HOW TO RENDER EVERYDAY OBJECTS AND INTERIOR SPACES

Designers, Artists, Architects and people related to such creative backgrounds requires to study objects in several mediums to understand drawing, surface, form, shape, texture, shade and shadow and the effect of 3d (three dimensional) appearance on a 2d (two dimensional) surface. This helps them to understand and deliver their ideas better. Though there are several tools or software available to do so but manual/ handmade drawing and rendering of objects around us enables them to understand it better.

We at iMADE Creative Studio teaches students how to just look at an object from a single point and figure out its relative proportion to draw it on a surface and render it with different colour mediums.

An example of such a basic object rendering; a glue stick:

Please note that a simple glue stick is not only drawn proportionately to the actual size but every detail of its surface is carefully rendered in colour pencil with its shiny texture, font and graphics at its appropriate spot and its shadow also been added meticulously. This is an exercise we have done with students just to make them familiar with various techniques of rendering. 

Similar examples of colour renderings are been done by few other students. Like a Clutch pencil and a  brush. Clutch pencil has a different surface characteristics, i.e the textured grip surface and a steel body which reflects colours around its ambience. Brush has also few unusual surfaces, the bristles, steel surface and the wooden holder. See how skilfully they have been distinguished with rendering highlights.

The second object another student dared to do is a headphone kept on a 2D paper surface, which was a bit challenging because of the ruled paper in its background and its written content and both these objects being kept on a wooden surface. Carefully note that the rendering of each of these objects, a different kind of strokes have been handled to give it the desired effect. For wooden texture the student has used parallel running lines with variation of colours. For paper she picked grey tones and for the object (headphone) green colour in tonal variation to show highlights, middle tones and the dark tones. Similar technique is used for rendering grey areas and to achieve dark black as she had used black marker as papers possess texture which is difficult to fill with colour pencils only.

Now moving on to interior spaces which presents even more challenging subject matter as the relative proportions of different objects should be kept in mind throughout the process. Interior spaces has different materials, textures, folds, shapes and forms, lightening conditions and many other concerns which needs attention during the rendering  process and one should take care of the perspective arrangement of objects to create a 3D effect on a 2D surfaces with foreground/middleground/background stability, if not followed will make the composition aesthetically improper. With given techniques students has handled it quite efficiently in their first go. These are some examples of the exercises:

With further practice one can achieve desired effects with colour rendering. We at iMADE Creative Studio teach/mentor students to do achieve and master every particulars drawing and rendering. We will share many more assignments/projects of iMADE with our readers soon. 

At iMADE Creative Studio we prepare students for #NID #NIFT #NATA #CEED #UCEED #FINEARTS, All premier institutes of Architecture, Design and FineArts of India & Abroad. We have the best team of Faculty members from IIT-B, NID, NIFT, M.S.U, Fine Arts to mentor students for such colleges.

Please leave your valuable comments and questions of all sorts related to design problems and creative career in Design, Architecture and Fine Arts. #iMADE is always happy to help.

Please visit our website for more information:

www.imadecreativestudio.com  

13-Year-Old Odisha Girl Wins Award at Google Science Fair for Purifying Water with Corn Cobs

A student of standard IX in DPS Damanjodi of Odisha, Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai has won an award at the prestigious Google Science Fair. She developed a low cost water purifier which uses corn cobs in a very innovative manner.

Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, a 13-year-old student from Odisha, won the ‘Community Impact Award’ at the prestigious Google Science Fair in California on Tuesday.

A student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput district of Odisha, Lalita developed a low cost bio-absorbent based water purifier, which functions mainly on waste corn cobs.

She won in the 13-15 years age group, and received 10,000 USD as the prize money. Additionally, she will also be supported by the organization for a year to build upon her project.

Big congratulations to the winners of the 2015 #GoogleScienceFair! http://t.co/Buids7Oj8f pic.twitter.com/dwbqKJzcTO

— Google (@google) September 22, 2015

Her basic idea was to purify water using the least utilised part of the maize plant – that is the corn cob. A very important agricultural waste, corn cob is a suitable adsorbent because of its high mechanical strength, rigidly and porosity. 

“Hence, contaminants like oxides of salts, detergents, suspended particles, coloured dyes, oil and grease get adsorbed in the surface of the corn cobs. Some of the heavy metals are also adsorbed by corn cobs. If the drain pipe of the household is connected to a chamber having different layers of corn cobs in partition layers or to an S-trap pipe having corn cobs, it will separate about more than 70-80 % of contaminants including suspended particles from the waste water,” says the report published about her project on the Google Science Fair website.

It is a cheap and eco-friendly way of purifying water. And it will also open up a new market for corn cobs that are usually discarded as bio-waste.

For the experiment, Lalita collected the cobs from the nearby farm, and sun dried them for a month. The pith of one cob was removed to make a hole at the centre of it, in which 50ml of domestic effluent collected from a kitchen drain pipe, was poured. This was allowed to pass through the hole and the collected filtrate was collected was then tested for purity. After this pilot stage, water with several added chemical impurities was passed through five bottles, each containing a different layer for purification. 

These layers included long pieces of corn cobs, small pieces of corn cobs, powdered corn cobs, activated charcoal made from corn cobs and fine sand.

It was observed that most of the coloured substances present in the water were adsorbed in the charcoal layer. The suspended particles were adsorbed in the chaff layers of both long and small pieces of corn cobs. And gasoline waste was adsorbed in the powdered corn cob layer. According to her teacher, Pallabi Mahapatro, the technique can be used for immobilising the contaminants in domestic and industrial effluents, and in ponds, reservoirs and water tanks. 

Students and staff at her school celebrated this victory. She was congratulated by many on social media as well.

According to the headmaster of DPS Damanjodi, Trinath Prasad Padhi, Lalita is also very proficient in extra-curricular activities like song and dance. A major function at school has been planned to honour her when she returns.

7 Quick Tips To Be More Creative

Do you think you need to be a genius, highly intelligent or exceptionally talented to be creative?

Think again.

Studies show that creativity is not dependent on intelligence and that we are all inherently creative. Each of us has the power to be more creative. It’s part of our natural make-up and the predominant way we think as children.

The reason we lose the skill as we grow up is because of the blocks we put in the way.

Think back to when you were a child. Do you remember when anything seemed possible? You could paint like Van Gogh, play soccer like Pele or sing like Madonna.

The trouble starts as you get older. You start doubting yourself, you begin listening to other people’s opinions and as a result you block your natural creativity.

You’re already capable of creative thinking, but to get out of the creativity rut you may be in, it’s important to remove the mental blocks that you’ve picked up along the way.

Here are 7 ways to unlock your natural creativity and get your creative juices flowing once again.

#1. Record Your Ideas

Get into the habit of recording your ideas whenever something comes to mind. Even if you think you will remember it, the chances are you won’t.

I have a great memory and can often recall things in vivid detail from years ago to the constant amazement of friends and family. But even I forget those amazing insights that suddenly strike when you are out walking or relaxing at home.

That’s why I now carry a small notepad with me wherever I go.

At other times I use my Iphone’s record feature or jot things down in a journal that I keep by my bedside. Choose whatever works best for you but make sure you record your ideas at all times.

You never know when an important idea will hit you.

#2. Don’t Set Limits 

Following on from the above point, it’s very important that you capture all of your ideas, even those that may seem ridiculous or impossible based on your current circumstances.

Remember, what seems impossible today may not be impossible tomorrow or for someone else.

Your job is to write down the idea and then allow it to percolate in your subconscious mind so you can attract “how” to do it. Don’t worry about finding the “how” for that will come to you.

It could well be that you need additional expertise, resources, people or events to help you take your ideas forward so don’t limit your creative thinking before you’ve even started.

#3. Change The Scenery

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjay69

Spending too much time indoors, doing the same thing over and over or hanging out with the same crowd can make us dull.

Re-energize yourself, feel happier and stimulate the creative process with a change of scene.

This might sound simple but visiting someplace new or different like a park, beach or mall can really foster new ideas and give you a creative spark.

I discovered this for myself just the other day when I met up with a friend in one of London’s most beautiful parks, Regent’s Park.

Although I only live a few miles away, I realized I hadn’t taken time out of my schedule to visit one of my favorite spots in ages.

I was instantly struck by the peace and natural beauty of the park and came home refreshed and brimming with ideas for a new creative project that I’m working on.

#4. Read Broadly 

I’ve already written about the importance of following other great blogs for your business, but when it comes to being more creative, you must be willing to read broadly and go off-topic occasionally.

It’s amazing how totally unrelated subjects can promote creative thinking. Often, what is working in one area can be applied to another market or niche.

By training your brain to make connections it normally wouldn’t make, you can find inspiration  in entirely unrelated topics. The message here is simple – broaden your reading in order to expand your mind and with it your creativity.

#5. Get Moving

Some of my best ideas have come to me while walking, running or working out in the gym.

Human beings are designed for movement and there’s nothing more creativity-zapping than sitting at a desk all day. This article in Newsweek reveals that short bursts of activity can increase your creative powers.

You can get inspired by any form of exercise – walking, dancing, mountain biking – and the resulting creative boost can last for at least two hours afterwards. Try it and see how you get on.

#6. Focus In Spurts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27862259@N02

It may surprise you to learn that you don’t need a lot of time to come up with potential ideas.

In fact, creativity and brainstorming work best when they’re done in short spurts.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus solely on idea generation. This short time span will force you to come up with dozens of ideas to address a specific issue or challenge.

Be sure to capture anything that comes to mind throughout the rest of the day as mentioned in tip #1.

I hope you can see that just a small investment in time can help you be more creative. Who knows, maybe one of these ideas could grow into something tremendous that helps others?

#7. Think Bigger

What questions are you asking to prompt your ideas?

The bigger the question, the greater the impact you could have on the world so don’t limit your thinking.

I firmly believe that there is something that only you can do on this planet. You have a unique set of experiences, knowledge and talents that could be used to help other people on a grander scale.

Follow these #7 tips and you will soon be on your way to being more creative and generating ideas that have the potential to change the world. Don’t let your previous lack of creativity keep you from developing your creative thinking skills.

Here’s a great infographic from Copyblogger with some more ideas to help you become more creative.

How to Break Out of a Creative Rut infographic by BlueGlass. 

Many great things have come from a simple idea.

Remember, the more creative you are, the more ideas you will be able to generate. You can be more creative even if you don’t think you are right now. The trick is to start.

Many of my clients were initially scared to set up an online business or even write a blog post. But after diving in they became more comfortable. They were willing to take a risk and make mistakes and as a result they now have a business they can be proud of and a whole host of new skills.

Being more creative and thinking up world-changing ideas is exactly the same. Everyone can be creative but you have to be willing to start. The creative process will then become more and more natural over time.

What About You?

What has helped you become more creative? How do you overcome your creativity blocks?  Please comment and share below.

These mesmerising illustrated GIFs will make your day

These beautifully illustrated GIFs are straight out of a fantasy fairytale.

Creativity is a chance to escape the real world; allowing you to produce your own universe of patterns, illustrations and characters, your work can help others escape the mundanity of every day life. Sparrows is one such artist that does just that, with an array of incredibly beautiful GIFs. 

"Being able to add the dimension of time to a static drawing is really satisfying and makes it feel like a little pixel snowglobe world," the artist explains. "I really loved those cinemagraphs that were big a few years back and wanted to try drawing my own.

"When you get to control every single pixel like the scary megalomaniacal god of your own little photoshop universe you're not beholden to most of the laws of physics or common sense. It's very fun." Take a look at some of our favourites below and be sure to check out the others on the sparrows website. 

                                  The artist regularly shares the GIFs on twitter

The GIFs feature a wide range of characters

The immersive environments have been a huge hit online

The fantasy aspects makes them all the more intriguing

An Ingenious Finger Biscuit That Lets You Enjoy Nutella In A Delicious New Way

Inspired by the finger-licking goodness of the universally-revered hazelnut chocolate spread, Nutella, Italian designer Paolo Ulian innovated a simple yet ingenious cookie designed to fit snugly onto your fingers, letting you enjoy your sweet treat without staining your fingers. 

The finger biscuit concept was first introduced at the Pappilan exhibition in Bolzano/Milan in 2004, before being acquired by Italian chocolate and confectionery giant, Ferrero, in 2006. 

At this point, here are no indications as to when the product will be commercially available.
Check out images of the innovative cookie below.

NIFT Entrance Exam 2016: Tips to prepare for Creative Ability Test

NIFT entrance is a national level entrance examination conducted for admissions into graduate and post graduate courses of design and is specifically designed to select candidates for various design subjects. CAT is particularly designed to assess the drawing skills, observation and visualisation abilities, along with testing the creative writing skills of the candidate and as the field of design is vague and ambiguous, it has wide range of topics and hence any topic can be asked in this test.

So, what are the do’s and don’ts for candidates who are preparing for NIFT Entrance Exam 2016. Further, in this article we will be discussing some necessary tips for organised and efficient preparation for this test.

Pre-requisite

Before starting the preparation, one must organise and cross-check all the resources, requirements, methods and plans for preparation as it is necessary to start in an organised manner, so that, one can utilize his/her time to the fullest.

Due to the distinctness in the pattern and ideology of the examination, the preparation tips are also slightly different from other examination.

Four major factors of concern which are pre-requisite for any design entrance are:

1. Relevance – Do prepare the relevant topics and subjects without any focus dilution. For example, start with the preparation for the Creative Ability test, do not jump towards the second stage (situation test) preparation in between or before CAT preparation.
2. Effectiveness- You need to spend time to enhance your creative skills. This would require sitting for prolonged hours with complete focus and concentration towards your target. Be a critique of your own work, do find errors and keep learning from your mistakes.
3. Efficiency – Make a list of your strengths and keep working on them. But give more time to the topics which are not your forte. Do not skip practicing the topics you have not done before. Keep observing and researching.
4. Sustainability – After completing a topic, do not keep it untouched for a longer time period as it may fade out from your memory which may reduce the quality of your work.  Keep revising the topics, it will be profitable in the long run. 
   
   
   

TIPS FOR CAT (Creative Ability Test)

Develop objectives and goals:

Your goal should be clear to you, so that you have confident and planned approach towards your goal. Don’t prepare to appear in the examination but set your target to qualify and get marks in the test. Develop your objectives to achieve your goal. You must be very sure about what are you preparing for. List out the topics you have to cover in order to qualify the examination. Check your strength and weakness and set objectives to improve

Prepare a methodology:

Make a draft methodology chart for your preparation, as you have to prepare for the test in stages and skipping or shuffling the stages can confuse you and may affect the quality of your work which may hinder your performance in the examination. Start with the fundamentals and basics of design.

This would keep you updated about your progress and will set a strong foundation for further stages.

Determined Approach:

 Be determined and execute your plan thoroughly and rigorously. Keep in mind, if you just make plans and do not implement them then there would not be any significant progress in your quality of work.

Observation and Application based methods:

Keep observing your surrounding and vicinity; this would help you to understand the application of the topics you are practicing, as creative test is always application based.

For example, if you are practicing line work then check for its application, look up for questions based on line exercise. The same should be done for all the topics in order to understand to reason for practicing particular topics.

Be Optimistic:

The examination is designed to evaluate drawing, visualisation, creative writing but other than this it also assesses the psychology behind your answers. Your answer will depict your psyche. One has to keep an optimistic approach by choosing positive, cheerful, confident topics, options and colour schemes.

Avoid Myths:

A common myth is that entrance exams are very tough or that the questions are complex and difficult to crack. It is just a different pattern of examination which requires different approach to understand the same subject that you have studied in school.

Time Management:  

Time management is a critical part in preparation of any exam as you have to maintain the quality of your answer and complete it in given time as well. Students should develop a habit of drawing complete answers and do it in a set timeline. So attempt the questions with such a speed that you can complete the tests within stipulated time.

No Plagiarism, No shortcuts. Avoid focus dilution:

Do not copy answers from any available resources. Avoid plagiarism, as it would damage your imagination abilities and would deplete your thoughts, ideas and observation regarding the subject and topics and you will not be able to come up with any innovative answers.

Your focus should be strong and cemented, do not get distracted from unnecessary ideas or logics which are not applicable or unpractical with respect to your preparation. Remember, there is no shortcut for developing your skills; you have to keep practicing and observing.

Never quit mid-way:

Some people are in the habit of leaving jobs half finished. Quitting is a negative habit and won’t take you far in life.

Keep revising, Keep retaining:

Here, revision refers to practicing the topics continuously as revision is always fruitful as it broadens the scope of developing innovative answers and strengthens the foundation of your preparation. Make sure that the weaker topics are revised more as they would require supplementary input.

Practice Sample Papers: 

Practice past year papers thoroughly. This will give you an idea of the type of questions that are asked in an exam.

Remove Psychological Barrier: 

Every battle is first won in the mind then on the ground. Psychological battle starts before the real battle comes in. And the greatest battle is not physical, but psychological.

So, be prepared and be confident, believe in yourself.

Phenakistiscope Disc

The precursor to animation. These carefully rendered discs of sequential drawings creates optical illusion of movement while been rotated clockwise and anti clockwise.

A Phenakistiscope disc, circa 1833 featuring metamorphosis from which the above motion was digitally reconstituted. Victorian era optical toys.

This metamorphosis sequence relies on the animation principle of "squash and stretch" for it's effect.

Google's All New Logo

The rounded sans serif letterforms continue Google's playful identity that has  been a theme of the company's logo, but the big news is the move from serif and that the lower-case 'g' used in Google's icons becomes upper-case. The colour scheme remains the same instantly-recognisable combination and while the redesign could never be described as radical it is a significant transformation while retaining the key brand identifiers.

An announcement on the Google blog says: "Today we're introducing a new logo and identity family that reflects this reality and shows you when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens. As you'll see, we've taken the Google logo and branding, which were originally built for a single desktop browser page, and updated them for a world of seamless computing across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk).

"It doesn't simply tell you that you're using Google, but also shows you how Google is working for you. For example, new elements like a colorful Google mic help you identify and interact with Google whether you’re talking, tapping or typing. Meanwhile, we’re bidding adieu to the little blue 'g' icon and replacing it with a four-color 'G' that matches the logo."