Dual Second

Note: my blog is not done in a chronological way because assignment 1 & 2 overlap. So there is a list with all the exercise, lerning log entries and assignment.

Assignment 1

1.  Identify on a loose sheet of paper

2. Task 1:1 Artists’ sketchbooks (Part I)

3. Task 1:1: Artists’ sketchbooks (Part II)

4. Exercise 1.1 What is your relationship with your sketchbook?

5. Exercise 1.2: Making Mistakes

6. Exercise 1.3: How personal do you want your sketchbook to be?

7. The Everyday: Not a permanent moment

8. Assignment 1: Part 1

9. Assignment 1: Part 2 (This is the final work)

10. Learning log: This is later on by the fourth assignment (making assignment 1 into a book, learning about covers, paper, and boxes). I added here because of it easy to see the progression and because I was not sure if I wanted to add covers when I finish.

11. Assignment 1: Part 3 The final presentation of this project. This was added at the end because it was sent to be bind.

Assignment 2

1. Research 2.0

2. Exercise 2.0: Rapid Sketches

3. Exercise 2.1: Limited line drawing part I (Research)

4. Exercise 2.1: Limited Drawing part 2 (Drawing)

5. Research 2.1: Lucy Austin

6. Exercise 2.2: Investigating a process

7. Exercise 2.3: Blind Contours Drawing

8. Exercise 2.4: Drawing with tea bags

9. Research 2.2: Christoph Niemann & Saul Steinberg

10. Exercise 2.5: Drawing with objects: a Journey scrapbook.

11. Exercise 2.6: Pareidolia

12. Assignment 2: Part 1

13. Assignment 2: Part 2

14. Assignment 2: Final retouched to create a better background.

15. Additional Learning 1: The human body

16. Additional Learning 2: Humanae

17. Additional Learning 3: Research on watercolour artists

18. Additional Learning 4: Mark Making - Botanical Inks & Handmade Brushes

19. Sketchbook A5 size

Assignment 3

0. Self-assessment for assignment 1&2

1. Re-do Exercise 2.1 & Exercise 2.3

2. Re-do  Exercise 2.4: Drawing with tea bags

3. Re-do Exercise 2.5: Drawing with objects: A journey scrapbook

4. Learning log 1: Sketchbook reflections so far

5. Learning Log 2: Sketchbook Analysis This is more the same as before, a few of my opinions have changed so I update (no need to read).

6. Learning  Log 3: Graphic Novels: Pulse para continuar by Ana Galvañ

7. Research 3.0: Building a tool kit

8. Research 3.1: A reportage case study

9. Exercise 3.0: Observation- topography where to draw. What to draw. Part I

10. Exercise 3.0: Observation- topography where to draw. What to draw. Part II

11. Exercise 3.1: Understanding viewpoints

12. Exercise 3.2: Working with external visual impetus -People part 1.

13. Research 3.2: Reporting and documenting.  Documentary Illustration Part 1

14. Research 3.2: Reporting and documenting Documentary Illustration Part 2

15. Exercise 3.3 Illustration drawing. Part I (New drawing base on pictures)

16. Research 3:4 Creating your own version of reality. Part I

17. Research 3:4 Creating your own version of reality. Part II

18. Research 3:4 Creating your own version of reality. Part III

19.  Research task 3:5 Visual Research

20. Exercise 3.5: Free Association

21. Assignment three: Illustrative people and places Part 1: The sketches and the ideas behind the drawings.

22. Assignment three: Illustrative people and places. Part II: This is the final work and the reflective process.

Assignment 4

0.  Self-assessment: Assignment 3

1. Research 4:0 Visual Diaries

2. Research Task 4:1 Top Ten Visual Diaries

3. Learning log 1: Making my own Sketchbook

4. Learning Log 2: Watercolour Technique: Using Airbrush paint spray

5. Learning Log 3: Perspective & shadows studies.

6. Learning log 4: Sketchbook circle

7. Learning Log 5: Reading graphic novels

8. Exercise 4.0: Fill it up -FAST!

9.  Exercise 4.1: Description & Depiction

10. Research Task 4.2: Storyboard research part I (this is an overview)

11. Research Task 4.2: Storyboard research part II (A detailed approach to shots and angles)

12.  Exercise 4:2 Storyboard part I (I really like this exercise so I went back and I did two more)

13. Exercise 4:2  Storyboard part I

14. Research task 4.3: Story Structure.

15. Exercise 4.3: Conversations with pictures- Interpretations

16. Exercise 4.4: Using a basic narrative structure

17. Learning Log 6: Research (Graphic novel)

18. Learning Log 7: This is an art review of a painter called Cristino de Vera

19. Learning Log 8: Research for assignment 4. Graphic novels

20. Assignment 4: Critic

21. Assignment 4 final work.

Assignment 5

0. Self- assessment: the list of thing to fix and the reflection of my work.

1. Learning log 1: Gabriel Cualladó photographer

2. Research Task 5.0: Visual Language

3. Exercise 5.0: Taking Stock

4. Exercise 5.1: Making an Action plan - visually  

5. Exercise 5.2: Making Connections

6. Assignment 5: Action plan. Analysing what went wrong in the last assignment and do differently.

7. Assignment 5: Option three and topic.

8. Visual research for assignment 5: Walking city: example of an animation

9. Visual research for assignment 5: To this day project Segment 19: An example of an animation

10. Assignment 5: storyboard (first draft)

11. Assignment 5: Storyboard and trailer (second draft)

12. Assignment 5: Sketchbook & Inspiration

13. Assignment 5: KeyFrames

Assignment 2

Final retouch

Assignment 1

The final presentation of this project

This project was a learning process. I sent it to be bind by a professional binder because I was terrified to damage it.

I made a few choices: The first cover is red and the last one purple because it correlated with the state of the tomato. The second one is leaving the pages as they were. Th bidder was very concerned that the glue in the tape used to link the pages was going to damage the pages, but I decided to leave it like that. I might scan the artwork in order to preserve it and I know for the next project.

In summary, this was an interesting project and I truly hope to do an artwork again.

Final reflections

1. Experience of this module

I like it but I also realise that I have a lot to learn if I want to create an actual small animation, from the duration of frames, to music, to use a different program but all this was very interesting and exciting. 

2. How my creative approaches to drawing and mark making develop over the course?

I improve my mark making and drawings but I still a long way ahead.

3. How did my use of observational drawing as a form of visual research and idea development change?

In the duration of the course I realise the importance of observational drawing to work my composition, light, drawing and other aspects of my illustrations that it is difficult if you illustrate base on a picture. 

4. How has my idea about the everyday evolve over the course?

I am not so sure how to answer that question truthfully. I think I always work (when the idea works) in a corner or base on a cliché and the sketchbook allow me to go outside the box, to let my ideas to grow and sometimes something that I like happens. Assignment 1 was an example of it and I think assignment 4 is an example of how I went too far out the initial idea and I did not know how to get back. 

5. How has looking at other practitioner’s sketchbooks and reading about their work expanded my understanding of illustration?

I think is inspiring seeing how other people look for ideas and create their own practice. Helping to broaden my understanding of the different types of illustrations and how to approach them in my own practice.

6. What visual language means to me?

It is the way a particular artist used artistic elements to express his craft, like line, compositions and others.

7. What to have learned from being part of a sketchbook circle?

It was a very interesting idea. I enjoy the different materials and way to use the visual elements to create a piece, but I also thought that perhaps a theme or a “time” would have been better. At the end was an interesting collaborative idea.

Summary

This was an interesting course as personal development and as a way to create creative habits.

As I was looking at all the sketchbooks, I realise that I have a few ideas that I did not develop, that I might enjoy going back and explore, later on. These ideas are mostly on the A5 hardcover with spiral sketchbooks that I love. This cheap and fun sketchbook allows me to add colour pages and explore because I do not consider them important in any way.

I like to develop the ideas on an A3 or bigger sketchbook. I like doing research there but also experiment and bring the ideas, the experimentation and the secondary research into a final project. 

Assignment 5:Everyday Stories

KeyFrames

The first is a Style frame or Keyframe shows how the mood in the trailer will be. The background will be as simple as possible so it is not distractive from the people but at the same time, I wanted to look like London so the building has some of the characteristics of a building in London taking away most of the colours.

In the “sketch trailer,” I have more flags, but I think it needs a clear message, so people know what concentration we are talking about because they are three major ones (people’s vote, remain, and revolt). I wanted to add “new green deal” or some slogan for the other concentrations. I think Teresa May face is enough for people’s vote. 

Music: I thought of adding people talking for this part as part of the background, but I am not sure.

The two illustrations above are part of a closeup. This is also a bit political, but I walk for a part of London were homeless concentrate and I think we (as a society) need to do more to help them. Sometimes I think this problem seems invisible to all of us, This is why he is far away, small and you cannot really read the sing. (I found the sign online, I did not take pictures or draw homeless people, I have mix feeling about this)

The first part of the storyboard is people walking in the background, but these characters are not the final ones. I took pictures of people on the street to have more interesting characters for the final version of the trailer. 

I choose this as an introduction to the city. The size of the frame for the trailer is 1920 x 1080. This illustration is twice as long, and people should move along the road as the bus move.

The last part of the trailer is more everyday activities like getting on the bus and the train. The but will be the instrument I will use to connect all the illustrations.

Storyboard

Added more frames and also from different perspectives, more zooms and other angles as I did on the sketchbook should have to enrich the trailer. 

Assignment 5: Sketchbook & Inspiration

Everyday story in London Today

This is the sketchbook’s drawings. I spend a lot of time walking and taking pictures of London for this assignment. I also took some pics because I felt a bit nervous to draw outside. I also notice that London in recent months have people on the street almost every day, and while a part of the city keeps working fine, the other stops and express their discomfort.

Write Six words or sentences base on the everyday.

I did this exercise on a page before and after, I went to see the city and I walk a lot and I think I change my understanding of the everyday in London because as I said before, the city is going through a lot in the last mounts and I think this is a period of rapid change but also there are things that are the same (the red bus, the pubs, people walking, going to work, etc) I wanted to add the new and the old at the same time.

Mediums

I also took the opportunity to experiment with materials like Graphite Powder and putty, charcoal and other mediums that I do not normally use.

Assignment 5: Storyboard N2

This is the second idea for the mood board. I create an animatic (or a basic version to see if the idea works for a movie or a trailer) I like bit and pieces, but I think it needs a lot more to be fun or at least interesting.

Assignment 5: Storyboard N1

This is the first attempt to create a storyboard with a basic idea. The Everyday in London so, I started with an extreme long shot so I could establish the surroundings follow but a long shot showing people walking on the street.

The third frame is a  wide shot so you could see how one person hit himself with a lamp post and the next ti a close up with the person on the floor (I am not sure I am a fanny person) The London bus move to the bus stop. it should be a lot of people waiting for the bus and next they go inside the bus. The bus leave and you can see a homeless person on the floor.

The next part is a less elaborate idea that I am not sure it works well.  I think it is really interesting to see that for instance, that a portion is funny while the rest is not, I am not so sure this is congruent with the rest or that the piece does not have a main character (that is not a bad thing) or that nothing is happening (which is a bad thing)

I am going to not another storyboard.

Animatic

                                                                                                                              A preliminary sequence of shots, images, or sketches (as for a movie or an animated television program) that is filmed or arranged usually with a soundtrack and viewed to determine its effectiveness before being finalized. The final step before the material gets sent across the Pacific Ocean is an animatic of the episode, a filming of the layout drawings that gives a rudimentary sense of how the show will move. There's no colour and the movements are, at best, jerky, but the animatic gives the producers a chance to see how the drawings and voices work together.— Joe Rhodes,        Entertainment Weekly, 18 May 1990  ( Animatic. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animatic )

I have never done an animation and I have not idea how to do this, so I decided to take a few tutorials to create animation (shot ones) so I do know what work this entitles. 

The Everyday

I have difficulties with this topic at the beginning of the course so I wanted to give it another try.  I started with a list of synonyms and antonyms, but I went out and I tried to find the everyday on the street.

When you walk on London Bridge at 8am the thing you find the most is people walking on the street, everyday to work and from work. It is interesting to see how automatic this behaviour is.

1. Walking on the street with a lot of people

2. people waiting for the bus

3. a lot of people on the train platform.

After that, I started to notice another group of people. homeless people or people sleeping rough. The statistic suggests that homeless people in London has decreased in the last 10 years, but I think I notice them more, perhaps because as I was filming and taking pics of people o the street, I started paying attention to details.

1. People sitting on the floor on the bridge (this was the first time I notice when I was taking a pic of people walking)

2. people sleeping rough

3. people looking for food in trash bins.

WARNING THE END IS VERY EXPLICIT. DO NOT SEE IT IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH VIOLENCE.

I started to look for 2D animations that I might like and I found this artist that is interesting.

This is a very fun and interesting animation (the end is a bit much) but it is fun. Also, I like the short, political story. The art itself is not my favourite but it is very dynamic and fun. (I guess, the opposite of the dark and strange staff that I do normally like) 

This is a huge Assignment; it does not seem like much but it is. So I decided to do an action plan to avoid making the same mistakes I made last time.

Plan

1. I need to choose a story based on the prompt questions. (this is an important part because I do normally rush to choose, and I ended in a mediocre result.

1.1 I would like to elaborate a more personal idea between the “everyday concept” using of course SCAMPER and another way to develop an idea.

2. Create 6 drawings and connect them base on the original idea

2.1 I think this will be an easy way to entre in the same predicament I was in the last Assignment. I need a more consistent plan. Have 6 drawings and connecting them was what got me in the disaster zone. 

So, I need 6 drawings so I can create them base on the storyline first.

2. (Updated) Create a storyboard base on the idea of “everyday stories” for a trailer 

Exercise 5.2: Making Connections

This was a more experimental process than an organized one. I wanted to have a more fluid idea to see what my drawings inspired me. 

First: I scanned only the drawings that were inspiring to me but I did not use all of them

Second: I used photoshop to transform each image into something new that I can use as an inspiration but also for a new project.

I create this after the first assignment and I really like the idea for a textile pattern.  So I put in a group all the illustrations that are food-related, people illustrations, places, objects and I create new images form that.

The original drawing was a bit simple (I like it ) but this is fun and the colours are exciting. I was not able to use in the collage as I wanted but I think it has a lot of potential for later on. 

Final: I tried to create collage but I think I fail to connect with the technique. I made a list of ideas and I could not use the technique to communicate them properly.  I added words to the collages and it was a bit intriguing. Perhaps, I should do it more often to see how it feels. 

Most important to not so important

1. Become less critical (this is important because I can be a lit of abrasive with myself)

2. Explore composition (Not only in a particular drawing but in the page)

3. Understand viewpoints

4. Work in sequence

5.Practice technical skill (I think a combination of drawing & watercolour can be nice for a change)

6. Draw people (Mostly doing things)

7. Get better at using one media in particular (or a combination of two)

8. be more inventive

9. Write words (use words)

10. Colour (I love to work with colour, but it is lower down the list because I am happy with my use of colour)

11. Use tome (This is also low because I also think is not bad so there are other things that need my attention)

12. use lines

13. Draw quickly (mostly to investigate ideas)

14. Experiment with more media (I love to play around, but I think I will try with a machine that I bought to create backgrounds and I love to see if I can do more with it.)

15. Draw more simply

16. Interpret

17. Draw things that move

18. Draw buildings (or landscapes) (I think my problems are more related with landscapes)

19. Work in a circle

20. Use different surface

21. Show my sketchbook to others

22. Draw slowly

23. Think more about meaning

24.Hide my sketchbook from other

• Make a list of materials and processes you feel connected with. 

Watercolour & colour pencil. I love monochromatic painting. I have also felt strongly about combine the two techniques and using photoshop to enhance them.

• Draw a skull and crossbones and list the exercises or processes you didn’t enjoy doing

1. Line drawing

2. rapid drawing (I think any drawing that does not require time to do it, it is not for me. I am not good at it and stress me a lot. this made me unable to do it better and I just stress too much)

3. Free association ( I like to have a theme)

• Put a tick next to the words that you most empathise with from this list.

1. Narrative 2. Exterior 3/ Imaginative 4. Meaning 5.Expressive

  Look at the list of quotes from section one and your initial responses to them.

• Have your opinions and thoughts changed about how you keep a sketchbook?

Actually, I have a clearer idea of what works for me and what does not.

I realise that I like A3 for projects and techniques and experiments. I love the size; it is easy for me to see the progress of an idea. On the other hand, or size. I think the exercise of doing a sketchbook in a day was incredible.  Very interesting indeed. I will love to do that again. It is an interesting way to create a personal vocabulary.

• Which comments do you now most empathise with and why?

Adding different type of pages. I made two sketchbooks with paper that I choose, and colour cardboard and I love it. This is an interesting process. You can have specific paper for a material that you are using.

• What have been the most surprising changes to your thoughts about sketchbooks?

Paper is really important. I thought that sketchbooks were just to experiment (and I love that) but if the paper is not right, the experimentation is not as satisfying as it should be. 

• Which of the exercises and assignments would you like to do more of or return to?

Learning log: Looking for some different

As I was working on the last assignment I became interested in people portraits (I draw to of them and was difficult to create a feeling from them, there were more than just a way to introduce a character but I was presenting a time, a race, a social position)  I came across with Gabriel Cuallado artwork and I like it so much that I decided to take a closer look into his work.

There are two aspects of his work that I fell more strongly about the first one is the use of light. The pictures are very dark and this creates a dark and dense atmosphere. The atmosphere is captivating. Its create a story. Most of the portrait artist nowadays are more neutral when it comes to the subject, sometimes it feels like empty shells.  This is not the case with Gabriel.