WST: Sky and Path

I've been working on the path for a few days, cutting lots of tiny 'cobbles' from cardboard and glueing them on individually to a long length of cardboard. Very simple and didn't require much skill but I achieved the cobbled look I wanted and made a street long enough to run through the scene. The buildings now look more in place, like they're actually in a street not a bare field.

I needed material big enough to cover the whole width of the scene to make the sky and I couldn't find paper big enough for this but I did find some wallpaper and cut this to the right length. I added clouds by dabbing white on with some scrap toy stuffing I'd saved from work. A lot of what I do is just collecting scraps and finding ways to use them.

I wanted the town to look like it was hidden inside a bramble bush so I have made all these leaves from cardboard and coloured paper, but I think I need to make them a bit taller in order to show the miniature scale of the town and how the buildings would be hidden inside this hedge.

Self Portrait 2

Second Self Portrait was created with the intention of demonstrating my interest in model-making, my love of character/charming children's illustration, world building/set design and to hint towards my name visually (Jay bird).

The first self portrait was a small, clay model of my face as a witch. The task asked us to do something a little different and try to push ourselves, so I used a material I wasn't as familiar with. I made the hair and clothes from plasticine. Although the self portrait was relevant at the time of production to my work (I was busy with COP making lots of magic-themed work), I don't think that this witch-like identity is suitable for all of my work. I prefer 

I don't usually work with plasticine and although it did work for that image, it's not a process that I would choose.

What works:

I think it's successful in communicating my tone of voice - it looks happy, sweet, charming, fun, like the characters are about to set off on an adventure.

It tells a story, it's relevant to me as an artist and a person so it is suitable for use as my visual icon. I think it's obvious that this is my work; although there are a few other illustrators who work in puppet illustration/3D storytelling, I do think that this is distinctly my 'style' and my content so it would be recognisable, especially to people who know me.

The costume on the Jay doll is very basic, no extra props which I could have added, but I think it's striking in its colour and it reads well as a character even in a small icon like on Instagram. Smaller props could have got lost in translation.

Things to improve:

The lighting isn't great. There is a lot of shadow on the right of the image and the colours would look a lot better (less murky) with stronger lighting.

The grass is too green, would look more natural with some yellows and different green tones brushed through.

The sky has some random flecks of white which look out of place - needs repainting/airbrushing out.

Could add more texture to the bird to make it more realistic/bird-like but I think it suits the way I make models and my visual signature, it looks like my work and the creatures that live in my world.

More props and little details! A crown on Jay? Clouds? Flowers?

Perhaps a white background would allow the icon to be easily applied as an overlay, to print or as more of a logo/emblem. The bird could be made to look more like a typographic letter 'J' and used on letter heads, invoices etc. It would be more versatile as a symbol like this rather than a square image, and it would probably look more professional as a graphic element.

look at first and second side by side

WST: Stop-Motion Baking

Works well:

Charming, sweet, short, good practice

Gathering more interest online than photos - something a bit different on Instagram!

Needs work:

Tack down the props so they don't wiggle or move about (e.g. tack down cake so it doesn't get knocked when Betty touches it).

WST: Stop-Motion Betty

Works well:

Quite a smooth animation, not much camera wobble!

Bright and colourful

Needs work:

Not really much to this... she's not doing anything significant! It doesn't tell much of a story. It's just a movement. Do a bit more, maybe try some slightly longer animations, perhaps even with narration?

WST: Stop-Motion Coffee

Works well:

More practice... yet again a very raw and unfinished 'Smallfilms' aesthetic.

Needs work:

TABLE IS VERY UNSTABLE AND WAY TOO WOBBLY IN ANIMATION.

Bad framing - composition isn't well-considered... should be either a close up of drinking or focus on the food and table, too much boring building behind him.

Lighting isn't great, his face looks shiny.

WST: Stop-Motion Books

Works well:

Very sweet. I'm really in love with this little animation and can't stop watching it over and over. Simple but cute! The blink was added digitally but adds a bit of magic/life to the stop-motion.

WST: Stop-Motion to the Bakery

I'm so pleased with how this stop-motion animation test has come out! I think it really sets the tone for Whistle-stop Thistle: a quaint, charming town populated by little blueberry-shaped people. Bright, cheerful and sweet.