Two-Point Perspective
Inspiration
I was inspired by mediterranean architecture especially because of the strong red color of the roof tiles and the way the homes resemble Spanish architecture brought to Mexico from Spain. The key elements of mediterranean architecture are red tiles, stucco walls, arches, and ornamental detail. The red tiles copy those of Spanish and Mexican missions made of clay pots and bricks. They are shaped like a half of a tube to shed water easily. The purpose of the tiles was help keep air cool and to keep the building fireproof. The stucco walls are exterior cement plaster wall covering usually a mix of sand, Portland cement, lime, and water. However, it may also consist of a propriety mix of additives including fibers and synthetic acrylics that add strength and flexibility. The purpose was to protect the exterior wall surfaces from rain, sunlight, and hot temperatures.
|
The arches have roman influences and are a self-supporting element. Each stone next to the keystone in the arch atop the side columns distributes weight to the sides and downward which achieve their purpose of allowing the building a lighter weight and sturdier walls by distributing the weight. The ornamental detail usually features flourishes ranging from large, and heavy wooden doors with ornate carvings beneficial to the use of multicolored tiles for the risers of the staircases. This ornamental detail brought back italian renaissance architecture as well as baroque styles. A great example of this that I intend to use is Rudolph Valentino's Falcon Lair which was built in 1925. I will use this building as my main source of inspiration for my design.
|
I intend to have the same sort of L shaped structure however, so there may be a better use of space in the interior of the building, I intend to make the connecting part of the building the entrance. I also intend to use a to have the same style of environmental layout although the trees and bushes will be farther away from the building to give it more space. The color palette of the building would also be intended to be similar with lots of warm colors. The value of the structure would also be similar since I intend to have the building seem as if light were hitting it on the side. I also plan on incorporating all the elements of mediterranian architecture on to my piece since the purpose of my piece is to show the Spanish influences in the United States.
Planning
The next sketch I did related to the roof since it was the item I was having the most trouble with at first. I wanted to have a roof that looked accurate but also stayed true to how red tiles look on the falcon lair since I was using it as a reference for how a building with mediterranian architecture influences looks. I experimented with the way the tiles faced as well as with how they stuck out when the roof ended. I decided that having the tiles fave towards the inside of the roof would look better and having them face towards the inside would make them stay true to what they really look like in buildings of mediterranean influence.
|
For my first sketch, I decided to make a general outline of the building so I would have a better idea of how to manipulate the lines to my benefit while incorporating the ornamental detail on the sides of the building since they would have to be slanted while staying true to the reference points off the paper. I used the skills I have previously used regarding two-point perspective and applied them to my building. I also worked on windows and experimented with them as to what style I wanted the windows to be in so they would reflect mediterranian architecture while still allowing me to personalize the building.
|
The last sketch I did pertained more as to how I wanted to detail the building with the ornamental designs that are key to having the building appear of mediterranean influence. I practiced making a shadow on the window and with an eraser I went over the shadow to make it look as though light were hitting the glass from the side. I also practices with ornamental design although I will probably leave the windows with a simplistic design and focus the ornamental details on the railings, doors, and maybe some ornamental carvings on the walls of the building to give more complexity to the simplistic design.
|
Process
The first thing I did to prepare the paper was cut a piece of paper in half to tape to the sides. This paper served as the extension of the paper where I would place the vanishing points so that the paper would not have them. I used a t-square to make sure the line was parallel to the paper so the building would turn out straight on the paper. Then, I sketched in the outline for the piece making a big cuboid with a connecting cube directly to the side so they would connect. The connecting cube would serve as the entrance to the museum where guests would check in before entering the main building. The museum, however, is meant to still look like a home to give guests more comfort when entering the building.
|
|
|
The next thing I worked on were the windows, I placed various round top windows on the front and sides of the building including the entrance. The windows were meant to be big in size to make up for the lack of individual panels of windows on the buildings since I wanted to have more ornamental railings especially in the entrance. I then worked on the roof since I wanted to have the main outline of the building set before getting into more detailed work in the building. I used a technique I developed that involved drawing the cuboid I had previously done along with the edges that would not be found from that angle for the purpose of finding the center of the building. After that the sides should be connected so that there is an X on the paper. The center is where the sides connect and therefore that would be the middle of the building. After that a line should be drawn perpendicularly to the middle so it is vertical on the paper. The height of the roof should be chosen so that all visible corners of the building should be connected to the top of the previously drawn line. I did this for both cuboids so that each one would have a separate roof.
|
After the general outline was complete I made a railing on each side of the entrance with the ornamental style typical of mediterranean architecture. I made two lines on both sides to outline the railings and then proceeded to draw the railings, freehanding the decorative ornaments on them. I attempted to make cartouche and nondirectional style designs on the railings. I also added more windows, again, making them round top windows and adding more ornamental detail to them while still keeping the design simplistic. In order to do this I thickened the frame and depth of the windows so that they would look as if they were sinking into the building. I also added moire designs to the border of the windows to keep the simplistic style and add more detailed design.
|
|
|
The last thing I did was add an environment to the paper as well as begin to detail the shading. First, I added a road in front of the building, making sure to leave enough room for a sidewalk. I made the road appear to be like city roads rather than a dirt road like the one in my inspiration. Since the building is a museum I wanted it to have a more professionalized atmosphere. I also added a tree and a couple of bushes in the background and foreground. To make the building look more detailed I added shading on the windows and on the walls to show they are stucco walls. I also added shading to the windows to show the reflection of light similar to the shading I made in the trees to be consistent.
|
Reflection
When comparing my inspiration to my piece, my piece had a more urban feeling since it is meant to be in the city. My building is meant to be a museum of the Mexican-American war so it should be in an urban place while the Falcon Lair was meant to be more of a getaway home for Rudolph Valentino and his wife Natacha prior to their divorce. The use of space in my piece is similar to the one in the falcon lair when it comes to the space on land however when it comes to layout, especially interior layout, the use of space varies since the Falcon lair was meant to be a home. This also effects the environment since the Falcon Lair had a fence while my Museum is an open area to look more welcoming to guests. When compared to the inspiration regarding form the Falcon Lair has a more open space area whereas my Museum has less visible open space on the outside. I did attempt to compensate for that by adding that space towards the back of the building, however, providing more visibility like the sketch of the Falcon Lair does would have been nice for a court yard of some sort. They both show important elements of this architectural style with the red tiles and stucco walls being the most prominent elements. One thing I could have done better was drawing in the roof before drawing in the windows. Since I drew the windows first I was not able to have as much symmetry in the windows as I would have liked. Looking back, I also don't have as much room for outdoor activity as I would like. Although I did attempt to make up for it by putting in towards the back of the building, being able to provide more vision of the back area would have been nice to be able to get a better idea of the atmosphere the building provides by just looking at the sketch.
Connections to ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The cause effect relationship was that my inspiration for my building had a general shape that I used as reference for mine since I liked the idea of a separate space for an entrance. I also used the elements of mediterranean architecture in the Falcon Lair as inspiration for the elements I incorporated into my work.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach I had to the topic was first researching the movement since I didn't know much about architecture at first so I wanted to know what some of the elements of architecture were to be able to do the movement I chose justice regarding identifiable elements of the movement.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I originally thought architecture of Spanish influence would not reach into the US, however, I found out that it reached places that were originally part of Mexico prior to the Mexican Cession which explains the quantity of them in California, Arizona, act.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to show how Spanish influences reach other parts of the world so I tried to find architecture movements with Spanish influences that reached the US. The central theme around my piece is the extent of Spanish influence in the country in contrast with the lack of appreciation for the influences through the lack of education on historical interactions between the US and Latin America such as the Mexican-Cession in contrast with education on American interactions where the US seems to have the moral high ground.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inferences I made pertained to the function of the elements of the homes since I hypothesized their purposes would be tailored to warmer climates which would explain the lack of buildings with those types of influences in states with colder climates such as Wisconsin.
The cause effect relationship was that my inspiration for my building had a general shape that I used as reference for mine since I liked the idea of a separate space for an entrance. I also used the elements of mediterranean architecture in the Falcon Lair as inspiration for the elements I incorporated into my work.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach I had to the topic was first researching the movement since I didn't know much about architecture at first so I wanted to know what some of the elements of architecture were to be able to do the movement I chose justice regarding identifiable elements of the movement.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I originally thought architecture of Spanish influence would not reach into the US, however, I found out that it reached places that were originally part of Mexico prior to the Mexican Cession which explains the quantity of them in California, Arizona, act.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to show how Spanish influences reach other parts of the world so I tried to find architecture movements with Spanish influences that reached the US. The central theme around my piece is the extent of Spanish influence in the country in contrast with the lack of appreciation for the influences through the lack of education on historical interactions between the US and Latin America such as the Mexican-Cession in contrast with education on American interactions where the US seems to have the moral high ground.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inferences I made pertained to the function of the elements of the homes since I hypothesized their purposes would be tailored to warmer climates which would explain the lack of buildings with those types of influences in states with colder climates such as Wisconsin.
Bibliography
Dodman, Clara. “Traditional Styles of Mexican Homes | Hunker.” Hunker.com, Hunker, 17 July 2017, www.hunker.com/13412595/traditional-styles-of-mexican-homes.
Eng, Dinah. “Mediterranean Architecture.” HGTV, HGTV, 27 Apr. 2015, www.hgtv.com/design/home-styles/mediterranean
architecture-.
Randel, Steven. “Roots of Style: Many Cultures Make Their Marks on Mediterranean Design.” Houzz, Houzz, 28 June 2013, www.houzz.com/ideabooks/12370818/list/roots-of-style-many-cultures-make-their-marks-on-mediterranean-design.
Eng, Dinah. “Mediterranean Architecture.” HGTV, HGTV, 27 Apr. 2015, www.hgtv.com/design/home-styles/mediterranean
architecture-.
Randel, Steven. “Roots of Style: Many Cultures Make Their Marks on Mediterranean Design.” Houzz, Houzz, 28 June 2013, www.houzz.com/ideabooks/12370818/list/roots-of-style-many-cultures-make-their-marks-on-mediterranean-design.