SB2 Visual Journalist- Project Proposal

PICTURE BOOK TITLE?

• Parklife (???) (it's hard not to read that not in Phil Daniels' voice- perhaps I should find something that isn't already attributed to a popular song)

IDEA: what is your picture book about?

• My picture book will be based on my observations made in my local park. I will be focusing on its inhabitants, the environment, and how the park is a constant throughout time. Although there's a lot of stories here, I can imagine that they repeat themselves a lot throughout time.

INTENT: what are you trying to achieve?

• I want to create a book of subtle narrative, that is light-hearted and entertaining to read.

STRUCTURE: how might this book function?

• In the crit it was suggested I look at how things change over time throughout the park. This could be about a fixed place over twenty-four hours, so maybe a book with twenty four pages for each scene. Or perhaps, a few individual scenes, set over different seasons or weathers. Whilst some will be pretty constant, such as a dogwalker begrudgingly walking their dog in all weathers, some might change, such as the sad closure of the skate park in the summer.
• However I have also started to notice typologies appearing in my sketchbooks. For example, a collection of dog walkers, or all the people I noticed wearing puffer-jackets (I noticed over 10 on my first journey alone)

These ideas are based on my research into...

• the observations of people I have made whilst at the park. I am also a big fan of Jon McNaught's work, and whilst I understand that something like his is too narrative and comic-like for this project I like his use of telling subtle, quiet stories from the 'mundane'.

In order to develop these ideas, my research over Christmas will be...

• I will take more trips to the park, again studying the behaviours of dogwalkers, passersbys and schoolchildren (without trying to seem too Attenborough-ish) and recording these in my sketchbook. I will start to link elements and stories together.

SELF-EVALUATION

What have you discovered about research over the last two weeks?

• Really, I have mainly discovered how useful it is. Although it is very important for visual reference, I think there is something about getting out into an environment to freshen the imagination, even if it is just filling it with stories that you encounter in real life.

Which approaches to the research did you struggle with?

• I haven't had the chance to, or rather was too shy to ask people for the interview aspect of research. It is definitely something I should work on. I also struggled with finding factual information about the park itself.

Which approaches to research did you find beneficial?

• First hand observation proves itself invaluable. Some stories just can't be made up! 

What do you regret about your approach to research during this brief?

• Again, I regret not talking to people directly. I also wonder if I could have found a more interesting place to study, but I accept the challenge to find beauty and story in the mundane.

What kind of media, skills, tools and processes are you going to explore?

• I am definitely going to continue developing the use of shape as a tool of image making, and with this perhaps collage.
• Although I'm aware that the final book will be printed digitally, I'd like to explore analogue processes more, even if that just means that they influence a final digital product.
• I am particularly interested in textures at the moment. Perhaps I will look into the natural textures of the park itself as an inspiration, even when focusing on non-natural aspects of this environment.

visual language: collage + epehemera // poster (feedback)

Strengths:

• The poster takes cues from real life missing animal posters, adding a degree of realness to this fantasy idea.
• The narrative created through the text adds a new element to the poster.
• The creation of an illustration that mimics amateur photography is a nice, subtle touch
• The lettering looks like a handwritten note, as it would be, but still maintains a nice visual quality. Matt says this is down to the kerning and spacing, which isn't something I haven't consciously thought about (I wasn't really aware of what kerning meant) but have picked up on from looking at other illustrator's work.
• I've created my own textures for this piece. 

Weaknesses:

• Although the composition has been specifically designed to look "basic" and has its reasons for doing so, it still creates a boring layout. The same goes for (lack of) colour.
• The textures merge into each other, and it can be difficult to read both image and text from afar. 
• Although the text was complimented on I think it can be difficult to decipher. Also the paragraphs of text do not share the careful weight of the title, and this should be considered next time.

visual narratives: peer feedback

The group seemed to enjoy both location's research, although the humour in the local park's scenes caused more of a reaction. More importantly the park seems to have more scope for more 'events' to take place. Caves are very beautiful but they have almost been the same for millions of years and don't have much in the way of visitors in comparison of say, the park, which seems to tell a different story every day, even if they are just small events.

I managed to draw on and off location which was reflected on, and my biggest empty area was second hand research for the park. Maybe I can look at parks in general,

At this point I want to concentrate more on the park location, but will also stay open to the cave idea. I have a few ideas, and would like to hear more feedback about them in Friday's crit session.

visual narratives: a walk in the park

I expected the cave to be of more interest, but the characters I encountered on my local park provided a lot of material. There is value in both trips, but maybe it is my personal bias to character design that draws me towards this. Here the characters write themselves.

There is still room for collections though.

And I couldn't pass up the opportunity to draw dogs.

visual narratives: cave trip

For my second location I visited Stump Cross Caverns. I am not sure why I expected more than just rocks, but that was what made up a good 90% of my trip. Admittedly there are some very visually pleasing rocks, and the caverns themselves were very beautiful.

But rocks are very hard to draw.

We passed a grand total of two people in the cave. They seemed in a hurry to get out so we didn't have time to chat with them.

Various animal bones have been found in Stump Cross, and a selection of bats live there (though I did not see any). I suppose it could be interesting to make a catalogue of animals but I feel that this would be very basic.

One of the more interesting and humourous sides to Stump Cross is the various labelled stalagmites they have that are reported to supposedly look like other objects. Pareidolia is a very real phenomenon but these references are definitely stretched. Aesthetically they don't make great images but are funny to look at.

Geoff Workman is also an interesting historical point of Stump Cross. He spent 105 days in isolation in the cave for science. What an achievement. Top notch.

 

 

 

visual language: collage + ephemera // poster (making of)

I decided on making a missing animal poster of sorts. In a way I want it to be humorous, daft. After all, if you manage to lose a dog at the bottom of the sea the prospect of getting it back is very slim. It also plays on the idea of loneliness and solitude at the bottom of the ocean and the desperate need for a companion.

Lost animal posters are not famed for their design, but who has time for that when all you've got is Microsoft Word 2002 and no dog? I had to figure out how I could replicate this simple format whilst also making an aesthetically pleasing image.

This project was the first time I have 'collaged' on photoshop. I used remnants of textures I had made from previous projects and scanned them in high-res. It is much easier, or at least, easier to change around than working with physical collage. I appreciate hand craft, but in instances of lack of time or the possibility of a change around digital would be much more suitable.

I looked at official submarine / naval logos to inform what could have been a stationery "stamp". However I figured that 'Eric' would probably just have made and photocopied this himself and included the tabs instead. The tabs add more to the narrative too, I think.

InDesign workshop: part two

This week we went through many things I hadn't covered before in my previous experiences of InDesign. Here are some notes I have taken for future reference.

if the image resolution is 300DPI tick the resample box

Making a concertina book

Making a hot dog book

InDesign workshop

Although I had taken an InDesign workshop last year I was very thankful to go through it again as I had forgotten most of it. I see it as being a very useful piece of software in my future, not just for this project but others, maybe even self-led ones too. Book illustration is something I am definitely interested in, but I also understand that InDesign has other purposes too.

Here are some notes I took for future reference as I am likely to forget this!

visual language: shape and texture

I feel that this week has been more successful than the last. I began to look into different subject matters, and I feel this freshened both my mind and my work. It was commented on that the way I am composing these images is also helpful- drawing characters in context of environments, setting a scene etc. It is a way I find I have begun to naturally work but with no doubt from influence from these Visual Language sessions.

Someone also commented that my images feel "nostalgic" which wasn't quite a way I had imagined it, but a comment I enjoy nonetheless! I think it had something to do with the media, the felt tips being a hark back to childhood perhaps.

 I aim to experiment more with media over the next week and also stylistically or thematically, as I'm concerned that voice-wise these images are becoming stale.