Mixed media — Sketch, Photoshop, Photography, Brushpen (2017)
Daruma 2
Sketch
This is one of the initial images I created of Daruma — historically a Buddhist priest revered in Japan, and now the subject of traditional toys and children’s games in that country. Daruma’s shape and color make him very distinctive and a fertile subject for art projects.
For this example, I wanted to create a clean daruma, but wanted the lines, particularly the varying shapes, to suggest brushstrokes.
I also needed a circular version, so I removed the body shape, and rounded the head a little more, without changing his other features, so that the character of the daruma’s face would remain. I also scaled down the ovals on his body, and rotated them to better fit the new face shape. By retaining the face, I was hoping to keep the mysterious look on the daruma’s face.
Daruma 3 (The Monkey Daruma)
Sketch
The next version I wanted to simplify daruma even further, so I could test how much can I take away and still have the figure recognized as daruma. I also saw some great dinosaur toys with simple features, shapes, and these kinds of colors that I wanted to apply to a daruma. I went with a squat shape, one I’ve seen on a few daruma. I gave him simple features, which ended up looking monkey-like (combination daruma, in the form of cats, frogs, and even Mickey Mouse are common in Japan).
I tested a few color variants.
I also tested a version with larger moustache since facial hair is such a distinctive feature of daruma.
Finally, I also tested a version with with eyes similar to Daruma 2, above.
I most liked the middle set, however, with the larger facial hair and simple eyes.
Daruma Header
Sketch, Photoshop
I decided I needed a header image for this portfolio entry, and began thinking through the problem based on the design thinking processes my mentors have encouraged.
Issue: I need a header image for my daruma portfolio entry.
Audience? Designers, design recruiters, people interested in daruma (?)
Initial Thoughts:
Include Japanese text?
Get in close to daruma
- [Want to] understand daruma in small pieces
- With how little information could you know it’s daruma
- What’s the minimum floor for information to get it’s darumaPhoto ? (Use my daruma collection)
Graphic
Subtitle: “Japan’s familar face”?
Constraints: Likely will be a header image, on medium, so has to conform to that size. Eye-catching — designers are visual people, [so] get people’s attention.
