Batsford Thinking

Planning and very very initial idea generation for the Batsford prize project before I go on to developing any motifs into something more substantial.

Ruskin Prize 2017

Another option to consider taking on for a responsive brief. The theme is challenging but could be interesting, and the competition itself promises a lot of valuable opportunities if successful, such as the chance of the exhibition..

Responsive...

I've neglected responsive up until this point. I've been finding it difficult to manage this module as well as all of the others.

I think what's stopping me with responsive is the professional nature of it all, and having to put yourself out there. The whole competition structure, selling yourself, being assertive, and deeming work as being submission-worthy is really stressful to me.

Talking to Teresa, she said to make the briefs work for me. Align them with my own interests. See them as challenges, and self-managed briefs rather than these overwhelming competition things.

The word competition makes me freeze up, and makes me think that the bar for the standard instantly goes through the roof. Competitions make it sound like something you have to labour over and shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get it done.

Does responsive have to only be competition-based/externally judged? Or can it include self-initiated work?

—

Things to look at: Graphic Competitions, Colour Collective, Ruskin Prize 2017, scout out my own projects, respond to articles...

I'm going to focus on this module during the break.

Mega Crit

On Friday we had a mega crit before we left for Christmas. It was a good time to get some last pieces of feedback, especially as I'd be printing straight after the break.

I presented a stack of all the mono prints I'd made, my screenprints, as well as 2 mockups of my publication - a black and white, and a full colour copy. The finished publication will be printed in the digital print room, so there will be some differences. It was more to get an idea of the size and page order.

 Feedback form

The feedback was generally positive which was good. Key things that were mentioned:

• Atmospheric textures
• Lo-fi look
• Monoprint textures and light and dark pages are well-balanced
• The aesthetic suits the author
• Colour choice is well thought through / subtle use of pink / flecks of colour
• Incorporating the writing gives a sort of narrative

Considerations/Improvements:

• The digital type - people said that they would prefer if all of the type was handwritten/monotyped. The digital type detracts from the handmade feel.

• Black - can appear quite harsh, maybe a different colour would enhance the textures

Because the examples I presented in the crit were just mockups, there will be changes when it comes to the finished product. I would like the final print to be on a matte paper, I'm not keen on the slight sheen on the mockups.

Also, I would like to hand-stitch the final. I'm thinking of using a hot pink thread to contrast against the dark covers.

On the inside title page, the small monotyped man is very faint. The lines don't show up as well as they do on screen. I will either change the image to a thicker line drawing, or remove it entirely.

There is also thoughts about stock - do I use a thicker stock for the front and back covers? Will this create a more considered, professional finish? There is also the option of creating a fastening or band to hold it together. I'll think about this over the break.

The main thing is that it is mostly finished. I just need to focus on the animated stings.

Final Pages

Making a Book

☆★  Working some InDesign magic  ★☆

Very very nearly done. I've set up the document, I'd just like someone to check it over incase I've missed something important. Also to see if I've made the pages full-bleed correctly.

I've added in the bits of monotyped writing that I made yesterday. I think these tie the whole thing together nicely, and set the tone of the publication.

Monotypes

Refining

As I'm making a 16-page publication, I need to sort out 12 pages of content from the tests I've been doing, create 2 end pages, as well as a front and back cover design.

I also need to do the following:

• Handwrite the title out using monotype, put this on to the original title page document instead of the digital type.

• Sort end pages (solid pink? pattern? textures?), and I plan to have both the first and second end page the same to differentiate them from the actual content pages of the publication.

• Add colour. I felt a lot safer when I was making up the pages in just black and white, but I suppose part of the brief is to play with colour in some way. I just don't want it to overpower the images themselves and look a bit gimmicky.

I think I want colour to only be a small part of the book, highlighing small areas or creating tiny contrasts.

Here are the pages I've been making, where I've made some changes since the last time. However I still need to cut a few of these, and create the end pages instead (as I only have room for 16 pages in total).

I also need to figure out the best order for the pages. I need to see them side-by-side in order to make a final decision on this.

Restarting

Since the end of last week, I've been making new mockups and testing page designs since I was really unhappy with the way the book was going up until that point.

I left out the colour for now, and tried to make a point of focusing more composition and light/dark to (hopefully) create a set of aesthetically pleasing images, or at least better than the stuff I was doing previously?

This document shows all of the minor changes I made to the test pages, changing filters, type, layouts, colour, etc. I like keeping a record of all of the amendments I make so I can compare them and make a decision on which one to take forward later.

Although these examples aren't totally finished, they are much better I think. It's tough to balance between keeping things varied but consistent.

Storyboard Workshop 2

 Example storyboards from the session:

Pop

Float

Having to visually communicate a theme or motion in a very limited space. Slightly different from storytelling, which is usually over a number of pages and is often accompanied by text, or left up to interpretation. When it's an image alone, it can be difficult. So clarity is important.

Notes

• Not every component has to move. Sometimes in an animation very little can happen.

• Simple is best

• One simple idea executed well is better than having a complex idea not work.

• What's key? - the idea, also even the importance of sound

• Framing - don't be afraid of images going to the edge of the frame, or even moving beyond it. Adds depth, not just a static image. Go beyond the screen.

Study Task 6 | Pt 2. Sound Storyboards

For this task we had to select three different sounds and respond to what we heard visually in a storyboard format. I found this quite difficult at first, as it can be a challenge to think non-figuratively - using shapes and marks in the place of real objects and things.

Here are the three storyboards and the link to each of the sounds they correspond with:

Boat Ramp: [Link]

Botanic Garden: [Link]

London Tube: [Link]

This book lark

I've really started to resent putting together this book for 504. Digitally testing things over and over, nothing seems to be working? I feel that I'm not being as inventive as I could be.

And the short time we have left isn't really helping either. I could very well churn out 16 pages from the stuff I've started making, but I'd be really dissatisfied with it and disappointed.

Using my mono prints in the way I have, I think I've got stuck into using the same formula over and over - line, filters, texture, colour, that's it. I'm not sure what I need to do to get away from this, and make the work better.

I feel like a one trick pony!! I don't know what else I can do.

These are some digital tests I've been doing. They started out okay, but have become really samey and repetitive. When I imagine them all together in a book I don't think they'd look good - it's too much of the same thing. And this is without them being totally finished. 

Do I need to look at things more compositionally? Do I need to use a whole mono print, or just a small section of it? I think I might try and start again. Aaaaaaaaaaaaa


Let's think about: typeface, text, writing, composition, layout, spot illustrations? full page? off the page?, colour scheme...

Study Task 6 | Pt 1. Sound Deconstruction

L'HYDRE D'OR from Max Litvinov on Vimeo.

Max Litvinov's animations have a very traditional, old-world quality. They remind me of cartoons from bygone eras. So I think that using real instruments to highlight the motion in the video works very well.

Changes in sounds, pitch, and the instrument itself brings attention to certain actions and events. The sounds themselves are overlapping and a bit chaotic, which fits the jittery aesthetic of the animation itself. The music is languid and drawn-out, with the sound of the horns droning on. Again, this matches the slow pace of the movement in the video.

This guy also has a blog, it's funny and weird.

Goodbye Rabbit, Hop Hop from caleb wood on Vimeo.

A combination of instruments and natural sounds are used in this video. Different types of sound arrive in waves, and sometimes are only whispers of noise. This adds to the dream-like, hazy quality that I think already exists in the animation.

The sounds conjure a natural feeling (with sounds of leaves crunching, and the wind blowing) as well as a childlike tone with the music box and wooden percussion clacking together. Low humming sounds and background noise is used to create a very forlorn, almost melancholy atmosphere across the whole thing.

I enjoy the combination of 'music' with 'found sounds' (footsteps, traffic, etc.) It's like a collage of noise that adds depth to the piece.

Storyboard, but moving

Okay, so I made a really bad gif to show things from my storyboard moving in sequence, just to get an idea of things. Amazing.

Study Task 5 | Storyboarding

For this task, we had to create 5 storyboards that used the same each for the central board each time. So in each of my examples, I placed the same image on the 5th panel.

This task was surprisingly difficult. I think my ideas are too complicated, and I thought about it like I was animating frame-by-frame, and not in after effects.

I find after effects quite mechanical and restrictive, whereas a lot of the animation I admire is very lo-fi and done by hand which provides a more genuine, human quality.

I didn't just want to create ideas that are like "Frame 1: object appears, Frame 2: object moves right, Frame 3: object leaves screen"...very boring and not atmospheric at all.

I have an image of the kind of thing I want to achieve in my head, however I think I need to see more examples of animations done in after effects to see if these ideas would translate successfully. With my images being very handmade, I am worrying that after effects is just too precise and slick for what I'm going for.

It seems like with frame-by-frame/handmade animation, the possibilities are endless. Yeah they'd be less smooth and accurate, but the movements would be more jittery, shaky, and weird! This is what I want.

Out of the storyboards, I like 1, 3, and 4. I think I just need advice to know whether or not they'd work in after effects or if it would be too much of a struggle to create.

After Effects Workshop 4

Notes from workshop 4.

Including: auto-orient, switches, layer modes, nesting compositions...

Arranging

I moved on to a quiet table and laid out all of my prints in front of me. I spent some time thinking about pages and their arrangement and order.

What types of images work best beside each other?
How can I be consistent, but interesting/not the same throughout?
How do you vary page layouts without them becoming disjointed?

whoaaaaaa!

I took some pictures of layouts that I had tried. Where I've overlapped two pieces of paper, that means I intend to merge those together digitally. For example: a texture and a line drawing - they will become one side of the double page format eventually.

The plan is to add colour digitally, however my use of it will be sparing and subtle. I just want small flecks of colour to add a bit of visual interest, nothing that overpowers the contents.

These photos are not finished pages, they're just to help me get an idea. I may add more things yet.

Photocopier Experiments

Here are some examples of where I have inverted some of my prints. For such a small change, it makes a lot of difference. I really like these outcomes.

Contrasting the amount of light and dark within individual images is something to think about, especially when it comes to deciding which images face each other on a double page spread.

Later, I experimented with overlaying scans on the photocopier. Some are more successful than others.
With a lot of these overlay tests, the first scanned image turns out very light, almost grey - so it's only just a ghost of a drawing behind the top layer. Subtle but interesting.

At this point I have a huge stack of prints to work from. I plan on either making some mockup arrangements of page orders, or manipulating them digitally. It's important that any digital editing is kept to a minimum, I don't want to water down the images with filters and other stuff. I want them to speak for themselves, and maybe just add in small adjustments or digital type.

Monoprinting | Shape

When revisiting the print room I tried to do some shape-based monoprints instead of just monotype drawings. I made quick stencils based on drawings of those weird mutated flesh things.

right: two prints overlayed and scanned

I think these aren't up to scratch, and don't add anything worthwhile to the stuff I've been making up to this point in time. My work doesn't typically deal with shape, and I feel that these rather graphic forms would be too jarring against the spidery monotypes I've been doing. They look forced somehow??

Making a stencil is pre-planned, it's considered, and requires foreseeing how the end thing will look. This is something I've been trying to stay clear of in order to get immediate drawings that have a genuine on-the-spot feel, they haven't been mulled over too much.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go back and use this type of monoprinting again. Monotype is the one for me; it's more expressive and based on chance and experiments.

More Collage

Photocopying more of my prints for textures as well as some things from books. Trying to suss out what I can put alongside my line drawings. It's starting to bug me.

Time is going by and it's becoming more apparent that I really need to have my approach/aesthetic/whatever in place before too long. I want to start putting together pages for my publication but I'm dissatisfied with the images I've been making.

I'm not sure if they look good, or if they convey the things I have in mind.

 I was thinking about how I could introduce shape by cutting forms out of photocopies of my monotype prints. Either by making shapes and then drawing over them, cutting shapes and objects out and having them as separate things from bits of drawing, or layering them over line (the tracing paper on the right). However this is too similar to what I did in the editorial brief.

I find working with shape quite restrictive, and feel it lacks any real expression or movement compared to line. Shape is anonymous to me, it looks like it could have been made by anyone. Whereas with lines, you can see who made it most of the time.

Out of all of them, I like this one the most. Because it's abstract, but the solid forms ground the floaty whispy lines of the tiny figures. Maybe creating these small compositions/scenes is how I should go with it? However I wouldn't want the cut-outs to overpower the monotypes.

I still don't really know.

Collage Experiments 1

Although I really enjoy my line drawings, I do think they need another element to set them against. I was thinking of using found imagery in some way along with my mono prints to bring in solid forms and shapes. This contrasts the weirdness of my drawings with everyday settings and objects, which I like the idea of.

I looked in the library for ages for some 1950s reference images that I could photocopy - menswear, architecture, cityscapes, interior design, catalogs...

I couldn't find what I had in mind, so I just settled for some images from catalog illustrations from the early 1900s. Not the era I wanted but they are just for tests...

They make me laugh, and are kind of weird. But they don't really work. Although I think the torn edges help blend the scans and drawings together more seamlessly, I'm not sure if this would go well for my book.

I'm also aware that there is a lot of collage going on around the class, and I want to try and use it in an inventive way? I don't know. These tests just don't look like anything new or special to me.

After Effects | Workshop 2

Notes from workshop 2.

Including: altering keyframe speed, preparing photoshop assets, exporting ae files...

Responsive Peer Review

Briefs I have selected:
• Penguin Adult Non-Fiction: In Cold Blood
• YCN: UK Greetings
• Batsford Prize
• Secret-7

Smaller projects/tasks that I want to do as warm ups: Illustration Friday, Colour Collective, previous Secret-7 tracks, any self-initiated stuff...

Although much of my plan remains the same after the review, discussing the briefs I have selected for responsive and how I want to go about them did highlight the following:

• The importance of setting myself enough time for the briefs. I don't want to cut research time short, for example. But I also want to make sure I'm not rushing myself.

• If I make a start on the larger project briefs now, I could complete them separately and not have the pressure of working through more than one at the same time.

I think I've picked a decent range of projects, and I have selected them on the basis of my own interests as well as what types of illustration/the industry I'm drawn to.

Study Task 4 | Animations and Stings

Elenor Kopka | Resurrection Drive Part II
I think this example is a mixture of hand-drawn animation (photoshop?) and After Effects may have been used to assist certain movements or sequences (repeating movements, camera pans, etc.) I like the weird non sensical narrative, and how despite being digitally created it doesn't feel too synthetic?

I would like to know how you can still animate thinks in AE but make it look rickety, not totally seamless? Something a bit more human.



David Foldvari | something new
This was shown on the presentation and I really enjoyed it. The movements are jittery and chaotic, and the use of sounds really adds to the feeling of unease. Very textural, layers of hand-drawn elements with block shapes. I think the combination of the static images with the small part of animation works well.

The tone is something I'm a fan of too, maybe I could make something as weird. Because it is lots of simple ideas merged together, it seems more complex than it is.



Lei Lei | Missing One Player
It looks like it's from the past and the future all at once. Very strange and ominous feeling. I like how digital means have been used to give motion to collaged bits and pieces, has a really handmade feel which isn't lost through the use of software.

I would like to know how to layer up handmade scans/drawings/pictures to create a moving assemblage of things.

After Effects | Workshop 1

Notes from workshop 1.

Including: basics of ae, creating compositions, keyboard shortcuts...

Prints into Software

Having created a stack of printed material at this point, I scanned them all in on Friday and wanted to see what I could do with them digitally.

After playing around with those scans for a while, here's some of what I ended up with...

Talking to Ben made me realise that going straight to the computer with these images is probably just wasting time. When I'm not sure about what I'm doing I could spend hours just messing with digital software and editing stuff forever.

Even though these test images gave me some things to think about, for now I think it's important that I go back to my desk, going away from the endless possibilities and choices and buttons of the computer.

This week I need to photocopy some reference images to use, and begin collaging and mocking up potential images or even pages. This approach is similar to how I reached a conclusion with my zine.

If that's anything to go by, hopefully I'll end up with some useable ideas for book content.

Important things: Shape, photos, scanner and photocopy experiments, distorting images, collaging, play

Printmaking Handbook: Monoprinting

I got this book from the library in an attempt to see what other possibilities there are with monoprinting, hoping this would give me some ideas as I still don't feel completely confident with printing.

Screenprint Induction

I made two example compositions to take with me to the print room. They are based on lines I had lifted from Naked Lunch and the Barry Miles biography about Burroughs, as well as themes involving bodies and the mind and all that stuff I've been drawing lately.

The one on the left isn't finished, I still need to figure out a better layout. So for that reason I decided to go for the second one to use in the induction.

Print positives, a layer for each colour

This time screenprinting went much more smoothly, and nearly all of the finished prints I created were fine. I ended up changing the colours slightly, choosing a fluorescent pink instead. I think that the process I used to make these positives was very straightforward and gave me the best of both worlds.

Using traditional media (chinagraph) to create the lines, and photoshop to assemble all of the separate drawings together to get a composition that I thought looked right.

Print Positives

As my screenprint induction is coming up, I want to have some ideas to go from. I can also use these compositions for the other print techniques I have done so far.

The only difference being is that I have began to think about overlays and how two colours could be used in this process.

Here are the compositions. I've also been thinking about how I can make my line drawings more exciting. After mulling it over for a while I made some sheets of ink textures as well as some outlines in chinagraph pencil. I plan to scan these in and create my positives from them. I made a lot of variations so I had a fair bit of material to work from and play with.

It will be interesting to see what these handmade marks look like when they are made into flat shapes with a lot of contrast. Also, scanning these and layering them digitally means I can get an idea of what a screenprint would look like before I get into the print room.

Lino Print Induction

On Friday I had my lino print induction. I had never properly done lino printing before, so it was a completely new technique for me. Sort of similar to mono, but instead you are working with shape and negative space / an inversion of the image you want to create.

This is what I struggled to get my head around.

I took a sheet of drawings and vague composition ideas into the workshop with me so I had something to go off. I spent a long time carving the piece of lino, and ended up with that thing on the right. Was beginning to feel very put off by the entire process, feeling like a total amateur. Feeling like you're not good at something isn't a nice time.

Although the printing process itself made the thing look a bit better, I still wasn't totally convinced. I was very close to avoiding the print room for the rest of my days. I think I should give it another try though, maybe just creating a simpler image or working with a bigger piece of lino.

Alternatively, instead of focusing on creating a full image, I could try making smaller stamps that I can use alongside mono prints and drawings. Blocks of texture or pattern could also be another more straight-forward way for me to incorporate lino into my work.

 Left: Made with printing press Right: Hand burnished

A smaller linocut that worked much better. This was mostly improvised and uses a lot more pattern/marks to fill space. This made the example more interesting. Right: The lino cut scanned and adjusted on photoshop.

However I prefer it with the white space. Maybe I could clean up the image and maintain the white background.

Competition Briefs

Blog version of the form completed in today's responsive session.

Naming a brief that interests me, a rationale for deciding to research that brief, practical skills and media that I may learn, as well as an outline of an action plan.

1. Penguin: Adult Non-Fiction Cover Award [Link]
'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote

Requirements: Front and back cover, spine, adhering to template on website, involving PENGUIN branding and barcode. (PDF digital submission, 300dpi)

I'm interested in this brief because it is research-based, it relates to publishing (and is involved with Penguin who are a well-established name), and it also involves illustration and design elements.

Action plan: Read and research text/author, produce roughs, develop, finalise

Important dates: Digital submissions open 18/01/2017
                           Closing date for entries 07/03/2017 at 12:00

2. Secret-7 [Link]
Tracks for 2017 to be announced. May just work on sleeve designs for previous tracks for the time being.

Requirements: 7" record sleeve design (front + back)

This brief was something I wanted to look into since I heard about it from the previous level 5 students. I really enjoy the format of the record sleeve, and the idea of it communicating a song without telling the readers what that is. Also it's such a broad project that is open to many different approaches. Also relates to my interest in music.

Action plan: Look at previous tracks, listen, create sketches and roughs, develop, finalise

Important dates: TBA

3. Batsford Prize 2017 [Link]
Interpreting Nature. Entries that show 'innovative and well-crafted' interpretations of nature in terms of subject or materials used. Revealing something about nature/our relationship to it.

Requirements: Entry form, up to 5 digital images of work (10mb max), supporting 500 word statement

I saw the competition poster for this brief and was intrigued since it was open to people from many different creative disciplines. I then found out that Batsford are involved in publishing, so maybe it could be something worth looking into. Also, by the sounds of it the format of the final images could be determined by me.

Action plan: Research, roughs, plan formats, develop, create, finalise, submit

Important dates: Last entry day 04/04/2017, email batsford@pavilionbooks.com subject 'BATSFORD PRIZE ENTRY'

4. UK Greetings (YCN) [Link]
To create your own collection of illustrative stationary, greetings cards and gift wrap.

Requirements: 4 x greeting cards (105x159mm, 121x184mm, or 140x140mm) consider inside of card and envelope designs
1 x boxed notecard set (size 110 x 132mm)
1x gift bag (size 267 x 330mm)
1x repeating pattern for gift wrap (show one or two swatch samples)
1 x notepad cover (A5 or A4)
Design sheet demonstrating ideas as a set

This brief could be a good challenge because of the numerous formats you would have to create, making sure they work together as a set. Also the appearance / occasion of the set is up to you.

Action plan: Research the company, select a theme or occasion, make designs, develop, create finals

Important dates: 11:59pm 23/03/2017, digital submission link available from January (submit as a single PDF)