Negotiated Project - Final (ish) Illustrations

So, I've finished (sort of) the illustrations for the Negotiated Project, which for me, is images based on some quotes from Paradise Lost. We had the preliminary deadline and I handed my illustrations in, and I am quite happy about he feedback I have received. As far as the images are concerned I am pleased with them. There are some issues to iron out but on the whole, I think they are working well and fulfilling the brief that I initially set out. I have to find somewhere to get them nicely printed and bound though!

I have had a good experience on this project, learning some things along the way that has given me a clearer idea of my working method. For example, I was using the collograph technique to produce a "base" image. What I mean by this is that the printing technique created a textured background and solid shapes, and I was adding to this with hand rendered line work. As much as I love the collograph technique and I will definitely be using it in the future (in fact I think it has become a mainstay of my working method) I think I may have used it too much. When the background texture and main foreground shapes were on the same plate, it created problems. I had to discard some prints because, even though the main shapes looked really nice, the background was too dark, and so I couldn't really use it. If I had created these elements separately, then I could simply alter their levels digitally to fit.

Furthermore, I think I overused the collograph technique, because I could have created a similar effect in a much more time effective and efficient way. I really like the background texture, but this effect could be similarly created with a roller and some ink. In fact, I could even create several sheets of these textures and scan them, so that i would always have nice textures on hand.

So with regards to collographs, I will definitely be using them in the future, as I love the effect they produce and the analogue quirks that go with them. I really enjoy the "halo" of white space that the process leaves around shapes sometimes as well. However, I have (importantly) learned when to use the process, and when not to, and I think the things I have learned along the way on this project will be more valuable to me than the images I have produced.

PS - I am happy with the inclusion of the fine line work in these images as well, and feel good that it wasn't just a one trick pony with the 7x7 project. I enjoy using the fine line work and will seek to use it more and more in my work.

Negotiated Project - Inspirations

As I have discussed in earlier posts, I have recently got into doing quite fine line work in my illustrations, and I have got an amazing book that has inspired me quite a lot in this new endeavor. It's called "A Tolkien Bestiary" by David Day, it is a wonderfully illustrated book that describes the flora and fauna of Tolkien's worlds as well as characters and major events. There is many fine colour illustrations, but it is mainly the black and white illustrations in pen and ink that interest me. The Ultra fine line work creates a visually stunning look and is a great visual language for things like armour and the hide of a dragon, and I hope to replicate its effect in my own work.

Negotiated Project - Line Work

Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Beardsley
Albrecht Durer
Albrecht Durer
My Sketch
As I discussed in my previous post I've discovered that fine line work and patterns are strength of mine and something that I enjoy doing. I have included a drawing here to illustrate that point. It is a sword hilt for the "flaming swords" quote in Paradise Lost, also I've included some of the people I have been looking at in terms of fine line work. Albrecht Durer and Aubrey Beardsley both have a great command of the line, and I have been looking at their work in terms of fine lines and repeated pattern-like line work.

Negotiated Project

So, I haven't yet done a post on the negotiated project so I think its about time. I feel very relived to have 7x7 out of the way and be able to get on with this self directed project. I am illustrating "Paradise Lost", the epic poem by John Milton. I studied it at Ashton Sixth Form College on the English Lit course so I have a bit of a heads up on the content. The poem is wonderfully descriptive and has some great metaphors including epic, yes, EPIC metaphors! The basic story is that God has cast Satan and the other rebellious angels out of heaven and into Hell, and in order to get revenge on God Satan wants to get to Earth and tempt mankind, however Satan doesn't realise that God wants him to do that as it is all part of his eternal providence.

Obviously that is quite a grand thing to try and illustrate so I have picked out 8 quotes that I feel are really nice and I am going to illustrate them. In terms of format its going to be A3. Recently after a few chats with various tutors and peers I feel a lot clearer on what my "style" (if I dare use that word) is. Or if not style at least the processes in which I am currently working. I really enjoyed making collographs in first year and so I am returning to them with some success (at least I think so). Also I seem to be fairly proficient with very fine (0.05mm!) line work and so this is something I am incorporating into my work more often. I guess I can thank 7x7 for something as it was making my own pattern for this that I discovered the fine line work as a strength of mine.

Anyway, here's a quick sketch to give a rough idea how each page might look...

...so far I have done collographs for the 1st two pages, the "infernal serpent" and the "battle in heaven". The collographs will be the "base" if you like of each image and then I will add other stuff like screen printed or hand drawn (fine line work) into them to add to rich analogue feel of them, however there will inevitably be digital work to be done...

“Green eyed monster” – Adrian Smith

So we were asked to write a short piece (around 250 words) about an artists work that we really envied. I have chosen Adrian Smith, a prominent fantasy artist and a personal hero of mine who has done a lot of work for Games Workshop. I must say at this point that Adrian Smith’s work and a lot of other illustration that I love is nothing like mine in terms of style or technique, so some people may question the relevance of my choice of artists to talk about, however this is the work that inspires me and the task set was based on what makes us jealous, and this artwork does exactly that.

When deciding who to choose for this piece of writing, I considered many of my favourite artists, Frank Frazetta, John Howe, John Blanche, Karl Kopinski, Alex Boyd, Paul Dainton, Alan Lee, the list goes on, but I thought considering that I haven’t dedicated a post to Adrian Smith yet, I should do so now because he is a massive hero of mine.

So I can’t really express how much I love Adrian’s work. His paintings are simply awe-inspiring, his skill is sublime and his imagination is endless. Whether in colour or black and white his paintings are amazing, the drama and action and sense of movement and dynamism, makes me feel instantly that I am actually THERE. I can look at Adrian’s paintings and feel the heat of battle, the clashing of steel, the screams of the wounded and the cacophony of a firefight. What I really enjoy about fantasy art is the escapism, Adrian’s paintings transport me to another world, and most of the time I don’t want to come back…

You can check out Adrian's work here

www.adriansmith.co.uk

Current happenings...

Just a quick overview of whats going on at the moment, firstly the Negotiated Project that I was really looking forward to has taken a backseat, due to the ghosts of the past (in the form of the 7x7 project) coming back to haunt me.

So my 7x7 illustrations have changed some since last summer. I refined the silhouette in illustrator and then also re-did the pattern. After a talk with Ian the silhouette has been refined AGAIN to a much more simple one, to show off more of the pattern.
With regards to the spot, I made the shape of a pocket watch in illustrator then added hand drawn numbers and hands to its face. Then I drew another skull to represent the number 12, and I scanned in a chain to use as the chain on the pocket watch. The requirements of the printers i.e only having blue and black as colours haven't made all that much difference as my illustrations were almost black and white anyway, but the photoshop trickery involved in breaking up the layers has been a massive pain in the arse, so big thanks to Chris Howker for helping me with that.

The 7x7 animation is going well, currently I'm working with illustrator Ste Nuttall and MI students Tom Mathieson and Luke Haslam on the animation for 7x7. Things are going well with some really cool stuff being made by Tom and Luke, and Ste and myself making some elements for the MI guys to animate. They are both cool guys so working with them is a pleasure and I can't wait for the end result.

So, hopefully I'll be able to get 7x7 out of the way soon and really get into this Negotiated Project and get making some Collographs and Screens!

Start of the new academic year...

So first week of 3rd year is over and despite the horrific loss of space due to sharing a room with Graphics, I'm feeling good and looking forward to really getting my teeth into my Negotiated project; illustrating some quotes from the epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton. All that remains now is to get my student loan in and I'll be really happy!

P.S Also looking forward to creating my little "item" for the P.D.P Entrepreneurship task!