Crit. tutorial

We were told to provide 5 proposal questions over the week for  group crit, these were mine.

1. What is Decay?
2. What causes isolation?
3. Why do people climb stupid things?
4. Why do people get tattoos in prison?

• Different Views
• Good/Bad
• Eroding/ Natural/ Opposites
• Natural Process
• Scared
• Scary things to do in Leeds
• Fear drives passion
• Dangerous
• Tattoos not to get in prison
• Scariest situation to put yourself in
• Feelings at the time.
• Talk to Others
• Experiences
• Research - Facts - Statistics - People

It was nice to chat, get some feedback and try and make sense of everything but if i'm honest, I'm more lost than I was before the crit.

Studies.

Several Studies from tree photographs, Just to try and spark some ideas.

  

The above image did-not turn out as planed, using masking

tape to try and create a solid tree structure works but

the amount of negative space makes the image unreadable.

This is one of favourite studies, just using an eyeliner pencil

water and exhaling air in certain directions i managed to create

tree(ish) structures with a sombre feel.

Waste not want not, use pencil shavings as leave.

The second climb.

I climbed another tree:

What goes up, must come down:

This took place at 4am, as opposed to 4pm

IMPORTANT
I'd like to point out, I'm not just recording these for shits and gigs. I think getting into and out of the tree is just as important and staying in the tree. Lots of different things can happen. To me, it's proven a lot more interesting looking for a tree and climbing it.

Finally got to do some drawings, Here and some studies. They're very sketchy and quick but this is what I gathered.

 

These first two drawings and from a selection of images in my sketchbook using a fine-liner or a pencil and quickly sketching the branches around me by only looking at them and not relaying back to my sketchbook for confirmation or it being 'correct'

  

These latter drawings and from another selection of drawings that were much more interesting then my first studies. The tree I happened to be in was quite old and rotting, still strong but decays. it was covered in moss and mold and I decided to just draw the formations of mold and moss not the branches

Group Crit.

Had a chat with some peers and Matt, won't go into detail. BASICS!

• People Watching
• Where people going
• Why are people going there
• What have they done that day
• Are they going into the pub at 1pm?

Good range of ideas and questions raised, focus more on the people than on the place. An the culture split and almost dis-equilibrium of the whole area I was sat in.

• Trees - the solitude
• Atmosphere
• Times and places
• Decaying

Just explore, more research need to be gathered. Analysis things more. Try not to get sucked into the experience remember you are there to take notes.

Matt says : Climb more trees.

I'm still lost...LOOOOOOOOOST

P.s Matt said I can now draw in the trees, This is good.

Seat 3

Seat 2

Well, I climbed a tree.

Sat there, for a little bit. Well nearly and hour. It was in Hyde park, about 3/4 maybe. Was nice.
Was difficult not to draw, got a general idea of things. Main notes include

• Solitude
• Social
• Animals
• Leaves
• Trees
• Dying
• Decay
• Lonely
• No one cares I'm in this tree
• Why does no one care I'm in this tree?

Even though Hyde park was pretty much full of people, Being up there, just chilling. It felt like I was on my own. It was nice.

Again I took like 30 photos, but I'll just show you my favourite ones.

   

As you can see, It go dark pretty quickly while I was up there. Really effected the mood of things. I'm still not really sure where I'm going with this project. Or whats really going on but I did like climbing the tree. 

Video of said tree climb:

WOOOOOOOOOO

Seat 1

Went to the pub:

• Didn't get drunk (Did have a drink)
• Watched people
• Examined said place
• Took notes

Few Ramblings:

Also had to take 30 photos and collect 20 things.
In a pub collecting 20 things seemed quite redundant. since after filling pockets with cutlery and condiments there wasn't much left. I did take 30 photos though. You don't want to see them all though, So here's some of my favourites.

   

1. Got some good laughs
2. Examined the place and the people
3. Got a vague idea of things
4. Nothing really resinated, not feeling it so far.

      "Onwards and Upwards"

New Breif OUIL405

Brief in summary.

The aims of this module are:

To introduce and explore practical and conceptual approaches to the visual research, investigation, and documentation as a fundamental process in illustration.

To introduce and investigate the role of narrative and sequence in the effective development and communication of ideas and concepts relating to Illustration.

To introduce a range of approaches to research and the collecting, organising and documenting of source material.

To further develop skills in recording, documenting, presenting and evaluating work in response to individual reflection and peer feedback.

Studio Brief 1 - The Visual Journalist - You will be required to develop a body of practical, conceptual, contextual and theoretical research in response to a given starting point. You should aim to demonstrate a range of approaches to gathering source material, information and visual content using a range of media and methods. Through a process of documentation, evaluation and analysis you will identify an individual focus for further research and development in preparation for Studio Brief 2. See Studio Brief 1 for further details.

Gotta go find a seat, 3 of them and sit there for like, An hour and take notes and stuff. This might suck.

OUIL403 End Of Module Self Evaluation.

Through this brief I have developed new approached and techniques in applying media I have already used in different ways as well as a better understanding on collage/ mixed media and a aspect of how a digital process can help improve my work. They have all been applied strongly in my development work to help me generate new ways of thinking and better ways of producing different ideas. However they could be used more evidently in my final pieces as opposed to mainly my development work.
         I used collage, cutting and sticking from images on the web, in magazines and photos taken myself which I haven't done before as well as using unusual tools to create line such as a toothbrush; empty biro; straw; blunt end of a paintbrush and a knife. All producing lines and images that outcomes would not of been as interesting if I had approached it with traditional drawing tools.
          From looking through my body of work and knowing my own personal practice my strength seems to lie in the speed and fluidity in which I can produce ideas and keep producing ideas, which at the beginning of briefs gives me a much deeper breadth of scamps and answers I can use to inform the rest of my work.
          On the other hand however It is also a big weakness of mine that I find it very difficult to slow down or work on ideas over a long period of time, this includes idea generation and final pieces. Which in turn can have a consequences on my final pieces making them looking unfinished and not throughout even if it has been. From this analysis I must adapt my process and how I work and start to slow down, considering lines and media more and try harder to focus on a more studied image(s)

5 things to think about doing differently

1. Spend longer on final pieces
2. Broaden media range
3. Analyse Thought process 
4. Application of media
5. Working digitally

What can i I expect to gain from each of these things? 

1. Trying to slow down my process on final pieces and make more considered decisions about them will in turn give a more finished off almost professional look to my final outcomes.
2. I tend to stick to Inks and free flowing media, especially water colour because I know it's loose and It works well with how I work and my tone of voice however constantly trying new media and forcing my self to use alien media will help me evolve as a illustrator and could open new paths of working I would not of come across other wise.
3. Analysing my thought process more after producing images and though-out producing them will allow me to really look at whats working and what isn't and will positively effect every decision from there on
4. Even though I feel I am trying new ways to apply and experiment with media I've had some strong outcomes from this and would like to pursue it will as much determination as I have been so further my process and artist utility belt
5. I've only worked digitally twice ever really and that was for studio brief 1&4 and even though it's not something I instantly feel a connection with or even see it as a way I enjoy working, I nonetheless understand It is a crucial skill to learn and cannot ignore it.

Final Image

Self eval:

Pro:

• Considered type of line
• It looks like my work
• Considered use of colour
• First attempt at digital work

Cons:

• Boring image
• Not well scanned in
• Quote not put across strong enough

I now need to split it into 3 600mm x 300x pieces so It can be printed out then reassembled to it be larger than A3 and not in an a format to meet the requirements of the brief.

EDIT:
After tutor feedback and self consideration, I went against spilling the piece then reassembling it and instead went on to create 3 similar yet separate illustrations from the same starting image.

           

Final, Whats going on?

• Been figuring the best ways to work on final piece
• Practising with different media
• Started with digital work
• Compostion

Going Digital

• Branching out of comfort zone
• Trying to produce my tone of voice across a digital media
• Out of all tried medias digital works best for this project

Progress shots:

• Small brushes - Find it executes my 'style' much better across a digital interface
• Colour, White - Stands out much better than previous colours tried: Red; black; yellow;green

Photoshop Final

they look very simple but from practising on other drawings in photoshop it seems to work best and compliments the original artwork rather than working into the original too much.

Experiment:

The space one looked a little empty compared to the others seen as the original image uses a frame much more than the others, so i decided to just take a suitable background and add it it. I think it works for the image alone but doesn't fit with the rest of the set.

Getting more serious(ish)

Taking things from around me, and editing them as such with my own opinion on how I see things, based on the ideas generated from last blog post.

• Experimenting with more media
• Layout
• Composition
• Text

Can't decide if the masking tape works or not, will have to keep trying it out.

I didn't really want to use text much in this project but the way its going It could help the image.

EDIT:

The top image, Is something I really like with just the bastardization of the ink over the original image, so for my final piece I want to combine both the cut and stick aspect I've been working with, with my own lines over the top. 

More finalised ideas.

So this is whats it's come too so far. Felt like moving on from the ads inside the magazine the the actual cover could create some interesting results. 

I think they work well together and by using another texture for the background it means my image isn't fighting with the white background all the time.

Here are some more examples from ads across a scale I thought worked out well:

Top:

• Larger scale
• Drawing into image
• Adding own 'text'

Bottom:
These were more by accident, I decided working into the images with fine liner could work out quite nicely and allow me to 'edit' certain things. An the bottom two images almost have my own opinion on the picture at hand and how I see things.

Left ' You're all overpaid'  Right: 'Im gonna beat this animal until i get money'

Cutting and sticking?!

Instead of just browsing the internet, I used to library to get, magazines across the board of diverse media and start scanning in reference imagery.

The one above is my favourite out of the ones i produced simply because I think it's funny and the whole imagery just fits together.

STEP IT UP

Combined images from the internet, scanned pictures and images cut out from magazines I've gone and got myself. Just experimenting still. Getting a better idea of how my final images could come together.

• I tried to add the models eyes back over the bats face but I don't like it, won't be doing it again.

What have I been working on?

• Mixed Media
• Experimenting
• Tone of voice through new development

 

Start off with sketch book developments. Media, I went for Miley Cyrus since she's everywhere and just added a comical satire to one of her recent publicity stunts, then moving onto taking images of cat walk models.

               

Developing Ideas

After choosing my quote, and taking my stronger concepts of masks. I decided to talk a less literal approach to 'masks' I got the idea of celebrities; Politicians just the media in general. How things are portrayed and my opinion towards them. I just needed to go with it and just start making and hoped my tone of voice would come through just from working, SO:

BATS

MEDIA:

What!?

• Images of celebrities/ models etc taken from google
• Bats as a base for my tone of voice (It'll make sense)
• I decided to work with quick ideas as usual but not with Ink and Line like usual, I'm going out of my usual comfort zone and going with a more mixed media approach.