**There are two separate posts on this page, I couldn’t seperate them without ruining the runner order of posts, so I kept them merged.**
WEEK 8
30/03/23
This week has been basically more of a break for myself as I haven’t had a day off to myself in around a month and a half, so work has been halted for a bit. Documenting within the botanical gardens today and was an absolute treat and pleasure to be able to be part of when the earth speaks again. I love documenting the process and generally taking photographs/films is great.
Surprisingly I didn’t get too much drawing done in the 5 hours. I was absolutely absorbed by the surroundings and only managed to nearly get one done. I will scan this drawing in soon. But overall I am on track for the takeover, crystals will be done in the next few weeks and other props but drawings will again come naturally.
02/04/23
Finished another drawing this today – carries on from the narrative of the eco destruction and the dried up river. Didn’t have quick access to a scanner so I thought i’d just upload it. Been a busy weekend focusing on my photography module, more will come this week especially crystals.
I have been trying to be more adventurous with the shading techniques I learnt in first year, just drawing without thinking (more or less) and it’s bringing me much better results in terms of my pen work. I have been only using fine liners for my work in this sketchbook as I love the boldness it can bring out in drawings.
EASTER HOLIDAYS
03/04/23
Another crystal made.
I decided to made an even bigger one than before to give more variation, this may become a corner piece. Not sure yet. But the process was a lot quicker today as I didn’t use white paper as base like I did for the last one. So these are becoming a lot more streamlined in the way they are made as I go along and also much brighter in the dark due to less thickness on the panel sidings.
The only downside to using the tissue paper is that it rips very easily. And a lot of adjustments have to made along the way whilst sellotaping it all together. As you can see on the right hand side of the crystal within the photo, it shows up very easily but in the dark this won’t matter.
04/04/23
Tonight helms the composing of the score/sounds for the room at the takeover and what could potentially be an audiobook in the future. I am going down the routes of a soundtrack mixed with VoiceOver and effects.
Below is the first lot of results:
05/04/23
Below is a quick preview I made for my proposal form and proof of concept.
06/04/23
My clock for the publication:
The fall of an empire that literally collapsed within itself. With a planet in decline, the inhabitants literally would rather of frozen their world as it was then to carry on living and destroying the soil they lived on. Thousands of years of civilisation with systems in place such governments, economy, peace… brought down by the sole factor to most destruction that we know – greed.
It seems that we were not the only ones who were ignorant to the land that we lay.
08/04/23
Mary Fairburn
Over the years and since I was a kid, I have been massively obsessed with the world of Tolkien, lord of the rings etc. Within these books lied many illustrations from artist Mary Fairburn. Her illustrations are bold, eye catching and present another wordily substance that has been made unique to the Lord of the Ring’s texts. The balance of beige, brown and deep blacks make the illustrations very nice on the eyes.
Fairburn’s work is a massive inspiration towards my own illustrations from my head in my field sketchbook. Not necessarily copying but more thinking about the method/technique she had implemented into her artworks such as the deep blacks, linework and shadings.
10/04/23
Carrying on drawings today. This is a drawing further down the line in the story and sketchbook. Where the traveller stumbles across the coastline and discovers that the crystals from the cave have been dumped into the sea for some reason. Will probably add more detail to this one as I’m not too happy with it. Once more shading and the sea is improved and the and is added it’ll look final.
I have no idea how many drawings to add to the sketchbook…I feel that this is the first project I have started that may not be treated as one that is needed to be completed. In terms of the takeover that’ll be a completed exhibition where as the sketchbook is broad enough to be an ongoing project.
I feel I have to say that my drawing skills are improving rapidly this semester – thanks to the sketchbook. I have never drawn this much rom my imagination before.
11/04/23
Today I braved the shading for the last illustration as I felt it looked flat. This is always a risk – taking that creative plug risking a botched project or artwork.
Generally feel like this looks much better now. Crosshatching and circular shading was used. I am bordering on 10 drawings now, these aren’t small drawings mind. These are A3 and usually fill the whole page, so the amount of work is piling up nicely in terms of world building. My weekends have generally been very busy so I’ve basically only been doing coursework on weekdays, hence the slow workflow.
I will hopefully finish the other 8 crystals this week.
13/04/23
A large crystal is finished today, a huge one. Due to the now lack of materials and time Im only going to make another two or three crystals ranging in size and two more A3 drawings for the sketchbook. Although I realise my plans keep changing, this is not on purpose, you just cant predict what can happen in terms of time/commitment and other work going on but it’s still good to have some goals to aim for.
*One thing I’ll mention as well is the fragility of the tissue paper, it’s a pain to work with. But the sellotape makes a good cement and strengthener allowing a smaller budge for materials.*
This makes minimum of but not limited too:
12 x A3 Drawings
3 x Small Crystals
2 x Large Crystals (from the cave)
1 x Galaxy
1 x Traveller Tent
2 x Bottled Fireflies
1 x Soundtrack ft. Narration and sounds
This should be enough for the feeling I wish to convey at the takeover.
14/04/23
Recently I had a random brainwave and sold my Canon M50 + macro lens to CEX and for the same price managed to grab a mint Lumix G85 and kit lens. The kit lens is fantastic, the G85 also allows pure 4k filming as well as on board stabilisation as well as digital stabilisation, the kit lens is also stabilised. This means professional filmmaking. I will be using this at the takeover. As well as a rode add-on mic, it’s so cool, totally worth the investment for the future.
Attempted a new creation with cardboard today – I started to make the time transmitter device from page 1 of the sketchbook. For the ‘wood’ engravings I used a craft knife and dug lightly into the surface layer of the cardboard.
16/04/23
Today and yesterday I have been finalising my proposal form and overall I’m happy. Tonight once it was dark I tried out the crystals and projector in a very crude manner. I haven’t had any access to a white room and I cant transport my props easily on my own on a bus to the SOA. On the takeover I will be having help with a lift with everything.
The presentation isn’t perfect but I feel that with a blank dark room with the rest of my props in the final presentation, it’ll be effective.