Foundation Project - Diorama - (Week Two)

For the second week, I created the initial sketches of my main idea for the diorama. Using the pictures I'd taken at the Sheffield Peace Gardens and added in a few ideas of my own to bring the piece together and add an overall narrative to the visuals. 

The Full Sketch

The elements and how they correspond to the ICA:

The Plinth

For the plinth, I opted for a floating island with a winding cobblestone path going around the side to the bottom. By making it a floating island, I decided it added to the isolation of the rest of the scene - making it either idyllic or lonely to the viewer depending on the context and whether a person was viewing it during the night or during the day.

The Architecture

For the architectural part of the diorama, I added a gazebo to the far side of the island, nestled between the rocks framing the area. The gazebo adds to the romantic side of the scene and helps bolster the overall narrative. 

The Tree

For the tree part of the ICA, I added a type of tree I saw and pictured in Sheffield. It's gnarled and bare of leaves but throughout the branches, there are fairy lights hanging. I felt this kind of tree worked the best with the design as its look is a juxtaposition. The twisted, barren look adds to the idea of loneliness but the fairy lights add a whimsical and romantic side.

The Rocks

To check the 'rock' part of the brief off of the list, I added rocks to the sides of the island, excluding the way in and out. Not only did it fit with the design but it also kept the scene contained.

The Plants

For plants, I added rough sketches of the red flowers I saw and pictured in Sheffield along with the unique waterfalls that were also found there. 

The Overall Narrative

For this scene, as I was sketching the design I came up with the idea of adding a narrative to it that a person could figure out from the visuals. The design itself is a mix of romance and the idea of loneliness but I also added in a few points of interest. On the cobblestone path, a few feet from the gazebo, is a black box lying on the ground with an engagement ring lying next to it. Beside them is a bouquet of muddy, trodden-on roses. With these elements added to the rest of the scene, I'm hoping to give the idea of an engagement gone wrong. 

Once the diorama is viewed in sketchfab, anyone looking at it will see the scene as a whole when they're zoomed out, but if they zoom in closer, they'll be able to see the smaller details of the story.