BAUCIS.

The Art Of

By Jasmine Masters.
 Introduction.
For this project entailing the theme of environment, the brief criteria consisted of creating three
digital concept arts based on one of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities from the extracts provided.
Calvino was a contemporary Italian writer, best known for his short stories and novels. One of these
fantastical works being Invisible Cities (Le città invisibili) novel published in 1972 by Giulio Einaudi
Editore. Set in the time of the Mongol Empire, Calvino describes a variety of cities through the eyes
of a Venetian merchant Marco Polo who retells his travels to far and distant lands to Kublai khan.

From looking at the range of city extracts from Calvino's Invisible Cities, I have chosen to dwell into
the world of Baucis; with its high rising stilts, seemingly scenic landscapes and the hypothesis "that
they [the people] love it [the earth] as it was before they existed”.

Within my thumbnails I looked to explore a futuristic city with the aid of modern architecture
brought into the designs to give at a fresh feel for the viewer. With this in mind, I took inspiration
from brutalism and post-modern architecture for their outgoing shapes to push the way materials are
used and for the capacity to house large community's. In this city of Baucis one of the hypothesis was
that ‘they love’ the earth 'before they existed’ so they‘examine’it with‘telescopes’to see what
their‘absence’has allowed to grow. To convey this aspect I looked to incorporate the idea of telescopes
and spyglasses into the city's infrastructure as a key point to revolve around so that they can admire
the earth; for these structures I looked into the idea of using observatory towers to be dotted
throughout the city so then there is always some sort of outpost for citizens to go a watch over the
earth.

I chose this city because I found its hidden message to be beautiful; this being that the world we live
has been allowed to grow and prosper without human inhabitation, meaning the growth of the earth
hasn't been cut back to make room for humanisation and industrialism to then pollute the earth. In
contrast to todays society where people just take and take and not think of the negative consciences of
their actions on the environment around them; this being a prime example in todays modern age we
should be looking to conserve more and reduce the amount of waste and pollution we force upon the
earth.
 Exterior Influence Map.
BAUCIS.

To support the art style of the city of Baucis, I

looked into a variety of different post-modern
architects that embody the need for capacity
within a city. Through this research I came
across Norman Foster, Santiago Calatrava, Frank
Gehry and Zaha Hadid and concept artist Tyler
Edlin. Whose styles all vary in character, form,
dimension and style giving the impression that
the structures are a living breathing device used
by communities for various reasons, occasions
and events. With this in mind I wanted the
Baucis concept designs to express a sort of
versatility for the community that resides in the
city, as well as give off a sort of elegance and grace
when viewed by the perceiver.
Interior and Low
Angle Influence
Map.
BAUCIS.
Initial Thumbnails.
Establishing and Low Angle Establishing Shots - Development.
 Digital Thumbnails - Colour Complications.

Low Angle Establishing Shots Establishing Shots Establishing

Interior Establishing Shots - Development. Digital Thumbnail - Colour Complications.
Interior Establishing Shot.
Exterior Establishing Shot – Build up.
Exterior Establishing Shot:
Exterior Low Angle Establishing Shot – Build up.
Exterior Low Angle Shot
Interior Establishing Shot – Build up.
Interior Establishing Shot.
3 Final Concept Designs Together.
 Reflective Statement.
Throughout the Invisible Cities Project, I have found out, developed and broadened my understanding of setting the scene for
events that take place; ensuring that the themes within the written extract are conveyed and pushed to the furthest it can go.
With this in mind, I tried to illustrate my chosen city – Baucis – in a way that could best show the aesthetics to a unassuming
viewer and inform them of what the city is about without having to provide the written text. In this case I went with the idea of
“they love it [the earth] as it was before they existed … with spyglasses and telescopes aimed downward they never tire of
examining it.” with this as a key focus, I revolved the day-to-day life in Baucis to be around observation of the ground below;
creating outposts and viewing stations for in which citizens can go to overlook the land below.

Within this project I found my understanding of perspective to strengthen, however with this there is always room for
improvement to ensure that the correct angles and view points aren’t skewed to the viewer. I also found the way in which I
digitally paint has broaden as I tend to keep everything very solid within its own shape, although traces of this can be seen in
the final concept designs I have tried to be more loose with the pen stokes in the designs. To push this project further I would
look into refining details in the architecture so that they don’t appear so flat; this possibly by adding a circuit broad feel to the
buildings to give the impression that the city is connected and integrated into a bigger system, this then giving a high-tech
advanced society impression to the viewer.

Overall, I found developing what the city may look like and its different functions to be one of the most interesting parts of the
concept designing process and it allowed me to experiment with different compositions revolving around one theme –
observation of the earth – and see what works and what doesn’t for a futuristic high-tech society, keeping the humanisation
and industrialism above and away from the ground so that it remains “as it was before they [we] existed”.