Design Principle - Final Project

26/6/2019 - 10/7/2019 (Week 13 - 15)
Chan Qian Hui 0334447
Design Principle - Final Project

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FINAL PROJECT - BILLBOARD DESIGN

For our final project, we were required to design a billboard. It could be any message and we have the freedom to use any medium we like to design our billboard. We were tasked to observe the billboards around us.

Billboards Research 

I went around Taylor's campus and saw a few advertisements.

Fig 1.0 Billboard 1

Fig 1.1 Billboard 2

Fig 1.2 Billboard 3

Fig 1.3 Billboard 4

From I can observe, most of the advertisements are about food and it really appeal to Malaysian's since we have a really diverse culture such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Baba Nyonya and thus we get the opportunity to enjoy various kind of foods. 

Thus for this project, I wanted to use "Malaysian Food Culture" as the theme for my billboard. I wanted to show the harmony yet diverse culture and food of Malaysia through my billboard.

Research :

I made a few research about Malaysian food culture online to know more about the food of Malaysia.

Fig 2.0 Research picture 1

Fig 2.1 Research picture 2

Fig 2.2 Research picture 3

After looking at the pictures, I really liked the concept of putting foods from different culture on the same table and having everyone to share the food together. It really shows the uniqueness of Malaysian culture where we live together in harmony despite our cultural backgrounds.

Work Progress :

I wanted to create a watercolour artwork because I find watercolour to blend well which each other since it is fluid. Besides that, it is a more traditional method compared to digital art. I find that it suits well with the concept of Malaysian Food Culture since it is about traditions and harmony.

I also used the top perspective to have a clearer view of the foods and hands.

Fig 3.0 Sketching process of artwork

Fig 3.1 Water colour process of artwork

Final Artwork :

Fig 3.2 Final Artwork

Analysis of my artwork :

Assorted Desserts :
Malaysia is famous for our kuih (bite-sized cake) from different cultures of Malaysia. In my artwork, I included :

• Kuih Talam (green and white) a gelatinous cake made with Green Pandan and Coconut cream which represents Baba Nyonya culture
• Karipap (light brown) a savoury fried pastry with curry potato filling which represents Malay culture
• Egg Tart (yellow and brown) a custard tart which represents Chinese culture
• Medu Vada (donut) fritter made from Vigna mungo in donut shape which represents Indian culture 

Fig 4.0 Assorted desserts of artwork

Reference from actual food :

Fig 4.1 reference photo

Dipping sauces :

Malaysia is also famous for our obsession with sauces from savoury like curry, sambal to sweet like kaya, coconut cream. Thus, I included 2 famous sauces, sambal and kaya. 

The red one is sambal, a spicy yet sweet chili paste which matches with all kind of kind of foods. It is made from a variety of chili peppers with secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice.

The green one is kaya (Malaysian coconut egg jam), a sweet jam typically used in desserts or spread on toast with butter. It is made with coconut milk and eggs.

Fig 4.2 Dipping sauces of artwork

Reference from actual food :

Fig 4.3 reference photo

Famous night market food :

I wanted to bring in one of Malaysia's popular night market food, satay as it is famous as a sharing food and commonly found in Malaysia night markets. It is a marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a spicy peanut sauce. Malaysians also eat it satay with cucumber and compressed rice.

Fig 4.4 Satay artwork

Reference from actual food :

Fig 4.5 reference photo

Main Dishes : 

For the main dish on the table, I wanted to combine 1 famous food from each Malay, Chinese and Indian culture. Thus I chose Nasi Lemak, Hainan Chicken, Roti Canai and Dhal. 

• Nasi Lemak (rice on left) Malay fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is typically served with sambal sauce, boiled egg, fried anchovies and peanut and cucumber. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish.
• Hainan Chicken (chicken on top right) Chinese poached chicken with a salty soy sauce based sauce. It is typically eaten with oil rice and a chili dipping sauce. 
• Roti Canai and Dhal (bottom right) Indian flatbread which is typically eaten with Dhal, a a mildly spicy yet rich curry made from lentils, tomatoes, chilies, and spices.

Fig 4.6 Main dishes artwork

 Reference from actual food :

Fig 4.7 reference photo

Coconut Drink :

In a tropical country like Malaysia, coconut drink is a big favourite. Malaysians love drinking from a fresh coconut and it is refreshing which also beats the terrible heat of Malaysia weather. Thus, I included a coconut drink in my artwork.

Fig 4.8 coconut drink artwork

Reference from actual drink :

Fig 4.9 reference photo

Banana Leaf Rice :

One of the most unique Malaysian food is the Indian Banana Leaf Rice. In banana leaf meals, white rice is served on a banana leaf with an assortment of vegetables, pickles, appalam and other regional condiments (usually sour, salty or spicy). 

I really love this dish because the most authentic way to eat it is using our own hands. Malaysians such as Malays and Indian enjoy indulging our food with bare hands which I think makes our culture really special and it has a sense of home to it. 

Besides that, the huge variety of side dishes which goes with this dish also shows the huge diversity of Malaysian culture which blends together in one dish.

Fig 4.10 Banana leaf rice artwork

Reference from actual food :

Fig 4.11 reference photo

Chinese Tea :

Other than coconut drink, I personally love the concept of chinese tea as well. Chinese tea is typically drank during gatherings as the tea comes in a huge tea pot and it is poured into individual tea cups. The chinese tea concept is a representation of tradition and sharing as it has been around for ages and it is drank with a huge bunch of people.

Fig 4.12 Chinese tea artwork

Reference from actual drink :

Fig 4.13 reference photo

Chinese ceramic plate :

Traditional ceramic plates and chopsticks are commonly found in chinese restaurant and chinese households. These plates have a unique pattern around the plate and usually has letters on the plate which symbolizes longevity and wealth. 

I also added chopsticks which are part of chinese culture and these spoons which are deep at the center also commonly used by the Chinese to drink soup. 

Fig 4.14 Plate, chopstick and spoon artwork

Reference from actual photos :

Fig 4.15 reference photos

Details of accessories and hands :

I used different tone of brown for different hands in the artwork which represents the colour of different culture. I also added different accessories, some traditional and some modern like watches to show the mixture of new and old in different culture of Malaysia.

Bangles :

Bangles are traditionally rigid bracelets which are usually made of metal, wood, glass, lac or nowadays plastic. They are traditional ornaments worn mostly by Indian women. While different colour of bangles symbolizes different things, gold bangles symbolize fortune and prosperity.

Fig 4.16 Hand with bangles artwork

Reference from actual photo :

Fig 4.17 reference photo

Malaysian Batik :

Batik refers to the process of dyeing fabric by making use of a resist technique-covering areas of cloth with a dye-resistant substance, wax, to prevent them absorbing colours. 

It is a popular fabric used in traditional Malay clothes. The wax is gold in colour and it is also famous for it's flower and spiral patterns.

Fig 4.18 hand with Batik artwork

Reference from actual photo :

Fig 4.19 reference photo

Jade Bracelet :

Malaysian Chinese elderly are often found wearing a jade bracelet (top arm). Jade is a popular mineral used for accessories in China. It is famous for it's beautiful rich green colour. It symbolizes purity and it also has a healing feeling to it. Thus I included it in the artwork to show the beliefs of Chinese culture.

In contrast of the traditional bracelet, the bottom is a hand wearing a modern watch. This shows the different generation differences through the accessories they wear.

Fig 4.20 hand with jade bracelet (top) and hand with modern watch (bottom)

Reference from actual photo :

Fig 4.21 reference photo

Besides that, the background of the artwork is actually a wooden floor, which is commonly found in traditional Malaysian houses. This enriches the traditional culture of Malaysia and gives a home feel to it as well.

A few design principles which I included in the artwork are :

1. Hierarchy : The main dish has the largest plate and it is placed directly at the center, this attracts more attention compared to the other elements in the artwork.
2. Contrast : each of the colour of the food contrasts with the plate, if the food colour is darker, the plate colour is lighter. For example, the satay is dark brown but the plate is light yellow to contrast the dark colour of the satay.
3. Repetition : The repetition is found in a few elements such as the gold bangles and the satay where the same item are repeated.