28.11.13 - Artist Research

Hello There

Just thought i would pop in another link to the Pinterest page where I've been keeping all my artist research.
Im a bit unsure if its going to get lost in the sea of post but oh well one more wouldn't hurt!

http://www.pinterest.com/hazydayss/ba7/
ARTSIT RESEARCH PAGE

Update Soon!

21.11.13 - The Folio Society

 The folio society are a publishing house who take pride and great detailed into making beautifully published and illustrated books.

When looking for examples of illustrated poetry books, i came across their website.

They have a small but wide range of illustrated poetry books, all hard bound and with their own style.

I'll have to be honest, this did make me a little bit sad when i found it.
No its not technically what I'm going for, but its still within the same region and was slightly disappointed that i hadn't found a hole in the market that hasn't been fulfilled yet.
I think this would be the sort of audience i would be aiming for, people who have a love of classic literature yet also take the time to appreciate a beautiful object and want to add uniquely illustrated editions to their personal collections.

21.11.13 - Poetry Books on the Market

In a effort to research more into what my target audience might be looking into, i decided to take a look into the best selling poetry book list for 2013.

Love and misadventure - Lang Leav

This was 7th in the amazon list, losing first place to a range of… eerrmm dog poetry, which i didn't really even feel like including.

I will be honest, this is not my taste, in poetry or in illustrations.

I find the illustrations manga like and dated and not in a good way and the poetry a bit dull.

If this is an example of whats on the market, I'm glad its my competition.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings

shel silverstein

This piece, by Shel Silverstien, i understand a lot more. Even though whenever i see a black and white illustration i immediately want to colour it in, this has thought to it.

I can see humour and composite have been taken into account along with the story line of the poem its been integrated with.

Its still quite far away from what i would have as my target audience though.

The Odyssey

Homer

This, would be as close as i could get to what my target audience would be reading.

And sadly, these books have absolutely no illustrations, they are 100% completely text based. 

I think this actually works out great for me as I'm looking into something extremely visual without any real visuals. I genuinely feel like i could fill a gap on the market.

Syliva Plath

Ariel

Sylvia Plath is a well know and widely collection poet who's work I've seen get a lot of press reguraly and is constantly in print with different versions being made all the time.

This particular version of a short story i found was extremely different to all the others and stood out to me with its hand made feeling.

These illustrated poems i found on the faber website. Faber is the publishing house who published "tales from ovid" the book i have been looking into in this whole project.

These are the first development i have found where the artwork is getting as much respect as the text.

Beautiful colours, still very graphic feeling though, not yet to find a drawing, visual balance.

This book cover was also found on the Faber and Faber website.

I thought it would be productive to look into other book covers the writer of tales of Ovid has had.

There seems to be an overwhelming theme of prints going on today….

Update Soon.

Artist Study: LAIA ARQUEROS

This is a small collection is off of Laia's website.

These dark and mysterious illustration are set up on her website with a sequential style so that you are following a strange and ominous storyline.

The use of black line and blue water colour in the last image is really eye drawing as well.

Update Soon.

14.11.13 - Female Figure Sculptures

Hello again.
So today, i'm trying to rework some old images so that they work better with the images i've already selected to move forwards for finals.
The decision that i've come to is that the Juno figure that i have been drawing throughout the project and trying to develop is not work with the images that i've chosen to take forward.
So im going back to the drawing board and looking for fresh new ideas to generate some different drawings.
I've noticed that the other images are using outlines with only specific little touches adding some detail to the images.
I want to today, work on a female figure outline that i think will be in more keeping with what's going on.
I've previously looked into female sculpture and have been told by peers that my drawings have a naive cave man drawing feel to them, which i love the idea of.
These female figure sculpture which range from ancient greek to mexico all have a really lovely feel to them without being so obviously in how they would draw a female figure. They're strange proportions and have a contemporary abstract feel to them that i'm so drawn to.
I want to work from these sculptures to make an outline for my Juno figure.
I'll show you some drawings later!
Update Soon!
 

12.11.13 - Pattern Ideas

11.11.13 - Artist Study: Ashely G

11.11.13 - Isabelle Vandenabeele

Hello again.
When having my quick chat with Glyn, we also spoke about Isabelle Vandenabeele work with text and image being put together to make the most of the images
Isabelles works is a great way of showing how to give the text and image the best of both worlds, and giving the image the greatest impact on the page.
I think now, i need to go away and work a lot more on the actual images and techniques i use and the process of mark making before i come back to putting them together in some sort of page layouts.
Update Soon.

11.11.13 - Mark Herrald

Hello again.

After having a quick chat with Glyn this morning, we spoke about the layout designs that i had put together on Photoshop
We both agreed on that there is far to much text being put in these images and that i need to concentrate a lot more of my time on the actual development of the images
We also spoke about the fact that i should continue my process of pattern and mark making on all features that i wish to put in the interior illustrations as thats where my ideas were becoming most productive.
While we spoke, glyn showed me some work produced by Mark Herrald
These bird cards show print and pattern making to show the colours and plumage of the birds and how to get across the textures of the birds feathers.
This seems like a really fun route to go down and i look forward to making even more patterns to work from.
Update Soon.

08.11.13 - Overlapping Images: Ben Howard Album Artwork.

Hello again.
Its friday and i have only about 20% of my list crossed off with things i was supposed to do this week so today is going to be a busy day!

I thought i would start off the day by showing this image i came across yesterday while walking home.
I had my shuffle on this popped up.
I've done some research and the illustration is by Owen Tozer, who seems to do all of Ben Howards artwork and merchandise.
Im not particularly drawn to anything else in his work, but this image worked for me.
I have been using the Photoshop layers alot in my work recently but have been trying to use it in a way that doesnt look like its been done on purpose.
When i saw this it occurred` to me that i should use them to my advantage rather then trying to hide the fact its been done on a software.

I haven't got around to getting my drawings started for "Proserpina" poem yet, but i really want to use this effect in some way for that interior illustration.

So yes, i hope you will see a lot more blog post today.
Update (very) Soon!

05.11.13 - Research report Outline + Review Group Feedback

Research Report Outline

Chosen style of writing: Extended Essay

TITLE IDEAS

“How to read hidden narratives. – A breakdown of what goes into Narrative Art.”

“Is a Hidden Narrative still used in a symbolic way in current art and illustrations?”

“Has Hidden Narratives in art has moved forewords and is it still effective?”

“Are Metaphors and Symbolism still used as effectively in Modern Art and Illustration”

Breakdown of Research Report

Introduction:
Looking into the effectiveness of hidden narrative, starting with the first use of symbolism to tell narrative in religious and renaissance paintings. Then, moving onto into key elements used in hidden narrative with key examples, then finally showcasing the use of hidden narrative in modern art and illustration and concluding on whether it is still used as effectively.

Chapter One: History of Hidden Narrative
- Religious paintings
- Depictions of gods and myths in renaissance paintings
- Royalty portraiture (?)

Chapter Two: Key elements of consideration in Hidden Narratives
- Place
- Objects and their meanings
- Colour
- Body language
- Composition
Show clear usage of each element throughout art history and discuss the paintings symbolism.

Chapter Three: How hidden narrative is still used in current art and illustration.
Narrative illustration (?)
Sequential illustration (?)
Are these topics chosen to go into publishing (oh comely?)

Conclusion:
Is it still used as effectively?

Reference books
- Symbolism by Michael Gibson
- How to read contemporary art by Michael Wilson
- How to understand a painting by Francoise Barbe-Gall (?)
- Art in Theory: 1900 - 2000 by Harrison and Wood
- The secret language of Art by Sarah Carr-Gomm

So today was mostly spent going though our research reports with one another in a group review session.

The main feedback (as always) is that the whole thing needs to be simplified down, which i completely agree with.

One thing that Chris advised to go along with in the development of Hidden Narrative against earlier uses of it.

I think i will be putting more information about the report on my blog, as when I'm working on it, the blog goes quiet as I'm buried away with my head in book somewhere. So sorry but theres going to be a little bit more writing on the blog

I'll keep you up to date with how things go.

Update Soon.

05-11-13 - Sunflowers and their Symbolism.

Clytie’s unrequited love for the sun god caused her to pine away until she was changed into a flower which always turns its face towards the sun. For modern readers, the primary source of this myth is in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

In Book 4 of theMetamorphoses, the sun god (referred to only as “Hyperion’s son”, but who is obviously meant to be Apollo), after ratting out Venus/Aphrodite during one of her own escapades has a curse put on him. He falls head over heels in love with a sea goddess named Leucothea (sometimes spelled Leucothoe), to the point the he causes the sun to set and rise at abnormal times. He forgets about Clytie, his former love, and disguises himself as Eurynome, Leucothea’s mother, so he can have an opportunity for a tumble.

Clytie becomes furiously jealous and tells Orchamus, Leucothea’s father, that his daughter has been defiled. Orchamus buries Leucothea alive. Apollo, after vainly trying to bring her back to life, douses her grave in perfume so that she will evaporate with the rays of the sun and return to the heavens with him.

When she realizes that what she has done will not return Apollo to her, Clytie goes insane. For nine days, she sits with her gaze fixed on the sun until the gods take pity on her and turn her into a flower.

Ive been finding quite a lot of information recently about the relationship between unrequited love and the use of a sunflower.

Although it is not the same text as one of the passages i have chosen to look at, i really feel like it would incorporate into my illustrations well and still keeps some basic themes that i want to be strong in them.

I understand that a lot of the blog posts that have been going up recently are all taking about what I'm GOING to do, rather then what i have done.

Im finding my balance between the essay and the project really tough at the moment, its a real struggle to balance my time well so just keep with me for now!

Update Soon.