How do you make creations aesthetically pleasing?
I want to take things I've built and make them look less like "Blade Runner" props and more mainstream-aesthetically-pleasing. Can anyone recommend books, best practices, etc. to help me do this?
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Answer it!
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- When making something for the first time, make a practice piece and then look at the finished project to see what you would have/could have/wish you had done to make it look better. Then do all those things when you make the "real" one.
- Fiigure out what parts of whatever you're making will show when you're done. The parts that don't show are irrelevant to the aesthetics.
- As much as possible, embellishments/coverings/decor should be added after all the "guts" of the thing have been put together and shown to be working as they should.
- Try to make the parts of the thing that will show out of the same or similar materials. Make these materials that you like and that you think look nice (wood = nice, plain white styrofoam = not-so-nice).
- Not-so-nice looking materials can be painted or covered with paper, fabric, contact paper, your favorite color of duct tape, etc.
- Use colors that you like for the parts that will show (most shades of blue = nice, faded avocado green = (IMHO) not-so nice).
- A classic design principle is to shape things so the their visual proportions = 3:5 (or 5:8, which is very close to the same number). Things with this proportion just tend to look good. So for a message board, you might make it 3*5 = 15" high by 5*5 = 25" wide. For a box, you might make it 8" wide x 5" deep x 3" high.
- Use symmetry. The human eye tends to like symmetrical-looking things.
- Or balance. If you've got one big thing on one side, several smaller things in similar colors and shapes on the other side can help everything look visually balanced without looking too ridgidly symmetric.
- If you're trying to do a "scattering" of similar shapes or motifs (stars or flowers or something), they'll look better and more pleasingly scattered if you use an odd number of them. (Dunno why, they just do.)
These are a few things off the top of my head. For more, follow Catlinsdads' very good advice. :)
- Fiigure out what parts of whatever you're making will show when you're done. The parts that don't show are irrelevant to the aesthetics.
- As much as possible, embellishments/coverings/decor should be added after all the "guts" of the thing have been put together and shown to be working as they should.
- Try to make the parts of the thing that will show out of the same or similar materials. Make these materials that you like and that you think look nice (wood = nice, plain white styrofoam = not-so-nice).
- Not-so-nice looking materials can be painted or covered with paper, fabric, contact paper, your favorite color of duct tape, etc.
- Use colors that you like for the parts that will show (most shades of blue = nice, faded avocado green = (IMHO) not-so nice).
- A classic design principle is to shape things so the their visual proportions = 3:5 (or 5:8, which is very close to the same number). Things with this proportion just tend to look good. So for a message board, you might make it 3*5 = 15" high by 5*5 = 25" wide. For a box, you might make it 8" wide x 5" deep x 3" high.
- Use symmetry. The human eye tends to like symmetrical-looking things.
- Or balance. If you've got one big thing on one side, several smaller things in similar colors and shapes on the other side can help everything look visually balanced without looking too ridgidly symmetric.
- If you're trying to do a "scattering" of similar shapes or motifs (stars or flowers or something), they'll look better and more pleasingly scattered if you use an odd number of them. (Dunno why, they just do.)
These are a few things off the top of my head. For more, follow Catlinsdads' very good advice. :)
You may want to start out with some basic books on art appreciation or design, whether it be architecture or maybe product design. Learn about color, use of color and how they relate. What makes color or absence of color interesting. Learn about form and function. Learn about shapes, balance, and placement Learn to sketch or doodle your ideas and refinement of your design. Pick and research artists or designers that appeal to you. What is it that their stuff is so good? Try to emulate their style. Figure out what your style is. Research the genre or style that you want to make stuff in. Take something and add your own tweaks to the design. Make it. Get critiqued by others and learn. See what people like or do not like and why. Ask questions. Good luck.
Feb 28, 2009. 3:16 PM11010010110
says:
make the parts more precisely and design their shapes and configuration better that will make them look like more advanced diy but blade runner is cool !
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