Thursday, 5 May 2011

Work in Progress meeting

Sooo today we had our work in progress with Derrick, Chris stuck around aswell, but i was gutted he couldn't stay around long enough to see my work, i really value his opinion and hes full of great ideas.  The progress meeting was a nice opportunity to see everyone's work, as there were some classmates i haven't had a chance to speak to, and therefor it was interesting to see what subjects people had chosen. The feedback was really a chance for us to discuss the ways we plan to display our final imagery at the show, and also printing methods and last minute changes. I showed the group the drawings i had done so far and talked them though the colouring process on photoshop. Everyone seemed to like my illustrations and Derrick gave me some ideas as to what i could do to with the machines if i wanted to show them in an everyday environment. He suggested i put the skyscraper looking one amongst a cityscape, and the fling one in a night sky, i did some rough sketches to see how this would look which are below. Derrick did point out that my machines do lack some form of charater, and that i the images would gain a lot if i added some to human surroundings. If i chose to create the pamphlet idea i would definitely include this type of imagery, but im scarred it may look a little out of place in conjunction with the posters i plan to make. i will do some experimentation but i just hope it isn't to time consuming, we haven't got much time left!

TIME PLAN

ohhhh god! its crunch time! we got our degree show time table today. This is it i have to get my head around what i need to do. LIST TIME!
-Finish Photoshoping final images
-create logo
-think about display set ups
-test printing sizes

Tuesday, 3 May 2011

CH..CH... CH ...CHHANNNGEEES!

last week i decided to change up my idea. After many chats with various tutors and a work in progress meeting i realised the limitations with the elements plan. To be fair the idea went a bit stale, and i was producing images that didn't really suite the theme without even realising it. In the long run i could really only produce 3-4 final images as there are only that number of elements to deal with. 

 I decided to change up my idea, to keep it fresh, but also not to waste any of the work i have produced so far. My new idea is to create a made up corporation, a company that is reconstructing the dieing world in the future. My drawings will be used as plans for a world kept alive by the machines that this corporation builds, my elemental machines will fit in nicely as a way to replace the earths vital necessities. This also opens up new and exiting ways i can think about displaying my work at the final show. I was thinking creating of a show room for my made up company, with pamphlets containing information about this new world and the machines being built. And also a series of posters showing the various different machines and how they work. My tutor Peat also suggested i could have tone of the main window in the bar-gate center, so i was thinking of blowing up one of my images to epic proportions on window vinyl, and have the posters set up inside. I could also utilise the gizmos ive collected, by scattering them around my area to make things look more authentic.

My task this week is to create a corporate identity for this made up company, with a solid logo and colour scheme, then i can apply this to my existing imagery, exciting times! Ideas for names are "R.P.E -Reconstruction Planet Earth"or "Core"?
I put my A1 earth image in the printers today for it to be scanned, it cost 20 quid but it will be worth it, and I'm exited to play around with it digitally! It could also be a strong contender for the image i choose to blow up massive for the window. 
Logo idea brainstorming


Mattias Adolfsson


I was getting some ideas for my website today, so i thought id jump onto Illustration Mundo to check out what other illustrators have come up with. i flipped thought a number a websites, clicked "line" in the style search box and then stumbled upon Swedish illustrator Mattias Adolfsson. All i can say is WOW! (well... his website is a bit, average) This guys work is incredible, and is really similar to what I've been creating during my FMP.  Hes probably really famous, just wish someone had showed me him sooner!  He to seems to have a fascination with detailed machines, and also uses fine line ink with insane skill. What struck me the most about his work is his imagination, and the quirky, surreal and intense images he creates. His drawings have so much weight, they look nice a chunky, something i think my images lack somewhat. I may take a few pointers from Adolfsson's work, such as his use of washes to create dynamic shading, and his looser line work.   

AHHH look that detail! i could look at this for hours! i love the perspective, and also the amount of character it has (cheeky toaster and cup of tea in the back there) Im actually more than a bit jealous of this image...Mattias you bastard.

yet more amazing line, details and perspective.

i love how chunky this looks, going to try and capture this in my images.

...just amazing

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

GIZMOTRONICS

Ive spent these last weeks continuing studying mechanical forms. Ive been a busy man with my camera, photographing any mechanisms that grab my attention on my travels. I've been concentrating mostly on shape and the way parts connect to each other, from these images I've been taking elements and incorporated them into my own drawings. Here's a few pics of the things i found! 
some amazing complex inter-joining parts
got alot of nice shape ideas out of this spot sketchbook sketch.

 cog-like rounded shapes

giant wheel, press machine in the print room

a rail mechanism, i love the different parts supporting the rounded rail mount.

 Its crazy what uni chucks out these days, i was doing some casual skip dipping and i came across absolute gold mine!! I think they were clearing out the engineering department because i found some amazing surveying gizmos! 
check these guys out! they look like little robot characters, with a massive glass prism eye!
I think these were used for the measuring stuff using laser's. they have so much character! 

great shapes.
Spent a bit of time focusing in on component in this spot sketch. Again there is so many great shapes to be seen.

Here's a box i found, with some epic laser stickers on i may use it to hold my promotion materials in the final show.

My friend Alex found this, its a 1950's German calculator, incredible.


These are just a small amount of images ive collected, from these i have taken elements and put them into use in my machine drawings. I have been attempting to draw very organically, trying to steer away from too many hard lines and rigid structures, and ive put  a lot of  thought into the fluidity of the line drawings. Another way ive tried to capture this organic feel is by not outlining the complete form before i fill it in, also by drawing straight onto paper with pen, no pencil outlines. With these images i first thought about the elements i wanted to incorporates (such as wind turbines) and just started drawing with no real finish line, until i'm happy it looks complete. I think these outcomes are interesting and unpredictable, the way the image evolves  (like a tree or plant growing) gives emphasis's to the organic feel i was aiming for. Here are some of my recent outcomes, the next step is Photoshop! 
A1 drawing, with fine-liners and paint pens. Although this has an outline, the image is evolving from the middle outwards,

still not finished (will upload the final image) I this based on a cross section of a planet..... looking very Death star!


(A3,fine- liners)
(A1, fine-liners) This image i feel captures the most organic quality's, reminds me of a very complex tree branch structure.

Saturday, 2 April 2011

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Had a quick chat with Jonny today, i was feeling at bit bored with what i was doing so he looked over my work and gave me some ideas as to what alternative directions i could take them. He told me to take a look at films such as Brazil and Blade runner (both of which i have seen but not recently) to see how the directors portrayed the future. I viewed clips to refresh my memory of the films, and both are fairly different. Jonny suggested that i could use my machines to create a altered vision of the future possibly by having the world run by these machines. He also suggested that i could add some comical value, we came up with an the idea of imagining if one of these machines were to break down, and focusing on the one man with a scanner who's task is to find the problem. All these ideas we generated were very refreshing, and its nice to know that if i do come to a dead end i could variate my idea slightly and not have the work ive done so far go to waste.
BRAZIL,  it vision on the future is a surreal one.

BRAZIL, some human integration in my project could work, somthing i must try.

BLADE RUNNER, grimy vision of the future, if i were to create my own i would make it gritty like this.

BLADE RUNNE, nice lighting in this screen shot. 

Friday, 1 April 2011

POP TABLE DESIGN

Soooo, i finally got my table design done, so get your asses down to Pop and eat a pizza off it! ENJOY
 
Spray pained base coat, dark to light blue gradient (with some cheeky splats of other colours)
Masked out a spiral with tape, then sprayed with a yellow.
taaa daaaa!
painted some duck outlines, including a rouge red one (bottom right)facing the wrong way :O 
 Penned in the outlines
Final outcome (click it to enlarge)
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