One thing to take forward from 504:
Take forward the importance of research. I devoted a lot of time to research in 504 and it enriched my work. Grounded in facts, learning about and investigating themes made me passionate and gave me more ideas.
One way I want to push out of my comfort zone in 505:
Ben said that in 504 I proved that I can do both - draw and make things... so since it's drawing that I have been running away from (the very thing I can to this course to do), I want to push my drawing in this module. DRAW EVERY DAY, draw and make pictures.
Also want to conduct myself professionally and make my own decisions. Having such a broad brief to begin with always daunts me (AND THIS IS THE BROADEST BRIEF YET!) and I am terrified of making the wrong choice but I am going to be an adult this module and make all of the decisions myself. Be bold and confident. Jump into the abyss.
One thing I want to accomplish by May:
I want to have proposed, planned and produced at least 6 illustrations for a children's book. Have something professional and self-initiated to put in my portfolio. To have explored a theme/topic that I am passionate about. To have told a story.
Character and Narrative v.s. Children's Publishing
Initially overwhelmed and stuck between these two categories. I think I am both, and that I pursue both in my work. I sat down with character and narrative but the majority of the table were interested in comics and graphic novels (which I am not) and I felt that although everything they were discussing was still concerning storytelling and world building (which I am interested in), it is very specifically the children's book context that my work sits within.
Yes, I want to tell stories and develop characters (and possibly explore 3D design for stop motion), this again would be for children so I decided to move over to children's publishing.
Aims
Storytelling
I want to produce a book - this is something I've always enjoyed and have been avoiding since starting this course because I have been scared of the competition/standard of my peers.
Even with my obsession with puppets/3D it's about telling stories for children.
I intend to visualise a world and characters within it - Teresa said that we won't have time to write our own stories, but that finding stories in the public domain is easy and will save time.
Be charming
Be inventive
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Monday, 30 January 2017
The Series So Far
Tried adding illustrated details around the outside but made the images so busy. Much better without... Retake the witch photo in similar outdoor location to match the other two?
NEW COMPETITION - MOVING PARTS ANIMATION
The perfect competition BUT IS IT TOO LATE?
505 starts tomorrow and I won't have much time... BUT THIS IS THE MOST RELEVANT AND EXCITING BRIEF I HAVE COME ACROSS. IT HAS TO HAPPEN.
Sunday, 29 January 2017
Series
The witch is wrong, the photo is badly composed and lit. Take it out into a similar setting to the other two images.
Friday, 27 January 2017
Grand High Witch
Grand High Witch puppet coming together! Background is too similar to the skin tone. Puppet is also too close to the background so there isn't enough depth. Happy with her facial expression, hands and outfit but it's the mouse/background I'm not sure about.
THE BRIEF SAID THAT ALL THREE IMAGES NEED TO WORK AS A SERIES so I need to find a way to make all three scenes work together - perhaps some kind of illustrated leaves/foliage/border around them? They're all using the same processes (props/puppets/style) but they need to tie together and seem as though they have a purpose and context. Right now they're separate in terms of colour palette and content (three different stories) so there needs to be one thread that runs through all three.
I was struggling to get the GHW's scalp to look gross and sore, it looked too shiny with latex and any distress I added just made the puppet look shoddily made. The texture on the head in the image above is added digitally with photoshop but I'm worried that this takes away from the handmade aesthetic of the puppet.
I think the GHW is definitely inspired by both the film adaptation and Roald Dahl's original book, but it's obviously my interpretation and not a direct copy. It's a medium that's not been used to create this character before and I think my process is quite unexpected - most people will create a drawing and not physically sew the costume/sculpt her bald scalp.
The brief suggested not to play it safe so I am wondering if I can make this MORE gross/scary...
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Bigger Peach
An even BIGGER peach, much better size for the puppet.
Bad photo lighting, taken at home but when I take the final photo I was planning on setting it up outside so that it would be in a garden/natural setting. Need to see how it looks outside/how to take photos in natural light.
Friday, 20 January 2017
The Giant Peach
Made a quick peach in the studio so that I could take it to the photo induction and see how it photographs. It needs to be bigger so that it's in proportion to be GIANT next to the James puppet I'm working on.
To Improve:
Make it bigger
More fuzz texture
A hole inside?
Photo Lighting Induction
REFRESHING MY KNOWLEDGE OF STUDIO PHOTO LIGHTING
I've done this workshop twice before (once on foundation, once in first year), but I do feel like I need a refresher on it, since I do fall into lazy/bad photography habits (AUTO function, AUTO focus, laptop editing, CAMERA FLASH) and I want to feel confident enough to be able to go back down to the photography studios and do a shoot whenever I need - I have forgotten most of the rules in setting up/using the studios so I need to get this nailed before I go and break the lights and cameras down there!
HOW TO SET UP
Soft blocks are for 2D (need a paper roll backdrop), curved beds for 3D (already have a backdrop). Two lights, on same intensity. Balance on each side with Light Meter (e.g. test gets 2.0 on left side, 4.0 on the right, so left needs to be pointed more towards the object until the lights are pointing at 45 degrees, hitting each other in exactly the centre, test will get the same reading on both sides)
Use grey board to set white balance manually.
WHEN I WILL USE THESE SKILLS
This will be especially useful in taking professional photos of my 3-Dimensional work, but also can be used to photograph bigger sketchbook or 2D work that can't be scanned.
The part of the induction I most enjoyed was using the different light attachments e.g. the frezznel, the snoot... this created really moody, atmospheric lighting rather than a balanced light as we were attempting with the standard setup. Worked especially well for my crow, shadows and texture.
I've done this workshop twice before (once on foundation, once in first year), but I do feel like I need a refresher on it, since I do fall into lazy/bad photography habits (AUTO function, AUTO focus, laptop editing, CAMERA FLASH) and I want to feel confident enough to be able to go back down to the photography studios and do a shoot whenever I need - I have forgotten most of the rules in setting up/using the studios so I need to get this nailed before I go and break the lights and cameras down there!
HOW TO SET UP
Soft blocks are for 2D (need a paper roll backdrop), curved beds for 3D (already have a backdrop). Two lights, on same intensity. Balance on each side with Light Meter (e.g. test gets 2.0 on left side, 4.0 on the right, so left needs to be pointed more towards the object until the lights are pointing at 45 degrees, hitting each other in exactly the centre, test will get the same reading on both sides)
Use grey board to set white balance manually.
WHEN I WILL USE THESE SKILLS
This will be especially useful in taking professional photos of my 3-Dimensional work, but also can be used to photograph bigger sketchbook or 2D work that can't be scanned.
The part of the induction I most enjoyed was using the different light attachments e.g. the frezznel, the snoot... this created really moody, atmospheric lighting rather than a balanced light as we were attempting with the standard setup. Worked especially well for my crow, shadows and texture.
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Pitcha Pitcha
We were asked to make a three-slide presentation that documents our own work, work we admire and the briefs we would like to work on in collaboration with other individuals from Illustration, Graphic Design and Animation.
Such a strange task to do because it's like selling yourself to your peers... it feels a little like waiting in P.E. to be chosen for a team (and always being one of the last because I'm terrible as sports) and I'm very anxious about this presentation. I still don't know what briefs I REALLY want to do for collaborative because I've already chosen the briefs I WANT to do for individual practice. There aren't really any more that I am that PASSIONATE about.
I'd quite like to work with animators because that's where my work is heading towards at the moment - puppet animation- and it would be great to get some experience of working with animators since I'm aspiring to work in this field and these are the people I would be sharing a studio with.
The National Autistic Society brief has probably the most scope for animation so this is the one I am leaning towards at the moment. It's also a serious topic that I have strong views on. I would like to work on a brief that has a function/real world impact like this one does.
Such a strange task to do because it's like selling yourself to your peers... it feels a little like waiting in P.E. to be chosen for a team (and always being one of the last because I'm terrible as sports) and I'm very anxious about this presentation. I still don't know what briefs I REALLY want to do for collaborative because I've already chosen the briefs I WANT to do for individual practice. There aren't really any more that I am that PASSIONATE about.
I'd quite like to work with animators because that's where my work is heading towards at the moment - puppet animation- and it would be great to get some experience of working with animators since I'm aspiring to work in this field and these are the people I would be sharing a studio with.
The National Autistic Society brief has probably the most scope for animation so this is the one I am leaning towards at the moment. It's also a serious topic that I have strong views on. I would like to work on a brief that has a function/real world impact like this one does.
Saturday, 14 January 2017
KEY MOMENTS
I'm starting to feel a little emotional looking back at this module. It feels like such a long time and now it's almost over. I've compiled some of the key moments in this presentation just to highlight where things changed and what the biggest influences were on me during this module. Where things began, where they've taken me.
I'd almost forgotten that I was considering studying other authors... Poe wasn't the only option but since I've invested so much into learning about him, it's weird to think that it could so easily have taken a completely different direction had I not made that decision. I hate decisions and this is probably why - how something as tiny as picking Poe over Gaiman/Carrington might've changed my life - one little decision affects so many other things and had I not made that decision, I would have come out of this module with the different work, different experiences...
So I guess choosing Poe was the main KEY MOMENT. There was a lot of initial research and making and sketching and pondering before that point, but it was the act of saying "POE" that began the journey, that's when my invested responses to his work began.
But I also think the reasons behind me choosing Poe were important too, the obsession I've developed with crows (they're following me), the insistence I had that Poe was speaking to me beyond the grave. I've not moved on from that, I still do think I had some kind of spiritual awakening when it came to tumbling into the work of Edgar A Poe (please don't take me seriously, even though I'm very serious. I know I'm crazy).
Just reading Gaiman's work, Kafka's fiction, Carrington's novels will have changed me in some way. Maybe I started to fall back into children's horror (Coraline) when I read Gaiman, and that probably influenced the approach I took to Poe, making his work visually enticing for younger readers.
Surrounding myself with spooky/Gothic art by the likes of David Roberts and Edward Gorey helped me to visualise the tone and atmosphere of Poe. Realising how it can be achieved and appreciating similarly themed illustrations was a turning point for me, finally jumping out of the research and onto paper with inspiration to draw.
Visiting lecturer Louise Lockhart presented her prints and it demonstrated to me how print exists in different contexts, how I could push the boundaries of this brief to make something that was printed but not necessarily a print.
I was so nervous about printing but a transformative moment was when I found a way to make it suit me and my way of working - cutting up the mono prints and 'building' with them.
Making moving pictures gave me confidence that I can animate things myself. Re-watching animations from my childhood drew me back into that world and I applied the storyboarding skills Fred taught in his lecture to deconstruct them, discovering what makes them successful.
I'd almost forgotten that I was considering studying other authors... Poe wasn't the only option but since I've invested so much into learning about him, it's weird to think that it could so easily have taken a completely different direction had I not made that decision. I hate decisions and this is probably why - how something as tiny as picking Poe over Gaiman/Carrington might've changed my life - one little decision affects so many other things and had I not made that decision, I would have come out of this module with the different work, different experiences...
So I guess choosing Poe was the main KEY MOMENT. There was a lot of initial research and making and sketching and pondering before that point, but it was the act of saying "POE" that began the journey, that's when my invested responses to his work began.
But I also think the reasons behind me choosing Poe were important too, the obsession I've developed with crows (they're following me), the insistence I had that Poe was speaking to me beyond the grave. I've not moved on from that, I still do think I had some kind of spiritual awakening when it came to tumbling into the work of Edgar A Poe (please don't take me seriously, even though I'm very serious. I know I'm crazy).
Just reading Gaiman's work, Kafka's fiction, Carrington's novels will have changed me in some way. Maybe I started to fall back into children's horror (Coraline) when I read Gaiman, and that probably influenced the approach I took to Poe, making his work visually enticing for younger readers.
Surrounding myself with spooky/Gothic art by the likes of David Roberts and Edward Gorey helped me to visualise the tone and atmosphere of Poe. Realising how it can be achieved and appreciating similarly themed illustrations was a turning point for me, finally jumping out of the research and onto paper with inspiration to draw.
Visiting lecturer Louise Lockhart presented her prints and it demonstrated to me how print exists in different contexts, how I could push the boundaries of this brief to make something that was printed but not necessarily a print.
I was so nervous about printing but a transformative moment was when I found a way to make it suit me and my way of working - cutting up the mono prints and 'building' with them.
Making moving pictures gave me confidence that I can animate things myself. Re-watching animations from my childhood drew me back into that world and I applied the storyboarding skills Fred taught in his lecture to deconstruct them, discovering what makes them successful.
Friday, 13 January 2017
MEGA CRIT BEFORE SUBMISSION
Today was the final mega crit before submission so a last chance to get feedback and look at all the work produced for this module.
Above is a photo of my work all set up and ready to go! Not much has changed in my printed work since the last crit except for the presentation of it because I have been working on SB3 Moving Pictures after drawing a line under SB2 before Christmas, so it does feel weird putting out this work that everyone's already seen but it's really rewarding to see all of the outcomes from the module (SB1, 2 & 3) presented together, professionally, for the first time.
I think there's definitely a consistency in my work. I stayed with the blue/black colour scheme and maintained the spooky atmosphere/scenes throughout the module. It all looks like it fits together on the table, they're all from the same world. What has changed is my processes, my presentation and my attitude. At the start of this module I had been working on model making all summer, I was beginning to conduct myself as a model maker and I had become quite dogged that this is how I work. Going into SB2, I was not happy to be putting model making aside but I went for it and compromised. I still want to make, but I can still make scenes in 2-dimensions.
We've achieved so much since the start of this module!
Annie's Presentation was incredible. Beyond professional cellophane and labels, Annie made her own little folio with pages and a fastening! She also made a matching box for bulkier prints. Really impressive. Have I done enough in terms of presenting my work for submission?
I have labels for mine and everything is set up, but for submission all I can do it put it all in a folder... I can't lay it out in order or have things propped up on stands like this.
So many lovely comments. Feeling confident!
Sting Showing
Showing the stings on the big screen:
Megan Naylor Wardle's and mine harmonised really well. Neither of us had seen the other's, yet we ended up producing really similarly toned stings - similar settings, similar orchestral music. Would make a great collaboration/exhibition?
Stephen Tran's animation was really simple - only a few assets moved but it was so well executed. Obvious interest/passion for animation and anime - smooth storytelling.
Humour in Kieran Blakey's Carrington sting - matches his personal tone of voice.
Showing my sting - looks great on the big screen, really happy with it. Great reaction/response (even a 'woo!' from someone in the room... not me I promise), so I am pleased!
Sneak Peak 505
I CAN'T WAIT! No, I probably won't be printmaking in this next module because it's not my favourite process, but I know that I can do it if I do need to/want to again... I want to continue my work ethic, organisation and positive attitude - full steam ahead! Roll on the MAKING.
Thursday, 12 January 2017
The Witches at West Yorkshire Playhouse
A birthday treat - tickets to see Roald Dahl's The Witches at WYP. I went last year to see James and the Giant Peach and it was fantastic so I was so happy to go and see another Dahl performance.
The play began with a song about happy endings that then turned dark and all the cast ran around screaming about 'BUT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE STORIES... THIS IS A ROALD DAHL STORY!' which was such a great introduction to Roald Dahl. All the kids were half laughing and half hiding behind their seats when a Witch would point at them or throw something at them.
It captured the spirit of Dahl's stories: playful, silly, scary, rebellious.
The costumes were brilliant, especially for the Grand High Witch - really outrageous and lots of sharp lines. Blue, red, black and gold colour scheme. Outlandish wigs but their scalps didn't look as gruesome as they could have - more boils and rashes please, SFX team!
Bogies thrown at the audience - gross and kids loved it. MAKE MY SCENES REVOLTING?
The set was very simple for ease of production/movement. I think I can make my scenes more exciting/convincing than that.
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Woodland of Weir
It was night in the lonesome October
Of my most immemorial year;
It was hard by the dim lake of Auber,
In the misty mid region of Weir—
It was down by the dank tarn of Auber,
In the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.
I think it's finished! Trying to tell myself that I don't need to add or change anything else even though I want to. It's not that I think it needs more, just that I would like to keep working on it, make it even better, keep playing around.
Despite all the technical horror of After Effects, I've had fun making this animation. I'm proud of it, my first born child.
I think it's successful in capturing the atmosphere of Poe's writing. It's dark and mysterious and matches my printed pictures outcome. It's moving and melancholy, which is what I intended. It's everything I wanted it to be and I'm taking a moment to sit back and appreciate that. Celebrate!
If I could do it again, I'd make the crow's movement better (different angle, wings moving up and down from the side of the body not just bending in the middle), more the detail on the wings, more trees in the background.
And, again, I can't help but imagine how chilling this scene could be if it was made physically. Tactile tree textures, real smoke/fog, DEPTH - not just layers but real depth in distance.
After Effects is annoying but really useful software that I'd like to work with again. I'd love to work with animators and musicians to create something awesome with people who really know what they're doing!
Feedback:
Beth says it has 'ominous vibes'
Monday, 9 January 2017
FINAL TWEAKS
Bronte says less vignette,
James says not to add flowers or other wildlife moving because it's supposed to be a winter/dead forest scene.
Josh shed a little tear! He found the piano music really emotional...
HD option? Make sure you're exporting correctly.
Fin said music is emotional, it's very spooky and he wants to go there.
Me: "So is it less boring now? You said the house book was boring. Is this boring too?"
Fin: "Hey - I only said it was boring because you said you'd put some severed heads and hands in there!"
Me: "Oh, so it's not boring?!"
Fin: "Nah. It's cool. But severed heads would be cooler."
James says not to add flowers or other wildlife moving because it's supposed to be a winter/dead forest scene.
Josh shed a little tear! He found the piano music really emotional...
HD option? Make sure you're exporting correctly.
Fin said music is emotional, it's very spooky and he wants to go there.
Me: "So is it less boring now? You said the house book was boring. Is this boring too?"
Fin: "Hey - I only said it was boring because you said you'd put some severed heads and hands in there!"
Me: "Oh, so it's not boring?!"
Fin: "Nah. It's cool. But severed heads would be cooler."
Sunday, 8 January 2017
Dream within a Dream
Dream within a Dream from Jay Stelling on Vimeo.
Added a few things mentioned in the feedback.
+ Vignetting - does this make it too dark? I love how stormy and intense it makes the atmosphere. Much more serious, without it could pass for a fairy tale forest.
+Increased the amount of rain, giving the scene greater depth (rainfall in layers, suggestion of depth of field)
+Warmer glow in the window, shines through the ink splodge type at the end. Mysterious and intriguing.
- Crow's still not moving its beak at the same time as the cawing
- More trees/background behind the background?
I've stuck to the initial intention in my proposal form and I have impressed myself by actually achieving this. Even after discovering roughing last year, I found it difficult to follow that initial plan as I would come up with better ideas later on... but I knew that this storyboard could work and that it was just up to me to make it happen.
I stayed with my storyboard and made something I am proud of, though I am sick of listening to that same soundtrack over and over again now.
Added a few things mentioned in the feedback.
+ Vignetting - does this make it too dark? I love how stormy and intense it makes the atmosphere. Much more serious, without it could pass for a fairy tale forest.
+Increased the amount of rain, giving the scene greater depth (rainfall in layers, suggestion of depth of field)
+Warmer glow in the window, shines through the ink splodge type at the end. Mysterious and intriguing.
- Crow's still not moving its beak at the same time as the cawing
- More trees/background behind the background?
I've stuck to the initial intention in my proposal form and I have impressed myself by actually achieving this. Even after discovering roughing last year, I found it difficult to follow that initial plan as I would come up with better ideas later on... but I knew that this storyboard could work and that it was just up to me to make it happen.
I stayed with my storyboard and made something I am proud of, though I am sick of listening to that same soundtrack over and over again now.
Photos of my Printed Pictures
I've signed up for a photo lighting induction but that's not until the 19th January, which is after our submission for 504 (17th). I have had a photo lighting induction before and I have a Nikon DSLR camera so I decided to have a go at taking them at home.
I have a set of Zennox mini studio lights and I brought home a few sheets of A2 white card for a backdrop.
I reckon I did a good job with what I had at hand, but the white backdrop washed out the white card of the 'cut-out' sheets. I should have used another colour for this, but I wanted the photos to look professional and clean, thinking any other colour would look tacky or dark.
I need to refresh myself on how to enhance photos on Photoshop since I have got a bit lazy with editing and often rely on editing sites like Befunky, which reduces the quality.
I am really happy with how the house looks in photos, you can tell that it is a fold-out book, that it isn't a flat piece of card, and it demonstrates how the book works.
I also tried to take some photos of the cut-out dolls but they cast lots of shadows and kept falling over.
I have a set of Zennox mini studio lights and I brought home a few sheets of A2 white card for a backdrop.
I reckon I did a good job with what I had at hand, but the white backdrop washed out the white card of the 'cut-out' sheets. I should have used another colour for this, but I wanted the photos to look professional and clean, thinking any other colour would look tacky or dark.
I need to refresh myself on how to enhance photos on Photoshop since I have got a bit lazy with editing and often rely on editing sites like Befunky, which reduces the quality.
I am really happy with how the house looks in photos, you can tell that it is a fold-out book, that it isn't a flat piece of card, and it demonstrates how the book works.
I also tried to take some photos of the cut-out dolls but they cast lots of shadows and kept falling over.
Friday, 6 January 2017
Sting Progress
The Raven from Jay Stelling on Vimeo.
After a brief chat with Ben I decided to let the 'road/street' issue go, to leave my printed pictures and to throw some Jay magic into this animation. I shouldn't feel so bad for being organised and printing early. I was ready and managed my time so that I could focus on one brief at a time. Other people are still printing/making pictures, but that doesn't mean that their pictures are better than mine or that I haven't spent enough time on them, I just did it in a different order.
I've been fiddling about with the assets and layers for a long time. After effects takes so long and I've had millions of technical problems but I still really like the software. It's so much fun to see my pictures moving and to have the ability to add/remove/change things in the scene so easily (unlike stop motion).
I found out how to use the puppet pin tool and it's so helpful! It means I can move the wings as one layer but as though there are joints, and the movement ripples the rest of the asset (e.g. feathers waft too).
Discovered a rain effect in After Effects and applied this to enhance the melancholy, dark atmosphere. More rain sounds! Thunder? Lightening, too far? Don't want the weather to distract from the crow but I do want to make an immersive and moody scene.
I'm much happier with the way it's looking. The bird seems less comical/childish (though it still does appear to be smiling/smirking?), the bird lands much more realistically and gracefully.
I finally worked out how to make a light turn on in the house but it's not as warm a light as I want. I'm also not sure how many lights to have turn on - all of them? Just one?
PEER REVIEW
Impromptu feedback
Bronte: The motion happens at a nice pace, not too slow or too fast. And the music is brilliant, really sets a somber. The way you've made the wings move is ace.
James (Graphic Designer/boyfriend): mood much moodier now, the soundtrack is dreamy and haunting. Careful to match the cawing to the bird's beak opening and closing. Make the light at the end brighter. Can you add shadows? Vignette? Fog? It suits the tone of the author and works well with the printed pictures book. A snippet of Poe's world.
After a brief chat with Ben I decided to let the 'road/street' issue go, to leave my printed pictures and to throw some Jay magic into this animation. I shouldn't feel so bad for being organised and printing early. I was ready and managed my time so that I could focus on one brief at a time. Other people are still printing/making pictures, but that doesn't mean that their pictures are better than mine or that I haven't spent enough time on them, I just did it in a different order.
I've been fiddling about with the assets and layers for a long time. After effects takes so long and I've had millions of technical problems but I still really like the software. It's so much fun to see my pictures moving and to have the ability to add/remove/change things in the scene so easily (unlike stop motion).
I found out how to use the puppet pin tool and it's so helpful! It means I can move the wings as one layer but as though there are joints, and the movement ripples the rest of the asset (e.g. feathers waft too).
Discovered a rain effect in After Effects and applied this to enhance the melancholy, dark atmosphere. More rain sounds! Thunder? Lightening, too far? Don't want the weather to distract from the crow but I do want to make an immersive and moody scene.
I'm much happier with the way it's looking. The bird seems less comical/childish (though it still does appear to be smiling/smirking?), the bird lands much more realistically and gracefully.
I finally worked out how to make a light turn on in the house but it's not as warm a light as I want. I'm also not sure how many lights to have turn on - all of them? Just one?
PEER REVIEW
Impromptu feedback
Bronte: The motion happens at a nice pace, not too slow or too fast. And the music is brilliant, really sets a somber. The way you've made the wings move is ace.
James (Graphic Designer/boyfriend): mood much moodier now, the soundtrack is dreamy and haunting. Careful to match the cawing to the bird's beak opening and closing. Make the light at the end brighter. Can you add shadows? Vignette? Fog? It suits the tone of the author and works well with the printed pictures book. A snippet of Poe's world.
Thursday, 5 January 2017
ADRIAN MOLE
Working on the idea of this being a matchbox, I sketched up a vintage matchbox cover. All of the ones I found in my research have some kind of motif on them, so I played around with different motifs from the book in my sketchbook for a while - socks, Pandora, horse, Adrian himself.
I'm concerned that it will look as though I'm promoting smoking/arson??
Enjoying the colour combo but maybe the red is a little on the pink side! Tried simple red socks but too boring, prefer patterned.
I just don't know. It'll look better when it's got matches behind it but I just think that this brief makes it SO OBVIOUS that I know nothing about Graphic design and I think you can probably tell from this naff book cover that I took it too seriously and that I'm not totally into the book. It was funny but it didn't INSPIRE me. It was so mundane and just like real life... who wants to read about that?
I can't sell something I don't buy myself!
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
PENGUIN BRIEF: Adrian Mole Cover
BOOK: I've finished reading Adrian Mole. It was a really funny book and had a very memorable tone of voice. Adrian reminded me of Morrissey, actually... always moping and whining. A typical pre-teen/teen worrying about spots and girls and school. An unglamorous Catcher in the Rye (my favourite book). This is a more modern, grittier, more honest and silly story. It's not my kind of book, I much prefer fantasy or adventure or old lady drama, but I did enjoy it, I just don't know how my visual tone of voice will reflect Adrian Mole's.
I always saw it as a boy's book. I know it's not but I think I'm going to find it hard to appeal to both on this cover. It's obviously about Adrian, so an image of him would be obvious but I don't want it to discourage girls from reading it - the cover I just read is pretty ugly (sorry) and all the others I've seen on a quick Google search put me off too. Boys with spots - ew!
KEY THEMES: Love, friendship, growing up, puberty, broken families, working class England
MOTIFS: RED SOCKS, horse, spot
IDEA:
Adrian is obsessed with Pandora, but putting her on the cover could confuse things because the book isn't about HER, it's not HER diary...
MATCHBOX
Pandora - makes it seem like the book is written by/for a female audience - misleading.
AIM: not too sophisticated
has to match the humorous, childish tone of voice
I always saw it as a boy's book. I know it's not but I think I'm going to find it hard to appeal to both on this cover. It's obviously about Adrian, so an image of him would be obvious but I don't want it to discourage girls from reading it - the cover I just read is pretty ugly (sorry) and all the others I've seen on a quick Google search put me off too. Boys with spots - ew!
KEY THEMES: Love, friendship, growing up, puberty, broken families, working class England
MOTIFS: RED SOCKS, horse, spot
IDEA:
Adrian is obsessed with Pandora, but putting her on the cover could confuse things because the book isn't about HER, it's not HER diary...
MATCHBOX
Pandora - makes it seem like the book is written by/for a female audience - misleading.
AIM: not too sophisticated
has to match the humorous, childish tone of voice
13 Days Left
We have 13 days until submission for OUIL504.
I've finished my printed pictures. I'd finished before Christmas so that I could focus on Moving Pictures, but knowing that I still have time left makes me want to quickly redo things/reprint/add things, but there is a time to stop and move forward with everything else. There's no point messing around with it when it's finished and I spent money on getting it printed. I just want to take some professional photos of it now.
I am well on the way with my moving pictures. I could submit what I have so far but I know it can be better, so I am going to spend the rest of the time left on improving the animation.
Things to get done:
- Improve the crow (above is a screenshot of this improved version so far- much more detail, more layers that can move separately)
- Add some more scenic assets - plants, rocks etc.
- Something needs to happen with the house at the end - having Poe in the window might be too much and too complex, so perhaps just a light turning on?
- Professional photos of my printed pictures
We had a peer tutorial today but several things went wonky. I was feeling anxious, the group got sidetracked and two of us didn't get time to show our work. I'll need to arrange an impromptu group tutorial to get feedback this week.
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
MINPINS
From the sketches I made of Roald Dahl's 'Minpins' characters, I created this first little Minpin girl. She's just missing her hat/bonnet that wouldn't stay on with the wind today.
Her head is 25mm diameter so the smallest doll yet! She's teenytiny and just how I wanted her to look. Natural colours, charming and Dahl-esque without being a reproduction of Quentin Blake's (or even Patrick Benson's) illustrations.
I'd like more fabrics and accessories on her, maybe things made from wood bark/pine cones etc to make her look as if she is a wilderperson, living in the trees, wearing an acorn hat. I have lots of feathers which I wanted to use on the hat but they're sooo big in proportion to the dolls so I might need to make some smaller feathers from these.
Make her a bit more wild/rugged/windswept/mucky? Muddy knees?
Looks good close up but how will it look when I have lots of Minpins? You won't be able to see the detail from far away/as a long shot with all of the characters visible.
HOW MANY MINPINS? How many looks like a family? A tree-full? Need to sketch out compositions in tree.
Walked to Studley Deer Park in Ripon, there's a whole stretch of these glorious trees with hollows and hiding holes... lots of moss, mushrooms and a great setting for this.
Photographing outdoors - how do I light it? Do I need a filter (UV)? Best settings/do I need a different lens? Tripod.
ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER HOW TO INCORPORATE THE LOGO POST-PHOTOS. Will it overlay neatly? Where?
THE PHOTO NEEDS TO WORK AS A SET WITH THE OTHER TWO (James & The Giant Peach and The Witches). Do I add a quote to make it obvious which story it is from?
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