Personal Project

AHHHHHHH, The Illustration Module is almost over and what a cute way to end it. Our own Personal Project!

I was able to create a project that is personal to me... I could do anything! THE FREEDOM IS REAL! But, I know what I want to do... I love improving myself and making my weaknesses my strength. Today, it will be portraiture. I wanna bump up my skill set and technique in this area, I want to capture emotion within the face without the eyes being open..

I will do it and I will be successful at it.

Sorted. I think I am successful. I wanted to show pain in his face. What I love about old peoples faces, is that they are so expressive and that their folds of skin and ageing marks, it tells a story, I want to keep my audience guessing, who is he, where is he from, why is his eyes closed, so many answers... and there is no wrong answer, I want you to be able to make a story out of this guy out of his eyes. Tell me what hes seen and been through.

3D LETTERS!

I saw this project, and I didnt know what to make of it, I thought it was going to be like summer project... But this time, I had the materials for it! A whole bunch of them! RAILCARDS!

Its a kind of recycling so, in retrospect, I am doing the world a favour! aha

Anyhow, With these little things, I needed to fit the set dimensions given by Andy, my letter has to 30cms tall in length! bearing that in mind, I was able to calculate how many cards Id need to stack on top of each other in order to achieve my goal.

So, I stacked them up like a house of cards, and instead of using masking tape to hold them in place, I used glue, the masking tape kept falling apart and would hold the shape right. But with glue, it did! for extra support, I glued the base cards on some more cards, this was to give it traction and strengthen the overall structure when it is completed, instead of collapsing.

After a night of construction, this was the outcome. I am so pleased with it! The shape and dynamics of the letter to the angle i positioned it at. I believe this was successful!

Finalised Alphabet!

Alrighty then! Following on from my first attempt at doing my coffee spill inspired alphabet, I then had a think about where to go from it and I came up with these little ditties..

                       

(Above: From my 100 drawing project I did, inspired from that I decided to use a not so everyday object to just to try and draw my alphabet and just to experiment with it really, on the left is what happened when i didn't control it and the coffee was watery. I didn't think the density of the coffee would be an issue but, it now was! I wanted the silky gradient of its dark tones and light ones, I liked the weight and pull of the liquid when it doesn't set in the paper and creates those flowing curves that coffee does when spilled.. So, I attempted to do it again, because, why not! on the right is my second attempt and I am pleased to say, I am way happier with that outcome than the first! I used the straw, but this time the coffee was stronger and I controlled a touch more, just so it doesn't become one big puddle.

To give it that naturally flowy feel, I shuffled the paper around slightly, knocking the liquid to merge with its neighboring letter and I was elated! It worked out a treat! All I needed to do now was to finish it up!)

Done! I didn't do much to it, as I liked how it looked, I just neatened it up a little bit, enhanced its colours and sharpened the edges to refine it ever so slightly, then BOOM, Alphabet is sorted and I couldn't be happier aha!

100 Drawings!

I wish he was kidding, I wish he laughed with conviction and played the worlds worst prank on us.

NO.

JAY. WHY!?

I could see it in a negative light, but what would be the point of that? I might as well embrace it with open arms and just go with the flow! This task has obviously been set for us to learn something from it. I have to draw 100 drawings of the same object in 100 different ways... So, instead of just doing nothing... I might as well just roll with it and see what comes of it!

I actually really enjoyed that! It was strenuous, trying to think of how to draw my object and what material to do it with, but, this allowed me to use my imagination, to use anything and everything around me as my tool of the trade if you will and stop me from thinking that lets say toothpaste cannot be used in my work... because, if it works, it works and use it til your hearts content! I have picked up so many new styles and know how to use and shape new materials into equipment in the name of my work, just to try something new and see what I can do with it...

Okay. Thank you, Jay.

My own Alphabet

Well, This is always going to be my weak point, but you know what, I am ready for this! I think...

I had to create the alphabet using an element of the city... and I chose spills! tea spills, drink spills, coffee spills etc... I think it is an factor of the city, that adds personality to the place, as wierd as it sounds, I just feel that it tells you about the people who live within it, its fast paced, hot drinks are very common especially in the morning when you're rushing to the train or bus or even your next class! and sometimes that drink you have is just too hot or the lid wasnt on properly, or simply you're a little bit clumsy and you knock into something or someone?

I dont know what it is about these little spills, but it is something that just happens! Anyhow, I went out to gather up some first hand research and see where I go with it!

(Above: I didnt want to upload too many images but, I thought Id put up these two. I like the flow of the liquids, how it just ebbs and flows between the nooks and crannies of the floor and wall, its so fluent and rich in colour, the gradients from strong to weak and the curved compounds of it from where its more weighted with liquid, I feel really inspired by it... I really like the shapes and formations of the spills and I would really like to see where I go with it...)

(Above: My developments, I decided to go with coffee as my medium to use when creating my own alphabet, at first, I was a little too afraid to be messy and so I kept it confined, but even by doing that I could see where the weight coffee hadnt been absorbed by the paper and created that wonderful gradient I was seeking in the first place... From there, I let myself go a bit, Maintaining control of my teaspoon, I was way more generous with the amount of coffee i applied to the paper, when I finished, I found out that I really like the splattered look of it, It gave it a more natural feel to it, but it still doesnt have that flow, and from the crit session, from my peers and Andy, i want to take on board what they say and try and link the letters together, just absratct it and make it look more coffee inspired, not forced.)

Canis Major

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?

-Quote of the Day

This was fun, pressure was on and everyone felt it! We had a 5pm Deadline for the following day to complete an editorial piece, with set dimensions, on a subject based on our initial given to us by Jay.

I go Canis Major... No idea what it mean't and when I got it, I immediately googled it!

First things first, RESEARCH! Find out what this thing is, its back story and whatever is related to it.

ITS A DOG CONSTELLATION!

Ok! At least I know what this thing is! After doing some research, It turned out to be fairly interesting, I didnt want to pool in the generic dog in the night sky with stars around it or whatever, I wanted to push myself a little further to see if I could abstract it with the information that I took in.

I did include the constellation of the dog, however, I did it in a not so conventional manner, well, thats what I'd like to think really! I didnt want to over power this image, I didnt think I needed to. I used 3 colours as I wanted the lines to be the STAR of this piece. heheheheh. No, With the outline of the red and blacks, I wanted to keep my colour scheme subtle and relaxed.

What I learnt from doing this is that to editorial commissions are fast paced, pressured, but they give you that lee way to showcase your stlye, your worth, everything you want to show and stand for, Its not for those who like to take their time with their work... I like it though, I really do, I found it to be so much fun! However, the next time I do this, I think I could have worked more on the downward arrow. Straighten it and thin its line too

Create a Comic!

Oh, come now, I think I am now used to it aha! I knew there was mean't to be some form of curve ball! And this time? Well, our task is to create a comic... without the use of rectangular panels...

Now, I like this one! This is my chance to redeem myself from my awful narrative piece. Lets see what I got. But before that, I would need to get in the swing of things and to do that, I need to develop and immerse myself in the mindset of what I'm doing...

(Above: I want to practice my character development, I wanna try as many styles as possible and right now, I am really interested in the whole Disney style, that cutesy ideal that is all the rage, I wanna adapt that style and just run with it and see what comes of it with my influence.

Below: This is the final comic! I really do love it! I adapted the disney style and made it my own, adding more tonal values,  and harder lines in places that I feel would look work. As well as looking into a new style, I wanted to experiment with the angles and proportion, from what I could do, to what I CAN do now... I am so proud, I really have learnt so much and I am really pleased that I am able to use the skills and knowledge to apply in my work without the need of someone else to remind me that I need to do it. Im not perfect, far from it, but Im getting better! I will reach my peak soon, I just need to persevere. 

I didnt want to be too serious when it came to my narrative and I didnt want to spend too long on it either, so I reverted back to my memories and used the one that I so dearly love so much aha, when my boyfriend was late meeting me at college... and he came, apologized and produced from behind his back... a cheeseburger. I knew from then... He was the one.)

Collect the Alphabet!

Throughout Christmas, I had at the back of my mind how I was to collect the Alphabet, then on a whim, I thought I might as well join my boyfriend on a trip to oxford to visit his Nan and utilize that time to also scope out a new city and snapshot the letters for my alphabet!

I got my letters! although trekking through my endeavors, I found a hollowed out hedgehog... I have never freaked out so much as I did. It was grim. It seriously looked like it was scooped out by an ice cream scoop, all that was left was its prickles.... It made me sad... but then I saw a mole and made friends with Chancho the fuzzy black cat, so it kind of balanced out!