Process

After the initial brainstorming part of this project, the three storyboard words my tutor and I chose was 'knit', 'chase', and 'cock'. As immuture as the word cock sounds, It has multiple meanings and a little humour also which I really wanted to do. Tastefully of course.

All of my storyboards are on 2x A4 pages, this has been agreed with my tutor as acceptable even though the brief states one A4. All of my words had a lot of story/action going on and I did not want to compromise the story by having less frames, and I also did not want to make the letters too small to show effectively what the stories would be. Knit especially needed to be large as the 'stitches' need to show and it is very detailed. Cock of course needed two A4's as it is displaying three different animation ideas in the same storyboard effectively as it has three different parts.

Chase. I wanted the word not be written until the end of all of my animations. Keeping the audience guessing what they think the word is until the end is definitly a good thing as I think it will keep them interested. I liked chase, but it didnt seem strong enough in terms of detail.

I really liked this word and took a long time to decide on cock over knit. Showing the word though negative space was a great feature of this animation. I also loved the kitten aspect. I wasn't sure the actual art of knitting would show up well in an animation - as I knit myself I know the process and to make the animation actually look like it was knitting was going to be very difficult indeed (not to mention each stitch being a seperate layer!). As well as this I did not want to bite off more than I could chew in terms of skill when I had not used the programme before.

My final storyboard, and word chosen is cock. I really wanted to choose a word with lots of meanings, and cock had some interesting and different aspects like guns, roosters and of course the penis. The font I chose was basic, I wanted the font be the same for each section as a sort of tie-in, and so didnt go too far into typography differences specifically for this reason.

For the sound aspects of my animation I wanted to have some aspect have sound and others not. I feel like I have added sounds to the most important peices of the clip to add impact where necessary. I also think the animation can work without the sound as well which was my intention.

The tranformation and composition of letters took a lot of time - although the decision on where to have the pictures come from, or form to on the stage made life easier in terms of individual letters and layers. The rooster for example was walking on from the right hand side, and the letters have been tranformed to fit specific aspects of the roosters body. Each letter is a seperate layer and  follows an individual path to get the best impact.

In terms of the speed and rhythm of the clip, initially I wanted to have some dead white clear stage area between each part of the clip to let the audience digest each part before the next started, but it just didnt work, so I speed up the spaces between each object and it works much better as a final product now. The rooster is perhaps the slowest of all three objects, and this is modelled off  videos I have watched of roosters and how they graze.  Obviously the man stands in the centre with his feet on the bottom of the stage, and the gun is held in the middle. The rooster has the most sense of direction by walking on and flying off the top left hand side of the stage.

Brainstorms

After the initial studio and kerning exercise, the first thing I did once the brief for project two was given out is google words. I came up with the below when searching and chose the best words for the brainstorm storyboards. The main ideas I knew I wanted to portray was either an emotion, a kind of story,  a multiple meaning within one word, and/or if possible, humour.

The next stage was the brainstorm these ideas into quick sotryboards and see how the ideas developed.

Precedent Drawings

When we discussed the scope of this project in studio, and I found out a straight line precendent drawing was to be chosen, I automatically thought of picasso and the cubism stage of his career. The 'Girl with a Mandolin' jumped out instantly as the use contrast and angles create a clear picture. What I love about this peice of art is that your eyes fill in the parts where the form is not so clear.

I found this description of the painting on the website:  http://www.artbeyondsight.org/handbook/text-v-mandolin.shtml. This website is discussing how the painting came about and features of the work. I also found out that this artwork is incomplete. Perhaps this is the reason it jumped out to me as opposed to the other cubist works.

"Picasso looked at his model and analyzed her nude figure, breaking it down into many squares, cubes, rectangles, and other unnamable geometric shapes. He arranged these shapes to show different parts of her body that in fact, it would be impossible to see from one point in space or in a single moment of time. This characteristic is what makes it an Analytic Cubist painting, that is, showing multiple points of view simultaneously in one painting."

"It is possible to identify the figure of the girl because she is in slightly lighter tones than the background. These lighter colors make her body parts visible,

Also, it’s easy to recognize the pear-shaped body of the mandolin. It’s oval curved lines stand out starkly against all the straight lines and angles of the geometric forms."

http://www.artarchive.com/ describes Picasso as "Staring into the abyss of abstraction, Picasso blinked...and began to start putting the pieces of the object back together".

Pablo Picasso's Girl Playing The Mandolin falls into the Analytic Cubism period which was between 1909-1912. The timing was before world war one, and at a point where Picasso was experimenting with art and painting. Actually both of these partist specific peices are before the war so wouldnt have had any influence on materials, or theme.

"Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth" - Pablo Picasso.

The fluid form precendent I chose, I stummbled upon. I love the curves in this sculpture, it takes the eye and mind awhile to realise its a woman. The drapery create such detailed fluid movement, but it has a structure about the detailed flowing nature.

"Larche’s most popular and endearing works are the statues he created of Loïe Fuller in bronze. He produced three different poses of Fuller, a tall 18 inch version with two lights set into her gauzy robes floating above her head, a smaller version with a single light, and a set of Fuller bronzes with differing left and right poses. Fuller was known for her innovative stage lighting which she used to great effect, illuminating her robes and shock of red hair. Larche imitated this effect in his sculptures by hiding tiny lights inside the bronze robes which illuminated the area above and around Fuller’s head and cast a soft ethereal glow on the sculpture. "
http://www.macklowegallery.com/education.asp/art+nouveau/Artist+Biographies/antiques/Decorative+Artists/education/Fran%26%23231%3Bois-Raoul+Larche+/id/153

At this development stage I am torn between ideas of exploring light and dark contrast, and also the constrast of structure and curve. I would like the curves in my sculpture to be supported by a structure which has a cubism feel to it. My materials would be card and material (silk or something lightweight that will fall nicely over the structure) or wire and material, I need to experiment more before I can decide on what material the structure under the fabric will be made of.

I have also an idea to create a light out of my sculture somehow as this will directly link to my curves precedent drawing which is a the sculpture lamp. From the outside the sculpture will look quite simple, draping fabric creating the movement. Then if allowed, i'd like to have a light inside that illuminated the structure through the fabric and you see the cubism like structure which makes the curves on the outside. Showing a direct relationship between the curves and structure which creates them.

I am onto the development stage and finding it difficult to decide what form I want the simple movement to look like.  more development I did with my materials and ideas the more I found it wasnt working for me. I wasnt inspired by the shape/form or materials, so I took the object in a different direction. Now, the sculpture which incorporates wire and foam board, uses the repitition of line to create a fluid form.

Blog 3: Antiques Hunter

According to Rococo: The Continuing Curve 1730-2008, Rococo design is "Sinuous, organic, sensuous - that is the mantra" (Coffin. S. D., Davidson, G. S., Lupton, E., & Hunter-Stiebel, P., 2008, p. 5). This mirror, with its a-symmetry, guilding, and sinuous, curvilinear shapes, portrays classic features of eighteenth century rococo design. The scroll-like curves give the impression of water and this, coupled with the budding roses and fruit, portray an extremely organic theme.


This piece has been crafted in a sumptuous style and "made for the life of society" (Bazin. G. 1964, p. 206.). It is assumed that a lower-class tradesman skilled in wood carving and/or guilding crafted this design to answer the French aristocrats’ obsession with the style. (Coffin. S. D. et al, 2008).The need to be modern and lavish was very important and "rococo style took on the character of an epidemic". (Coffin. S. D. et al, 2008).


The success of rococo design can be largely accredited to not only the craftsmen, but the members of society who supported it. As Coffin et al state, "the enthusiasm of individual patrons launched the style" (Coffin. S. D. et al, 2008, p. 7). Along with the individuals, society played a large part in rococo's success. "The rococo impulse rose to prominence in societies that were stable, prosperous and open enough to encourage this clearly nonessential production". (Coffin. S. D. et al, 2008, p. 7). The impracticality of rococo design was a fashion statement of luxury that portrayed to others how wealthy the owners were.


This vintage mirror has not only delicate, fluid, guilded rococo design, but also a detailed cultural history attached to it. Without the history and wealth of the time, art of this detail and design aesthetic may not exist.


References

Coffin, S. D., Davidson, G. S., Lupton, E. & Hunter-Stiebel, P. (2008). Rococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008. New York, USA: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Bazin, G. (1964) Baroque and Rococo. London: Thames and Hudson Limited.

Inspiration - Project two