Visual Communication - Artists Work

Artists Work:

• This giff works well because it works as a smooth loop. It is done digitally and the simple shapes that move a reshape give great gesture.
• I really like how the expression on its face is changed so drastically, especially how the mouth opens. 

• I like this really simple movement it loops smoothly. I like the black bold lines against the fingerprint texture, its simple and effective.

• I like how the textures moves and guitars within the bold outline, it looks lively and energetic.
• This is done with 8 frames and looks jumpy but shows how effective it can be.

Visual Communication - Sasquatch Development

Developing my sasquatch character:

• I had the idea to put horns on his head, I think this works well. It suites the character and makes it more interesting. 

• I tried him out with smooth skin which I dint think looks as good as the fur.
• But on this design I added some coloured pencil, it was a 'magic pencil' which is a pencil that has multiple colours in it. 
• I really like how this looks and could work really well when animated. I think it would look much smoother than having lots of repeated lines for the fur. It also creates a nice texture and looks good with the bold black lines.

• I tried out some other coloured media like paint pen and water colour but it didn't work as well as the coloured pencil.
• Whilst doing these a drew a little building guy with arms and legs and coloured it with paint pen - I like him and this could be a potential character for my other giff.

• I did a sheet of hands to figure out how I could draw them from different angles. And also get a feel for the shape they would be.
• I like the chunky square shapes for the hands - they are also large in proportion to his body so they needed to look right and animate smoothly.

• I wanted to mimic the effect of the multicolour pencil but with other colour variations, I wanted him to be green but use different shades of green over the top of each other.
• I thought It could create a nice gittery textured effect that would look nice for the fur.

• This is my favourite colour combination, two shades of green with a turquoise over the top.

(add giff here)

• I really like the motion in the texture, the slight motion will give a nice liveliness to the character and when surrounded by the bold black lines will have a nice effect.

Tester Giffs

• I got an app on my phone where you where able to make a quick giff from photos on your phone.
• I draw some quick sketches of my character doing a different actions.

Raising arms:

• I think both the actions are funny and would make a good gif because they work on repeat and can loop over and over again.
• But I feel that the shrug suites the character much more and gives a more dopey and gormless expression.
• The other feels to energetic and crazy, I had design a character that looks gormless ad slow so I think a shrug would more appropriate.
• I tried to add the tester gifs onto the blog but they just appear as a still image on screen, I don't think there is anyway to make the gifs work when they are not being viewed on the actual app on my phone.

Visual Communication - Sasquatch

My Sasquatch Character:

• I sketched the sasquatch face with simple lines and tried to make sense of how it was built up.
• I started to figure out shapes of my own I could interpret into the face.

• I really like this sketch, it has a good body shape and could really imagine it being bought to life.
• I like the proportions of the character, I think it would be amusing seeing it with an action or expression. I think this would be a good character to experiments gestures with.
• The only thing I would change is making his expression look more friendly.
• I like his pants and belt they look funny like a little sumo wrestler.

• I wanted to give it a stupid gormless expression, and had the idea to make him shrug.

• I thought about making him wave his arms in a weird dancing way.
• I also looked at how his facial expression could change to suit his action.

• I applied media to some sketches I was happy with to get an idea what the finished character might look like. 
• I also put an 'S' on his belt that stands for Sasquatch.
• I like the look of it but I'm unsure how this could work as a giff, there may be to much bold line work to animate smoothly?

The marmoset:

• I randomly looked at a picture of a marmoset, they have funny little faces and I wanted to draw it as a character.
• I thought maybe combining another animal into my Sasquatch might create an even better and more interesting looking character.

• I did some loose sketches of the marmoset, keeping to my character style then applied it to the body shape of my Sasquatch.
• The only thing that looked different was the loser spiky hair and a slightly different face shape.

• I then just played around with character and tried out some variations.
• I quite like the look of the lankier looking one, and the one on the carpet could be funny but I think the stumpier gormless one suites the sasquatches character more.

Visual Communication - The Big Lez Show

The Big Lez Show: Sassy the Sasquatch

• Ive been watching this cartoon on youtube recently called "the big lez show". It a simple low budget animation but has some really funny characters in it.
• The character called 'Sassy the Sasquatch' is such a funny character and has some funny gestures and expressions that gave me the idea to create a sasquatch character of my own.
• His expressions work so well and his face is simple but effective and can be changed up to give some funny facial expressions. 
• His personality is dopey and gormless, I think it would be funny to achieve an emotion like that in a giff.

Visual Communication - Character designs

First Character Designs:

• I did some quick sketches of some tribal looking characters but I want to explore some different characters that I am not as familiar with.

• I tried out some characters that where made from objects, I think the spray can idea could be interesting and would work well as a giff because it would have a good action to go with it.

• I had some cool looking characters but none that I wanted to develop further into a giff. They all have a similar face structure, I want to find a new type of character where I can play around with expression and movement. 

Vis Language - End of Modular Self Evaluation

1.  Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

I have developed skills in observational drawing, and looking at how different line types can be used to explain the subject. I have learnt lots of different visual qualities that can be achieved by using bold gestural lines. Also how using reference imagery in an un-direct way where I can apply my imagination to it, and get ideas for characters and other images. A method I developed was drawing the same subject lots of times and letting it evolve into something new, this gave exciting and unpredictable results. The method of created vector images from simple line sketches is a key thing I learnt in the shape section, and also using a Wacom tablet. I learnt the difference between Photoshop and illustrator and they have totally different purposes, Photoshop is best for editing existing imagery, whilst illustrator is good for creating vector designs.

2. Which principles/ theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

It has been valuable for me to start think about the rules and methods of good composition. Although I was un-happy with most of my visual outcomes, the process of trying to achieve a good composition has made me realize new techniques for displaying images within my frame. Roughing is a process that I find more and more valuable as the course moves on, doing quick roughs with no craft involved, purely to look at different arrangements that my designs can have. Looking at how illustration can be applied to 3D and camera based work has been exciting, and made me realize how illustration doesn’t have to be flat line based work – communicating our ideas can be done in all kinds of ways, even including ourselves in the work. Looking at how Photoshop can improve designs, and also take away quality from handcrafted designs has been really important. It is something that will be vital for making professional work – as I am very interested in the combination of hand and digital work. Working with collage and found imagery has been useful to consider, re arranging and adding craft to found images could be a really good way to communicate an idea.

3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission you capitalise on these?

I think my strengths lay within the line-based drawing. I really engaged with this and found it most enjoyable. I liked experimenting with what can be achieved with fast and slow line types, gestural or controlled line, complex overlapping line and clean clinical lines. I enjoyed seeing how these gave a different effect to the image. I learnt a lot from this and would like to apply process like this to other medias and methods to learn what can be achieved. I learnt a lot from the shape task. I was surprised at how well my character designs translated into shape. It has made me realize how effective shape can be with no outlines and also how it can improve designs. Combining shape with my line quality styles is something I keep considering and am yet to experiment with. I would say I have strengths in experimentation, and trying out different ways of achieving the outcome. Teaching myself the different methods and process is done through experimentation – finding out what will work and what doesn’t.

4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?

Development is definitely needed within composition, and drawing things within a landscape. I often draw things that are floating and are not grounded in a natural environment. Drawing more landscapes and objects from observation would be a good way to become more confident in the area. Working within a frame is not something I fully engaged with, I found it difficult keeping inside the frame – my drawings often evolve in an un-controlled way. I need to improve on accurate drawings that are carefully placed within frames for specific reasons (scale, depth, line of sight etc.). Application of colour is something I need to improve, I had a lot of un clean and un professional looking coloured pieces. I need to experiment with more coloured medias and keep using them until I’m comfortable with them.

5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)? It has made me think about the process more, and also what media and tools where used to create it. It has made me look much closer at the line qualities of artwork and the hand movements that would be needed to produce the line. Same with mark making, I’ve found myself wondering how marks and pattern have been made – what drawing tool or gesture? It has made me look out for digital enhancing, and weather colour has been applied digitally or by hand. It has made me question the composition of artwork and ask myself why things have been placed where they have, and if this is the most effective way to display it.