ROCKY HORROR

To celebrate James's birthday, we went to York to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

We're both huge fans of the film and he has seen the show twice before, but I was a 'Rocky Virgin'.

It's so vibrant, camp, eccentric, macabre and fantastical all in one. I couldn't resist writing a little blog post here about it!

There is nowhere else that it would be acceptable to wear a corset, fishnet tights and vampire fangs. Rocky Horror is a phenomenon because it's fun, sexy, weird entertainment. It SHOULD be everything I hate and try to avoid - exactly why I don't go out after dark! - but it's NOT. All of this naughty, dark humour is matched with flamboyant musical numbers. It's outrageous, so outrageously awful that it's good.

IT HAS BECOME A CULT CLASSIC.

I hate audience particip-p-pation but somehow in Rocky Horror you can't help but join in. Calling Janet a SLUT and Brad an ARSEHOLE is awful and horrible language, yet in the theatre at Rocky Horror, it's expected. Audience participation is a ritual for Rocky Horror. It's so odd that polite, seemingly 'normal' people transform for one night into sweet transvestites, thrusting in a theatre next to strangers, dressed up (or dressed down in very little at all). It's shocking, which perhaps is why it's gathered so much interest.

I found a website that discusses why Rocky Horror is so popular, a very interesting read comparing Rocky to Shakespeare... https://www.quora.com/Whats-so-special-about-the-Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show

Puppets, Dolls and Products

HELP. I'M HAVING A MID-COURSE CRISIS.
RE-EVALUATING MY EXISTENCE.

Where will my work exist?

In the theatre, in films, on stage and behind the camera. In little shops, in books and in my hands.
Ambitious, but ambition is the key to motivation and motivation is the driving force.

Who do I want it to appeal to?
I want my work to appeal to puppeteers, directors and actors. I want THEM to want to perform in my puppets, to want to work WITH ME. I want to appeal to children - to dive into the magic of childhood imagination.

Can it be illustration?
Yes, it can. (I think) It can also be whatever I want it to be. I can use whatever I learn in illustration to inform it, anyhow. I can apply it as illustration but it can exist on many different levels.

What do I want from the course?
Connections - I want to keep meeting and contacting other practitioners. I want to find out ways into the industry that other illustrators have taken. I want the materials and resources.
I want to learn more about character and world building.
I want to learn how to conduct myself as a professional.
I want advice from the tutors and guidance on storytelling.
I want to keep learning.
I want to keep a (GOOD) sketchbook. I want to get better at drawing.

What do I want to do next?
My answer will always be the same. KEEP MAKING. KEEP EXPLORING. GO CRAZY.

WRITTEN MAP AND PLAN

Starting to think about what MAKES ME, what I've explored this year and where I'm going.

IT'S ALL ABOUT STORYTELLING and I've found so many branches off this. I think this would be a nice theme to explore in my presentation but I could also make a piece of work for the poster that follows the same subject.

 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e7/e0/08/e7e008319c6e7562e66c4b4be9a1b68b.jpg

 I found this lovely little map on Pinterest, describing the physicalities of a storyteller's mind. I'd love to make a similar map but I'd want my map to be 3Dimensional, a model of the landscape that ties into my interest in theatre and film.

Monsters and Misfits

A PLACE WHERE CREATURES AND TOYS EXIST AS ART.

The context of an exhibition space is usually resigned for FINE ART, but there is a place where these new and unconventional forms of art - toy art, art dolls and action figures - are appreciated as real works of art.

I didn't think there was such a place, that there was such a demand and expanse of these 'products'.

But there is and people travel so far to go and see the collections. The exhibition is in Japan, yet it features artists from all over the world. Is Japan the epicentre of art dolls? Why does Japan value them so much when the artists over here are underrated/unknown?

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Where has this trend come from?

'The current and growing fascination with vintage toys and dolls in particular is linked to a number of trends - the celebration of childlike curiosity, the desire to collect, and the present fashion for all things retro. Designers are also incorporating their own contemporary ‘toys’ and doll-like creations into works of art, furniture and clothing. Perhaps this also has something to do with a mood of introspection and the contemplation and/or expression of our sense of identity?' 

http://www.shopcurious.com/curious-trends/Dolls-and-toys-in-decorative-art-and-design.aspx

But it's not just vintage, it's futuristic and NEW art toys, works of art made for enthusiasts and collectors rather than children.

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The term 'OOAK' (one of a kind) is a large part of the art doll industry. Since these toys are made by independent artists, each doll is completely unique, meaning that the price tags can be quite hefty. Consumers treasure limited edition, one-off pieces that no-one else will have and the chance that these toys will only grow in value over time.

Perhaps this is why they exist as exhibition pieces and people pay to go and view them.

Samantha Bryan

I'm having a little self-doubt.

I'm not sure whether what I'm doing is illustration, whether I am on the right course, or where my work is going. I don't know what I'm going to do after University and it's scaring me.

I thought I was going to come here, study illustration and leave to make children's books but now I am lost.

I've found myself getting into 3D and model-making, so I want to look at some illustrators who work with three dimensions to investigate how my work might exist in similar contexts.

Samantha Bryan

Calls herself a 'designer/maker'. She makes figurines using wire, paperclay, leather and found objects.
Her work has been featured at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, among other brilliant venues, but I have bumped into her dolls inside the Imaginarium in York.

http://samanthabryan.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/WebSlider_Floatation_Device_Samantha_Bryan-2-384x263.jpg

Inspired by Victorian Gadgetry and Invention Samantha Bryan creates suspended, wall mounted and free standing sculptures out of a combination of wire, leather, found objects & collected materials. These unusual sculptures depict everyday life in ‘fairyland’.

By using found objects and mixing mechanical inventions with these fantastical characters, Bryan mimics a Steampunk-esque syle. Her dolls are so delicate and beautiful, but I especially love the little pieces of writing that she posts next to them, describing their inventions and feats. She's a storyteller and is building a bigger and bigger world with every fairy.

http://www.madebyhandonline.com/uploads/cached/uploads/products/images/samantha_bryan_dust_vehicle_madebyhand_1-0x800.jpg

The stitching on the garments is quite hap-hazard, but it suits the idea that these little fairies make them themselves - a make do and mend type of attitude that Samantha Bryan values too. Using old scraps, they're bound to look a little messy.

Their faces can look a little same-y. The consistency of her 'style' could be seen as a little boring or repetitive. I particularly love the little noses - just two nostril holes - so simple! But the eyes could maybe be more interesting, with resin glass irises or eyelids perhaps? They are constantly frozen in the same expression…

I wonder how Samantha Bryan packages her dolls. I've only ever seen them for sale in glass display cabinets or on shelves, does she box them up? I'd like to develop a branding for my dolls similar to MENDL'S from The Grand Budapest Hotel - a classy and simple design that could safely carry the dolls but not look like a scruffy random postal box I've found (guilty).

OUIL 404 VISUAL LANGUAGE

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’ve developed a productive and playful sketchbook practice that’s helped me to be more experimental, trying out techniques and ideas in this space as often as I can. I’ve used sketchbooks before but this module’s taught me to use it as a tool rather than a diary. I’d been precious about my sketchbooks before but have come to appreciate the unfinished and uninhibited nature of development. The mini-briefs tackled specific practical tasks each week. Drawing is the most obvious and trusted method of illustration and I’d taken it for granted prior to this module. I’ve unlearned comfortable drawing habits and embarked upon using the whole body not just the wrist to make an image. The Photoshop workshop refreshed my knowledge of digital software, which I employed within the VALUE brief and used again for my Visual Narratives book. I’ve found a great passion for 3D illustration and have independently explored practical processes related to this, such as model-making, photography and costume fabrication.
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?
Being exposed to different principles of image making has changed the way I’ve approached challenges across the modules. I embraced COMPOSITION within the week’s ELEPHANT challenge but also applied my understanding of composition to the postcards I made for Visual Communication SB2. Since learning what makes a successful/interesting composition, I’ve noticed that the way I plan images has become a lot more of a structured and a strategic process. The illustrations I’m making are a lot more successful in their immediacy as the result of these sessions in line of sight, depth and scale. As the creator, I have control over how the viewer ‘sees’ my artwork and I’m excited to see how I can use this to my advantage in future work. Understanding the rules of value and colour theory has changed the way I see the world and in turn has affected the way that I use value in my work, making the images I produce much more aesthetically pleasing.
3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission you capitalise on these?
I think I’ve produced quite an ambitious body of work– especially towards the end of the module, I have been taking challenges seriously and making some really inventive outcomes. I’ve invested a lot of time on these tasks outside of the taught sessions. I’ve used my blog consistently to reflect on my own progress from the start of this module. My curiosity has led me to investigate artists and fields of image-making alongside the practical tasks. I’m constantly expanding my knowledge of artists and this is educating the work I’m making and the artist I am becoming. I’ve become a lot more confident in presenting my work through the weekly routine of showing our outcomes; this is a personal achievement that I am really proud of.
4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in the future?
I’ve tried to be playful and open-minded but I still hold back. I am still a perfectionist at heart and hate the uncertainty of experimentation. I’m getting better at this the more I practice making and sharing my work. I need to continue keeping a personal sketchbook for myself. Visual Language requires attention, reflection and development, so it shouldn’t stop just because the module has ended. I want to continue developing my visual language throughout my personal and professional work. Though I tried to avoid sticking to a ‘visual signature’, I think it is still present in lots of my work. I should intervene and question my habitual image-making decisions.
5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)? In the sessions we were encouraged to draw out the basic arrangements of existing illustrations and this opened my eyes to see how all visual products are deliberately constructed and carefully considered.  Using this process, I can visually decode the elements of artwork and identify where image-making principles have been followed. ‘What makes a good drawing’ is a very subjective measure, but I do believe that this module has refined my taste in artwork and encouraged me to have opinions. Reflecting on my progress and reviewing the work I’ve made for Visual Language has helped me to identify the strengths in my skillset and which practical skills I need to continue developing. I am even more critical of my own work, because I know what I am capable of and I am very aware that I could always improve.
6.How would you grade yourself on the following areas:  (please indicate using an ‘x’)   5= excellent, 4 = very good, 3 = good, 2 = average, 1 = poor
	1	2	3	4	5
Attendance					x
Punctuality					x
Motivation				x
Commitment				x
Quantity of work produced			x
Quality of work produced			x
Contribution to the group				x
The evaluation of your work is an important part of the assessment criteria and represents a percentage of the overall grade. It is essential that you give yourself enough time to complete your written evaluation fully and with appropriate depth and level of self-reflection. If you have any questions relating to the self-evaluation process speak to a member of staff as soon as possible.

Poster Review

Group Crit on my Posters:
The group reviewing my work agreed with my judgement on the same BEST poster - we both thought that the PERSONAL poster was the best.

My Reasoning:
Although I like the character across all three posters, this one has the best composition. The other two posters have text squished on wherever there is space, whereas I did leave a space in the sky for this one while I was drawing where I thought the text might fit. Roughing out the designs better first would have eliminated this issue as I would have known exactly where the text was going to sit, even at the early drawing stage.
This one is the most attractive. The other posters have a lot of dead space. This poster is full with information.

Group's Reasoning:

Nice concept, good composition, texture is nice.

nice statement that shows her personality well

clear idea

The image illustrates text well

QUEEN JAY

stop saying nice!