Final Skateboard Design Blog Post

My skateboard design evolved from a simple Frank Lloyd Wright inspired design to the final three large designs I created on the large paper. The first design I created was very similar to my original thumbnail sketch. I mixed an orange colour for the triangles, and used black and blue from the original container. I wanted to create a straight line of triangles, but it didn’t turn out, so I worked around it. The design is mainly composed of thin and thick lines, triangles, and circles. I find that my eyes move along the line of triangles and the focal point is the area between the three thin lines.

My second design was created when I was working with a blue stripe down the centre. I wanted to create a surfboard-style design because the shapes of our skateboards are similar to the shape of surfboards. I mixed the blue of the stripe to match the blue of the deep ocean. After applying the lines, I mixed a sky blue colour and placed small circles on the design in a zigzag pattern. The focal point is the bottom of the board with the crescent moon and the lines and dots move your eye to that place.

In my last design I wanted to make a repeating pattern of blue and orange circles. Originally, I intended the pattern to follow a straight line, but in the middle of painting it, I decided to curve the line. After the paint dried, I placed a smaller circle that was the opposite colour in each larger circle. The focal point of this image is the place where the line curves, and your eye moves along the line. I find that this design creates the most unified composition, and I find that my first design is the least unified.

After spending a few days deciding which design to apply to my board, I eventually chose my second design. I started by taping and painting the red and blue lines. Then, I stenciled on the blue circles using tape to measure the distance between them. When I removed the tape around the edge, I found that the paint bled in some places. I tried to remedy the bleeding by applying orange paint on the sides. However, this did not cover the spots completely, so I added a layer of white paint, followed by the orange paint, and that combination worked. Then I sanded some areas to remove the white and orange paint that bled on the front of the skateboard.

I am pleased with the way that the board turned out. I feel that the design I chose was the most appropriate for the skateboard because it had a good contrast of colours and design while still leaving some of the board exposed. I though that my first design was too busy and my third design too bare.