As the first project, we were faced with the challenge of finding the "perfect" croissant, setting up a photo-stage and creating an illustrated representation using drawing techniques. The technical aspects of this project covered orthographic and axonometric projections, which included plans, sections and elevations. These were used as representational devices for our croissant. A lot of the tasks were dependent on the initial stages of the project, like taking precise measurements and capturing photographs in the correct perspective. These were challenging aspects of the project and required constant refinement and revision. This close dissection of the croissant has helped with identifying the subtle complexities of objects, which is a valuable skill for future projects. Additionally, using drawing techniques like hatching and tonal variation has enabled me to improve on my drawing skills and it has pushed myself further by taking into consideration the effect of positive and negative space.
The process of photographing the croissant involved creating a photo-stage. This proved to be a difficult process as a lot of the initial setup heavily influenced the latter steps of the project. I utilized a white cloth that I curved against my wall and desk to create a seamless backdrop. I experimented with lighting by initially using natural sunlight, then tried with lamps before finally settling on two torches, positioned at certain angles to minimise shadow and provide an even exposure of the croissant. Once I was happy with the setup I began photographing the subject in its elevations and section cuts.
Overall, this task taught me the importance of setting up a photo-stage correctly and photographing parts as accurately as possible.This stage also required me to capture precise measurements of the croissant. As its geometry is not as simple as a prism, judging which points to measure from was largely subjective but it was important these were maintained when using them for later stages. Issues with measurements became truly apparent during the axonometric process as it bought in more perspective to the croissant. This was amended for but could have been avoided. Hence its important to get those foundational stages accurate to prevent issues from arising later on.
This section involved representing the photographs by hand using drawing techniques. As my photographs were quite high contrast and bright it helped to accentuate key qualities especially in my top view. For the top view I chose to let the negative space imply the brightness of areas where the highlights blended with the page. A lot of detail went into creating the poché as the section cuts are needed to be precise in order capture the inner workings of the croissant.
This axonometric projection showcases a clear dissection of the croissant. Lining up the section cuts with the top view was a complex process and here adjustments had to be made as measurements seemed to be offset. To create a reference image for the axonometric render I used my existing photographs and blended different perspectives together to create a more accurate depiction. This decision proved to be beneficial in getting a seamless visual understanding of the drawing.