and had to quickly detach from that thought process to keep going before time ran out. 

Until next time!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Social Media and Digital Marketing (WK1) - SMART Goals (Vans)

Image
*Please click the image to enlarge for clear viewing* I know, I know...I went over the top when completing this assignment. I've finished quite a few SWOT analyses and SMART goals (before The Art Institute closed, I took an E-Commerce and Social Media Marketing course, as well as doing these for my own business); therefore, I am intimately familiar with this process. I have a preference for coordinating branding when it comes to assignments like this, so naturally, I applied that to my SMART goals to match my SWOT analysis.   
Read more

Graphic Design Theory: Project 1

Image
Hello again! Long time, no speak (haha).  This week, we were tasked with creating a 3.5" x 2" business card in Adobe Photoshop, being mindful of our use of color, whitespace, typeface, and C.R.A.P. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity).  I have some experience with Photoshop, and this still proved to be a challenging assignment - I couldn't stop picturing the business cards I had previously made, which go against many of the rules we were taught this week. I really wanted to start from scratch and learn the proper process, versus just editing an old design!  I spent a solid 30 minutes getting reacquainted with the program before creating this. There was a lot of trial and error (mostly error) before I decided this was the route I wanted to take. I used my small business as a guideline, as it gave me a jumping-off point for the color palette.  My business colors are black, purple, and silver/white, and I have a tendency to use imagery that reflects th...
Read more

Digital Illustration (WK2) - Project 3 "Identity Package"

Image
For this assignment, we were asked to create an identity package using our own subject and original artwork. I chose to redesign my business identity and go with a more "metal-inspired" approach.  For the updated logo, I created a font by drawing it by hand first. I knew I wanted it to look vampiric, but also take inspiration from band merchandise that I've seen over the years.  I was able to get more comfortable with the freeform gradient tool, which is what I used for the letters in the new logo.  I also used the gradient mesh tool for the moon, which I believe helped to give it some dimension. I learned a lot about this tool while doing this project, and I'm excited to use it more in the future!    For the second part of the project, I needed to create stationery using the new logo. I liked the idea of putting a trim at the bottom (demonstrated in the textbook), so I drew the heart chain on paper first and then traced it in Illustrator (I'm not a very skilled...
Read more