Wow, I'm so chuffed to make it to the finals of the Gorillaz Design the Evangelist competition :) But it would be great to get to the semi-finals!
If you think I deserve the chance, then you can vote for my entry here. You also get to see my entry being drawn in super high-speed, so it gives you a good idea of how I work.
My love to you all! x
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Sunday 21 November 2010
Too much thinking for this ol' fuddy-duddy
Well, it's been a while and I am now in my final year at Glyndwr University, still plodding onwards. I wont bore you with the details of the last two months, suffice to say that Orlando was riotous fun! I'll dive straight back in with my November blog...
About a fortnight a go I scurried off to Liverpool for a good dosage of culture, as the 2010 Biennial was being held. With various galleries and museums participating in the festival, it seemed like a great time to have a nose and see what was new in the arty-farty world. I headed over to the Walker Art Gallery to check out a painting competition.
For a student of the arts, I find it very discouraging that the majority of these competitions still focus on pompous nonsense when it comes to works of "art".
I was, for the most part, disappointed with this year's John Moores Painting Prize. Whatever happened to painters actually being able to paint? It seems that any so-so can chuck a blob of acrylic onto a canvas nowadays if there's an "idea" behind it. "Oh, it represents the randomness of life." Get over yourself.
Honestly, there were only two or three paintings even deserving of the £25,000 prize, and you can bet your bare arse none of them won because the meaning is too obvious.
"Protest, 1st April 2009" by Nicholas Middleton is a beautiful painting, done in monochrome, of a crowd of people at a rally. The expressions and details are so mesmerising it's almost like looking at a photograph, but the tiny brushstrokes hint at the human talent behind it. I could practically hear the noise of the crowd whilst gazing into it.
Christian Ward's "Frontier Monument" spoke less of obvious talent, and more of imagination. The lack of perspective is overshadowed by the painting's mad colour scheme and landscape. It's a Nirvana that I would have pictured as a child, but that's not to say I wouldn't want to dive into it now. I think my fascination with this one is it's resemblance to something out of "Yellow Submarine". Whilst I was looking at it a group of children ran over to it, exclaiming that it was their favourite. "There's lots of purple", "look at the lovely trees" and "I like the squiggly-armed guy" were some of the phrases they used. I think when a child "gets" your work, then that's something to be proud of.
"An Alpine Biodome" by Geraint Evans was an interesting piece. Not something I would have on my wall at home, but well executed and an obvious example of work by someone who I imagine would do well in design and architecture.
"Near the Site" by David Fulford is, I think, worthy of a mention because it comes across as as storyboard. I couldn't quite make out the story, but I loved the colour scheme of a Sunday afternoon in the summer; all dull yellows and browns. Even without a story the pieces stand individually as photographs, as though someone has hurriedly painted them to capture a moment in time. There were 60 small canvas paintings in total, and another reason it bodes well with me is because the idea relates to one of my Negotiated Study projects.
Finally, it's worth mentioning that there are five extras this year, as the JMPP celebrates a new venture by opening the competition in Shanghai. My favourite of the five shortlisted was Li Weizhou's "Where are we from? Where will we go?" From a distance it looks like a large blank canvas with a tiny queue of people running across it, but close up, you realise that these tiny people all look completely different, and all appear to have personalities about them. I also loved this painting because of the medium used: ink on rice paper. That's new to me, but the effect is beautiful and works for the enigmatic piece.
So there were some really great pieces, including ones that I haven't mentioned, but the majority I will not dignify with a mention, because then they get free advertising. I honestly believe that if, as artists, we allow our craft to be exploited and tarnished this way, then our livelihood is going to fade very fast.
To finish off, I will put in a mention for this wonderful little blog post that kept me smiling, even when I felt done-over by the artwork thinking I don't have a chance. If you're worried that you may not pan-out as a full time artist, whatever your creative pursuit, have a gander at this list of ways to know if you truly are an artist. Hopefully it'll put some minds at ease.
About a fortnight a go I scurried off to Liverpool for a good dosage of culture, as the 2010 Biennial was being held. With various galleries and museums participating in the festival, it seemed like a great time to have a nose and see what was new in the arty-farty world. I headed over to the Walker Art Gallery to check out a painting competition.
For a student of the arts, I find it very discouraging that the majority of these competitions still focus on pompous nonsense when it comes to works of "art".
I was, for the most part, disappointed with this year's John Moores Painting Prize. Whatever happened to painters actually being able to paint? It seems that any so-so can chuck a blob of acrylic onto a canvas nowadays if there's an "idea" behind it. "Oh, it represents the randomness of life." Get over yourself.
Honestly, there were only two or three paintings even deserving of the £25,000 prize, and you can bet your bare arse none of them won because the meaning is too obvious.
"Protest, 1st April 2009" by Nicholas Middleton is a beautiful painting, done in monochrome, of a crowd of people at a rally. The expressions and details are so mesmerising it's almost like looking at a photograph, but the tiny brushstrokes hint at the human talent behind it. I could practically hear the noise of the crowd whilst gazing into it.
Christian Ward's "Frontier Monument" spoke less of obvious talent, and more of imagination. The lack of perspective is overshadowed by the painting's mad colour scheme and landscape. It's a Nirvana that I would have pictured as a child, but that's not to say I wouldn't want to dive into it now. I think my fascination with this one is it's resemblance to something out of "Yellow Submarine". Whilst I was looking at it a group of children ran over to it, exclaiming that it was their favourite. "There's lots of purple", "look at the lovely trees" and "I like the squiggly-armed guy" were some of the phrases they used. I think when a child "gets" your work, then that's something to be proud of.
"An Alpine Biodome" by Geraint Evans was an interesting piece. Not something I would have on my wall at home, but well executed and an obvious example of work by someone who I imagine would do well in design and architecture.
"Near the Site" by David Fulford is, I think, worthy of a mention because it comes across as as storyboard. I couldn't quite make out the story, but I loved the colour scheme of a Sunday afternoon in the summer; all dull yellows and browns. Even without a story the pieces stand individually as photographs, as though someone has hurriedly painted them to capture a moment in time. There were 60 small canvas paintings in total, and another reason it bodes well with me is because the idea relates to one of my Negotiated Study projects.
Finally, it's worth mentioning that there are five extras this year, as the JMPP celebrates a new venture by opening the competition in Shanghai. My favourite of the five shortlisted was Li Weizhou's "Where are we from? Where will we go?" From a distance it looks like a large blank canvas with a tiny queue of people running across it, but close up, you realise that these tiny people all look completely different, and all appear to have personalities about them. I also loved this painting because of the medium used: ink on rice paper. That's new to me, but the effect is beautiful and works for the enigmatic piece.
So there were some really great pieces, including ones that I haven't mentioned, but the majority I will not dignify with a mention, because then they get free advertising. I honestly believe that if, as artists, we allow our craft to be exploited and tarnished this way, then our livelihood is going to fade very fast.
To finish off, I will put in a mention for this wonderful little blog post that kept me smiling, even when I felt done-over by the artwork thinking I don't have a chance. If you're worried that you may not pan-out as a full time artist, whatever your creative pursuit, have a gander at this list of ways to know if you truly are an artist. Hopefully it'll put some minds at ease.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Leonardo Da Flake
If I could go back in time, or bring the past forwards, Leonardo Da Vinci is the person who I (and most likely many others) would have sought out to be my Mentor. How I long for a Mentor! His eccentricities and endless drawings and notes, to me, made him seem like some sort of unreachable God or Alien.
So I was quite surprised to read, in this article, that he was an unstoppable procrastinator, not unlike myself. And while I spend all my time procrastinating and wishing I were dead, he managed to do it with some style. And he still sounds awesome.
Have a read of the article and see how you feel afterwards. Do you conform like the rest of the World? Hitting deadlines on time, rushing things that are supposedly "important", but in the long run do not matter? (Like a degree in comics, when you want to be a Tattooist... *cough*)
This quote from the article suggests imperfection is the right way to go about it:
"Productive mediocrity requires discipline of an ordinary kind. It is safe and threatens no one. Nothing will be changed by mediocrity; mediocrity is completely predictable. It doesn't make the powerful and self-satisfied feel insecure. It doesn't require freedom, because it doesn't do anything unexpected. Mediocrity is the opposite of what we call "genius." Mediocrity gets perfectly mundane things done on time. But genius is uncontrolled and uncontrollable. You cannot produce a work of genius according to a schedule or an outline. As Leonardo knew, it happens through random insights resulting from unforeseen combinations. Genius is inherently outside the realm of known disciplines and linear career paths. Mediocrity does exactly what it's told, like the docile factory workers envisioned by Frederick Winslow Taylor."
After all, why rush to finish something you hate on time, when you can spend years doing something you love...
Personally, I hope I grow up to be like that mad Italian Geezer!
So I was quite surprised to read, in this article, that he was an unstoppable procrastinator, not unlike myself. And while I spend all my time procrastinating and wishing I were dead, he managed to do it with some style. And he still sounds awesome.
Have a read of the article and see how you feel afterwards. Do you conform like the rest of the World? Hitting deadlines on time, rushing things that are supposedly "important", but in the long run do not matter? (Like a degree in comics, when you want to be a Tattooist... *cough*)
This quote from the article suggests imperfection is the right way to go about it:
"Productive mediocrity requires discipline of an ordinary kind. It is safe and threatens no one. Nothing will be changed by mediocrity; mediocrity is completely predictable. It doesn't make the powerful and self-satisfied feel insecure. It doesn't require freedom, because it doesn't do anything unexpected. Mediocrity is the opposite of what we call "genius." Mediocrity gets perfectly mundane things done on time. But genius is uncontrolled and uncontrollable. You cannot produce a work of genius according to a schedule or an outline. As Leonardo knew, it happens through random insights resulting from unforeseen combinations. Genius is inherently outside the realm of known disciplines and linear career paths. Mediocrity does exactly what it's told, like the docile factory workers envisioned by Frederick Winslow Taylor."
After all, why rush to finish something you hate on time, when you can spend years doing something you love...
Personally, I hope I grow up to be like that mad Italian Geezer!
Friday 10 September 2010
Tattoo Survey
For my third year dissertation I am investigating Tattoo Art as it appears in/with other forms of modern art. My aims are:
• to discover how and why Tattoo-art is inspiring other art-forms, focusing on graphics, fine art, photography, illustration
• to investigate why Tattoos have experienced a rise in popularity, and what benefits and problems may (or already have) come from it
• to look at how Tattooing has been influenced by other art-forms (e.g.: photo-realism, comics, graffiti, surrealism, graphics…)
• to look into the future of this juxtaposition between Tattoos and Modern Art
I’d be really grateful if you’d take just five minutes to fill in my survey, in order to help me complete my dissertation with some interesting results.
If there are any questions you are uncomfortable answering, or if they do not apply to you, just leave it blank.
Name:
Gender:
Age range: Under 18/18-24/25-34/35-44/45-54/55+
Occupation:
1. First of all, do you have a tattoo, and if so why? If you don’t, why not?
2. If you have a tattoo, what concerned you the most during the process: your own health and safety, the tattooist, the tattoo design, it’s meaning or it’s location on your body? Why?
3. When you think of “Tattoo” what kind of words spring to mind?
4. Now think of “Art”, and what words pop up?
5. Take a look at these two pictures:
Do you prefer the a) tattooed artwork, or b) the artwork of tattoos? Explain your decision.
6. Have you ever bought any merchandise decorated with tattoo art (e.g.: clothes, iPod covers, jewellery, perfumes etc). What attracted you to its design?
7. Take a look at these two people:
Who do you find more appealing: a) the celebrity with a tattoo, or b) the stranger with a tattoo? Explain your decision.
8. Tattoos have experienced a major increase in popularity over the last few years. Why do you think that is?
9. Do you see your current opinion of tattoos, whether good or bad, changing in the future? Why?
Thanks for taking the time to do this, I am very grateful! You can either post your answers directly to this page, or email me at BulletprufZombie@hotmail.co.uk. Please put "Tattoo Survey" in the subject box.
*Please note: All images here are taken off Google Images. I do not own them.
• to discover how and why Tattoo-art is inspiring other art-forms, focusing on graphics, fine art, photography, illustration
• to investigate why Tattoos have experienced a rise in popularity, and what benefits and problems may (or already have) come from it
• to look at how Tattooing has been influenced by other art-forms (e.g.: photo-realism, comics, graffiti, surrealism, graphics…)
• to look into the future of this juxtaposition between Tattoos and Modern Art
I’d be really grateful if you’d take just five minutes to fill in my survey, in order to help me complete my dissertation with some interesting results.
If there are any questions you are uncomfortable answering, or if they do not apply to you, just leave it blank.
Name:
Gender:
Age range: Under 18/18-24/25-34/35-44/45-54/55+
Occupation:
1. First of all, do you have a tattoo, and if so why? If you don’t, why not?
2. If you have a tattoo, what concerned you the most during the process: your own health and safety, the tattooist, the tattoo design, it’s meaning or it’s location on your body? Why?
3. When you think of “Tattoo” what kind of words spring to mind?
4. Now think of “Art”, and what words pop up?
5. Take a look at these two pictures:
Do you prefer the a) tattooed artwork, or b) the artwork of tattoos? Explain your decision.
6. Have you ever bought any merchandise decorated with tattoo art (e.g.: clothes, iPod covers, jewellery, perfumes etc). What attracted you to its design?
7. Take a look at these two people:
Who do you find more appealing: a) the celebrity with a tattoo, or b) the stranger with a tattoo? Explain your decision.
8. Tattoos have experienced a major increase in popularity over the last few years. Why do you think that is?
9. Do you see your current opinion of tattoos, whether good or bad, changing in the future? Why?
Thanks for taking the time to do this, I am very grateful! You can either post your answers directly to this page, or email me at BulletprufZombie@hotmail.co.uk. Please put "Tattoo Survey" in the subject box.
*Please note: All images here are taken off Google Images. I do not own them.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Jamie Hewlett in a Tux?!
Thought I'd just chuck in another mention here: Gorillaz have been voted band of the year by GQ magazine. I am led to believe this is some kind of man-magazine ("mangazine??") about fashion and stylishness, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm not surprised they won, they're a fantastic group. They're like a brick of cheese that just gets better with age. And from that photo of singer/musician Damon, artist Jamie, and hell-raising 'toon Murdoc I get the sense that their interview is going to be particularly fun and goofy, as they usually are. So if anyone happens to buy GQ, please lend it to me so I can have a look!
Jamie Hewlett is my greatest hero. He's an art school drop-out who went on to have his Kangeroo-shagging, bald, pin-up chick "Tank Girl" made into a movie when he was 23. Then he went on to create one of us Brits' best bands, and helped bring Monkey: Journey to the West to the stage. Go fig.
Blue skies and sunshine... almost guaranteed
Thought I'd share this humble iPhone snap:
At night I sleep with my curtains open. This started out as laziness but has just become a habit now, once I realised how lucky I am to have such a great view. There are no streetlights of any kind at the back of my house, just a vast view of our land, the fields and motorway below, and a great view of the Gresford Church.
On a good night I get the moonlight shining in my room like some Holy beacon. Obviously there are days when I wake up to grey clouds and rain, but every now and again I get a view like this, where the sky looks like a watercolour painting of washed-down blues, and the dawn is made up of neon-pinks and oranges...
You'd think with such inspiration I could conjure up some artwork. I guess sometimes views are wasted on the wrong people and I'll only wise-up when I am faced with a brick wall.
At night I sleep with my curtains open. This started out as laziness but has just become a habit now, once I realised how lucky I am to have such a great view. There are no streetlights of any kind at the back of my house, just a vast view of our land, the fields and motorway below, and a great view of the Gresford Church.
On a good night I get the moonlight shining in my room like some Holy beacon. Obviously there are days when I wake up to grey clouds and rain, but every now and again I get a view like this, where the sky looks like a watercolour painting of washed-down blues, and the dawn is made up of neon-pinks and oranges...
You'd think with such inspiration I could conjure up some artwork. I guess sometimes views are wasted on the wrong people and I'll only wise-up when I am faced with a brick wall.
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Ich bin (noch) ein Student
It’s that time of the year again: a month before I start back at University and I start to panic because nary a thing has been done. Not only that, but a week after I go back I’m off to America for a fortnight + seven days. So you can understand my grousing.
But all is not lost. I still have a month. And when I really think about it, they haven’t actually asked us to do much over the summer. Mainly gather research and formulate ideas.
As I’ve come to understand it, our third year is made up of four areas:
1. a 5000 word Dissertation
2. negotiated study projects
3. our own professional practice
4. research, research, research!
It doesn’t sound like much, but I’m not convinced. However, I’m going to try and make this year fun at least. I have more control over my projects and therefore more interest in them.
My dissertation has an introduction and a basic outline, with the (working) title “Tattoos: The Ostracized Art-Form” or “How has Tattooing influenced, or been influenced by, modern art, and in turn how has it developed into an art-form of its own?”
Wordy, no?
My negotiated study projects I have narrowed down to several project ideas:
1. a book of Tattoo flash, also known as Tattoo-a-day-for-100-days (or more)
2. a documentary, mainly to keep my boyfriend busy, but also to examine the insanity of what it is to be an art student
3. a collection of mini-comics, a web-comic, an iPhone app/comic, OR a full graphic novel
4. a full topical book in comic format, inspired by the works of Scott McCloud
5. screen-printed works to sell on Etsy
6. a series of paintings in story sequence, inspired partly by Max Ernst’s “Collage Novel", and also by a collection of paintings I spotted in Liverpool a few months ago...
They are by an artist called Bone Daddy. Although they don’t necessarily share a storyline, they do hint at the story behind each of the tattooees, and serve to make you wonder what kind of people they might be. I thought that was a great idea. And the series of paintings project would allow me to combine three of the things I love: storytelling, painting and tattoos.
So once I’ve selected which of the negotiated study projects I am going to pursue, I will more or less chuck the rest of the ideas in with my professional practice. Currently I only have two goals for my PDP: sell myself (not literally) and enter competitions, the first of which is this year’s Manga Jiman competition (cheers to Sarah from my class for the heads up!).
Every year or so, the Japanese Embassy in the UK hold this competition open to residents over 14, hand them a theme and a limit of 6 to 8 pages, and ask them to draw a manga. I attempted to enter it in 2008, but my procrastination got the better of me.
This year I’m more determined. Not only because it would look good in my PDP, but also because the theme is “nami” or “wave”, in english. It’s given me some good ideas, but obviously I won’t mention them here for fear of someone stealing them…
However I will post invisible updates.
So there’s my third year planned. Thought I’d also bring this up: Tattoosday UK recently posted a piece about artist Min Jeong Seo, and her porcelain casts of Ballerina arms, painted to resemble fully tattooed sleeves. This is essentially what I was trying to do last year with my (God awful) “Bookjacket” brief, and I only wish this post had arrived sooner!
But all is not lost. I still have a month. And when I really think about it, they haven’t actually asked us to do much over the summer. Mainly gather research and formulate ideas.
As I’ve come to understand it, our third year is made up of four areas:
1. a 5000 word Dissertation
2. negotiated study projects
3. our own professional practice
4. research, research, research!
It doesn’t sound like much, but I’m not convinced. However, I’m going to try and make this year fun at least. I have more control over my projects and therefore more interest in them.
My dissertation has an introduction and a basic outline, with the (working) title “Tattoos: The Ostracized Art-Form” or “How has Tattooing influenced, or been influenced by, modern art, and in turn how has it developed into an art-form of its own?”
Wordy, no?
My negotiated study projects I have narrowed down to several project ideas:
1. a book of Tattoo flash, also known as Tattoo-a-day-for-100-days (or more)
2. a documentary, mainly to keep my boyfriend busy, but also to examine the insanity of what it is to be an art student
3. a collection of mini-comics, a web-comic, an iPhone app/comic, OR a full graphic novel
4. a full topical book in comic format, inspired by the works of Scott McCloud
5. screen-printed works to sell on Etsy
6. a series of paintings in story sequence, inspired partly by Max Ernst’s “Collage Novel", and also by a collection of paintings I spotted in Liverpool a few months ago...
They are by an artist called Bone Daddy. Although they don’t necessarily share a storyline, they do hint at the story behind each of the tattooees, and serve to make you wonder what kind of people they might be. I thought that was a great idea. And the series of paintings project would allow me to combine three of the things I love: storytelling, painting and tattoos.
So once I’ve selected which of the negotiated study projects I am going to pursue, I will more or less chuck the rest of the ideas in with my professional practice. Currently I only have two goals for my PDP: sell myself (not literally) and enter competitions, the first of which is this year’s Manga Jiman competition (cheers to Sarah from my class for the heads up!).
Every year or so, the Japanese Embassy in the UK hold this competition open to residents over 14, hand them a theme and a limit of 6 to 8 pages, and ask them to draw a manga. I attempted to enter it in 2008, but my procrastination got the better of me.
This year I’m more determined. Not only because it would look good in my PDP, but also because the theme is “nami” or “wave”, in english. It’s given me some good ideas, but obviously I won’t mention them here for fear of someone stealing them…
However I will post invisible updates.
So there’s my third year planned. Thought I’d also bring this up: Tattoosday UK recently posted a piece about artist Min Jeong Seo, and her porcelain casts of Ballerina arms, painted to resemble fully tattooed sleeves. This is essentially what I was trying to do last year with my (God awful) “Bookjacket” brief, and I only wish this post had arrived sooner!
Book Review: Tattoo Mystique – Angelique Houtkamp
As another small review, I thought I’d put in a mention for this colourful little book, a collection of works by Dutch tattooist Angelique Houtkamp. I first read about this in Skin Deep but (once again) have only just gotten around to checking it out.
Tattoo Mystique is second in a line of books by this incredibly recognizable artist. The first, Tattoo Darling, is still on my to-buy list, as is her newest collection, a book of black and white linedrawings for the creative enthusiast to use as he/she pleases. This I love, as it’s similar to a project I am working on.
Angelique is a master in her interpretation of vintage tattoo designs and pin-up girls, and her fashionably freaky little ladies are plastered all over this book. They are her specialty, and one of the many reasons people go to her is that (for a fee) she will design you a unique tattoo all of your own.
The book is jam-packed with her drawings, and they are stunning. She paints in watercolours, sticking to the theme of old-school sailor designs and often a limited colour palette, yet her work is fresh and inspiring.
The only downside to this book is its shortness. Whilst it opens, like Kat Von D’s "High Voltage Tattoo", with an introduction by a friend, and includes an interview with the artist herself, there is very little written about her. I would have loved to have read a piece from her point of view, although she does tell us a lot in her interview. Her love for Holland, where she lives, and how she describes waking up and starting her day around noon, riding her bicycle by the river and hanging out with her friends… it was a beautiful vision that left me longing for the kind of freedom that comes with being a well-established artist.
But until then, I’ll stick with longing to be tattooed by the Madame herself. This book is well worth the pennies.
You can see some of Angelique’s work on her official website, Salon Serpent, where you can also sign up to her monthly newsletter! Also, take a glimpse at her "Projects" page and see what you think of the "Babyskulls". Then take a look at these painted Ballerina arms (thanks to Tattoosday UK)... they are basically what I was trying to achieve with my "Bookjacket" brief last year, only a thousand times better. Perhaps I will try again one day, as I think these tattooed plaster body parts make gorgeous ornaments for lovers of the macabre and bizarre.
Until next time, keep your hands dirty!
Tattoo Mystique is second in a line of books by this incredibly recognizable artist. The first, Tattoo Darling, is still on my to-buy list, as is her newest collection, a book of black and white linedrawings for the creative enthusiast to use as he/she pleases. This I love, as it’s similar to a project I am working on.
Angelique is a master in her interpretation of vintage tattoo designs and pin-up girls, and her fashionably freaky little ladies are plastered all over this book. They are her specialty, and one of the many reasons people go to her is that (for a fee) she will design you a unique tattoo all of your own.
The book is jam-packed with her drawings, and they are stunning. She paints in watercolours, sticking to the theme of old-school sailor designs and often a limited colour palette, yet her work is fresh and inspiring.
The only downside to this book is its shortness. Whilst it opens, like Kat Von D’s "High Voltage Tattoo", with an introduction by a friend, and includes an interview with the artist herself, there is very little written about her. I would have loved to have read a piece from her point of view, although she does tell us a lot in her interview. Her love for Holland, where she lives, and how she describes waking up and starting her day around noon, riding her bicycle by the river and hanging out with her friends… it was a beautiful vision that left me longing for the kind of freedom that comes with being a well-established artist.
But until then, I’ll stick with longing to be tattooed by the Madame herself. This book is well worth the pennies.
You can see some of Angelique’s work on her official website, Salon Serpent, where you can also sign up to her monthly newsletter! Also, take a glimpse at her "Projects" page and see what you think of the "Babyskulls". Then take a look at these painted Ballerina arms (thanks to Tattoosday UK)... they are basically what I was trying to achieve with my "Bookjacket" brief last year, only a thousand times better. Perhaps I will try again one day, as I think these tattooed plaster body parts make gorgeous ornaments for lovers of the macabre and bizarre.
Until next time, keep your hands dirty!
Monday 6 September 2010
DVD Review: Tattoos – A Scarred History
My last post appears to have been in May… I’d best get off my hiney and keep this up-to-date if I want to make out like I’m working hard!
First of all I want to put in a mention for Tattoosday UK, and urge you to check it out. Without Mel Noir and her wonderful blog, the gap between myself and the Tattoo World would be that much bigger. It’s helped keep me up-to-date, even if my drawing skills aren’t!
Now to business: this is fairly old news, but I have only just gotten round to watching a documentary called Tattoos: A Scarred History, even though I’ve had the DVD since April. I thought I’d share my observations with you (but it’s mainly to prove to my tutors that I AM researching!)
With Tattoos: A Scarred History, I think one needs to keep in mind that if you’re already thrust quite deeply into the Body-Mod puddle, then you’re perhaps not going to learn anything new. I’m relatively new to Tattooing, and yet I understood most of the terms and practices.
HOWEVER, that is not necessarily a bad thing, as the film isn’t made in such a way as to tell you all the ins and outs of Tattooing. It instead follows the journey of a young woman called Sousila, who is trying to discover why Tattoos are so popular at the moment.
It’s a UK-based film which pops over to the US of A for one segment, and surprisingly is filmed in my own hometown of Wrexham, and surrounding areas such as Llandudno, which surprised me and left me feeling a bit proud.
At 97 minutes, the film is a fascinating romp through the mad world of Tattoos that kept me hooked, made me giggle and even had me cringing at some scenes. We meet an awesome (and very sweet) dude named Spikey Bob, get a good close-up look at some controversial “Tattooees”, including one really dodgy bum Tattoo. Keep an eye out for it and let me know if it really offended you… or if you laughed like I did! Also, watch out for “Puff the Magic Dragon”. Sousila has some gumption, that’s for sure!
One of my favourite segments included a visit to the Llandudno Tattoo Convention, of which I had never heard of before, but will now be looking at going to.
There is also a small section dedicated to the murder of Sophie Lancaster (check out the S.O.P.H.I.E. foundation), with a shocking tape recording of the night when she and her boyfriend were taken to Hospital. It was very respectfully edited into the film, and a poignant message considering the amount of stick Tattooed/Pierced people have to put up with.
But I did learn a thing or two. Firstly, the process of tongue-splitting, a practice which I am very attracted to. There’s a gory close-up, so be warned, but those of you who are pure of heart and of nerve will survive I’m sure. I also found out what scarificiation is… but I want to leave that to those of you who don’t know to find out for yourself. I would call it next-generation tattooing, but apparently it is derived from original forms of tattooing!
Finally, I can’t talk about the film without mentioning the Celebrity Survey. I assume it was made at a sci-fi convention of some sort, as Sousila manages to rope in some pretty impressive interviews, my favourites of which are the late David Carradine (Kill Bill), Warwick Davis (Willow), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings), and Ana Matronic or Scissor Sisters fame. There’s also a split-second interview with Gordon Ramsey that gave me a laugh, but you need to sit through the credits to watch it.
So there’s my two pence on the film itself, but what of its host Sousila?
Personally, I found her endearing and thoughtful. She’s just your average Josephine, not trying to be the next best presenter, and yet she was very insightful and knew how to get the interviews she wanted. By the end of the film I felt like we’d become friends. Perhaps because we’re both searching for the same answers regarding this huge subject… so kudos to her for keeping me entertained.
I think the only con that goes with these many pros is the camera work and the sound. As the cameraman is Sousila’s boyfriend, it’s pretty clear he’s not entirely sure what he’s doing sometimes, and there are occasional bouts of blurring which distracted me a bit. Also, the sound sometimes catches you off guard, jumping between echoing, loud and quiet. But these are small problems that are easily ignored.
So my summary is: if you love body modification, even if you think you know everything about it, watch this film. It’s funny, shocking, educational (I hear children scream) but most of all fascinating, and the culmination of a lot of hard work from it’s producers. And the cost of the DVD is a pittance. You can get it for £4.99 on Amazon. It was £7.99 when I bought it, and a portion of the profits go to children’s charity Angelwish, which you can find out more about in the bonus features, including deleted scenes, a trailer, music video by Leather Zoo (seriously, check out their song "Stranger", it’s awesome!), among other extras.
Overall, for the production values, I’d give the film a 7 out of 10. But for pure balls and value for money, I’ll give it a perfect 10.
Until next time, keep your hands dirty!
Wednesday 11 August 2010
Johnny Learns the Hard Way
The upcoming Comica Comiket Festival, in London, got my tutor raring to go and he suggested ways we could put forward some work for our stall. We concluded that a new copy of our student comic anthology (DAWNS) would be a good idea.
Having missed out on contributing to the first two issues, I was eager to submit something. I was soon inspired by this article about children and teenagers playing on railway lines.
It struck a chord with me; don’t ask me how but I have seen the results of trains hitting people and it’s very disturbing. I recalled a rhyme I was taught as a child to keep me off the tracks. There are variations to the rhyme, but I decided to use this one, and put it into comic form.
The comic-style was largely inspired by Russian Communist Propaganda posters; bold with high contrast, minimal colour. But I was also influenced by Charles Burns’ Black Hole comic, which I've mentioned in a previous post, but have only just gotten round to reading.
The most astounding thing about this comic is that I managed to finish it at all, and first in the group wouldn’t you know. Sadly, a lack of extra contributors means that DAWNS 3 probably wont be at Comica.
No matter, the comic has given me further ideas for future work…
Having missed out on contributing to the first two issues, I was eager to submit something. I was soon inspired by this article about children and teenagers playing on railway lines.
It struck a chord with me; don’t ask me how but I have seen the results of trains hitting people and it’s very disturbing. I recalled a rhyme I was taught as a child to keep me off the tracks. There are variations to the rhyme, but I decided to use this one, and put it into comic form.
The comic-style was largely inspired by Russian Communist Propaganda posters; bold with high contrast, minimal colour. But I was also influenced by Charles Burns’ Black Hole comic, which I've mentioned in a previous post, but have only just gotten round to reading.
The most astounding thing about this comic is that I managed to finish it at all, and first in the group wouldn’t you know. Sadly, a lack of extra contributors means that DAWNS 3 probably wont be at Comica.
No matter, the comic has given me further ideas for future work…
Friday 16 July 2010
Lost In Liverpool Tweets
It's been a while since I've posted anything, but now it's officially the British Summer Holidays, it's time for me to get off my anatomy and work hard.
Last week I ran away to Liverpool. I'm quite fortunate that my Dad works and has a house there, so I can pretty much escape whenever I want. Saying that though, a single from Liverpool Central to Chester Station only cost me £4.35.
Anyway, on the Wednesday morning I visited the Tate Liverpool, which I've never been to before. I was expecting the usual pompous "art", and there was some, but I did find quite a lot of work that I really liked. I also tried something new to me and "Tweeted" my discoveries via my iPhone, which kept my friends and family up-to-date with what I was getting up to, and helped me keep track for my blogs.
Here you can see what I "Tweeted!"
Wednesday 7th July 2010
9am
"A warm breeze blows over the stank of the river Mersey. The Albert Dock is silent and still, but for a few early morning stragglers on their way to work. I am on my way to inspiration, a foreboding sense of failure filling me nonetheless. But first, I need a cup of tea."
9.37am
"The Tate Liverpool offers an exhibit on Pablo Picasso. I wouldn't say I'm his biggest fan, but I am in the mindset for looking at things from a "different perspective" today. And so I will give him the chance to teach me something. Everything is closed until 10, so I will spend a good half hour in Costa, listening to jazz. Already I'm feeling sleepy..."
10.25am
"So the Picasso "peace and freedom" exhibit is off limits. I cannot afford the £8 ticket. It's a shame that one must pay to SEE art, but I suppose one has to make money some way. I was tempted by the young lad on the door to take a job here myself. Imagine: working in a museum or gallery; constant change and diversity. I would be inspired 24/7. Either the tedious artwork would make me want to show off my own, or the fantastic pieces would encourage me to prove myself..."
10.35am
"I'm sat in an exhibit by one Rineke Dijkstra, called "I see a woman crying". The videos record several school children's reaction to Picasso's "weeping woman" piece. I'm sitting alone in this big dark room watching an 8ft screen on which a young girl - slightly overweight, brunette bundles in a ponytail, not quite unlike myself at her age - scribbles away at a sketchbook with a look of earnest concentration on her face. I'm reminded of how I used to be: determined to produce a good drawing, but ultimately not caring what anybody else thought of it. Sadly I do not get to see her finished work."
10.47am
"In the next room, a video is filmed from three angles, featuring a group of children commenting on the "weeping woman". I'm surprised by how attentive and genuine the little Scousers are, coming out with comments such as she's "lonely", "abandoned", "upset that she's the only one that looks that way" or a "ghost". Others make interesting note of the colour scheme, saying "there's lots of blue and purple" and "maybe Picasso just wanted to paint something colourful". But my personal favourite was that she "owes money". Gives you a good idea perhaps of how these city children were brought up. Incidentally, I have never seen this painting, but I will be seeking it out to see how their comments compare to mine."
10.54am
"As much as I've enjoyed the "I can see a woman crying" exhibit, to call it ART is a bit of an overstatement. It is more along the lines of an intriguing documentary. I think what singed me the most is how much this filmmaker has probably been paid to do something that the average film student could do in college. It seems almost effortless, and for that reason I am evermore irked by the Tate Museums. By all means display works like this, but don't put them up on a pedestal against work that has been painstakingly created through real talent."
Saturday 5 June 2010
The Mabinogi: BBC Wales Project
Well this blog has been a long time in the making; for those of you who don’t know, about this time last year I was approached by Gareth (wont mention any last names) from BBC Wales. Apparently an old college tutor had recommended me to him for something in the pipeline called “The Manga Mabinogi.”
The Mabinogi (or Mabinogion depending on who you’re hearing it from) are a collection of Welsh Legends and Fantasy stories written hundreds of years ago in the style of The Legend of King Arthur (he actually features in the tales). There is much written about them online, and many translations, and the BBC had decided to do their own version to post onto the BBC Wales website.
Gareth was looking for an artist to do some illustrations to accompany the tales. They wanted them to be in a very bold, almost Manga-style, to appeal to young people. After a few “audition” pieces, where I used watercolours, and then moved onto Photoshop and Manga Studio, Gareth miraculously loved my work (you will notice that I put myself down a lot in this post).
In August last year he presented me with the brief, and asked me to deliver by January.
I toyed with some designs for a few months but I ultimately ended up leaving everything till last minute. In the last few weeks I attempted to learn how to use Photoshop to the best of my abilities, having to use the pen tool to draw entirely because I did not have access to a working scanner. In the end I wound up with RSI: repetitive strain injury, in which my back and neck were severely crippled, my eyes ached from gazing at the computer screen and I developed a habit of shaking whenever I had to draw.
Interesting titbit: During the making of Toy Story 2, which was done from scratch in nine months, a number of Pixar employees developed RSI, one of which was never able to work at a computer again. Thus Pixar now have an employee protection system where they allow their workers to relax regularly with Yoga, Basketball and other activities. How’s that for employee benefits?!
Anyway, my RSI stunted me greatly and I felt like I had really let Gareth down. But, and I must point this out as important, Gareth was so, so incredibly kind about the situation, so generous and unlike anything I had thought a client was supposed to be like! He offered me an extension and asked me to take my time, even going so far as to offer to send me a printer/scanner or software to help me!
However, I declined and just took the new deadline. The second time around I was not going to mess up. I organised myself and worked my butt off. And by March this year I delivered to the BBC eleven illustrations and a title page, via Dropbox (seriously, this is the best file-transferring site around, I highly recommend it!). The guys at the BBC were very pleased and praised me highly, which really gave me a confidence boost. They asked me to draw two more images over Easter to go with some games that Cube Interactive had produced to go with the website.
It was the most nerve-wracking, exhausting project I’ve ever undertaken, but also the most rewarding. I learned so much about working in Photoshop, about my own style and how I can develop my skills. I learned so much about colour theory and combinations, and composition, which this time last year I had no clue about. I also learned how textures could be used as overlays in Photoshop to give warmth and a dreamy wash to images, and I used a lot of different textures in this project, such as parchment and stone, to give each illustration an otherworldly, book-like feel.
The style I went for is inspired by Manga, but I didn’t want it to be completely Japanese, as they are Welsh tales, so I added a pinch of realism to the character’s figures, as well as my own personal style (which frankly needs re-working so that it is more recognisable). My colour palette consisted of clichéd pastel colours, as I didn’t want anything to be too bright or colourful. The illustrations needed to retain the ancient book look, and I found that this worked well with darker colours.
As you’ll probably notice I also went very minimal on the backgrounds. I did this for two reasons: Firstly, the background, unless stated in the story, presented no extreme importance, as the stories centred mainly on the characters and their emotions/reactions. So I focused on them for more impact, and I feel that it works well, as I was able to give each illustration a “mood” by using certain colours/textures/lighting.
Secondly, I am not at all adept at drawing backgrounds. That’s rather an understatement really, as I have very little grasp of perspective and am still learning (doesn’t help that my depth perception in everyday life is slightly off). While I would have loved to do some amazing scenery, I felt it was in the best interests of my client that I not attempt something that I am extremely bad at, to save ruining the whole image.
Overall I’m pleased with the outcome, and the subsequent popularity it has afforded me among fellow artists, as it was a huge learning curve for me. Sure, it may be the only commission I ever get, but it’s still something to add to my CV!
Here are a few of my favourites from the bunch, and you can find the rest, as well as the fascinating stories, here. It is all in
Welsh, but if you don’t speak it you can still play the games and look through the gallery.
These are the two duelling dragons from Lludd and Llefelys. I based the red and the green on the Welsh flag, but also used those colours because they contrast so brilliantly. I think I’m most proud of this illustration because of its impact, and also the fact that it was the first time I’d ever designed dragons from scratch.
Not a very interesting image, but I love this one for the idea behind it. Gareth wanted a title page of sorts for the website, and I juggled between the idea of having the title look like it had been carved into stone, or having the title look like an old wax seal. Ultimately the seal looked far more cool. I went through various tutorials online about how to make one in Photoshop, but in the end I wound up making it on my own by playing about with Photoshop (it’s amazing what you learn when you’re not trying to!), and I’m pretty pleased with the outcome.
Finally, this image is the first one I completed, and what a feeling it was! Blodeuwedd is the character I “auditioned” in the beginning when I was trying to get the job, and I bonded with her so well that I had to use her in the final image. This is where she is born into the world by broom, meadowsweet and oak. One of the main reasons I like this image so much is that I got to explore the brush tool by making my own. Each flower, leaf or blade of grass is a brush mark that I was able to create in Photoshop. I also used this “make your own” brush tool in a couple of other pictures. See if you can guess which ones.
The Mabinogi are truly fascinating tales and it would be interesting to see this develop into a comic series, or books, or even a television show. They’re full of fantasy, magic, darkness – everything you want in a good story!
I hope you’ll check out the Mabinogi website, not just for my benefit, but also for those others that have put so much effort into making it a reality.
The Mabinogi (or Mabinogion depending on who you’re hearing it from) are a collection of Welsh Legends and Fantasy stories written hundreds of years ago in the style of The Legend of King Arthur (he actually features in the tales). There is much written about them online, and many translations, and the BBC had decided to do their own version to post onto the BBC Wales website.
Gareth was looking for an artist to do some illustrations to accompany the tales. They wanted them to be in a very bold, almost Manga-style, to appeal to young people. After a few “audition” pieces, where I used watercolours, and then moved onto Photoshop and Manga Studio, Gareth miraculously loved my work (you will notice that I put myself down a lot in this post).
In August last year he presented me with the brief, and asked me to deliver by January.
I toyed with some designs for a few months but I ultimately ended up leaving everything till last minute. In the last few weeks I attempted to learn how to use Photoshop to the best of my abilities, having to use the pen tool to draw entirely because I did not have access to a working scanner. In the end I wound up with RSI: repetitive strain injury, in which my back and neck were severely crippled, my eyes ached from gazing at the computer screen and I developed a habit of shaking whenever I had to draw.
Interesting titbit: During the making of Toy Story 2, which was done from scratch in nine months, a number of Pixar employees developed RSI, one of which was never able to work at a computer again. Thus Pixar now have an employee protection system where they allow their workers to relax regularly with Yoga, Basketball and other activities. How’s that for employee benefits?!
Anyway, my RSI stunted me greatly and I felt like I had really let Gareth down. But, and I must point this out as important, Gareth was so, so incredibly kind about the situation, so generous and unlike anything I had thought a client was supposed to be like! He offered me an extension and asked me to take my time, even going so far as to offer to send me a printer/scanner or software to help me!
However, I declined and just took the new deadline. The second time around I was not going to mess up. I organised myself and worked my butt off. And by March this year I delivered to the BBC eleven illustrations and a title page, via Dropbox (seriously, this is the best file-transferring site around, I highly recommend it!). The guys at the BBC were very pleased and praised me highly, which really gave me a confidence boost. They asked me to draw two more images over Easter to go with some games that Cube Interactive had produced to go with the website.
It was the most nerve-wracking, exhausting project I’ve ever undertaken, but also the most rewarding. I learned so much about working in Photoshop, about my own style and how I can develop my skills. I learned so much about colour theory and combinations, and composition, which this time last year I had no clue about. I also learned how textures could be used as overlays in Photoshop to give warmth and a dreamy wash to images, and I used a lot of different textures in this project, such as parchment and stone, to give each illustration an otherworldly, book-like feel.
The style I went for is inspired by Manga, but I didn’t want it to be completely Japanese, as they are Welsh tales, so I added a pinch of realism to the character’s figures, as well as my own personal style (which frankly needs re-working so that it is more recognisable). My colour palette consisted of clichéd pastel colours, as I didn’t want anything to be too bright or colourful. The illustrations needed to retain the ancient book look, and I found that this worked well with darker colours.
As you’ll probably notice I also went very minimal on the backgrounds. I did this for two reasons: Firstly, the background, unless stated in the story, presented no extreme importance, as the stories centred mainly on the characters and their emotions/reactions. So I focused on them for more impact, and I feel that it works well, as I was able to give each illustration a “mood” by using certain colours/textures/lighting.
Secondly, I am not at all adept at drawing backgrounds. That’s rather an understatement really, as I have very little grasp of perspective and am still learning (doesn’t help that my depth perception in everyday life is slightly off). While I would have loved to do some amazing scenery, I felt it was in the best interests of my client that I not attempt something that I am extremely bad at, to save ruining the whole image.
Overall I’m pleased with the outcome, and the subsequent popularity it has afforded me among fellow artists, as it was a huge learning curve for me. Sure, it may be the only commission I ever get, but it’s still something to add to my CV!
Here are a few of my favourites from the bunch, and you can find the rest, as well as the fascinating stories, here. It is all in
Welsh, but if you don’t speak it you can still play the games and look through the gallery.
These are the two duelling dragons from Lludd and Llefelys. I based the red and the green on the Welsh flag, but also used those colours because they contrast so brilliantly. I think I’m most proud of this illustration because of its impact, and also the fact that it was the first time I’d ever designed dragons from scratch.
Not a very interesting image, but I love this one for the idea behind it. Gareth wanted a title page of sorts for the website, and I juggled between the idea of having the title look like it had been carved into stone, or having the title look like an old wax seal. Ultimately the seal looked far more cool. I went through various tutorials online about how to make one in Photoshop, but in the end I wound up making it on my own by playing about with Photoshop (it’s amazing what you learn when you’re not trying to!), and I’m pretty pleased with the outcome.
Finally, this image is the first one I completed, and what a feeling it was! Blodeuwedd is the character I “auditioned” in the beginning when I was trying to get the job, and I bonded with her so well that I had to use her in the final image. This is where she is born into the world by broom, meadowsweet and oak. One of the main reasons I like this image so much is that I got to explore the brush tool by making my own. Each flower, leaf or blade of grass is a brush mark that I was able to create in Photoshop. I also used this “make your own” brush tool in a couple of other pictures. See if you can guess which ones.
The Mabinogi are truly fascinating tales and it would be interesting to see this develop into a comic series, or books, or even a television show. They’re full of fantasy, magic, darkness – everything you want in a good story!
I hope you’ll check out the Mabinogi website, not just for my benefit, but also for those others that have put so much effort into making it a reality.
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Bookjacket Brief Part Two – Final Blog
Finally, I have completed an entire brief from start to finish. As I said in Part One, this has probably been my most successful brief, I hope. It was relatively straightforward and full of experimenting and workshops, which I found enjoyable.
After the 3D workshop I was in the hub with Dave Kelly, getting ready to do the digital workshop, only to find out I already knew everything I needed to do to get on with it.
Using the very basics of Photoshop we were to create a 2-colour and black-line overlay print of the book cover.
I can’t stress how easy this part of the project was, I literally finished it in a matter of hours. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I don’t know.
I’d learned a lot about drawing in Photoshop from my Mabinogi project, and so I drew up a very bold black-line image of the front cover of my Bookjacket, using the pen tool. Then it was simply a matter of filling it in with different colours to see what worked.
The great thing about Photoshop is the hue/saturation option, which allows me to change any colour at will, allowing me to see what colours look nice where. This is the tool that made my job so easy, as I was able to mock up some designs in about an hour. Here are some, but not all, of the designs and colour combinations I came up with.
I was very partial to the neon pink/orange/yellow/black combination I came up with, and decided that those were the final colours I would use in the finished piece.
The fortnight afterwards I was doing on the Traditional Media workshop with Sue Thornton. After looking through some of the watercolour and acrylics work I’d brought in she gave me some tips and advised me that working in acrylics would be rewarding, but challenging. I heeded this advice, but decided I wanted to try and work with that medium nevertheless (see Tie Die post).
Finally, the Printmaking workshop with John Archer. I have been doing printmaking for over a year now, and although I enjoy doing it, I’m nowhere near perfect. After a disastrous start and a few mishaps I was sorry to only come out with three prints of any real tidiness. However, I managed to stick to my colour combination as you can see. It appears to work in most mediums!
And a few experiments and painful hours later, here is the finished piece in acrylics (and a watercolour pink).
After the 3D workshop I was in the hub with Dave Kelly, getting ready to do the digital workshop, only to find out I already knew everything I needed to do to get on with it.
Using the very basics of Photoshop we were to create a 2-colour and black-line overlay print of the book cover.
I can’t stress how easy this part of the project was, I literally finished it in a matter of hours. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I don’t know.
I’d learned a lot about drawing in Photoshop from my Mabinogi project, and so I drew up a very bold black-line image of the front cover of my Bookjacket, using the pen tool. Then it was simply a matter of filling it in with different colours to see what worked.
The great thing about Photoshop is the hue/saturation option, which allows me to change any colour at will, allowing me to see what colours look nice where. This is the tool that made my job so easy, as I was able to mock up some designs in about an hour. Here are some, but not all, of the designs and colour combinations I came up with.
I was very partial to the neon pink/orange/yellow/black combination I came up with, and decided that those were the final colours I would use in the finished piece.
The fortnight afterwards I was doing on the Traditional Media workshop with Sue Thornton. After looking through some of the watercolour and acrylics work I’d brought in she gave me some tips and advised me that working in acrylics would be rewarding, but challenging. I heeded this advice, but decided I wanted to try and work with that medium nevertheless (see Tie Die post).
Finally, the Printmaking workshop with John Archer. I have been doing printmaking for over a year now, and although I enjoy doing it, I’m nowhere near perfect. After a disastrous start and a few mishaps I was sorry to only come out with three prints of any real tidiness. However, I managed to stick to my colour combination as you can see. It appears to work in most mediums!
And a few experiments and painful hours later, here is the finished piece in acrylics (and a watercolour pink).
Bookjacket Brief Part One – 3D Model
Beware if you don’t like spiders – this blog is completely centered around them.
Well, I have to say, this has possibly been the most enjoyable brief I've attempted this year, and (hopefully) the one that will save my hide during the assessments, as I feel I've produced my best work here.
As mentioned in previous posts, the Bookjacket brief required us to create a book cover for a nature-themed book. From all the subjects I decided to go for The World of Spiders, because Spiders are brilliant, intricate and so beautiful (a million women are screaming right now).
I started with the basic research, drawing diagrams such as the spider anatomy, facial close-ups, different species and the various types of spider’s webs, but when it came to the thumbnail designs it only took me about three or four drafts until I was happy with one design. See my Tie Dye post to spot the design.
I set my heart of the close-up of the spider face with their big pearly black eyes, making a few changes here and there throughout each draft. It was then that we were given our workshops.
For the first fortnight I had a blast working in the 3D buildings, which, annoyingly, I was not aware that I have been allowed access to for the last year and a half. At first I was clueless about what I wanted to do with the project, but after some inspiring demonstrations from Dave Jones, which included showing us how to carve into polystyrene and vacuum-form objects, I asked to have my arm cast in mod-rok; my idea was to adapt my ambition as a tattooist and “perform” the tattooing onto the cast arm, using only spider-themed images.
Here's me looking ecstatic:
Dave handed me a book to flick through called 500 Figures in Clay, an absolutely gorgeous collection of inspiring 3D art. I picked out a few of my favourites and photographed them to give myself an idea of what I wanted.
Once the arm cast had dried out I painted it a pale skin colour similar to my own, then set about designing some “tattoos” for it.
I’ll be the first to admit they are not precisely what I had in mind. This 3D work was to be my piece de resistance, but I rushed the tattoos and did not put much thought into them, and so I ended up with these.
When it came to transferring the designs to the arm-cast, I had visions of doing it the way tattooists do, using carbon paper. Alas, I could not get hold of any, so I transferred them by hand. It was probably the easiest part of the project, as painting them turned out extremely difficult. As the cast had been made quite rough and thick I had a hard time sanding it down and there were a lot of cracks and grooves that would disturb the paint. Watered-down acrylics would not take to it very well, and so I had to take my time, painting it with undiluted acrylics very slowly. Suffice to say my neck is still aching from the concentration.
And yet I am not particularly happy with the final outcome. I know this is because I rushed it near the end. In an attempt to polish up the rest of my projects I left this one until last minute and jeopardized it’s success. However, as my boyfriend stated, I sure did learn to plan ahead and take care next time around.
My plan was to do a series of arm casts painted to look interesting, for example: a tattooed arm, a zombie arm, a bionic arm, etc. It’s something I would perhaps like to look into doing next year.
As well as the arm cast I had a go at vacuum-forming a rubber spider, making a cast of it and creating my own little red latex spider. It was for no particular reason other than experimentation. However, in the end I decided to use it in the final 3D model as an arm adornment. Since glue didn’t hold it on, I actually had to sit there and stitch it to the cast!
I guess what they say must be true: “Prior planning and preparation prevents piss-poor performance”. And don’t I know it!
Finally, in a very sad and ironic twist of fate, my tarantula Mandy died during the project. I brought her in after being told I could preserve her in resin to use as an ornament, paperweight, fancy decoration, whatever.
Here she is, lovely as ever!
Bookjacket Brief Part Two – Final Blog
Well, I have to say, this has possibly been the most enjoyable brief I've attempted this year, and (hopefully) the one that will save my hide during the assessments, as I feel I've produced my best work here.
As mentioned in previous posts, the Bookjacket brief required us to create a book cover for a nature-themed book. From all the subjects I decided to go for The World of Spiders, because Spiders are brilliant, intricate and so beautiful (a million women are screaming right now).
I started with the basic research, drawing diagrams such as the spider anatomy, facial close-ups, different species and the various types of spider’s webs, but when it came to the thumbnail designs it only took me about three or four drafts until I was happy with one design. See my Tie Dye post to spot the design.
I set my heart of the close-up of the spider face with their big pearly black eyes, making a few changes here and there throughout each draft. It was then that we were given our workshops.
For the first fortnight I had a blast working in the 3D buildings, which, annoyingly, I was not aware that I have been allowed access to for the last year and a half. At first I was clueless about what I wanted to do with the project, but after some inspiring demonstrations from Dave Jones, which included showing us how to carve into polystyrene and vacuum-form objects, I asked to have my arm cast in mod-rok; my idea was to adapt my ambition as a tattooist and “perform” the tattooing onto the cast arm, using only spider-themed images.
Here's me looking ecstatic:
Dave handed me a book to flick through called 500 Figures in Clay, an absolutely gorgeous collection of inspiring 3D art. I picked out a few of my favourites and photographed them to give myself an idea of what I wanted.
Once the arm cast had dried out I painted it a pale skin colour similar to my own, then set about designing some “tattoos” for it.
I’ll be the first to admit they are not precisely what I had in mind. This 3D work was to be my piece de resistance, but I rushed the tattoos and did not put much thought into them, and so I ended up with these.
When it came to transferring the designs to the arm-cast, I had visions of doing it the way tattooists do, using carbon paper. Alas, I could not get hold of any, so I transferred them by hand. It was probably the easiest part of the project, as painting them turned out extremely difficult. As the cast had been made quite rough and thick I had a hard time sanding it down and there were a lot of cracks and grooves that would disturb the paint. Watered-down acrylics would not take to it very well, and so I had to take my time, painting it with undiluted acrylics very slowly. Suffice to say my neck is still aching from the concentration.
And yet I am not particularly happy with the final outcome. I know this is because I rushed it near the end. In an attempt to polish up the rest of my projects I left this one until last minute and jeopardized it’s success. However, as my boyfriend stated, I sure did learn to plan ahead and take care next time around.
My plan was to do a series of arm casts painted to look interesting, for example: a tattooed arm, a zombie arm, a bionic arm, etc. It’s something I would perhaps like to look into doing next year.
As well as the arm cast I had a go at vacuum-forming a rubber spider, making a cast of it and creating my own little red latex spider. It was for no particular reason other than experimentation. However, in the end I decided to use it in the final 3D model as an arm adornment. Since glue didn’t hold it on, I actually had to sit there and stitch it to the cast!
I guess what they say must be true: “Prior planning and preparation prevents piss-poor performance”. And don’t I know it!
Finally, in a very sad and ironic twist of fate, my tarantula Mandy died during the project. I brought her in after being told I could preserve her in resin to use as an ornament, paperweight, fancy decoration, whatever.
Here she is, lovely as ever!
Bookjacket Brief Part Two – Final Blog
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