dog2yourbone - Tumblr blog

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown: 3D Evaluation

-Visual flow map:

-Creative/ Practical problems:

I think the biggest problem i faced this project was ideas and creativity. I think at first i really struggled to think of things to do, and at first things i did think of didn’t satisfy my work. To get around this, i eventually ended up taking my materials with me on a walk around where i lived. I saw lots of buildings and shapes that really helped push me to develop ideas.

Another solution i found was use of colour, i found that choosing certain colours and themes really helped me create polished and appealing outcomes. For example, in my mixed media outcomes, sticking to a certain colour helped me create uniformed and pleasing results.

I think this project really helped me do things out of my comfort zone like experimenting with bright and bold colours and different techniques. I think not allowing myself to stay isolated with ideas that were comfortable to me really helped me create outcomes i was happy with.

-Materials and processes:

I used a variety of materials and processes in my work such as collage to clay work. I learnt that ideas and thoughts i have for projects and work can be used and interpreted in many different ways, and result in many different outcomes especially ones i wouldn’t have anticipated on.

For example, when i began with my drawings, i didn’t expect that i would’ve chosen to use clay because it just wasn’t something that would’ve crossed my mind but it did because this project helped me have longer,more detailed thought processes and ideas due to struggling at first with creativity as it was slightly out of my comfort zone.

-Pushing my work:

I pushed my initial drawings from photographs into outcomes by mapping out different ideas. I did originally debate creating smaller versions of my original photos :

But i didn’t like them and thought they were poor quality. So i decided to take a different approach with clay as it was something i already had at home as i’d been using it for other work. I also really enjoy working with clay and have a decent amount of knowledge from ceramics classes.

I liked the green colour pallet most out of all my drawings, so decided to incorporate this within my final independent outcomes. I also liked the rounder square shapes i’d drew from my photos, so incorporated this too.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown

-Independent Outcomes:

For my independent outcomes, i chose to work with clay. I decided i wanted to work with clay because i felt it would give me some unique and fun outcomes.

To start, i looked at my orginal photos and decided i wanted to recreate the shapes of the objects (toilet rolls) in order to stack them in a similar way. I began by rolling out modelling clay and then cutting similar width strips.

Then, i rolled them around my finger and joined them together at the end with score and slipping. Once i thought they were strongly moulded together, i used my fingers , water and brushes to smooth out the pieces.

Finally, i was left with small little cylinders which i thought were really cute. I left them to solidify properly for 72 hours. Although during this process when they were leather hard, i drove the end of a chopstick through either side to create little holes.

And when they were eventually dry, i painted them with different shades of green acrylic. I went with shades of greens because they have an earthy vibe, and compliment each other well.

Once the paint had dried, i began to start with my initial idea that i had in mind. This was that i was going to use thread to suspend up the different pieces to create a sort of alien like building.

I unfortunately wasn’t happy with how they appeared and it didn’t really meet the expectations i had for them. So i moved onto a different idea, which relates back to my original photos, of just stacking them.

I set up a white background and using my phone and a lamp, i took photos of the pieces stacked in different ways. I’m really happy with how the shades look next to eachother and i think they can be interpreted as little buildings and houses from a different planet. I also think that accidentally the holes i made for the original idea also help to give the idea of a small window, perhaps like a little porthole in the “house”.

I also tried to experiment with angles and shadows.

Lastly, i edited a few things on my phone to create an exaggeration of what i interpreted the structures as.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown

-Drawings continued (quick studies) :

For this series of outcomes I decided to use a quick rapid techniques that resulted in cool and bright results. I began by taking water colour paint and adding random but controlled areas of colour. I then took a spray bottle with water and sprayed over the top of the wet paint to create a bleeding effect.

I then let them dry completely.

Once the backgrounds had completely dried, i took different coloured sharpies and did quick continuous line studies of my photos. 

I think they came out really fun and abstract, once again continuing the theme of futuristic or alien like structures. I tried to choose mostly vibrant colours that complimented eachother nicely so that the outcomes were pleasing and fresh to look at, not harsh and dull.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in lockdown

-Drawings continued (fire):

For another one of drawings, i decided to do a quick drawing and finishing it off with a bit of fun.

I began by really quickly drawing continuous lines of the photos i’d taken, with different colours layered on one another:

I then went outside and began using a lit candle to add marks from the smoke and fire. This technique is called ‘ Fumage’ (translated from french into ‘smoking’) which is a surrealist technique that uses a flame to create art.

And finally, after burning myself and some how managing to get candle wax absolutely everywhere, i was left with some areas created by the smoke.

I think this technique was really fun and easy, and i really like the lines of texture the smoke created. I think the areas have a really soft and almost fluffy appearance, which i think i’ll use in the future to compliment other outcomes. I unfortunately did get wax dripped over the paper, but i’m not really too upset about this as i think it still adds some layers and creativity to this outcome.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown

-Drawings (mixed media):

For the next part of my project, i had to create 10 drawings / mixed media outcomes inspired by the photos of the objects i had stacked up.

To start with, i created 3 collage/ water colour/ pen mixed media outcomes. I began by drawing quick images of the stacked items with sharpie, then i filled in some spaces to create thicker lines. I then used fine liner to add really thin lines so that there was a variety of different line thicknesses.

How they were stared ⬆️

I then began to add areas of colour with water colour and other colour pens.

For one of my images i did happen to be outside whilst creating it, so i added some of my surroundings into the images to create more detail.

Some photo examples of inspiration i added into my drawings.

And then finally, i added cut up pieces of card to create bolder and darker areas of the drawings. I did this by using my craft knife and card.

Final outcomes :

I’m really pleased with the results of these outcomes. I think that they look like crazy futuristic structures, complimented with bold colours and detailing. I chose to stick with a sort of colour scheme for each one because i thought it made it seem more as if the structures were on a planet, for example in movies or shows different planets usually consist of one colour ( like mars is usually portrayed as being red). I think the outcomes are abstract and fun and have lots of different areas you can pick out and look at.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown

-Stacked items:

For the second part of the project, we were asked to choose household objects and stack them and take photos from angles to work from. I chose toilet rolls, as i thought they would stack nicely and their shape would lead into some good outcomes.

I then added some filters in PicsArt along with layering the images, for further ideas and inspiration.

[dog2yourbone]

Towers in Lockdown

-Research:

crazy, dream, playful, futuristic, fun

busy, loud, repeat, tall, bright

pattern, city, lines, layers, simple

spaceship, attack, alien, future, battle

stacked, blocks, jenga, puzzle, logs

trapped, forest, puzzle, volume, escape

layers, gloomy, stacked, dull, tall

nature, poles, snakes, smooth, clean

[dog2yourbone]

Wider Research

To show my wider knowledge in m creative journey I’ve expanded my research into cultures, films, songs and other.

Witchcraft/ Wicca

The practice of witchcraft can date back all the way to 721 B.C, where as the religious practice of wicca is a fairly modern recognised practice that solidified in the 1940s. I decided to present some general knowledge about the practice because I think the fantasy idea of magic and nature ties into my work but in a lighter way ( as in the practice is well intentioned and not evil).

A summed up description of wiccan practice is the worship of many God’s and Goddesses and the devotion to the divinity of nature. A main figure in wiccan practice would be Gerald Gardner ( 1884-1964), who produced many books that helped expand the interest and following of wicca. There are many beliefs, practices, rituals etc in wicca and I think that the enchanting side to this religion ties in well with my multiverse project because of the similarities of the ideas of magic and fantasy. Although a lot of these ideas come from the western adapted side of things, these practices still tie in nicely with my project. 

Wiccan practices believe that the human mind and nature are capable of things beyond the explanation of science. For example, candle practice. Candle colours have all types of uses and meanings, although this doesn’t just apply to candles :

Colour theory magic is just one of the beautiful practices in wicca. Alongside spells and rituals, this religion is pure and well intentioned as these practices are only used for the good of oneself or others without hurting anybody in the process. I think this is a lighter and nicer subject to add into my research rather than my typical eerie and dark theme.

Music, films & TV

Another way to expand my research and creative journey would be through other medias than the internet.

To start with, one of my favourite tv shows that I think really fits in with my dark theme would be American horror story. This show consists of 9 different series, all with their own dark and twisted story line. One of my favourites would be season 5: Hotel.  The season's story is set in the ‘Hotel Cortez’, a gloomy yet chic hotel based in Los Angeles. The plot follows A countess (played by Lady Gaga), the owner of the hotel, as she tries to protect herself and her vampire from the revenge of a past lover (played by Angelina Bassett), as well as John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a Los Angeles homicide detective on the task-force for a series of grisly murders that lead him in the direction of the hotel.

The aesthetics in the scenes of this series are really appealing and relate to my project. A lot of it has eerie and dark scenes, but also some glamorise and passionate ones too. And inevitability, with the use of vampires in the series, there is a lot of bloody scenes which obviously relates back to my colour theme of blacks and reds.  To give a better visual to what I mean, I've added a trailer link and photos of the series:

undefined

Set interiors

Characters

[dog2yourbone]

Researching the Creative Industries

The creative industry is one of the most versatile industries you could be a part of. Ranging from fashion and textiles, visual arts and graphics

to performing arts and music, the creative industry has countless pathways for any artist.

Depending on the sort of destination you would like to conclude at in the industry, there is always going to be steps and pathways to take on your journey there. For me, I particularly take interest in designing, whether it be commissions for things like cover arts or posters or tattooing. 

For my research in a career I have interest in, I chose to look at the tattoo industry. Being a tattoo artist isn’t simple, and comes along side a lot of requirements from healthy and safety to creativity and individualism. The job description of a tattoo artist consists of duties like consulting with clients, scheduling appointments and price ranges, professional hygiene, and creating authentic original designs and ideas.

A career in tattooing

1) Drawing

Learning to draw and then building a confidence and range in your skills is an essential step to a tattooing career. As a tattoo artist you'll be working with many different people who will all have different ideas and wants for their tattoo, and as an artist it becomes your responsibility to be able to meet these asks and needs to the best of your ability, in order to achieve client satisfaction.​

As an artist myself I have always drew, painted etc whether it was at home or during my GCSE art in school. Therefore I feel I have seen, researched and attempted many different styles and forms of art like abstract art, graphics, ceramics, painting. Having skills in drawing is definitely key in tattooing. 

2) Art Courses and a Qualification 

A second step would be taking a course in education that will help sharpen and focus your skills to become more professional.  Doing a course in art at college is definitely beneficial to me as I have covered a lot of different things. After building this experience and hopefully passing this course at the end of it, having this qualification will prove a stronger history and level of skills in drawing and creativity.

3) Portfolio

After the first two steps I should be able to begin or already have started a portfolio. I’d use this portfolio to show my own work to give an idea of what I am able to achieve, and my style and individuality. To make my portfolio professional I would make sure my work is completed and presented to the best possible standard.

4) Understanding basic skills and knowledge

Next, I would need to ensure I understand the principles of graphic designing, such as shape, colour, contour, lines and size etc. All these elements are key to include and understand when creating designs and drawings to ensure perfection. I would need to be able to apply these to paper, stencils and eventually skin.

5) Working with a mentor

The next and probably biggest step to take would be finding a licenced professional tattooist to work along side, whether it be an apprentice or volunteer. Usually an apprenticeship pays the worker, but sometimes it’s the other way around where you must be the one paying a fee. For many this is a turn off, but to get where you want to become you must make some sacrifices which is something I understand and would be willing to do.

It would be important to work with an experienced, licenced and safe tattooist, who is willing to push and teach me for my full potential.

6) Other knowledge

After hopefully completing an apprenticeship, I would need to understand other parts of the trade too. Like ensuring I have a health and safety certificate, understanding the business side of things like costs and dealing with clients. I’d also need to be skilled at designing tattoos and commissions. I would need to work up skill and confidence with a tattoo gun and ink, like understanding different needles, machines etc.

On top of hygiene, I would need to learn about and be certified about skin related diseases that connect to tattooing and how to prevent them at all costs.

7) Licensure 

After completing all the necessary requirements, I should apply for licensure and start looking for places to work, or to start my own studio.

Some skills and techniques that have really helped me further my creativity in art are probably drawing exercises I did during Derek’s drawing sessions. I was really able to go beyond my comfort zone and create some really fun outcomes. I think these sessions have really helped my dive further within my creativity, which is key in pursuing a career and success in the creatives industry because being unique and attention grabbing will help develop my own individuality. 

Examples of outcomes from these sessions;

[dog2yourbone]

Penguin book covers collage/mixed media

 Research

A cover that caught my eye was Hayley Warnham’s cover for the book ‘The big sleep’, which won the 2013 adult award.

I thought this cover was really effective, despite it only being a few colours and shapes. I think the use as an eye for the camera lens is quite quirky and funny, and sits nicely on top of the warmth of the red background. The camera beign in place of a head is also quite abstract in a fun way, almost like it’s an alien.

My designs

After conducting some research, i moved onto designing my own book covers inspired by the title of my penguin book which you’d know by now is “Woman much missed”. I feel very lucky in having this title , as using femininity or emotions for my inspiration has lead me to feel so much more free with the way i use my art to express these ideas.

For my first mixed media design, i searched through newspapers specifically with the word “Woman” in my mind and soon enough found this perfect image. I really took favour in the ladies position, her exposure and divinity. Perfect for my work.

I began by choosing where i wanted to position her, and i went straight for the middle of the frame, as i wanted her to be even more empowering than she already was. I then trimmed her down slightly, but before i glued her i marked lightly with pencil (so i could erase the marks after) where i had her, and got to work with the other media in this outcome.

I used a bright red sharpie and began sketching out angel wings because i wanted her to seem fantasy like or like a goddess. I chose the colour red because it’s bold and attractive and complimented the theme of the cover well. Once i had finished with the wings, i began doing areas of shading in pointlism style so i could highlight and frame the image as a whole.

For my second design, i also used a cutout and a sharpie. This time using a black and white colour pallet. I added or exaggerated some of the facial features to suggest different ideas. And relating it back to my book title of a woman being missed, i wanted to create the idea of one person missing different parts of themselves or past versions of themselves. For example, exaggerating the brow to appear more masculine, and the left eye being wider and more dramatic to exaggerate it as more feminine.

[dog2yourbone]

Penguin book illustration covers

 Research

The first book cover i came across is the book ‘The Castle’ by Franz Kafka, with the cover design by Erwin Fabian.

The abstract design is a monoprint, which was described as possibly one the first used for a book cover. My first impression of the piece is that it is quite eerie and dark, which made me feel unsettled. The absence of colour also adds to the dull and dreary tones.

The composition of the print is centre page as it’s quite simplistic and won’t be overpowing to be the focus of the cover. The liners are all mostly straight or diagonal, which creates an abstract sort of map. The print isn’t entirely clean and has a grainy texture that i think has a authentic effect, that the print is one of a kind. 

My book cover designs

After doing some research, i began to develop my own illustrations for my penguin book cover.

The title of my book is “Woman much missed” so all my designs incorporate words from the title. I mostly focused on feminine designs.

I stuck to my theme of black and red as my two colours, because i always think they compliment eachother nicely

My first design is done with sharpie and ink for a simple and bold affect.

The main focus of the cover is an angel, who is female. To give the message that perhaps a woman is being missed because she has passed on, which is symbolic with the halo and wings.

I chose to use a small font for the title, as i didn’t want it to be too over powering on top of the bold red background.

My second design focuses more on the context of the book, which features a husband missing his wife who goes missing. I showed him crying, which is often a symbol of grief.

I chose to do an abstract design for this so the colours are still bold, but not too in your face. I think the flowing of the lines makes the design satisfying to look at and follow. The lines were aimed to be the same thickness, so nothing overrides or outshines eachother and that the focus is on the piece as a whole, not one specific area. I also think the flow could correlate with crying : the flowing of tears, as the man is upset and sad over his wife.

For my last design of the trio, i went for a bold large title because i hadn’t yet focused on the title as just words itself. I did this with a tall but narrow font, so it still fits in with the idea of gentleness or class of femininity.

The rest of the frame is just filled with simple and abstract drawings of boobs (lol) because i wanted to really focus this one on female energy. To some the naked breast of a woman is obscene or uncomfortable, but it is one of the main symbols of femininity, motherhood and anything to do with women.

I kept all these drawings simple and one colour, as i wanted the abstract theme to be the main focus of the drawings,I also didn’t want them to override the title.

[dog2yourbone]

Postcards

These are my chosen final postcards, consisting of two mixed media and 4 digital.

I decided to go with these final 6 because they all work well together as a series. Firstly, the consistent use of the black and red colour them works nicely together with the darker themes in the collage and stitch, which do not maintain the colour theme.

I tried to choose final outcomes that work well together and maintain similarities between all of them, another of these similarities being the darker and eerie tone they all have. From the hints of death with the fox card to the use of a ghost in another, i kept to this creepy dark theme to make my final choices uniform.

All of my cards feature extracts and inspiration from my penguin book, especially the words “voiceless ghost” which is the main inspiration i used for a lot of my work.

[dog2yourbone]

Evaluation

For this terms ‘multi-verse’ project, i wanted to base my ideas and outcomes on a more darker theme. I got this idea from one part of my first final outcome. I decided to go with a more darker, scarier path because i like those sorts of themes whether its in music, films and other art. I also really enjoy using the colours black and red as i think they compliment each other well, so these colours are often featured in my work. As simple as a choice of colours can be, i really believe they were a stronghold with my creative journey in this project as it helped me keep a uniformed plan, so that all my work would tie in one way or another rather than be completely random, messy and unrelated. Another thing that helped my keep a held together theme was taking inspiration constantly from my penguin book, as no matter the page i chose it would always fall hand in hand with other ideas, words or quotes. 

One of the first artists that i researched this term that influenced me and captured my attention was Peter Bankov. His graphic design posters are so unique and creative, i was really mesmerised by his pieces. I tried using my inspiration in my work by letting myself be more creative and thinking outside the box, to go more out of my comfort zone in my work.

Another artist I took inspiration from was ‘Kapitza’ who are a pair of sisters living in London. I was mostly influenced by their project in which they added blobs of colour around the city of London. I thought their work was simple, yet affective and i think this is a good mind set to have in some art work. 

A third artist that i researched that i also took interest in was Linda Zacks. Her work always is full of so much and is so busy, which helped me to just add more and more to some of my work, fillling in gaps and adding layers to make my work fuller and busier.

We used many techniques this term, a lot in which we have used before but a new technique i learnt, and one that i really like and have continued to use in my own personal work at home, is working sewing into my art. I was really entertained by the simple and peaceful technique because i thought though it was so simple to do, it had a very affective and cool outcome.

During Thursdays drawing lessons I have been able to use much more creative techniques and experiments. For example, the Asemic writing lesson helped me be more comfortable with experimenting, and it resulted in some unique outcomes that i really enjoyed. These lessons also helped me incorporate some colour into my work.

If i could display my art at any time or place in the world, I would probably go for Paris in the 1920s, as the Dada movement was really kicking off, and i feel like my work would fit in more and be appreciated by those artists of the time.

10 words to describe my project:

- gloomy

-romance

-busy

-horror

-contrast

-ghastly

-moody

-mysterious

-evening 

-mess

If i had a soundtrack to go with my project i would probably go with a few songs by Nirvana, because some of their songs can be gloomy and dark like some aspects of my project. Some of their songs also can be about love, which is also featured in my work. 

I probably spend 20-30 hours a week on working, often less as i find it very difficult to feel motivated at home during this pandemic. But as of lately i have started waking up earlier and going on walks before i start working to get my brain going.  I work in my room so i have access to whatever i need. I work next to my window so i can always be near sunlight and fresh air.

[dog2yourbone]

These are more edits and experiments from photoshop. They all feature scanned in typography work, on top of tools in photoshop- including the paint tool. Using photoshop is not my strong point in art, so when I do use it my outcomes are often simple and don't use a lot of features. However, I try not to let my lack of skills dampen my outcomes, I often still feel quite happy with what I produce, I even used one of these as a final postcard as i was pleased with it.

[dog2yourbone]

photo manipulation/ invert / colour

These outcomes are some experiments i did using the Picsart app on my phone, as it was a solution to still being unconfident in photoshop. I used different filters and adjustments on top of the photos, and then erased areas such as the eyes and mouth on the face. I did this to create different contrasts. 

Picsart

[dog2yourbone]

Collage and embroidery

For todays lesson we experimented using stitching into our work, which produced some of my favourite outcomes and a new found love for a different medium. 

To begin with, I found simple but effective imagery from magazines. newspapers, old photos and more. I then glued them in the positions I wanted, then set to stitching into them. For my first piece, the scream mask over the lady's face, I had to lightly draw the area I wanted stitched. I then took the needle and poked holes all around the area that was to be thread so I knew where to put the needle on the back side which was blank.

For the rest of the outcomes, i didn't have to use too much of a pencil guideline I just followed the shapes and blank areas. Each of the images are attached to one another, to highlight that they are a part of a themed sort of series as they are all influenced by my penguin book.

I chose to use a black thread because I didn't want the use of other colours too be too bright or take away effectiveness of the collages. I thought the use of black was bold enough to be visible but not too over powering.

the back:

I decided to photograph and present the backs of the outcomes too as I thought they looked abstract and interesting, and sort of became outcomes in themselves too.

[dog2yourbone]

Random notes typography collage

To achieve this outcome i selected different text and fonts from magazines to create a ‘ransom notes’ collage.

I chose to use basic black and white writing on top of a blue and green assorted background because i wanted to take a small step away from my use of black and red. I experimented with softer colours that can relate to nature. So therefore with the chaotic nature of the random collaged words on top, there was a contrast between noise and silence, which continued on in its own way the dark and mysterious theme ive chosen for my multiverse project.

To further respond to the idea of the multiverse, i organised the words to look like big menacing tall buildings, that look almost futuristic. I think the intimidation of these forms once again contrasts with the gentleness of the marines and a seaweed sort of green.