June 2009
2 posts
Looking at my exhibition i have decided that spotlighting is essential due to the brilliant effect the shadows of the piece create on the otherwise bare backboards.
In the weeks since my last update here is what has happened:
All my MDF pieces were cut and decorated using permanent markers, one by one. I chose to use red white and black in a Frank Miller style for high contrast maxiumum impact on the viewer. The edges of each piece and all the panels were painted black using acrylic, simply because it was quicker and required no priming with te right...
May 2009
6 posts
Almost finished applying designs to MDF. Have realised that I need 1 more large panel to complete the piece. Wil lget with tomorrow morning and paint it white. it is unlikely that I will be able to complete all cutting tomorrow, but if not I will extrend this process into thursday. I plan to be decorating the piece on thursday afternoon. If all this is achieved I can drill haning points on firday...
Exhibition note: piece must be displayed in such a way that it is impossible to walk behind it as the rear will not be decorated.
Complete story visuals
Complete cutting MDF
Construct hooks
Paint frames black
Plan exhibition
Assemble
Plan to finalise story visuals tonight, meaning I can being cutting individual scene elements tomorrow. Ideally all the pieces would be completed early next week so that I can begin the suspending process thurs/fri next week. This plan requires 100% attendence from here on out!
Have constructed first 4 ‘frame’ panels. Am having to start construction at the same time as finalising designs due to time restrictions. Better time management may have prevented this, but I’m not coping well with the stress at all.
Hanging method has been successfully tested and is far superior to my previous suspended piece (which fell to pieces!)’
For hooks: metal...
Constructing first set of panels from MDF. Instead of keeping a single-piece solid frame I have cut out two pieces, as I would have had to use a drill and jigsaw in order to ‘cut out’ the empty space (far more time consuming, which I have increasingly little of). This way I can stick to using the band saw, where I can easily achieve my desired results relatively quickly.
Have nearly...
April 2009
6 posts
Dear PRJ…….
Tomorrow is my interview for Nottingham Trent Uni. I’m incredibly anxious but I’m feeling confident
and have spent all day working on my portfolio and notes for what I plan on saying during the interview.
In terms of preparation I feel that my portfolio is good, although incredibly limited as I have had to narrow down the number of design sheets to the...
Continuing with construction of end piece 1. Panels and majority of pieces are going to be cut from MDF. Panels will be painted plack with acrylic, rolled on for smoothness and texture consistency.
A quick review of my sketchbook progress so far has shown me that I need:
More hanging sculpture references
+ other references (Frank miller…)
To Top up anotations and notes
To remember to...
Today marks the penultimate stage in my time plan. I have to begin the construction of my final pieces in order to stay on target. The other loose ends will have to be tied up next month, after the workshops close. Everything that requires workshop use is going to be prioritised, starting today.
Plans for today:
- Write narrative for final piece 1 - Finalise size/dimensions/materials needed -...
Dear PRJ… tomorrow is Monday and I will be in college all day finalising the plans I outlined in my previous entry.
It hasn’t been a brilliant Easter as far as catching up with work goes, having been ill for most of it. However from now till we go back on Tuesday I am going to be progressing my FMP. Here is the plan for the next few days:
Finalise plans for end piece 1. Draw up exact measurements, materials list, cost and estimated construction time.
Complete final version of essay. Add missing...
Reflecting on the progress of my figure/background pieces and want to modify the posed shots in some way to make them more comic-like, and to add more drama as they feel a bit two-dimensional at the moment. Experimenting with drawing over images and digital modification in photoshop.
Current options I have considered for hanging sculpture:
Panels suspended horizontally over large 2D floor image...
March 2009
16 posts
Christ. It’s 4 days until the end of term and there’s lots to be done.
According to my statement of intent timeplan, starting this week I’m supposed to be finalising my out outcome ideas. Looking at my current situation, I’d say I’ m about a week and a half behind where I was planning on being at this stage, and still lacking in primary research. These two items will...
Further thought into suspended sculpture as an option for final outcome. Saw the work of Cornelia Parker at Tate Modern and was inspired by “Thirty Pieces of Silver”.
Another possiblity that has been buzzing round my head is suspending panels horizontally over a base image, rather than vertically layering to create a full image. As previously observed, would need some sort of strong...
Finished construction of 3-layer hanging sculptureusing coton thread + tape to suspend the objects from plastic mesh roofing. Come to realise that this particular way of haning objects made from heavier material than card isn’t really a good one, as the sculpture has fallen to pieces. If I’m to rework this project I will have to plan out how I’m going to build it before diving...
3:45PM
Experimenting with textures as background imagery. Different applications of paint and found objects as well as generally playing around with different mark making techniques. Have been snapping away in my garden and plan to digitally enhance the photos to create some itneresting patterns and flat textures which I could use, depending on the kind of vibes they give out.
01:50PM
Am experimenting with mark making using a range of materials as well as painting with watercolours and acrylics. Deciding which would be most effective at a larger scale, and which would be most expressive of some of my action poses.
12:13PM
Essential that I bring a significant amount of observational drawing into my sketchbook in order to tick off my primary research box. At this stage I am working at a pass level, but by the end of this week I plan to be working at merit, as well as catching up to my tme plan!
FMP Day sixteen
11:55AM
Plan for for my photo shoot is took take a number of “action” position shots of models, which I have sketched out in my sketchbook, and then blow these up to a larger size (possibly A3, but life size would be brilliant, if not a tad on the expensive side to produce). I will then produce my background images and mount the figures in front of them on a new layer. I will also...
Have been exploring digital photomanipulation to generate potential background ideas for my layered-images based on the use of background imagery in comic books to project emotion/emphasise action of foreground figure(s)/character(s). Will be shooting action poses today so that I have photos of figures to play around with.
FMP Day eleven
Starting to brick it now. I really have to get my act together to make this work. Now that my essay is drafted and my SOI is written, I need to focus on my sketchbook work and making design sheets wherever possible.
At present I am moving into the exploration of background imagery in comic books to express emotion/action relating to characters. This will give me an oppurtunity to continue working...
FMP Days nine & ten
Have finally finished first draft of my essay and completely my statement of intent for the FMP. On the downside, I have effectively been put on report due to my shocking attendance and punctuality. I don’t really have much in the way of a defence except that I am generally speaking, quite fucked up most of the time and never get enough sleep. Admittedly for the last week I have been staying...
FMP Days five to eight
Continuing with wood sculptures. Using white foam board inked black to create comic book panels. In restrospect I would definietly just buy some black foam board, or use black spray paint to get the desired effect, because printing ink takes days to dry on this material. Regardless I am working with it and will press on. The final sculpture will be on 3 horizontal levels.
Am 1000 words behind on...
FMP Days three & four
Have developed a series of ideas that I am adapting to sculpture. The ideas are based around the use of words as sound effects in comic books. I plan to experiment with low relief + layered sculpture with cutaway segments. I will apply 2D designs onto these segments using ink and marker pens before assembling the pieces to make my sculpture(s).
I also have a concept for a found objects sculpture,...
FMP - Day two
1:07AM
Things appear to be off to a good start! I have some initial ideas to develop into 3D graphics, which I will start on tomorrow by deciding on materials and timescales. My mindmap has helped me to organise my thoughts into different areas of comics which I can fit into time slots so that I use my time effectively over the 8 working weeks I have for this project. Trying not to box myself...
Uses of text in comics →
3:46pm
Have mindmapped my initial thoughts on the project. I’m going to explore format/layout (use of panels + other basic elements essentially) and word art, combined with images. Roy Lichtenstein is a key artist that I will be looking into in these areas. Focusing on both conventional and unconventional use of panels, different shapes/sizes and how interior content can be used in...
FMP - Day one
2:39pm
Here we go. Writing in my journal every day from here on out. I feel like I’m a bit unprepared for the final major project, but I’m going to have to knuckle under and deal with the fact that on the whole, I still have a few issues to work through with my time management and organisation skills. I’m hoping that this project will prove that I am capable of keeping it...
February 2009
7 posts
Today is the last day on the prep FMP. I feel that I have achieved some, but not all of the things I set out to do successfully. For example, I have produced multiple outcomes using a range of techniques in a very short timescale (2 weeks). However once my work had been sent off to Leeds uni (I used their brief to direct my project) I lost a lot of motivation. I managed to extend my symbol work...
So far gave explored body paint, metal + polystyrene sculpture, photography and digital media. Working with a very limited time plan so really pushing myself for maximum output over 2 weeks.
Another catch up… Last week was the start of our practice FMP. Having general inclinations towards the world of visual/graphic storytelling. Graphic novels, comics, sequential art… also interested in film and storyboarding. Had to change the practice FMP project to a different brief (Leeds University admissions mini project). Using 4 different communicative symbols. Trying to use the...
January 2009
4 posts
Ok. Catch up time.
I am utterly utterly crap at updating my PRJ. That’s fairly obviously obvious seeing as this project finishes next week and this is the second entry I have made since it began. This is something I’m really going to have to work on before we start the FMP.
But yeah. What’s been going on? After researching prison art I concluded that a lot of the stuff that...
My first task is going to be to research art made by prisoners. I feel that this would be a better place to draw inspiration than the works of big-name artists.
An initial reaction to the new project: Unlocking Potential and Releasing Success.
This project involves designing a piece to be displayed in a communal space inside Bullingdon Prison. What I take from this before all else is the fact that this project is going to be almost infinitely less ‘free’ (no pun intended) than any previous one. There are so limitations that surround what sort...
Dear PRJ,
It’s been a while hasn’t it? Okay so what has happened? Why has everything almost completely turned to shit in the last month? Why have I almost felt that I don’t belong or deserve to be on the course anymore?
In December I had my heart broken. I fell into depression and self loathing. My emotions had never been so fucked in my life. Suddenly I felt I had no idea what...
December 2008
19 posts
Having thought about it long and hard I have decided to let the folding packaging project go. This decisionis based on a number of factors, but the main one is that this kindof work is a prime example of where I am boxing myself in and creating work that is far too tight for the level I should be working at now. I need to be branching out more in a less planned-out way. The direction I was going...
Have been using my time in paint to expand on one of my fine art outcomes, coating the wires for my cubes in deep red/purple. I used these colours to communicate a sense of sensuality, but the end result closely resembles a pile of bloody guts. In some ways this can also clearly be seen as human form (interior) but colour consistency is important for this piece, so my overall goal has been...
