#DJCAD

[bethfuller]

the wayfarer and their destination

follow me on instagram ! :)

[rchrgd]

Lost In Limbo

The beginnings of another photo zine, cause I’ve become obsessed with folding paper, but not skilled enough for origami

[bourachart]

a project about sleep

[animatedshortoftheday]

ChemisTree (2019) [5 min] by Gosia Chlopek and Lukas Gecas | Scotland

[quindriepress]

This week's spotlight is on Beth Fuller and her comic Witching Hour. Beth is an illustrator and concept artist from Dublin, Ireland. She’s considering putting down the stylus pen and heading off into the wilderness to live as a hermit, but likes hot showers and horror films just enough to keep her in civilisation. For now, anyway. (@bethfuller | website | instagram | twitter)

"Witching Hour is about a young girl sent on a mysterious journey by her father. Two pale trees with intertwined branches form a strange gate at the edge of 12-year-old Esio’s town, and beyond it lies an old, ruined land. Over their pints, as dusk falls, the villagers say it’s where lost things - and people - eventually end up. She’s got sandwiches, an apple, plasters, a bottle of Tipperary Kidz water and a Horrible Histories book in her rucksack and she’s heading off into the unknown, with only a talisman to guide her. There’s no telling who she might meet along the way."

Read the spotlight below the cut!

"That’s the initial rundown, anyway. Speaking more subjectively, I wanted to create a setting where two totally different characters - as different from each other as you can get - are forced to work together and end up changing each other’s lives. I really do think you can get on and find common ground with almost anyone, in the right circumstances."

Witching Hour took several years to incubate. "I’d been working on a comic slowly and haltingly since I was 18. There are pages kept deep, deep in my computer with old, badly drawn versions of Esio in a radically different setting, but it never really made sense as a story. I don’t think I made it past page three! Still, the fantasy atmosphere and character of Esio stuck with me over the years. Plus I really like to mix the dull, routine and mundane aspects of everyday life with things that are otherworldly and strange."

"Eventually we had a visual narrative module as part of my degree, and while recalling my old comic pages (I was mulling over it in the shower, which is where I think many of us do our most important thinking) an idea came to me that would form the basis of Witching Hour. Adding this to the embers of my previous project gave me more than enough fuel to sit down and start drawing.

"I have plenty of ideas for what I want to get up to next. I’ll work on a tarot set, keep working on freelance concept art and illustrations, design some tattoos, maybe try my hand at another comic at some stage. As always, feel free to get in touch and let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see from me!"

Beth draws inspiration from many sources: "The landscapes of south-west Ireland. Horror films, foreign language films, fantasy films, anything animated. The writing of Michelle Paver, Neil Gaiman and Ursula LeGuin.

"For me, though, it’s primarily the work of other illustrators that has inspired me the most, and it’s often only through seeing and evaluating lots of different brilliant styles that you can start to discern your own tastes. As a child, the obligatory Ghibli film catalogue. Then the work of Chris Riddell, Max Prentis and Ian McQue were enough inspiration to foster an interest in art school. I went, studied Illustration at DJCAD, and discovered Jake Wyatt, Celia Lowenthal, Juliette Brocal, Linnea Sterte, Jack T. Cole, Evan Cagle, Alphonse Mucha and (of course) Moebius. Seeing their work is like taking the creative spark and making it into a deodorant flamethrower."

Beth's work often centres around fantastical worlds and sweeping landscapes. "I think somehow you always come back to what you know. Sometimes you don’t even notice you have a fascination with something until you start to create and it keeps returning.

"My family and I spent a lot of time around Irish coastlines growing up, especially during the warmer months. Kerry, in the south-west, has mountains that turn brown in winter, then when summer comes are carpeted with a haze of purple heather, not unlike the hills of Scotland. There are crumbling ringforts and monastic ruins on isolated hilltops. I could be in the most beautiful place in the world but still miss the coconut scent of Kerry gorse. The fantasy aspect is fun to play with, and it adds a nice sense of mystery, but fundamentally I think the landscapes I draw are an attempt to capture, and return to, the shores I kicked about on as a kid."

For aspiring comic creators, Beth has this advice: "This is a common one, but I think it’s still worth saying: if you have a story, get it down. You don’t need to consider yourself a comic artist to make a comic. You also don’t need to wait around for the right time, or enough expertise - nobody is going to give you a nametag with ‘comic artist’ on it. If you can draw, and you need to say something, just start drawing boxes and see where it goes. Also, ‘Necropolis’ by Jake Wyatt is really good."

You can pick up Witching Hour, alongside the other three comics in our 2023 collection, right here on Kickstarter! 

[c-kiddo]

im sorry if this is personal, but i remember you saying you went to uni for illustration? if that's actually true and not my brain doing things, is it okay to ask which one was it and how did it feel to be there? i am looking into art universities right now bc my current one seems to be kinda terrible. you don't have to answer if you don't want to

ah i havent been to any yet :-o started at ECA (edinburgh college of art) in september but i didnt like it and then didnt have anywhere suitable for me to live so i dropped out after a few weeks (rly couldnt stay where i was any longer, and it was just so crowded in the classes and bleh).. im applying for DJCAD (dundee) now though and people seem to rly love it and i had a nice time at open days befoer so.. hopefully thats good. (i only chose edinburgh over dundee bc it was nearer to home and thought it'd be fun to be somewhere so different but T_T it was silly. and deferred my place by a year too so idk i'd changed as a person by the time i left.. . and then th housing situation went to shit so, not worth staying or trying to stay. its vry expensive there. yeesh) .. i might apply to GSA and university of the highlands and island just for the heck of it.. im not sure tho, maybe not

(sorry , i dont know about non-scottish ones at all)

[libbydd]

I present my first ever printed comic: ESAU!

If you want a copy of ESAU or want to see more comics by my amazing classmates, come see us at the DJCAD/University of Dundee table at TAGS Fest on December 2nd in Edinburgh!

This comic is a real labour of love, and I'm so excited to finally be able to share it.

[avillainousmagician]

I should not have looked up if the OU has practical art degrees because they do and I'm just really upset now because I still wouldn't be able to do it no matter how much I would like to finish the other half of my degree because I know I would just freak out about e-mails and not be able to handle deadlines just the same as what eventually happened during my third attempt at a degree. I'm in a much better place mental health wise and physical health wise and I wouldn't be in and out of hospital like I was but I just feel it would be another expensive disaster.

Maybe if the ADHD screening is positive maybe that'll give me the right kind of help. Since being on mood stabilisers got rid of my hypomanic ability to check e-mails and meet deadlines (that doesn't mean I in any way want off the mood stabilisers) which helped me through the first and second years that went well at DJCAD, I'm left with my extreme flakiness and problems finishing things and being late etc etc. It's the last thing I want fixed, I didn't notice as much when I was getting the other things fixed. Like, being Autistic was Thing 'Wrong' Number 1 and then the mood issues were Thing Wrong Number 2 and I have them under control, now I am left looking at my chronic, severe disorganisation and how much that in fact causes me terrible problems. I hope I get it fixed. I'm worried my high achieving, high masking childhood that made the first bit of the questionnaire seem like a very definite 'no' will be the end of the endeavour. I was still the same way as a child, terribly messy and problems with deadlines and stuff, I just had a proper routine with school and everything and lots of supportive adults plus I was like, 'gifted' type smart and that made up for the fact I put practically no effort into anything the whole way through school and so still got five As at Higher regardless.

I dunno how to explain this properly. I need to finish the form...it's been months of avoiding it...

[sams-animation]

28/01/2024

This past week, we pitched our ideas for our fourth year films, and my Pitch, expectations, did not get picked. To be honest, I'm a little relieved, as being showrunner is a lot to handle. I got assigned to the group "Heavenly Accomplice", where we found out that the entire group is actually background artists (nearly).

I also worked on my assistant brief for a while this week, tweaking the perspective of the boy according to Lorena's drawover.

Before:

After.

On Tuesday there was a Schoolism talk, which I attended since I am interested in learning about 3D development and art. Specifically, I'm very interested in the gaming scene. I know there are a lot of job opportunities in that area within Scotland, so I'm very curious about it.

Speaking of games - I attended my first ever Game Jam!

The above video is what I produced for the jam, which was a short introductory sequence for the game. It went through many iterations due to difficulties I will mention below.

I thought it would be more tiring, but there was actually many DJCAD students attending, so our team was overcrowded (a good thing workload-wise). As a first experience, it provided everything I was looking for - a calm insight into what it's like. It was extremely valuable for me, but I do regret not managing to do more for the team. For a couple of reasons, my progress was stilted. 1) I was trying to learn a new software since I believed it would be useful, but ultimately had to give up due to the amount of time I was spending and results produced. 2) There was a member of our group not in our year who I don't think had really experienced much groupwork yet, and was very difficult to deal with for the other animators there and the game devs. This also led to me doing a lot of managing of the group - trying to wrangle a lot of highly ambitious ideas, make sure nobody was getting too frustrated with each other, and ensure everyone was doing something and knew what that was.

We didn't manage to complete the game, however, I definitely want to repeat this experience, and try to enter another game jam at some point for my portfolio. The devs were also so lovely and it was a very welcoming atmosphere.

[rchrgd]

Absolutely disgusting week setting up my prints for degree show! V excited to go back to being an outside artist after this.

[bourachart]

a little lazy evening wip

needs a lot of work still but its just for fun

[saskianimation]

Week 18 ♡ 12/02 - 18/02 Further Character Design Development

Monday - Woke up unwell, messaged my team/Susan/DJCAD that I wasn’t able to make it in today.

Tuesday - Lecture on Networking and Professional Set Up (add notes)

Thursday - Today I was just focusing on further character development.

[reflective-research-journal]

Year 3 - Colour and the Word

Colour & the Word

In this the final project of the semester we require you to study the subjects of colour and language. This is a three week project. It is not simply enough to make something ‘colourful’. As you will recall from the first project, John Berger, in his essay, To Take Paper, to Draw … writes: ‘There are certain paintings which animals could read. No animal could ever read a drawing'. I would extend Berger’s observation further by adding that any pig can make something approximating a colourful artwork (see ‘Meet “Pigcasso” SA's painting hog' and ‘Swatch launches “Pigcasso” watch’ on the Yuja channel) The aim of the project is that you add to your stock of knowledge about the subject: that you study the subject by undertaking bibliographic and online research; by looking (and trying to understand what it is that you are looking at) and by making and doing things in the studio and at home. There are no designated tasks associated with individual artists or writers in this project. We expect you to make your own way in response to the material we have provided; material which is drenched in colour. Many of you are already ranging freely in the material resources we are giving you. In this project we actively encourage you all to do this; to draw motivation, influence, inspiration, curiosity, experiment … from any of the references (visual, literary or both) to make a start with. You will be looking specifically at the relationship between colour and language. Ask yourself how words can be translated into colours; what do individual words or sequences of words ‘say’, how can your choice of colours evoke this? As in previous projects there are substantial research documents to help you. There are texts for wider reading in the 'Reading List' of the module and in the Yuja channel there are short videos related to the project.

Studio and Independent Study tasks While there are NO studio and independent study tasks on this occasion this should not prevent you from creating your own if you have found them useful. Remember: You do not always need to know why you are doing something, or what the result might be before you have done it. In this, as in all our projects, you can enter into a realm called what if …? letting your natural curiosity and intuition propel you forward. Do things, and then think about the results afterwards. Creating and analysing are different processes and should not be confused with each other. The word research is to be understood as a verb. DJCAD, level 1 Art & Design Module DJ11003

[georgina-promotion]

Evaluation 2

Throughout the Promotion module I have visited galleries, explored methods of curation, as well as investigated the role of the curator, which has greatly informed my approach to our exhibition. With the final installation date and opening night for the degree show fast approaching, I have ensured that I created the time to follow through with my personal promotion plan. This has involved advertising both myself as an artist and also sharing information on and generating interest in our upcoming end of year show.

As part of my personal promotion plan, I expressed interest in creating a website that would double as not only a professional online portfolio, but also function as a host site for collating my other social media and contact links. Through my research into the importance and layout of several artist websites, I have taken inspiration and created a simple website for myself that contains relevant work and information, such as my artist statement and selected portfolio. From this, I used a QR code generator to create a QR link that can be easily placed alongside my work at the degree show. Accessing this will take viewers to the home page of the website, where they will find additional contextual development work as well as links to my Instagram, LinkedIn, and Creative Enquiry blog, as well as contact details such as my professional email. I decided on a final design and purchased business cards that will feature this QR code, keeping the layout minimal to highlight the importance of information. I used imagery from one of my embroidery works, as I felt it had interesting texture and eye-catching colour without being overly detailed or distracting.

I have made sure to continuously advertise my own development work on Instagram during the lead-up to the show, as well as distributed digital flyers, to generate interest and to inform others of the times and dates for attending. I have shared classmates work featured in the Instagram takeover through the story function, making sure to frame this event as a class achievement rather than an individual one.

Both Contemporary Art and Design students have collated a list of important individuals to send out invites through Creative Industries administration, to ensure everything complies with GDPR as a form of professional practice. I also extended a personal invite to a former CoGC student, which has led to the digital flyer being shared amongst other DJCAD students. This proves beneficial as it creates wider ties and the opportunity for networking with other students who will become our industry peers.

Overall, I feel the Promotion module has pushed me into a more proactive role in taking the initiative with social media, as well as encouraging professional practice through creating websites and business cards. I gained valuable knowledge on methods of promotion, as well as a greater understanding of the role of the curator, which will continue to benefit me as I move forward with my artistic career.

[violethazephotography]

DOCUMENTARY ZINE - LISA SCRIMGEOUR

FOR MY DOCUMENTARY ZINE I AM GOING TO DOCUMENT THE ARTISTIC PROCESS OF DJCAD GRADUATE, LISA SCRIMGEOUR. SHE WAS BASED AT THE PERTH WASP STUDIO CREATIVE EXCHANGE, AND THATS HOW I INITIALLY FOUND HER. SHE IS NOW BASED IN GLASGOW AND THATS WHERE I WILL SHOOT THIS ZINE. IT WILL BE QUITE SIMILAR TO A PREVIOUS PROJECT ‘ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITURE’ IN THE SENSE THAT IT WILL BE ON AN ARTISTIC INDIVIDUAL BUT BY REALLY BEING ABLE TO TELL HER STORY AS AN ARTIST, DOCUMENTARY STYLE. 

SOME EXAMPLES OF HER WORK

https://newbloodart.com/artist/lisa-scrimgeour

HER WORK IS PRIMARILY DONE IN PINK TONES WHICH I THINK WILL HELP MY ZINE LOOK COHESIVE WHEN I COME TO DESIGN AND MAKE IT. I HAVE SOME IDEAS TO KEEP IT PLAIN PINK AND ADD TEXT WITH DOODLE TYPE ILLUSTRATIONS MADE INTO PNG’S TO OVERLAY. 

[sarahmckayhnd2b]

Winterfest: Malcolm Dickson [Street Level Photoworks]

Detail research undertaken before the talk:

Street Level gallery director.

Went to DJCAD for his studies

What do you know about what Streetlevel offers that you didn't know before?

That there are facilities you can use such as the darkroom, as well as courses for you to learn more and be able to use said facilities confidently and properly. That there are digital suites as well as lighting studios you can book.

What question did you/will you ask the visitor?

What is the process like to be able to exhibit work at Street Level?

What is your personal favourite exhibitions held there?

Who would want to work with and exhibit at street level?

How will the talk impact your own practice as a photographer? How can Streetlevel help you in your career?

Truly think about every aspect before thinking about exhibiting your work. Do your research and find the right place, etc for your exhibition. Think about whether or not you even want to exhibit work in a gallery or do you feel like you have to? How else can you get work out there?

Take notes here

Is accessible to try and break down the stigma that only certain people can go to art gallery and enjoy art.

To get work displayed, they do research and either reaches out to people or through applications.

You need to build up your portfolio, experience, contact and track record, etc

You will not be able to display your work at an established gallery without something to back yourself and show you're going to be worth it.

If you really want to have that experience, create your own exhibition