Sketch 2: Week 1

In the antiportrait sketch, I started with the idea of using type as a portrait.

I worked from a simple photo of my face and altered it to match type stylistically. I first grayscaled the image and increased the contrast so that the image would match type in color. In Photoshop, I eliminated much detail so that each element of the face (eyes, nose, etc.) appeared simple in form yet still represented a part of the face, acting as a symbol (similar to the way that letters act as symbols).

I then experimented with interchanging the facial elements with various type characters, seeing which characters were similar in shape to the facial elements. I wanted the interchange of these characters to simplify the facial elements further, abstracting them, and transforming them into something different--type.

For the interactivity, I turned each facial element into a button that would reveal a matching character during rollover. I also wanted to include the entire transformation of the face into characters--so clicking on the face will cause the entire face to transform.

I'm not quite sure yet how the sketch will change for week two, but I may use some of these ideas: adding more type into the interactivity, involving the keyboard (accessing characters by pressing keys), giving the viewer the capability of assembling the characters and face.

Here is the current form of the antiportrait.