'Magical' elements

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/minimalist-fairy-tale-posters

This blog has many minimalist posters which I have been advised to look at recently. What is really interesting is that all the posters on this particular blog relate to fairy-tales, many of which are contained in the Grimm’s collection. I have been using these as inspiration for my magical ‘twists’ which my work still requires to bring it up to standard.

This weekend my aim is to have at least these visual magical twists illustrated and polished on Photoshop ready to put into format on Monday (27/02), if not before. So far I have managed to think of and conceptualise magical twists for all of my four elements though two are better than the others. The wolf will have little red riding hood’s hood for his nose and the apple will have the Grim reaper’s sickle for its stalk. Both of these ideas were formulated through the minimalist poster research so this advice was well worth taking!

Already I can feel my ideas and work being pushed on. I am starting to think of other ways to have my work presented for example how would these elements look in flocking on fabric? Grimm’s fairy-tales are set in the woods, how would be characters look carved out of wood?

After yesterdays tutorial I have made it my priority to continue with my element making keeping the more magical concept in mind. The one's that I have crafted so far do have a slight visual twist too, with the frog and mouse showing their transformations and the apple bearing its death connotation, I hope that you can understand them :)

Tutorial 23/02/2012

Tutorial

23/02/2012

10:30-11:00

Another tutorial brings another wave of self-confidence issues, reflection on my actual abilities and a host of additional work to produce. When presenting my work this far on the Grimm’s project, my tutor didn’t look overly impressed, I’ll be honest I don’t think I would have been overly either, my ‘attempt’ at work since the last tutorial has been a lame one. So I’ve discovered that magazines are where the collage lies, that is the material which, for me, produces the best results. Apologies for the lack of support on the origami paper front, it’s nothing personal, I just don’t think that the finish it is as high with the matt quality to the paper. If this is what I am going to pursue, and it looks pretty certain that I will be doing then Ian has suggested looking at Martin O’Neill. I was sure I’d seen or heard him mentioned before and after a quick Google search my thoughts were confirmed. He’s the guy who archives his magazines and ephemera in drawers and shoe boxes, all neatly labelled in a studio on the south east coast. I must admit I do much prefer this manual approach to a digital archive where I’m sure I would lose everything in a spiralling and impending doom. However, looking at his studio just urges me to want to go and tidy everything away and clean everything, it just looks so messy! Sure I like the idea of being able to live like this, but in the bijous room I have it’s just not feasible anyway. Though the idea of buying magazines in bulk from the online marketplace, such as eBay for example, and not knowing what to expect when it arrives, sounds very exciting and promising. Doing this will no doubt add different textures, paper quality and era to my work and archive.

Other suggestions were to exploit the elements I have already crafted to make them more magical and to give them a sense of purpose being on the cover for Grimm’s fairy-tales. At the moment my audience looks at the cover and sees a wolf, an apple, a fog and a mouse, but they are left waiting for something else, that something doesn’t appear. For example the wolf, could it be described by teeth alone? Does the frog need a crown if he is a frog prince? Could the apple have both a nice and bad side? These little twists will make my work more witty and gritty at the same time. There were suggestions to maybe invert some of the elements and distort them now they have been crafted. The most joyous part of the tutorial was knowing that I had now made enough elements, I just need to start utilising them better.

It was also suggested that I could look at minimalist film posters which show this visual twist. After another quick Google search I found them very interested clever witty and at times humorous, if I could replicate this in my cover I would be very proud.

One question I did ask was whether the FMP mark was focused on depth of exploration. For example last semester I skimmed the surface of several processes rather than digging deep with just the one, which Ian agreed with. My next project was to make some puppets for a short film of one of the fairy-tales only this would again mean changing process when I’m just starting to get to grips with another. Therefore it has been decided that I might yet change my proposal to incorporate the current technique I am adopting throughout the FMP. I think that this will give my work more consistency and credibility at the end.

Over the course of the next week I aim to dedicate more time to my work, but not only that but to dedicate it effectively. I’ve seen over the last week me sit procrastinating rather than doing productive work, this needs to stop and I must learn to be more disciplined. If what I am doing is not going to affect the final outcome I need to desist. I also need to work quicker and harder if I am going to achieve what I hope to achieve and be more consistent, which I think is finally coming, though slowly. I think that my lack on confidence in my own ability sometimes prevents me from progressing, though I have been reassured slightly with today’s tutorial. My next actions in completing this part of my project are to scan in all my current elements into Photoshop, polish these up and make any adjustments they may require and put them into my template which I have designed for the cover. I aim to have this part of the project completed now by the end of Sunday 26/02/2012 so that I can promptly move on to my next project. I think that I am spending too much time dilly dallying and not enough time producing actual work.

Book Binding with Lucy Wilson

Book Binding

Lucy Wilson

21/02/2012 @ 1:30

Third Year Critical Studies Room

http://www.elizabethsheart.com/

This afternoon I was given the opportunity to participate in a book binding workshop, which I must admit was thoroughly enjoyable, although I had my reservations at first.

It was held my Lucy Wilson who can be found at http://www.elizabethsheart.com/ an illustrator and designer working in the heart of Liverpool. Her portfolio boasts an array of illustrations, made things and exhibitions. And I must say when she showed us her portfolio, which she brought along with her, it was the cutest I’ve ever seen. It is professionally bounded by herself and used different papers depending on the image she is presenting, it was truly beautiful. I daren’t touch it in case I got my greasy fingerprints on it, it was that delicate.

Lucy was really approachable but wasn’t scared of the silence at the same time. We were clearly quite a quiet group but she seemed happy for the peaceful environment whilst we were concentrating on our budding skills.

Bind the pages wasn’t half as difficult as I had imagined though I’m not sure if I will remember all the steps, I have written them down just in case, for my own referral more than anything else.

Instructions:

Always start stitching from the outside inwards with the spine facing towards you, preferably with it lined up neatly against the edge of a table. Remember to tape the first few inches to the right side of you. Sew in and out of your pre-prepared holes until you reach the other side. For A5 paper folded in half (to make an A6 sized book) find the middle of the fold then measure 2cm either side of this mark, then 3cm either side of those and finally 1cm either side of those. Pull the needle downwards through the first loop you made to connect the pages together. To finish first two pages knot together with bit masked to the table. Coming back use the loop furthest away in the direction in which you are travelling from the previous page. Always remember to fold any paper with the grain where possible.

I’ve never heard of paper having a grain before (I know as a child my Dad always told me to cut my meat with the grain because it’s easier, I guess it’s a similar principle?). Basically, if you try to fold the paper one way it will bounce slightly but will be difficult to crease and will crinkle but if you try to fold it the correct way it should fold easily and smoothly. So there you go.

I did feel slightly guilty for having to leave five minutes early to catch Nicola Slater for my portfolio session but these things can’t be helped. What I would say though is that this workshop was worthwhile and will no doubt be extremely useful, if I see any more in future I won’t be the one to turn my nose up anymore. Thanks to Lucy and to the college for arranging such a worthwhile afternoon, good job guys.

Please take the time to check out some of Lucy's fantastic work, the link is posted twice above.

Also, for similar work check out

www.hilaryj.co.uk

www.lucymayschofield.co.uk

www.ratchfords.co.uk

Portfolio visit 6 - Nicola Slater

Portfolio Visit Number 6

Nicola Slater

Third Year Illustration Room

http://www.childrensillustrators.com/nslater/

Today I participated in my sixth portfolio visit with Nicola Slater, an illustrator currently helping the second year illustration students at Stockport College, hence the more informal location. By having the session in college did however make me feel more relaxed and comfortable with the usually quite formal set-up. This is probably because I know the environment the session was taking place in, if anything it was Nicola who would have felt somewhat uncomfortable as it’s not her usual territory.

I’ve checked her work out online (she only seems in have online representation via an agent and not a personal web presence http://www.childrensillustrators.com/nslater/ ) and I like her use of simple shapes and hand rendered typefaces. I find researching the professional beforehand comforting, kind of like a background check to understand a little bit about them, how they work and where they are coming from. Not only this but it gives me a better idea of who I need to be choosing to show my portfolio to. Nicola had comments about this too, on how I should be seeking out more book publishers as my work is very children’s book cover orientated. I can relate to her work too as recently I’ve been utilising simple shapes with my ladybird (from the James and the Giant Peach project) inspired elements and making my own types out of stitch. By being able to relate to her work this makes me feel more comfortable too at talking with her as I feel on the same level… almost, she is a pro after all.

I explained how I have taken the type off my illustrations of late as other professionals thought that it didn’t add anything to the overall image. Although Nicola was in agreement with this, she thought that it would be useful to have the type on acetates to give potential employers a feel for how the images would look with type overlaid. Not only this but she made a very good point of keeping all type on separate layers to the main image as sometimes the client will require changes to be made or even need it translating into different languages.

The Helping Uganda project was described as ‘African coloured’, which I will take as a compliment, bearing in mind that the story was set in Uganda, Africa so I must have highlighted that vibe well. Also, she liked the painterly backgrounds such as the green for the ground of double page spread number five in my portfolio.

Nicola preferred the ladybird and grasshopper elements as they were much more contemporary and not as predictable as the painted Uganda images. I discussed with her the struggles that I have been having (highlighted in the previous post) trying to get my current elements to look in-keeping with the ladybird and grasshopper characters. Although I have been trying to make them look part of a ‘set’ of images, Nicola asked whether I’d tried not trying? In honesty I’m not 100% sure but I think not. I have these two images etched on my brain but can’t seem to make the others fit in with their style. Her idea was to change media, use a brush or a sharpie to capture the essence of the thing I am trying to represent but be looser with the idea. For example the audience knows that the ladybird is not a ladybird by how it has been created but at the same time they know straight away that it is representing a ladybird. It doesn’t look anything like what I’m trying to communicate so try to move away from what you intellectually perceive as a wolf for example. I explained that the ladybird was a very quick illustration as was the mouse which she also liked, they took a few minutes only to create. On this she said again to keep the image loose and don’t be constricted by the traditional image. By doing this I am making the elements for the Grimm’s cover too complicated.

On my type explorations she was excited by the James and the Giant Peach attempt which is the reverse of hand stitched type but thought that the Grimm’s Fairy Tales was too neat. This type is the front and has been traced from a font off a pc whereas the other is more organic with it being freehand. Try thinking more in terms of what Grimm’s Fairy Tales connotes, for example dark, scary, woody and creeping with tendrils.

The scarab which I created for the Manchester Museum project would apparently look better and more cohesive in my portfolio if this too was created in this collage method. This is certainly a good suggestion and unlike some of the others professionals have made, it shouldn’t take too long to put into practice.

As I work quite well with space and white background, Nicola said it would be nice to see some line drawings in the background to show potential clients how my work would work with other imagery. For example if I were asked to put my ladybird next to the Eiffel Tower they would need to be able to visualise that. I think that using simple line drawings or an old nib with ink would be a very contemporary and neat way of introducing this. It is also an idea I could carry forward with me on my journey through the Grimm’s cover redesign.

Overall, if all portfolio visits were to take place in my comfort zones, e.g. the college or an environment familiar to me they would all be some much more relaxed, I’ve been nervous in practically every other. Nicola really warmed to some of my work which is encouraging, it’s always nice when a practicing professional praises your work, it gives it more credit and strength in my own eyes. I have learned that I need to take out some of the pieces that I don’t believe in fully myself as clients will wonder why they are there if I don’t support them 100% myself.

Thanks Nicola, have fun keep creating :)

Struggles

Struggles

I’ve been working on my redesigned cover for the Grimm’s fairy-tales for five weeks now and I feel as though I’ve done, on reflection, very little. I have produced a few elements which can be found within the fairy-tales which hopefully wouldn’t need too much explaining if you were to see them on the cover for example a wolf, from Little Red Riding Hood and an apple from Snow White. In the crit last week I discovered that the more recent elements do not look like the original ladybird and grasshopper which inspired this method of working which I developed whilst working on the James and the Giant Peach cover last January (which ironically was last years Puffin competition). This is mainly due to the material of choice. In previous crits it was discussed how using origami paper could be a good alternative to magazines as the colour is in a set size and I wouldn’t have to trawl through magazines for endless hours looking for the perfect colour and dimensions. But now having both to compare, it is clear that the original way or working was much more effective. The hours involved in creating the elements is worth the result! I have therefore been to the market and purchased some quality magazines (Harper’s Bazaar, Elle magazine and the likes) at discounted prices meaning that the quality of the elements now should be first class.

Having played with the technique, material and quality I should now have no excuses for producing anything other than first class from now on in. I understand now that by spending more on the materials will inevitably show in the final outcomes with them also being much better quality and higher class. Now I have this mastered I need to produce much much more material as I feel what I have produced so far is very limited and limiting for five weeks worth of supposed hard graft.

I’m also beginning to notice that I do have pre-empted ideas of what I would like the finished outcome to be and work towards this continually rather than exploring avenues to their full potential. For example, for the last two weeks I have been planning out how these elements will fit together to form the cover rather than exploring them further to their fullest potential. Instead I need to give them my full attention and only bring them together once I know and am fully satisfied with their quality and aesthetic. Though because I have been having these ‘planning’ phases, I have noticed that I am struggling with the same dilemma as last years Puffin competition – bringing the different elements together in a cohesive manner. I work quite graphically anyway (according to the pro’s) usually on a white or very pale background and paying particular attention to space. It would be nice to have a template which I could use for all book covers etc. so that an audience could associate that design with me straight away. However, this could be difficult depending on the context of the book. But potentially this idea could be quite clever. On the Wizard of Oz cover I designed, there were four elements equally spaced on one line close to the centre of the cover with the title ever so slightly above and the author quite a way down close to the bottom. This type of template would work well for the Grimm’s cover and have made a mock version to start working with.

It is a difficult situation knowing that my FMP is being led and negotiated by me, therefore if a project over-runs, I am to blame. If the next project doesn’t start on time, I am to blame and then the next project will not be completed on time and the cycle goes on. This particular project should have been finished by the end of today (19^th Febrauary) otherwise my other two projects will not be explored to their fullest. Although I understand the tutors concept of wanting me to explore something fully and in depth, I also want to make sure that it is completed to schedule so that I don’t have to be thinking about it when I start the next. If I have two projects on the go at the same time it will not only confuse me but I will not be able to focus properly on either one knowing that the other is not finished.

So there you are, a small dose of my struggles currently, I’m sure I will be blogging about this again soon, probably tomorrow, or even in a few hours… but for now, goodnight people

Amazon review

Amazon article review

Metro free newspaper – Friday 9^th February 2012

In Fridays (9^th February) edition of the Metro (free newspaper) there was an article featuring the rumour of Amazon’s move from a solely online presence to the high street, with its first shop soon to be trialling out in Seattle. The store is described as a ‘boutique’, probably with a similar mind-set to the Apple stores that have opened where customers can go and play with its products before they purchase them. The article goes on to say that the move ‘could be inspired by the success of the Apple stores’. The only observation I’ve made is that Apple has a wide range of electronic products to offer whereas, to my knowledge at least, Amazon only have the Kindle ‘e-reader’.

However, later in the article brand analyst Imogen Power states ‘I think it’s going to be a retail experience rather than a traditional shop. It will be interesting if they use it for promoting new authors, book themed events and concerts – I think it will be that kind of space’. Of course by utilising Imogen’s statement it would be logical to assume that by promoting new authors this will mean promoting new books. Although the e-readers allow one outlet for these new books surely they will sell their paper and original form too? At the moment an author cannot sign an e-reader, can they? Of course if this were to happen it would also mean a new lease of life for illustrators. With the printed word now moving online and the collapse of many bookstores this injection is just what illustrators need to see that there is still life in the old dog. The cycle would have come full circle with the original opening of book store to sell printed books then moving online and eventually coming back to the high street where they first started.

Although buying books online to read on the e-reader does still requires the cover to be illustrated a lot of the authenticity is lost through the pixilation of the image as is the tactility. Buying a book usually means having the thing right there in your hands, something you can hold and touch and feel whereas online they are just images. Does this mean then that the cover will play a bigger part in somebody’s decision of buying a book or a lesser part? For example if there is just an image to look at and things such as the paper quality and size of the book are not contributing factors to the decision will this mean that there needs to be more emphasis on what is on the cover to do the selling work for the author? And does that mean that illustration will have to move with these changes too with the added pressures that this brings? The need for contemporary and different illustrations will be even more in demand as the tactility is lost.

Will these potentially new Amazon stores then, change this online purchasing? I guess it will have to be another case of watch this space…

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Brief set by The Fox is Black as part of their re-covered competitions

http://thefoxisblack.com/

This brief provided me with an outlet to produce some of this ‘more, more, more’ work. Initially, I was worried that I wouldn’t get the time to produce something to standard having got my final major project to be working on alongside, which obviously has to be my main focus. But then of course in this catch twenty-two situation I also need more work in my portfolio, so I decided to give it a stab.

It turns out that giving it a stab was a good idea because that in itself has given me a mini break from my final major project work meaning that I can now return to it fresh looking at it from a new perspective etc.

I started the work on Wednesday 8^th February meaning I only had four days until the deadline and for me four days is short. Usually, to produce a front cover, back cover and spine design it would take me a minimum of four weeks so the challenge it provided in itself was worth undertaking. I read the brief thoroughly before embarking on the task and the idea was to illustrate the book and not the film. I don’t know if I’ve ever even read the book so I started my research there. It was a good job I did too because little details have been neglected in the film version for example Dorothy’s shoes are silver and not red as they are in the film. After reading the story I decided to focus on key elements to parallel the technique I’m using in my final major project which were the Wizard’s granting of their wishes; a new silk heart for the Tin man, a new brain made of pins and needles for the scarecrow, a drop of courage for the lion and Dorothy’s silver shoes which took her home to Kansas. I made these elements out of mixed media again to parallel my FMP work by using origami paper and cardboard. I then scanned in these elements and polished them on Photoshop. As Paul J Bartlett commented, my polishing skills need to be worked on so this project gave me a fine opportunity to incorporate that too. I then went to photograph green glass bottle to use as a background to reference the Emerald City and put the elements into context. I struggled with typeface again so I picked out the font I like the best from the selection preset on Photoshop.

Overall, I’m happy with the final outcome. The standard could be slightly higher if I had had the time but due to the short deadline this wasn’t possible. It has provided me with a basis if nothing else on which to produce a piece of work that I could possibly add to my portfolio at a later stage when I get some feedback as to whether it needs more work or not. But for now, here you go …