The Flying Machine!

We had a pretty sweet time today! Got to lurk in the transport museum and create some designs for a 'flying machine'

Here is what I came up with...

You might think what a mess or it looks unfinished, but when I saw all the mech and all the little bits and bobs and nobbly wobbly bits, it reminded me of books illustrated by Quinton Blake. I love his work, how it retains that childlike quality, yet packs in so much detail and magic and I tried to integrate his style with my own flair and personality.. and this is my end result! I am so happy with it! I like to try out different styles, instead always having that pristine, stereotypical quality of a subject... I just like the versatility and skill set that comes with it, the ability to be free and loose and just let your mind wander and tail off into the steam punk world, to create art that is not confined by the stereotype, but free with the elements of it.

When the Oil runs out -Photomontage

We were informed to collect a selection of magazines in order to partake in this lectures task. Which was to create photo montages, under the heading of 'When the Oil runs out'.

Random? But its a challenge and I ACCEPT..

It was hilarious, watching everyone scuffle about with their magazines, doing whatever they can to epitomize meaning and symbolism's with the imagery they have.

Below, is my take on the task.

Eyeless women and the word GOOD being highlighted several times, ITS TIME FOR REBELLION!

Visual Language

For this task, we had to adopt a a visual language from history and use it to create a piece of packaging design.

I wanted to opt out of my comfort zone for this one and see what I could do, seeing as at first I wanted to incorporate Sailor Jerry and Pin Up as my my visual language, but the I had an epiphany...

I was on the train visiting the family later that evening, reading the sun newspaper that was cast down on the seat next to me, I came across the social pages, where its got crude little comic panels (better narratives that I could bloody come up with) that it srpung into my head.

1960'S VINTAGE MEN'S HUMOR

Now, where do I start...

Okay! So i sorted out my research looking at artists of that period. Lloyd Rognan, Bill Wenzel. Studying their style, I saw how it wasn't too rude, it was literally tongue in cheek, cheesecake kind of humor. So THIS was something I had to hold onto when it came to coming up with my design.

I also researched products that used women in their adverts in this perioud of time, and up came Arrow Beer, and damn... They really sexualised women in a 'humorous' way.. don't tell the feminists.

So, I found designs that I wanted to steer away from, to avoid controversy... or did I? In this day and age, controversy and sex sells.. 

I took elements that were embodied in both the controversial designs and the cheesecake ones. To create this.

I wanted to create a packaging for bread...

 (Above: This was the first mock up I came up with, it had the humour, the sex, the controversy and respect/modesty of women, I made sure no face was shown, no outstanding assets were promoted and that it remained respectable, however sexualising it via the bikini and shape. I really liked it... but it just looked unfinished, and looking back at my work... I needed to do something about it, I needed to push myself and my skills.

Below: I polished this baby up, working to my strengths and really putting in the effort to complete this look for my packaging, NOW I am happy with it, from adopting the periodically statement vignette around the text in order to highlight it, to the font and position of the text, the colour scheme and sharp silhouette of the body, from my previous attempt, to this, I have never been proud!!)

 

If I were to do this again, I think I would have to really up my photoshop/adobe skills, to perhaps make it look a little more realistic!

HANDS!

I don't really have much to say about this one, in all honesty it was pretty straight up and direct! It was more honing the skills that you have and practicing..

So, in class today, it was quite nice! Got to draw the beautiful Quynh, work on my figure proportioning, acquire a technique used by Disney and study hands! I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did, but hey ho. I surprise quite easy!

Narrative

Nope. Nope. Nope.

This was by far the weakest thing I have ever produced, once again spending too much time on research and wracking my brain for an idea for the actual narrative gave me little time to finalize my actual narrative. It had to be 6 panels and I really wanted to make it flow, thinking about it now it sounds stupid, but you learn by where you went wrong and for me, in this case it wasn't the fact that I was in need of help, I wasn't... It was the fact that, I need to seriously work on timing and get my organizational skills up to par. But, at least I take away from experience, that if it was a real life job and i was commissioned to do this, I would HAVE to schedule and plan out my hours for research, planning, development, mock up, finalize etc

Lets not, okay. At least one panel is ok.

Right?

No, be brutal, it is not good enough. Too right it isn't. Jesus, what am I thinking. Desperately need to up my game. It doesn't even have colour. I feel embarrassed that I actually handed this in as a piece of finished work? At least I take away the experience of knowing how it feels to hand in something so dire you want to shrivel up and under a rock and just pretend its not yours.

SEMIOTICS, B****!

Yeah, given the question what semiotics are, I couldn't tell you, even if i wanted to.

After however... well, you're talking to a new woman! 

Semiotics, so far has been the best lecture! Mind BLOWN.

People, Place, Props, Pose and Position. Something I will never forget, it is in every design (character based) and you seriously don't comprehend how significant it is until you really assess how much you USE it and how in paintings and imagery, past or present, how prominently and heavily it was used to emphasize important factors in which protrude hidden meaning and symbolism's of peoples riches, status, affections etc.

Uni is awesome, I feel like I'm learning so much and its so interesting. Talk to anyone else about art or whatever and.. they have no idea what you're talking about, but when you explain it and highlight key notes, they respect art so much more, its almost like there's a science/psychology behind it.. its crazy...

For the task part of this lecture, I had to draw out a scene, using the 5 P's and taking what I have learnt from my lecture.

Its CEZARA! 

People: Girl is fierce. She exudes power and confidence. I chose to draw her in this upward angle, as it really bumps up the dominance and alpha feel of the image.

Pose: The pose I made her do made her own the look and really mark up the ego and confidence and power of the image and atmosphere.

Place/Position: She is standing in front of the elevator. I chose to have her in front of it, as it comes across like its hers and its up to her who is allowed in or out.

Props: The poster/header up top is in Romanian, I have no idea what it means, Cezara says its a type of food, one of her favourites.

I think if i were to change this image I would work on the face ALOT more, as well as that I need to work on the proportioning and angles of anatomy, there are parts of her body that look a little awkward.

BOOK BRIEF!

Go to the library. 

Pick up a book you wouldn't read.

So I did, I picked up a book about 'The Psychology of Play' by Susan Millar. Unknowing what my task was to entail, I picked up a book that I didn't care about and literally walked into the library with my friends, closed my eyes, had a sneeze, anit bacterial washed my hands and walked into the bookshelf. My eyes were automatically looking at the spine of this book and so I checked it out.

Now, me being a naive simpleton and thinking you know i've passed this task, I got it in the bag, nah. I am an idiot for supplying these thoughts, like why in hell would I think that the task would ONLY be to go to the library to pick up a book i wouldn't read. Seriously, sometimes I just don't think or read my timetable.

Reflection: Expect the unexpected.

So, Part two of this task was to come up with a cover of this book, to entice the audience and spark up interest in the book without being conventional, cliche or stereotypical. Which is fair enough really. Oh, and to draw up 30 thumbnail images to go with it and pick out my favourite 5. 

Piece of cake?

Above are my representations of the book, from what I had read. It was actually quite stimulating and dark, I never realized how deep and dark psychology was? Like for real, It was just trippy and not cool in some aspects, but in others it was actually quite cute and sweet? Odd combination, but inspired me to come up with these thumbnails, from how they reflect their behavior or upbringing on toys and people/peers to how the feel they must perform to an adult in order for them to gain attention or praise. My eyes were opened and now I have new facts for pub quizzes and general trivia.

Go me.

I chose these 5 as the 5 that I would think would represent the book and appeal to its audience.

I was freaking stoked with the outcome! I don't think they were cliche or stereotpyical, I USED COLOUR! and hey, not to be biased or anything but i would so totally read a book with either of the covers. Just saying. No pressure or anything,

Nah, I wanted to experiment with the dynamics of line and shape, in order to cultivate interest and appeal to said audience. If i were to do anything better about this project, It would be to work on my steady hands.

Manifesto!

'What the hell is a manifesto!?'

-Quote of the Day

First proper project from Graphics! OH YEAH!

Well, that enthusiasm dropped dramatically, soon after I realized, I had no idea what a manifesto was and what in the world I would put in it.

Basically, our task was to create a 3 point manifesto. Seems simple enough, but what even is a manifesto? ha, the funny thing is... google had the answer. I don't know what happened, I just couldn't grasp sense and fell into a touch of dismay. Which, disappeared fairly quickly after I settled down and researched into manifestos and artists etc

AUSTIN KLEON IS A BABE.

He made so much sense and his work was so bold and simplistic, but his meaning behind the images were strong and literally on point.

So, after knocking back my research and mocking up a few potential point based designs, I came up with my final design, I spent the week researching, settling in and in all honesty, thinking about this whole project in depth far too much, that I didn't have much time to produce my final piece.

I was so happy with it, once upon a time, but now, I can now see its flaws, the text is not aligned properly and the dice look dodgy, If I was to do this again, I think I would really work on the polished look, making sure each element is in proportion and if it works or not etc. I need to work on my timing and if I need help, I should really ask for it.

'I AM NOT EATING FLUFFY'

I AM NOT EATING FLUFFY

Is anything and everything you make of it. It can be crazy, it can be sad, it can be as creative and expressive as you want it to be. But make sure whatever you draw, adds up to the emotion and persona you're trying to create.

So, in this little project, we were given the above task. At first I had no idea what to do, I didn't know what emotion to portray nor did I think about the pose I wanted my character to be in.

Bearing in mind what I had taken away from The Inaction Man exorcises, I wanted to make my character and his/her body as expressive as it can be.
Utilizing the information I had gained and channeling it through the expression of body and face, this was my outcome.

I went for the CRAZY feel. Why not. I wanted to show she was unstable, I wanted to show that she wasn't all there, I didn't care to make her pretty or idealistic for society, I wanted to show disheveled, greasy hair, voices are in my head glazed eyes, Roughed up clothes and an overall messy and unkempt appearance.

As for the body, I hunched her shoulders, reduced the neck space, considerably, ran her hands through her hair and flounced her legs in a dance like motion. With her eyes looking to the right while her body is more aligned to the left and an open mouth, I wanted to leave her looking like she was talking to herself, making it appear that 'I am not eating fluffy' were the words she was uttering.

What I took from doing this, was that I had to be aware of every detail of my designs, and to undetsand the capabilities of sense, what would work, what doesn't work, proportions, length and spacial awareness.

What I didn't like was the tonal value of it, I believe I could've gone darker in some places, to really oomph the crazy in my girl.

Inaction Man!

Pose, Body, No face, WORK!

-Inaction Man

So, Today I learnt about the significance of expression of the body and how it affects personality and mood. Things I never really thought of are now swirling in my mind every time I draw characters. Thank you Francis, I am now aware.

Given the task to draw 10 Inaction man figures, we had to draw them out displaying 10 moods using only body expressions in order to convey the emotion.

In no particular order, the feelings we had to code out were; Guilt, Weary, Shock, Condescending, Playful, Stubborn, Confidence, Contemplation, Mistrust and Dissatisfasction.

Below are my takes on the Inaction Men.

If I were to do this again, I would play around the angles of the bodies and really emphasize the actions of my inaction men. I did do a redesign of Playful. I emphasized the movement of his limbs and actions in order to really make my action speak louder than words!

Illustration Concepts -Ideas Generation

For this lecture, I was informed on Ideas Generation regarding the module.

I was told to respond in original ways. To do this, I would need to keep up to date with the media, whats trending/popular etc -This was to keep me up to date with what's of interest and what isn't which could potentially help me out with designs as well allow me to expand my creativity and imagination by adapting to different styles and approaches.

Research would also allow me to generate my ideas, by expanding my knowledge on the subject and giving me more choice as to how I am to start my project/design and develop it.

Primary Research would be from what I generate from pencil sketches to snapshots of relative imagery etc

Secondary Research
 
I was given a task to complete in this lecture. It was to research a historical figure, then regarding the facts from that person, use them to create 2 non cliche images that epitomizes that person.


I chose Joseff Antell -The Prime minister of Hungary. Underneath are my images that I believe symbolizes him.

(Above: The central 'lock' mechanism represents his acceptance of the role of prime minister, he was elected after the fall of communism. To symbolize it, I broke down the key hole with into a very familiar piece of design by El Lissitzky "Red Wedge". The Arms of  the wings symbolize his ascension in society, they point in varying directions to show that he could have taken different paths, but with all that knowledge he consumed in his time, he wanted to do this, he wanted to help his country and change up the system. The bandage arm forms shape to his declining health, which was unfortunately compromised. )

(Below: This image I wanted to keep relatively simple and clear... It is the medias image of Josef Antell. They portray him as a cold, hard hearted and humorless man who thinks he is far superior than death itself. When really, he was the complete opposite. I wanted to juxtapose and challenege my research, everything that was documented of him in biographys, interviews etc vs the media, the gossip, the headlines and propaganda.

This taught me something, it is essential that I am clear and that I acknowledge my symbols and imagery of what I want to encapsulate. That I maintain my thirst of understanding and knowledge of pop cultures and histories and use the facts and figures to incorporate within my work.