My proposal originally aimed towards designing a piece of virtual reality artwork within open brush, followed by presenting the artwork using 8thwall. However I ran into a major issue that wasnt allowing me to export my artwork out of open brush to be able to access it for 8thwall. In that case I was only able to focus my proposal around open brush. Open Brush is a free, open-source virtual reality application that lets users pain and create artwork within a 3D space. It provides a vast variety of unique brush types and even allows for multiplayer sessions. Open Brush also allows mixed reality passthrough enabling the users to paint directly onto the real world. I picked VR as my emerging technology as its a topic I haven’t focused on as much as another emerging tech. Virtual Reality is considered a successful emerging technology within graphic design as it primary changes how designers create. VR is also a powerful technology as it helps them visualize and present their work in unique ways unlike any other. Graphic designers can create prototypes and interact with them in a 3D space even before physical production begins.
Additional Research
I started this assignment by uncovering additional research. Instead of just focusing on the original mural I wanted to see if anyone else had also re-created the piece. And come to my surprise I found three effective inspired pieces, two of which used a completely different colour palette. Looking further into these new artworks I was able to pick out some more unique shapes I could perhaps incorporate into my design. The main reason why I chose this specific mural is because of its powerful thematic resonance and visual impact. In the ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ movie is serves as a visual metaphor for Miles Morales’ journey and character development. The “no expectations” graffiti Miles sprays over his own silhouette symbolizes his rejection of others and his struggle against pre-written destinies. As for my text around my silhouetted figure I want it to say “open mind” because for graphic designers, open-mindedness means being open to new ideas and feedback without no judgement or bias. It is a crucial mindset that fuels creativity and effective problem solving.
Even though this original art piece is very old its still used to this day. Perhaps that goes to how popular the movie was when it released and how everyone took to the scene when the artwork is being created. I hope to also follow that trend and create an art piece with similar meanings instead towards me as a graphic designer.
Sketch Phase
Because of the style of art I’m inspired by there isnt much sketch/ planning towards my designs. Since the original is built up with basic shapes such as circles and a variety of different shaped triangles there would be no need for me to sketch it all out first. As I later realised it was more efficient to create it online in Illustrator first as I can move everything around more freely. Although in the original there is a couple of custom shapes made, that I did end up sketching. That being the figure standing in the middle and a couple of cloud-like shapes. Just like the original those shapes are unique compared to the rest used, they dont adhere to strict mathematical symmetry such as any normal shape would allowing these to stand out from the rest more effectively.
Software Usage
Even though I was unable to use 8thwall in this final piece I still managed to create my artwork in a couple of software’s. These software’s and tools allowed me to use my graphic design knowledge and artistic skills to help build this outcome into one. These software’s where uses after my sketch phase.
I used Adobe Illustrator to create my final piece. Having plenty of experience using this software I had no issues in creating my graffiti mural, I was able to make it more appealing and user friendly. It was Adobe Illustrator where I picked out my final colour palette that I would then use for my next chosen software.
The second software I used was Open Brush VR. Unlike Illustrator my knowledge towards this software was quite limited. And I found I wasnt as creative as normal when working within a 3D space, probably because I wasnt use to what virtual reality has to offer.
Adobe Illustrator Phase
My first step towards my Illustrator phase was to pick out my colour palette. After the additional research I was able to discover similar art pieces to the original but using a completely different colour palettes, and I was much more drawn to using a different colour then pink as a primary for my final outcome. Because the graffiti mural is meant to be visually appealing to look at due to its use of colours I did keep some the same, I only change how much I used them.
The colours I ended up choosing go by the names of:
- Silver Tree
- Medium Violet Red
- Yellowish Green
- Dusty Orange
- Grey Teal
- Dark Lavender
Colour played a crucial role in bringing my design to life. I spent time experimenting with different colour palettes and different gradients/tones. I wanted to create a visually appealing colour scheme that would enhance the overall message of my piece. Just like the original mural does.
Sketch against Illustrator outcome
When designing my final Illustrator art piece it turned out to be a surprisingly straightforward than expected. As I mentioned in my sketch phase it was much more efficient to jump into making it in Illustrator. One of the key benefits of working this way was the enhanced creative freedom. I could experiment with different arrangements and different colours with ease. This allowed me to discover unexpected combinations and help refine my design. From there, I started building the basic shapes and forms using Illustrators shape tools, whilst also using the pen tool to create those more unique shapes I mentioned in the sketch phase. I experimented with different techniques for creating smooth curves and sharp angles therefor as I built up the layers of my design, I constantly adjusted the elements until I achieved the desired positioning.
Due to limitations in creating a 3D model from my Open Brush artwork, I used Illustrator’s 3D effect to create a similar outcome. This effect offers a small look into how the artwork might appear if it were successfully exported from Open Brush and integrated into 8th Wall. The Illustrator model captures key design elements and spatial choices. This approach allowed for experimentation of the artwork’s qualities and its potential impact in a 3D space.
Open Brush VR Phase
For a first attempt using Open Brush and creating VR artwork withing a 3D space I did alright. Due to Open Brushes limitations the artwork might have been able to be better using a different application, but I didnt want to have to learn another type of software when we already had a few lessons and trials before this assignment. As it may be noticeable the colours from the Illustrator outcome and the VR outcome they are not exact. I wasnt able to get the same colours to code but got them as similar as possible. As I mentioned earlier an ethical challenged I faced was not being use to the idea of having such freedom in a creative space within 3D. I think I managed to make an improvement on that as I started using more three-dimensional brush types instead of flat ones I’m use to in software’s like Adobe Illustrator.
The main build of the artwork was created using a hull brush to help keep consistency. It was also probably the easiest one to use. But I liked the flat matte look it gave too it, made it flow once I added different colours and layers to each section. As for the text and some of the other shapes was created using a more three dimensional brush to help improve my understanding of being in a 3D workplace.
I created a 5 minute video timelapse showing me creating some key parts and elements of my final design outcome. And how I was able to use Open Brush VR to create my work.
In my narrated video, I emphasized the choice of VR as an emerging technology, noting its continuous advancements and growing popularity. Its trendy status among designers seeking ways to showcase their work and visuals makes it a compelling platform. Even though VR is much bigger within the gaming district I think it could play a crucial role with upcoming graphic designers.
References
Persichetti, B., Ramsey, P., & Rothman, R. (Directors) & Lord, P., Miller, C., & Pascal, A. (Producers) (2018) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse [Film]. Sony Pictures Animation
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