Chris Cooper - OUIL 504 - End of Module Evaluation
Tuesday 17 January 2017
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Final Outcomes
Hiruki Murakami Sting 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Hiruki Murakami Sting 2 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Hiruki Murakami Sting 3 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Reflections
Although each video as a different mood I think they do work cohesively and clearly as a set. This is because they all tie in with each other and the work of Murakami through the lonely and desolate feeling they all have despite conveying different specific atmospheres.
I think the tension of the lamp sting is particularly effective due to the claustrophobic and brooding sense of dread which ultimately amounts to nothing, a plot device that occurs time and time again in Murakami's novels.
I think on a technical level the shark sting is the best as it employs widest and best using of aftereffect techniques in that there is both camera panning and zooming as well as multiple moving elements. The water sound effects have also made this sting feel particularly strong as they have helped make the images setting and the moving elements feel more real.
Overall I think sound has been really important in setting the atmosphere and mood of each piece. The use of ambient music and sounds has helped give each a a heavy sense drama and atmosphere in each. Had my stings been longer I think I could have further elaborated on this by using a variety of sounds and camera transitions to give them a stronger sense of pacing and movement.
Although I am happy with these stings I think I could have been a lot more ambitious in my use of aftereffects to further the intrigue and drama of each piece. I feel reasonably confident with aftereffects now and in the future would like to explore more complex techniques such as the puppet tool and how they can further the aesthetic and impact of my image making.
Final Outcomes
Hiruki Murakami Sting 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Hiruki Murakami Sting 2 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Hiruki Murakami Sting 3 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Reflections
Although each video as a different mood I think they do work cohesively and clearly as a set. This is because they all tie in with each other and the work of Murakami through the lonely and desolate feeling they all have despite conveying different specific atmospheres.
I think the tension of the lamp sting is particularly effective due to the claustrophobic and brooding sense of dread which ultimately amounts to nothing, a plot device that occurs time and time again in Murakami's novels.
I think on a technical level the shark sting is the best as it employs widest and best using of aftereffect techniques in that there is both camera panning and zooming as well as multiple moving elements. The water sound effects have also made this sting feel particularly strong as they have helped make the images setting and the moving elements feel more real.
Overall I think sound has been really important in setting the atmosphere and mood of each piece. The use of ambient music and sounds has helped give each a a heavy sense drama and atmosphere in each. Had my stings been longer I think I could have further elaborated on this by using a variety of sounds and camera transitions to give them a stronger sense of pacing and movement.
Although I am happy with these stings I think I could have been a lot more ambitious in my use of aftereffects to further the intrigue and drama of each piece. I feel reasonably confident with aftereffects now and in the future would like to explore more complex techniques such as the puppet tool and how they can further the aesthetic and impact of my image making.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 05
OUIL504 Illustration: Process & Production
STUDIO BRIEF 3 PROJECT PROPOSAL: Production & Presentation of my Moving Pictures
|
I intend to produce ……
|
3 individual 10 second stings made using after effects. I want the use of camera pans and texture to be the main devices through which I add a sense of movement, pacing and atmosphere to my stings.
I think sound will, particularly the use of emotive ambient music, will be key furthering the tone and atmosphere of my work.
|
The content will focus on (identify 3 specific themes, texts or concepts)
|
1. Isolation, particularly through the use of sparse or empty scenes.
2. The Mundane
3. The Surreal / uncanny and how this contrasts with, and causes tension with the above.
|
I will be aiming to communicate (identify 3 specific messages, ideas, moods etc.)
|
I would like atmosphere and tone to be the focus of my stings although I will vary it from sting to sting so as to better reflect the broad spectrum of moods present in Murakami's work. These will include:
1. A heavy sense of tension bordering on sinister
2.Melancholy
3.Mystery
|
To an audience of ….. (name 3 characteristics)
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1.Fans of Murakami's work
2.Fans of thrillers
3.Fans of surrealist art and philosophy.
|
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Final Images
Final Images
Reflections on the Final Set of Prints
In general I have been really pleased with how my five prints have worked out. Through the course of the project I think I have gained a really good understanding of colour for screen print works and that the use of overlays and the decision to print each design in a different colour way has been of key importance to creating a series of images that are bold and dramatic in terms of composition and that work cohesively and clearly as a set.
Furthermore in terms of communication of mood, atmosphere and ideas relating to Murakami's life and work these images have been successful. This is because they all have a clear focus on the mundane, almost forgettable moments of every day life yet have one or more elements that set the image off kilter giving it a quietly surreal and almost uncanny quality. Once again I think colour has been important in reinforcing this as it has been essential to creating/communicating the subdued almost still dreamlike quality that I had wanted from my prints.
The only issue I do have is that, like I stated in the last post, the repeated use of marine life within my images perhaps shifts the focus towards that, especially given the ambiguous nature of the imagery. However I don't think this diverts from the my intent two much as they only feature in two of the five images.
Ambiguity
As with previous work I have done this brief has really highlighted to me the power of ambiguity in image making. Given the vast and often complex nature of Murakmi's work and philosophies I think creating subtly surreal and often ambiguous images has been the best way to try and communicate this and given that much of his writing is quite ambiguous, reflects it well. This is mainly in that it's not always clear what exactly is going on in his writing or my images but that there is something slightly weirder and surreal than what initially takes your attention.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 05
OUIL504 Illustration: Process & Production
I intend to produce ……
|
A set of 5 prints. This is because I think it will compliment as well as allow me to further develop the use of bold, often simple graphic elements in my work that has been key to my practice throughout the course.
Furthermore it will allow me to get a better grasp of the print making process and allow process itself to drive my outcomes, something that I specifically highlighted at the end of first year as being something I wanted to further explore in second year.
I am wanting to create a series of images linking as a set thematically rather than through a linear narrative.
|
The content will focus on (identify 3 specific themes, texts or concepts)
|
1. Dreamscapes
(Hard Boiled Wonderland/The majority of his texts)
2. Perception
(1q84)
3. Alienation/Solitude
(Wind Up Bird)
|
I will be aiming to communicate (identify 3 specific messages, ideas, moods etc.)
|
1. Tension between the mundane and surreal within an image with the intention of creating uncanny/dreamlike scenes/images.
2. Isolation of individual figures/elements within an image/scene so as to communicate ideas of solitude/alienation and melancholy.
3. How individual experience and attitudes can alter perception – aim to produce more ambiguous imagery that can be viewed with a different meaning/intent depending on how you/who looks at it.
|
To an audience of ….. (name 3 characteristics)
|
1. Fans of Murakami's Work
2. People interested in philosophy and psychology
3.Those with a strong interest in design, particular shape based composition and colour theory.
|
Studio Brief 1: Idea Pictures
Final Outcomes
Reflections
I think the use of the same colour pallet through out the images as well a consistent use of bold simplistic shapes to comprise my images as made them work clearly and cohesively as a set. With the second image I had included some line work to add more interest to the composition and better convey the feelings of isolation and melancholy associated with Murakami's work. Initially I thought this might take away from the set, however I think it has further reinforced it from the original image by better conveying these feelings that are communicated through out the set.
The strongest image is that of the swimmer as the use of a far back view point has helped create a sense isolation and solitude where as the colour palette has given the image a surreal edge.
In general I am really happy with the ambiguous feel of these three images. Originally I had struggled to communicate the more intangible and subtly surreal aspects of Murakami's work in away that didn't feel overly obvious and clumsy. Therefore I think using a more ambiguous and visceral approach to visual communication, as employed in the above images, has achieved this better. This is due to evocative nature of the work that is coupled with a slightly surreal and ephemeral edge making the view think there is more to the images than initially meets the eye and start adding there own opinions and conclusions.
Given that with editorials require you to summarise an entire articles (or maybe more) worth of writing and ideas in one image, I think this more ambiguous approach is very suited to it as it allows you to touch upon a wide range of complex and more intangible concepts, something which is particularly needed when communicating Murakami's work.
Final Outcomes
Final Changes to images one and two
Unhappy with how the textures had turned out in my first two attempts at the final outcome for studio brief 1 I decided to applying the techniques that I had learnt in studio brief 2 on them. The inlcuded redrawing them with pencil and editing the levels so that I could edit them digitial to create flat bock shapes yet still retain the fuzzy edge to give them the emotive visceral quality I wanted.
I then used layer masks to add screen print textures over the top. This was because I felt they gave the images an extra level of warmth and roughness, adding to the visceral quality I desired with out confusing the compositions by adding too much noise.
I think the use of the same colour pallet through out the images as well a consistent use of bold simplistic shapes to comprise my images as made them work clearly and cohesively as a set. With the second image I had included some line work to add more interest to the composition and better convey the feelings of isolation and melancholy associated with Murakami's work. Initially I thought this might take away from the set, however I think it has further reinforced it from the original image by better conveying these feelings that are communicated through out the set.
The strongest image is that of the swimmer as the use of a far back view point has helped create a sense isolation and solitude where as the colour palette has given the image a surreal edge.
In general I am really happy with the ambiguous feel of these three images. Originally I had struggled to communicate the more intangible and subtly surreal aspects of Murakami's work in away that didn't feel overly obvious and clumsy. Therefore I think using a more ambiguous and visceral approach to visual communication, as employed in the above images, has achieved this better. This is due to evocative nature of the work that is coupled with a slightly surreal and ephemeral edge making the view think there is more to the images than initially meets the eye and start adding there own opinions and conclusions.
Given that with editorials require you to summarise an entire articles (or maybe more) worth of writing and ideas in one image, I think this more ambiguous approach is very suited to it as it allows you to touch upon a wide range of complex and more intangible concepts, something which is particularly needed when communicating Murakami's work.
Monday 16 January 2017
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Sting 3
Final Sting
Hiruki Murakami Sting 3 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Of my three stings this is the only one where I haven't used a panning or zooming camera. Origionally I had the video panning down from the top of the print (which was landscape) however feedback from the tutor had been that it took away from the effect of brooding stillness that the second half of the sting had.
Therefore I comprised this entire sting simply of a broken lamp flashing to reveal the skull and later the authors name. As set out in my proposal, the main aim in terms of mood and atmosphere fr this last sting was something much more brooding and unsettling than the other two. I think the stillness of the video adds to this by creating tension through the impression that something is just about to happen but you don't quite know what.
Here the sound of a broken halogen lamp was essential to creating the impression of a broken lamp rather than just a light turning on and off. Furthermore its rising volume as it slowly turns on towards the end of the video in my opinion really adds to the sinister edge of the video. I further reinforced this affect my adding under it some ambient noise (created in Ableton Live) rather than music like in the other two videos. This was because I felt the video needed to seem as still as possible whilst having a brooding, claustrophobic edge to it similar to the videos I had deconstructed in study task 6.
Test Sting
Comp 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
My main issue with this video is that I feel it needs to be longer with a few slight movements of other objects or maybe one scene change/camera pan to make it more dynamic. I agree with the tutor's feedback that the initial camera panning I had used did take away from the brooding stillness but i think this is mainly due to the shortness of the video. Had it been longer I think I will have been able to include this giving it more interest through the use of camera movement whilst still having enough time towards the end of the video to build the desired atmosphere.
Sting 3
Final Sting
Hiruki Murakami Sting 3 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
Of my three stings this is the only one where I haven't used a panning or zooming camera. Origionally I had the video panning down from the top of the print (which was landscape) however feedback from the tutor had been that it took away from the effect of brooding stillness that the second half of the sting had.
Therefore I comprised this entire sting simply of a broken lamp flashing to reveal the skull and later the authors name. As set out in my proposal, the main aim in terms of mood and atmosphere fr this last sting was something much more brooding and unsettling than the other two. I think the stillness of the video adds to this by creating tension through the impression that something is just about to happen but you don't quite know what.
Here the sound of a broken halogen lamp was essential to creating the impression of a broken lamp rather than just a light turning on and off. Furthermore its rising volume as it slowly turns on towards the end of the video in my opinion really adds to the sinister edge of the video. I further reinforced this affect my adding under it some ambient noise (created in Ableton Live) rather than music like in the other two videos. This was because I felt the video needed to seem as still as possible whilst having a brooding, claustrophobic edge to it similar to the videos I had deconstructed in study task 6.
Test Sting
Comp 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
My main issue with this video is that I feel it needs to be longer with a few slight movements of other objects or maybe one scene change/camera pan to make it more dynamic. I agree with the tutor's feedback that the initial camera panning I had used did take away from the brooding stillness but i think this is mainly due to the shortness of the video. Had it been longer I think I will have been able to include this giving it more interest through the use of camera movement whilst still having enough time towards the end of the video to build the desired atmosphere.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Sting 2
Hiruki Murakami Sting 2 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
When creating my second sting I went for a drastically different tone to the first. I based the second sting off of my hammerhead print which was by far the most obviously surreal of all my images and also much lighter compositionally than the previous sting. Therefore I felt the video should reflect this in that the main aim atmospherically would be something much more mysterious, ephemeral and mysterious rather than the heavy sense of melancholy in the previous one.
Once again I have used a camera zooming in to transition from the original composition of the sting to a baron seemingly never ending space through which the sharks then swim from side to side in.
More so than the last sting I have used actual sound effects to reinforce the movement of individual elements. The inclusion of bubbling water and water splashes as the sharks move into the composition really helps give the illusion of both being under water and their movement through it.
Once again I wanted an ambient track of rising synths playing in the back ground to further the mood of the video. However, given the use of brighter colours of this video and the more overtly surreal nature of the elements within I decided to have a more ephemeral and light heart track playing so as to reflect the sense of mystery I was going for in this video.
Sting 2
Hiruki Murakami Sting 2 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
When creating my second sting I went for a drastically different tone to the first. I based the second sting off of my hammerhead print which was by far the most obviously surreal of all my images and also much lighter compositionally than the previous sting. Therefore I felt the video should reflect this in that the main aim atmospherically would be something much more mysterious, ephemeral and mysterious rather than the heavy sense of melancholy in the previous one.
Once again I have used a camera zooming in to transition from the original composition of the sting to a baron seemingly never ending space through which the sharks then swim from side to side in.
More so than the last sting I have used actual sound effects to reinforce the movement of individual elements. The inclusion of bubbling water and water splashes as the sharks move into the composition really helps give the illusion of both being under water and their movement through it.
Once again I wanted an ambient track of rising synths playing in the back ground to further the mood of the video. However, given the use of brighter colours of this video and the more overtly surreal nature of the elements within I decided to have a more ephemeral and light heart track playing so as to reflect the sense of mystery I was going for in this video.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Sting 1
Hiruki Murakami Sting 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
For my first sting I chose to create the story boarded sequence of the camera panning in on the clouds behind the woman on the bike whilst they drift apart to reveal the moon and the authors title as the woman is slowly push out of the composition. What I liked about this sequence was the fact it let me add some movement to my image with out altering the original print, something which I had highlighted as one of my key aims in my project proposal.
However I think my decision to have the sky the darker colour and the clouds the lighter (in the print it is the other way round) resulted in a much clearer distinction between the different elements as the clouds move apart. Furthermore I think it added to the moody almost brooding atmosphere I wanted from this video.
I think sound has really helped reinforce this mood. The wind sound effect has helped add to the movement of the clouds whilst also giving the over all scene a sense of sparse emptiness giving the impression that the figure is utterly alone. This coupled with the slow, melancholy synth track (by Bruce) further enforced this feeling which I think is at the heart of both Murakami's work and my original print.
Sting 1
Hiruki Murakami Sting 1 from C Cooper on Vimeo.
For my first sting I chose to create the story boarded sequence of the camera panning in on the clouds behind the woman on the bike whilst they drift apart to reveal the moon and the authors title as the woman is slowly push out of the composition. What I liked about this sequence was the fact it let me add some movement to my image with out altering the original print, something which I had highlighted as one of my key aims in my project proposal.
However I think my decision to have the sky the darker colour and the clouds the lighter (in the print it is the other way round) resulted in a much clearer distinction between the different elements as the clouds move apart. Furthermore I think it added to the moody almost brooding atmosphere I wanted from this video.
I think sound has really helped reinforce this mood. The wind sound effect has helped add to the movement of the clouds whilst also giving the over all scene a sense of sparse emptiness giving the impression that the figure is utterly alone. This coupled with the slow, melancholy synth track (by Bruce) further enforced this feeling which I think is at the heart of both Murakami's work and my original print.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Study Task 6: Sound Deconstruction
Chen Winner
Ah! Sunflower from Chen Winner on Vimeo.
In this video by Chen Winner sound has really be used to help enhance the claustrophobic moody atmosphere of film as well as add to the individual moving elements making it seem more much more alive rather than simply a series of simple, relatively static movements.
For example the use of fuzzy ambient background noise and subtle bits of synth work has really created a heavy tension with in the video. The actual sounds of the objects used such as typing, rain falling, train pulling in etc have added to this effect as well as adding to the monotonous movements of the individual elements.
Half way through the video, whilst still remaining ambient, the music changes to being much cleaner and pleasant sounding, reflecting the escape from the city into the wild. This creates a really sudden and immersive change from the initially claustrophobic and negative atmosphere of the first half of the video highlighting just how important sound can be in reinforcing a desired tone within a video.
Cindy Yang
What I really love is the sense of monotony and routine within this video which I feel relates quite strongly to my own work. As with the above video ambient background noises such as wind and traffic are used to add a really heavy sense of banality to the video.
When the accident happens half way through it is really interesting to see how sudden silence can affect a video. It creates what a feel is a really powerful 'deafening silence' which really makes you question what you are looking at, especially when the visual elements start acting confused about what they are mean to be doing.
Although this is an interesting and powerful effect I think my stings will be too short to fully take advantage of it. Therefore I think the main thing to take from both videos is the use of ambient music and back ground noises to build up a sense of tension and mood within my relatively simple stings. In some of them where I have individual moving elements it would be good to try and find sounds that fit the movements so as to further the impression of movement/activity.
Study Task 6: Sound Deconstruction
Chen Winner
Ah! Sunflower from Chen Winner on Vimeo.
In this video by Chen Winner sound has really be used to help enhance the claustrophobic moody atmosphere of film as well as add to the individual moving elements making it seem more much more alive rather than simply a series of simple, relatively static movements.
For example the use of fuzzy ambient background noise and subtle bits of synth work has really created a heavy tension with in the video. The actual sounds of the objects used such as typing, rain falling, train pulling in etc have added to this effect as well as adding to the monotonous movements of the individual elements.
Half way through the video, whilst still remaining ambient, the music changes to being much cleaner and pleasant sounding, reflecting the escape from the city into the wild. This creates a really sudden and immersive change from the initially claustrophobic and negative atmosphere of the first half of the video highlighting just how important sound can be in reinforcing a desired tone within a video.
Cindy Yang
What I really love is the sense of monotony and routine within this video which I feel relates quite strongly to my own work. As with the above video ambient background noises such as wind and traffic are used to add a really heavy sense of banality to the video.
When the accident happens half way through it is really interesting to see how sudden silence can affect a video. It creates what a feel is a really powerful 'deafening silence' which really makes you question what you are looking at, especially when the visual elements start acting confused about what they are mean to be doing.
Although this is an interesting and powerful effect I think my stings will be too short to fully take advantage of it. Therefore I think the main thing to take from both videos is the use of ambient music and back ground noises to build up a sense of tension and mood within my relatively simple stings. In some of them where I have individual moving elements it would be good to try and find sounds that fit the movements so as to further the impression of movement/activity.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Study Task 5: Story Boarding
Given that the aim of this brief is to use moving elements and techniques to further the mood and visual aesthetic of our printed pictures story boarding seems a good place to start to figure out just how we might go about this.
I think key to figuring this out without over complicating things so that I can actually reproduce the actions that I draw on screen will be to keep things as simple as possible. As stated in the moving pictures analysis posts I think the key to this will be the use of camera pans to add a strong sense of movement without doing anything too fancy in terms of actual animation.
Study Task 5: Story Boarding
Given that the aim of this brief is to use moving elements and techniques to further the mood and visual aesthetic of our printed pictures story boarding seems a good place to start to figure out just how we might go about this.
I think key to figuring this out without over complicating things so that I can actually reproduce the actions that I draw on screen will be to keep things as simple as possible. As stated in the moving pictures analysis posts I think the key to this will be the use of camera pans to add a strong sense of movement without doing anything too fancy in terms of actual animation.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Project Proposal
Project Proposal
BA (Hons) Illustration - Level 05
OUIL504 Illustration: Process &
Production
STUDIO BRIEF 3 PROJECT PROPOSAL:
Production & Presentation of my Moving Pictures
|
I intend to produce ……
|
3 individual 10 second stings made using
after effects. I want the use of camera pans and texture to be the main
devices through which I add a sense of movement, pacing and atmosphere to my
stings.
I think sound will, particularly the use
of emotive ambient music, will be key furthering the tone and atmosphere of
my work.
|
The content will focus on (identify 3
specific themes, texts or concepts)
|
1. Isolation, particularly through the
use of sparse or empty scenes.
2. The Mundane
3. The Surreal / uncanny and how this
contrasts with, and causes tension with the above.
|
I will be aiming to communicate (identify
3 specific messages, ideas, moods etc.)
|
I would like atmosphere and tone to be the
focus of my stings although I will vary it from sting to sting so as to
better reflect the broad spectrum of moods present in Murakami's work. These
will include:
1. A heavy sense of tension bordering on
sinister
2.Melancholy
3.Mystery
|
To an audience of ….. (name 3
characteristics)
|
1.Fans of Murakami's work
2.Fans of thrillers
3.Fans of surrealist art and philosophy.
|
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Initial Thoughts
Having looked at other practitioners worked I have come to the conclusion that the main visual devices I want to focus on within my stings are camera panning and texture. This is because, given my limited knowledge of animation, I realise I will not be able to create incredibly complex moving elements in the short amount of time which we have.
Therefore I think this project is all about doing more with less. The use of camera pans is a great way to add movement and dramatic pacing to what would other wise be a very still image. This will work well with my images given that the focus has been about giving them an as subdued atmosphere as possible and therefore I wouldn't want loads of individual elements to be moving too much as it would take away from this.
Furthermore I have seen how texture and lighting has added a real sense of tension to some videos. Given that tone and atmosphere are a huge part of my printed pictures, I think furthering this melancholy mood by using my screen printed textures within my stings will add to this effect.
Initial Thoughts
Having looked at other practitioners worked I have come to the conclusion that the main visual devices I want to focus on within my stings are camera panning and texture. This is because, given my limited knowledge of animation, I realise I will not be able to create incredibly complex moving elements in the short amount of time which we have.
Therefore I think this project is all about doing more with less. The use of camera pans is a great way to add movement and dramatic pacing to what would other wise be a very still image. This will work well with my images given that the focus has been about giving them an as subdued atmosphere as possible and therefore I wouldn't want loads of individual elements to be moving too much as it would take away from this.
Furthermore I have seen how texture and lighting has added a real sense of tension to some videos. Given that tone and atmosphere are a huge part of my printed pictures, I think furthering this melancholy mood by using my screen printed textures within my stings will add to this effect.
Studio Brief 3: Moving Pictures
Study Task 4: Animated Shorts and Stings
Andrew Khosravani
What I find most captivating about this animation is that most of the energy and movement comes from the scene transitions. The scene's them selves sometimes have a lot of elements forming a more complex image but often the actual animations themselves are very simple and static. It's the clever transitions, such as a molecule breaking up into atoms, that allow for a subtle panning camera or even a sudden change often to happen with out seeming random and out of place. Therefore I think the use of panning, and if I decide to produce a longer clip, will be useful in adding a lot of interest and giving the illusion of movement without actually adding lots of complex animations.
Elenor Kopka
Once again it's the use of scene transitions, in particular panning camera shots that are key to the pacing and overall interest of this animation. Even though the character is often running or walking, if it was for the panning camera I think it would feel very stagnant. Furthermore the use of texture and dramatic lighting, such as when the door opens, that adds a sinister sense of tension to what would be otherwise very still and theoretically boring shots. Given that much of my project has been creating still yet moody images I think this will be key to furthering my visual language through the use of moving imagery.
Chen Winners
Once again the main moving elements are very simple with scene transitions and panning cameras being used to pace the animation. The textures show are quite similar to mine in that the lines and edges of the shapes have a similar quality to that of china marker so it is interesting to see how this translates to moving image - i much prefer it to the cleaner imagery of Khosravani, which matches the clean precise nature of explain a scientific concept, as I think it gives the video a much more visceral and emotive feel, something which I would like from my own work.
INNERVIEWS from Chen Winner on Vimeo.
Study Task 4: Animated Shorts and Stings
Andrew Khosravani
What I find most captivating about this animation is that most of the energy and movement comes from the scene transitions. The scene's them selves sometimes have a lot of elements forming a more complex image but often the actual animations themselves are very simple and static. It's the clever transitions, such as a molecule breaking up into atoms, that allow for a subtle panning camera or even a sudden change often to happen with out seeming random and out of place. Therefore I think the use of panning, and if I decide to produce a longer clip, will be useful in adding a lot of interest and giving the illusion of movement without actually adding lots of complex animations.
Elenor Kopka
Once again it's the use of scene transitions, in particular panning camera shots that are key to the pacing and overall interest of this animation. Even though the character is often running or walking, if it was for the panning camera I think it would feel very stagnant. Furthermore the use of texture and dramatic lighting, such as when the door opens, that adds a sinister sense of tension to what would be otherwise very still and theoretically boring shots. Given that much of my project has been creating still yet moody images I think this will be key to furthering my visual language through the use of moving imagery.
Chen Winners
Once again the main moving elements are very simple with scene transitions and panning cameras being used to pace the animation. The textures show are quite similar to mine in that the lines and edges of the shapes have a similar quality to that of china marker so it is interesting to see how this translates to moving image - i much prefer it to the cleaner imagery of Khosravani, which matches the clean precise nature of explain a scientific concept, as I think it gives the video a much more visceral and emotive feel, something which I would like from my own work.
INNERVIEWS from Chen Winner on Vimeo.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Final set of 5 Prints
Reprinting the Umbrella Design
Given the problems that I had highlighted with the last design and the initial prints featuring the woman with an umbrella, I tried reprinting it in a colour scheme that would both work for the individual print and fit in with the rest.
Therefore I made sure that the back ground colour was weaker than the foreground using slightly lighter than normal burnt sienna for the foreground and a pale blue with a hint of turquoise. This created a colourway that was different enough from the others (I had worried it would be too similar to the bike image) but that also worked in terms of bringing out the individual elements of the composition. Unlike previous attempts at printing this image I felt there was a clear distinction between he fore, mid and back ground elements for the image.
Final set of 5 Prints
Reprinting the Umbrella Design
Given the problems that I had highlighted with the last design and the initial prints featuring the woman with an umbrella, I tried reprinting it in a colour scheme that would both work for the individual print and fit in with the rest.
Therefore I made sure that the back ground colour was weaker than the foreground using slightly lighter than normal burnt sienna for the foreground and a pale blue with a hint of turquoise. This created a colourway that was different enough from the others (I had worried it would be too similar to the bike image) but that also worked in terms of bringing out the individual elements of the composition. Unlike previous attempts at printing this image I felt there was a clear distinction between he fore, mid and back ground elements for the image.
Reflections on the Final Set of Prints
In general I have been really pleased with how my five prints have worked out. Through the course of the project I think I have gained a really good understanding of colour for screen print works and that the use of overlays and the decision to print each design in a different colour way has been of key importance to creating a series of images that are bold and dramatic in terms of composition and that work cohesively and clearly as a set.
Furthermore in terms of communication of mood, atmosphere and ideas relating to Murakami's life and work these images have been successful. This is because they all have a clear focus on the mundane, almost forgettable moments of every day life yet have one or more elements that set the image off kilter giving it a quietly surreal and almost uncanny quality. Once again I think colour has been important in reinforcing this as it has been essential to creating/communicating the subdued almost still dreamlike quality that I had wanted from my prints.
The only issue I do have is that, like I stated in the last post, the repeated use of marine life within my images perhaps shifts the focus towards that, especially given the ambiguous nature of the imagery. However I don't think this diverts from the my intent two much as they only feature in two of the five images.
Ambiguity
As with previous work I have done this brief has really highlighted to me the power of ambiguity in image making. Given the vast and often complex nature of Murakmi's work and philosophies I think creating subtly surreal and often ambiguous images has been the best way to try and communicate this and given that much of his writing is quite ambiguous, reflects it well. This is mainly in that it's not always clear what exactly is going on in his writing or my images but that there is something slightly weirder and surreal than what initially takes your attention.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Final Print Redesign
As I wasn't completely happy with how the umbrella design had worked out I tried drawing up a new design that would also include the reference to water as well as a figure reminiscent of the more visceral emotive approach to image making I had been conducting in studio brief 1.
I decided I wanted to try including an image of a woman smoking as, due to the habitual nature of a smoking addiction, it is about as mundane and monotonous an action as any. It is another action that prominently features in Murakami's work which I believe is due to, much like washing and exercise(other prominent features of his work) it offers those engaged int he activity a moment of respite and reflection. Coupling these quite moments of downtown and reflections with off kilter has been the repeated focus of my images and therefore seemed like a strong addition to my set.
I had originally drawn this composition including a serious of birds fighting the side however I felt that this took away from the quite subdued atmosphere I had wanted. Having creating a quite striking series of jellyfish mono prints in relation to excerpts from Wind Up Bird, I included one floating up out of the composition alongside the figure.
Short Comings of The Design
Despite the short comings of the umbrella design I think this is by far the weakest. Compositionally I think it feels far less balanced than the other mainly because of how little blue there is compared to the other two colours. Also, due to the use of negative space running off of the side I think it immediately sticks out from and doesn't feel like it belongs with the other 4 images that have printed elements running up to all the edges of the print.
I also think the use of the jellyfish is a too absurd and in your face when compared alongside the other three prints and also that the inclusion of yet another marine animal has given them the focus of the set seeming to change my intended focus in terms what message is trying to be conveyed.
However on the plus side I was happy with how the colours have mixed. At this point I feel like I have got quite a good understanding of the interaction between different colours when printing and will have a list of colours that I have already trialled and will be able to use within other projects.
Final Print Redesign
As I wasn't completely happy with how the umbrella design had worked out I tried drawing up a new design that would also include the reference to water as well as a figure reminiscent of the more visceral emotive approach to image making I had been conducting in studio brief 1.
I decided I wanted to try including an image of a woman smoking as, due to the habitual nature of a smoking addiction, it is about as mundane and monotonous an action as any. It is another action that prominently features in Murakami's work which I believe is due to, much like washing and exercise(other prominent features of his work) it offers those engaged int he activity a moment of respite and reflection. Coupling these quite moments of downtown and reflections with off kilter has been the repeated focus of my images and therefore seemed like a strong addition to my set.
I had originally drawn this composition including a serious of birds fighting the side however I felt that this took away from the quite subdued atmosphere I had wanted. Having creating a quite striking series of jellyfish mono prints in relation to excerpts from Wind Up Bird, I included one floating up out of the composition alongside the figure.
Short Comings of The Design
Despite the short comings of the umbrella design I think this is by far the weakest. Compositionally I think it feels far less balanced than the other mainly because of how little blue there is compared to the other two colours. Also, due to the use of negative space running off of the side I think it immediately sticks out from and doesn't feel like it belongs with the other 4 images that have printed elements running up to all the edges of the print.
I also think the use of the jellyfish is a too absurd and in your face when compared alongside the other three prints and also that the inclusion of yet another marine animal has given them the focus of the set seeming to change my intended focus in terms what message is trying to be conveyed.
However on the plus side I was happy with how the colours have mixed. At this point I feel like I have got quite a good understanding of the interaction between different colours when printing and will have a list of colours that I have already trialled and will be able to use within other projects.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Hammerhead Final Design
This had been one of my personal favourite designs. Much like the tree, what I like is the ambiguity of the situation. From one way you could view at a man sat reading a newspaper in a taxi whilst sharks float through the sky, something quite obviously surreal and absurd, or as a man sat reading a newspaper in an aquarium (which feature in Murakami's work) which, whilst being believable and too some extent 'normal', is quite bizarre and surreal when taken out of context.
Printing
With this design I was finally able to get a yellow green colour way to work. Initially I had tried a burnt sienna and dark turquoise which, whilst I think being successful in terms of harmony of composition and communicating the desired mood/atmosphere looked too similar to the colours of the woman on the bike print.
Therefore I replaced the orange with a yellow, making sure to darken it even more than I had done with the bathroom print. The result was a print that managed to include a yellow whilst still retaining the subdued dream like quality that I wanted for my prints.
Hammerhead Final Design
This had been one of my personal favourite designs. Much like the tree, what I like is the ambiguity of the situation. From one way you could view at a man sat reading a newspaper in a taxi whilst sharks float through the sky, something quite obviously surreal and absurd, or as a man sat reading a newspaper in an aquarium (which feature in Murakami's work) which, whilst being believable and too some extent 'normal', is quite bizarre and surreal when taken out of context.
Initially I had contemplated screen printing a variation of the lino design as, in one of the crits, some one had highlighted how dramatic it looked in comparison to my original design. However after speaking to a tutor I decided to go with my original as it was suggested that it fitted in a lot better with the subdued, still surrealism of every day moments that I had highlighted as a key aim at the start of the brief.
Printing
With this design I was finally able to get a yellow green colour way to work. Initially I had tried a burnt sienna and dark turquoise which, whilst I think being successful in terms of harmony of composition and communicating the desired mood/atmosphere looked too similar to the colours of the woman on the bike print.
Therefore I replaced the orange with a yellow, making sure to darken it even more than I had done with the bathroom print. The result was a print that managed to include a yellow whilst still retaining the subdued dream like quality that I wanted for my prints.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Umbrella design
This design had been highlighted as my weakest of my finals, however I quite liked the subtlety of the free emerging from water in the background. To me the over all town of the woman walking through a wet landscape seem very moody, almost mournful and, although it could well be a real image in that a tree could be growing out of water it seemed surreal to me due to it's ambiguity.
Furthermore, much like the cat, I also felt it was important to make water a focus of one or multiple (hence the aquatic animals within my other designs) due to Murakami's repeated use of water either as metaphor/plot device or using water related settings within much of his work.
I think what I liked most was the emotive/visceral feel of the figure within the image. Although studio brief two has expanded on some of the themes and moods I explored in studio brief one I felt this provided a more clear link between the two.
Printing
I had really wanted to make the blue yellow colour scheme work for this print, however I think my major mistake here was mixing a blue that was too dark to use in the background. This has resulted in the background of the image taking centre stage and over powering the figure in the foreground.
To try and resolve this I tried using the pink blue colour scheme and, although it has succeeded in bringing the figure to the forefront of the composition I feel that the tree is tonally too similar and fighting for visual focus next to the blue of the sky/ water.
Also, although it is a different blue/pink I think it is for all intents and purposes the same as my previous bathroom colour scheme, going against the aims I had set out for the colours of my prints after the mega crit.
Umbrella design
This design had been highlighted as my weakest of my finals, however I quite liked the subtlety of the free emerging from water in the background. To me the over all town of the woman walking through a wet landscape seem very moody, almost mournful and, although it could well be a real image in that a tree could be growing out of water it seemed surreal to me due to it's ambiguity.
Furthermore, much like the cat, I also felt it was important to make water a focus of one or multiple (hence the aquatic animals within my other designs) due to Murakami's repeated use of water either as metaphor/plot device or using water related settings within much of his work.
Printing
I had really wanted to make the blue yellow colour scheme work for this print, however I think my major mistake here was mixing a blue that was too dark to use in the background. This has resulted in the background of the image taking centre stage and over powering the figure in the foreground.
To try and resolve this I tried using the pink blue colour scheme and, although it has succeeded in bringing the figure to the forefront of the composition I feel that the tree is tonally too similar and fighting for visual focus next to the blue of the sky/ water.
Also, although it is a different blue/pink I think it is for all intents and purposes the same as my previous bathroom colour scheme, going against the aims I had set out for the colours of my prints after the mega crit.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Final Print Design: Bathroom Scene
For another one of my finals I decided to further revise one of my previous roughs. I chose the bathroom design as much of the feedback during the initial crit had stated that the depth within the general composition as well as the general absurdity of doing a bathroom for a print created a strange and engaging image. However I had previously written out creating it as a final screen print as I felt that the surreal element, an eel swimming within the bath, wasn't prominent enough within the composition and got lost in amongst the other elements.
Revising the design
Therefore I decided to redraw in a few times with a larger, more prominent eel emerging from within the bath and flopping onto the floor where it then becomes the main focus of the image rather than floating off to the side.
I was also keen to work my previous cat design into one of my finals some how seeing as how prominently they feature within Murakami's books and life (his record shop was called the Peter Cat and of the books by him I've read at least 5 have a cat either as a plot devise or a prominent feature). Therefore I flipped the design and redrew into the top corner of my bathroom design, choosing to have the tail hanging down at an angle so as to mirror the shape of the eel creating a more interesting and harmonious final composition.
Final Print Design: Bathroom Scene
For another one of my finals I decided to further revise one of my previous roughs. I chose the bathroom design as much of the feedback during the initial crit had stated that the depth within the general composition as well as the general absurdity of doing a bathroom for a print created a strange and engaging image. However I had previously written out creating it as a final screen print as I felt that the surreal element, an eel swimming within the bath, wasn't prominent enough within the composition and got lost in amongst the other elements.
Revising the design
Therefore I decided to redraw in a few times with a larger, more prominent eel emerging from within the bath and flopping onto the floor where it then becomes the main focus of the image rather than floating off to the side.
I was also keen to work my previous cat design into one of my finals some how seeing as how prominently they feature within Murakami's books and life (his record shop was called the Peter Cat and of the books by him I've read at least 5 have a cat either as a plot devise or a prominent feature). Therefore I flipped the design and redrew into the top corner of my bathroom design, choosing to have the tail hanging down at an angle so as to mirror the shape of the eel creating a more interesting and harmonious final composition.
Printing
Initially I had wanted to create a print using blue and yellow as I had seen a few examples of work where they had been used to create a really effective overlay with a strong contrast between each inidivdual colour. As with the orange I was worried that the yellow would be too bright so tried to dull it down a lot.
Despite how it looked when mixed (a mucky yellow) it came out far too vivid and bright in the actual print. Although it still made an effective over lay and in terms of mood it did have the desired surreal/dream like quality I felt the yellow through the composition off slightly. This is mainly in that the yellow tiles are too bright and too some extent get lost next to the white (white and vice versa) reducing the illusion of depth of field within the image. I also felt the thin green line of the eel wasn't bold enough next to the blue making the eel lose some of its visual impact.
Therefore I decided to reprint it with the same blue but replacing the yellow with a dark pink as due to also being complimentary colours I felt this would give me a strong over lay. These colours worked a lot better creating a better sense of depth as well as creating a stronger contrast between each of the visual elements meaning nothing within the composition felt like it was being lost or over powered as it had done with the yellow.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Mega Crit and Final Image Selection
Annoyingly although I had my designs and negatives all ready for print by the end of term mega crit, I hadn't had chance to print the final three designs. However I was able to get very useful feedback on the other two as well as the test prints that I had done previously.
The main points raised during the mega crit were that composition as well as colour were the main strengths of my images, particularly how vivid the colours were and how well they complimented each other. Furthermore most people seemed to think that the fuzzy textured china marker marks complimented the bold, often simplistic elements of my compositions making for very ephemeral work further reinforcing the moody subdued feel of the prints.
Most importantly it was highlighted that, despite being printed in different colour ways, it was clear that they all belonged to the same set of images and that, too some extent using different colours on each actually made them look more cohesive as a set. Therefore for the last 3 designs I will use different colour ways for each.
Mega Crit and Final Image Selection
Annoyingly although I had my designs and negatives all ready for print by the end of term mega crit, I hadn't had chance to print the final three designs. However I was able to get very useful feedback on the other two as well as the test prints that I had done previously.
The main points raised during the mega crit were that composition as well as colour were the main strengths of my images, particularly how vivid the colours were and how well they complimented each other. Furthermore most people seemed to think that the fuzzy textured china marker marks complimented the bold, often simplistic elements of my compositions making for very ephemeral work further reinforcing the moody subdued feel of the prints.
Most importantly it was highlighted that, despite being printed in different colour ways, it was clear that they all belonged to the same set of images and that, too some extent using different colours on each actually made them look more cohesive as a set. Therefore for the last 3 designs I will use different colour ways for each.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
First Two Final Prints
Now that I was happy with the revised version of the two moons design I decided that I definitely would use this, along with the unicorn scull image as two of my finals. However after discussing the prints with a tutor I saw that there were a few issues with the latter image that needed addressing when re printing it.
Firstly the composition felt too empty just left of the figure within the images head and therefore, even though it wasn't the most efficient or best use of time, I would reprint it with the slight alteration of including a striped top so as to better break up the space.
Also, although the colours worked well visually, it was argued that using really vivid, overly contemporary colours took away from the subdued atmosphere of the work, therefore I decided to re think what colours I would print it in so as to better convey the desired mood.
Although I did reprint the skull design using cyan and magenta I think the use of red a pale blue was much more effective. Rather than making a purple like colour it resulted in 2 shades of red being produced. I feel this real added to the effect of the room being swathes in darkness and the lamp and window being bathed in light through the use of white negative space and blue objects/ elements. I also think that the colours suite my proposals intent feeling much more subdued/still than the more electric/energetic colours of cyan and magenta.
One colour pallet may work for one design but not another...
I tried printing the second design with the same colour pallet and, although visually I think it looks quite strong, much like with my swimmer lino the use of red has thrown the mood of the image off. This is because using red either for water or within the sky immediately creates the impression of blood and violence giving the image a far too aggressive and sinister feel.
Therefore I tried using a different set of complimentary colours, decided in a pale orange and turquoise colour. I was careful to make sure the orange had a dull quality too it as if it were two bright I felt, atmospherically, it would have the same effect as cyan and magenta. I was really happy to see that these have also made a very distinct and pleasant third colours, suggesting that the use of bold complimentary colours seems to be the key to success with overlays.
Initially I had wanted to print all of my 5 final prints in the same colours however, given how the use of colour affects different images in varying ways I realise this may not be possible. Therefore I am thinking that I would like to to do different colours for each of the 5, although I am slightly worried that there won't be any obvious connection between the images.
First Two Final Prints
Now that I was happy with the revised version of the two moons design I decided that I definitely would use this, along with the unicorn scull image as two of my finals. However after discussing the prints with a tutor I saw that there were a few issues with the latter image that needed addressing when re printing it.
Firstly the composition felt too empty just left of the figure within the images head and therefore, even though it wasn't the most efficient or best use of time, I would reprint it with the slight alteration of including a striped top so as to better break up the space.
Also, although the colours worked well visually, it was argued that using really vivid, overly contemporary colours took away from the subdued atmosphere of the work, therefore I decided to re think what colours I would print it in so as to better convey the desired mood.
Printing
Although I did reprint the skull design using cyan and magenta I think the use of red a pale blue was much more effective. Rather than making a purple like colour it resulted in 2 shades of red being produced. I feel this real added to the effect of the room being swathes in darkness and the lamp and window being bathed in light through the use of white negative space and blue objects/ elements. I also think that the colours suite my proposals intent feeling much more subdued/still than the more electric/energetic colours of cyan and magenta.
One colour pallet may work for one design but not another...
I tried printing the second design with the same colour pallet and, although visually I think it looks quite strong, much like with my swimmer lino the use of red has thrown the mood of the image off. This is because using red either for water or within the sky immediately creates the impression of blood and violence giving the image a far too aggressive and sinister feel.
Therefore I tried using a different set of complimentary colours, decided in a pale orange and turquoise colour. I was careful to make sure the orange had a dull quality too it as if it were two bright I felt, atmospherically, it would have the same effect as cyan and magenta. I was really happy to see that these have also made a very distinct and pleasant third colours, suggesting that the use of bold complimentary colours seems to be the key to success with overlays.
Initially I had wanted to print all of my 5 final prints in the same colours however, given how the use of colour affects different images in varying ways I realise this may not be possible. Therefore I am thinking that I would like to to do different colours for each of the 5, although I am slightly worried that there won't be any obvious connection between the images.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Further development of the two moons image
After printing the image of the woman and the two moons, there was a few things visually and conceptually that I wanted to change about it, leading to a quite dramatic re design.
Although I really wanted one of my final images to include the use of the two moons motif I felt that this image had been quite successful enough in communicating the mundane aspect of Murakami's work. This is due to the fact that the woman isn't doing anything in particular meaning that the image, in my opinion was boring rather than simply mundane. I though therefore it would be important to have the figure engaged in one of the everyday, repetitive activities, such as cooking, smoking reading, exercising etc that frequently occur in Murakami's work.
With this in mind I kept the back ground elements of the image but flipped the composition to landscape and redrew the female figure within riding on an exercise bike so as to better communicate the importance of the small mundane moments of everyday life within Murakami's work.As well as better communicating the intent of my project I also think it is a more harmonious and interesting composition on a technical level.
Further development of the two moons image
After printing the image of the woman and the two moons, there was a few things visually and conceptually that I wanted to change about it, leading to a quite dramatic re design.
Although I really wanted one of my final images to include the use of the two moons motif I felt that this image had been quite successful enough in communicating the mundane aspect of Murakami's work. This is due to the fact that the woman isn't doing anything in particular meaning that the image, in my opinion was boring rather than simply mundane. I though therefore it would be important to have the figure engaged in one of the everyday, repetitive activities, such as cooking, smoking reading, exercising etc that frequently occur in Murakami's work.
With this in mind I kept the back ground elements of the image but flipped the composition to landscape and redrew the female figure within riding on an exercise bike so as to better communicate the importance of the small mundane moments of everyday life within Murakami's work.As well as better communicating the intent of my project I also think it is a more harmonious and interesting composition on a technical level.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Further Screen Print Tests
Having been able to reproduce my cat design so successfully in the screen print workshop I decided to go straight into trying to screen print the refined roughs that I was happy to develop into final prints.
Given how long the process of preparing screens is I decided that it would be best to fit 2 designs onto one of the larger screens as to save time. This meant that I could prepare and print to designs in the space of two days rather than four. Trying to be efficient time wise seems very important at this point given the limited availability of the print room/print beds especially when trying to fit print time around other modules and other students also wanting to print.
Selecting the designs/preparing the negatives
The design that I was most eager to try screen printing was the unicorn skull design as, like I've previously stated I feel that it is the strongest visually due to the level of interest the dramatic lighting adds whilst also best conveying the surreal yet subdued atmosphere I had wanted from my designs.
I decided to also try printing the design of the woman stood by the window as, much like the unicorn scull, the use of the two moons is a direct reference to Murakami's work but is also quite a subtle way of adding in the offset surreal element to the composition. As I had found the oil pastels a little too thick I decided to use china marker when drawing out the larger, revised designs for these two images. Other than this change the process of preparing the negatives digitally for print was the same as I had done for the cat design as I had found this process to be very effective.
Printing
As I was still unsure on how to accurately predict the result the overlay, I decided to play it safe with these two design and use process inks (cyan and magenta) as I knew they would go well together visually as well as create a distinct third colour.
With the first image I tried to get the full range of colours where as with the second I tried experimenting with using just two colours but creating the second from the overlay. Although this isn't how a necessarily want to produce my prints for this project I think there are some benefits from it as when lining up the two layers you don't have to worry about white lines been created, something I find really jarring, when the two layers are slightly out of line.
I think the first skull print is definitely much more successful due to the use of 3 colours rather than just too. However I do quite how the second image isn't fully frame off computationally due to how the negative space around the window runs out of the edge of the image.
Further Screen Print Tests
Given how long the process of preparing screens is I decided that it would be best to fit 2 designs onto one of the larger screens as to save time. This meant that I could prepare and print to designs in the space of two days rather than four. Trying to be efficient time wise seems very important at this point given the limited availability of the print room/print beds especially when trying to fit print time around other modules and other students also wanting to print.
Selecting the designs/preparing the negatives
The design that I was most eager to try screen printing was the unicorn skull design as, like I've previously stated I feel that it is the strongest visually due to the level of interest the dramatic lighting adds whilst also best conveying the surreal yet subdued atmosphere I had wanted from my designs.
I decided to also try printing the design of the woman stood by the window as, much like the unicorn scull, the use of the two moons is a direct reference to Murakami's work but is also quite a subtle way of adding in the offset surreal element to the composition. As I had found the oil pastels a little too thick I decided to use china marker when drawing out the larger, revised designs for these two images. Other than this change the process of preparing the negatives digitally for print was the same as I had done for the cat design as I had found this process to be very effective.
As I was still unsure on how to accurately predict the result the overlay, I decided to play it safe with these two design and use process inks (cyan and magenta) as I knew they would go well together visually as well as create a distinct third colour.
With the first image I tried to get the full range of colours where as with the second I tried experimenting with using just two colours but creating the second from the overlay. Although this isn't how a necessarily want to produce my prints for this project I think there are some benefits from it as when lining up the two layers you don't have to worry about white lines been created, something I find really jarring, when the two layers are slightly out of line.
I think the first skull print is definitely much more successful due to the use of 3 colours rather than just too. However I do quite how the second image isn't fully frame off computationally due to how the negative space around the window runs out of the edge of the image.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Focus On Screen Printing
Having tried three different print processes I have decided that I do want my final 5 images to be screen printed. This is because it is the process that I feel my roughs up to this point best translate into although I really enjoyed printing with lino, due to the restraints of the media it often results in a certain aesthetic that I don't want for my my work.
Furthermore I feel the use of overlaying colours is going to essential to accurately breaking down my images into the desired tonal range, something which is much harder to do with lino. At one point I had considered scanning in mono print elements digitally and applying them to my screen print negatives however, rather than using whole mono printed motifs/objects I think I will just use small parts of the textures. This is because I feel using too much of the texture will make my images look too worn and will cause too much white to show through making the different areas of the print less bold and distinct.
Focus On Screen Printing
Having tried three different print processes I have decided that I do want my final 5 images to be screen printed. This is because it is the process that I feel my roughs up to this point best translate into although I really enjoyed printing with lino, due to the restraints of the media it often results in a certain aesthetic that I don't want for my my work.
Furthermore I feel the use of overlaying colours is going to essential to accurately breaking down my images into the desired tonal range, something which is much harder to do with lino. At one point I had considered scanning in mono print elements digitally and applying them to my screen print negatives however, rather than using whole mono printed motifs/objects I think I will just use small parts of the textures. This is because I feel using too much of the texture will make my images look too worn and will cause too much white to show through making the different areas of the print less bold and distinct.
Sunday 15 January 2017
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Mono Print
Mono printing immediately stands out as being drastically different from the other two processes. Although I spent a long time cutting out stencils to print with, the required preparation for mono printing is much shorter than screen and lino printing but unlike both of them it results in 1 of prints rather than a screen or plate you can keep printing with.
Mono Print
Mono printing immediately stands out as being drastically different from the other two processes. Although I spent a long time cutting out stencils to print with, the required preparation for mono printing is much shorter than screen and lino printing but unlike both of them it results in 1 of prints rather than a screen or plate you can keep printing with.
What
this results in is a process which relies a lot more on trial and error and
quickly produces a higher quantity of ever varying prints although you can
introduce some element of control and reproduction through the use of stencils
and printing plates.
I really like the aesthetic you get from mono printing in that you get really bold solid areas of colour mixed in with really nice noisy textures. I think this technique is particular suited to creating more graphic design leaning work incorporating the use of vignettes as well as character based work, especially when combined with mono type.
With this in mind I don't think it's particularly suited to the more complex scenic illustrations I've been creating for this project although I see how I can incorporate the textures into my negatives. However I do definitely want to explore this process further in other projects where i'm not producing as compositionally complex work.
I really like the aesthetic you get from mono printing in that you get really bold solid areas of colour mixed in with really nice noisy textures. I think this technique is particular suited to creating more graphic design leaning work incorporating the use of vignettes as well as character based work, especially when combined with mono type.
With this in mind I don't think it's particularly suited to the more complex scenic illustrations I've been creating for this project although I see how I can incorporate the textures into my negatives. However I do definitely want to explore this process further in other projects where i'm not producing as compositionally complex work.
Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
More Roughs, More Lino
More Roughs
Having quite enjoyed the process of printing with lino I decided to try doing a few more rather than immediately go with screen printing as my chosen process.
Given that up until now, all my refined roughs had been portrait or landscape I decided that, as a set it could work quite nicely to have a square print thrown in to the mix. Therefore when I was drawing out some potential lino designs I worked mainly within the square format.
I also started creating images that I felt would better translate into lino which in inadvertently resulted in creating graphic vignettes style (there is a clear border but they don't really exist within a scene) images as opposed to more compositionally complex scenic illustrations I had created previously. As I cohesive set I think the two types of outcome don't work as well together as just doing one or the other therefore when deciding upon my final designs I will need to focus on one approach or the other.
Chosen Designs for further Lino Tests
Visually and conceptually I felt the extreme close up of the woman's face as well as the swimmer viewed from the side were the strongest and therefore decided to create them both as small, 2 colour linos. Much like my work for studio brief 1 I felt the first image had a strong visceral impact in sighting a feeling of melancholy and loss whilst retaining an air of ambiguity.
I felt the second image had a similar impact in terms of its ambiguity however I think given the angle of the swimming coupled with the amount of his face that is hidden the image looks a lot more bizarre, and therefore ties in with my aims for studio brief 2 where as although the first image conceptually works with my over all themes/concepts for this module it is perhaps better suited to the first brief than the current one.
Although I like how blue and red work together I think, much like the Shark Lino, they create the wrong atmosphere in that using red for the water immediately gives the impression of blood resulting in a sinister and violent feeling image, something that I really don't want from my set.
In contradict to this I think the colours on the second lino work a lot better when my aims for this studio brief are considered. The use of two dull results in a low key colour pallet further reinforcing the melancholy feel of the image.
Cleaning Up Prints Digitally
After I had printed the linos I wasn't completely happy with how they look given the amount of noise (in terms of unwanted cutting marks showing through) present on the prints and in the second rpitn felt that I had could the woman's left eye to thin resulting an off balance lightly creepy looking image. Therefore I used Photoshop to clean up the images as well as boost up the levels to create more vivid and desirable final colours. I realised after this just how important post production of prints can be in terms of clean them up either by hand or digitally given the amount of imperfections which can occur.
More Roughs, More Lino
More Roughs
Having quite enjoyed the process of printing with lino I decided to try doing a few more rather than immediately go with screen printing as my chosen process.
Given that up until now, all my refined roughs had been portrait or landscape I decided that, as a set it could work quite nicely to have a square print thrown in to the mix. Therefore when I was drawing out some potential lino designs I worked mainly within the square format.
I also started creating images that I felt would better translate into lino which in inadvertently resulted in creating graphic vignettes style (there is a clear border but they don't really exist within a scene) images as opposed to more compositionally complex scenic illustrations I had created previously. As I cohesive set I think the two types of outcome don't work as well together as just doing one or the other therefore when deciding upon my final designs I will need to focus on one approach or the other.
Chosen Designs for further Lino Tests
Visually and conceptually I felt the extreme close up of the woman's face as well as the swimmer viewed from the side were the strongest and therefore decided to create them both as small, 2 colour linos. Much like my work for studio brief 1 I felt the first image had a strong visceral impact in sighting a feeling of melancholy and loss whilst retaining an air of ambiguity.
I felt the second image had a similar impact in terms of its ambiguity however I think given the angle of the swimming coupled with the amount of his face that is hidden the image looks a lot more bizarre, and therefore ties in with my aims for studio brief 2 where as although the first image conceptually works with my over all themes/concepts for this module it is perhaps better suited to the first brief than the current one.
Although I like how blue and red work together I think, much like the Shark Lino, they create the wrong atmosphere in that using red for the water immediately gives the impression of blood resulting in a sinister and violent feeling image, something that I really don't want from my set.
In contradict to this I think the colours on the second lino work a lot better when my aims for this studio brief are considered. The use of two dull results in a low key colour pallet further reinforcing the melancholy feel of the image.
Cleaning Up Prints Digitally
After I had printed the linos I wasn't completely happy with how they look given the amount of noise (in terms of unwanted cutting marks showing through) present on the prints and in the second rpitn felt that I had could the woman's left eye to thin resulting an off balance lightly creepy looking image. Therefore I used Photoshop to clean up the images as well as boost up the levels to create more vivid and desirable final colours. I realised after this just how important post production of prints can be in terms of clean them up either by hand or digitally given the amount of imperfections which can occur.
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