Applied Illustration: Progress Review

Thoughts on issues discussed

- My project at the minute doesn't really have a purpose/reason to exist. Seems a bit random, need to think about what my aim is, who my audience are. 

- REFINE PROJECT PROPOSAL. 

Applied Illustration: Peer Progress Surgery

Today I took part in a progress surgery based on my initial research and ideas for the upcoming project. The feedback I received was actually really useful:

- The instagram (ballantines space glass) experience is a really fresh idea and would make the audience engage with your images alot more. The idea of turning your phone on the side to go on instagram is new and exciting.

- Think about how your product will be distributed, are you creating it for a company? Or are you making something to gain exposure in creative industry? 

- 1950s was full of products and advertisements, think about incorporating current brands to gain exposure/funding???

One issue that this discussion raised for me was how I'd make money from my product - unsure if I want my work to exist purely online, or as a physical publication, or both?

Applied Illustration: Initial Proposal

Initial Proposal

I intend to create an online experience/webpage that is interactive and entertaining, using illustrations, gifs and animations. I will base the experience around the start of consumerism in America in the 1950’s, as a starting point anyway. This era is something that has always interested me because of the energetic visual culture that is linked with it. I also intend to look into if making it educational in some parts would be something worthwhile.

I was originally inspired by the Ballantine Space Glass experience on Instagram (Can be seen on my blog), designed by Illustrator Tom Clohosy Cole. I think it’s a really innovative way of using social media, and also really engaging and exciting.

GENERAL THEMES:

Narrative

Online

Entertainment

Educational?

SPECIFIC SUBJECTS:

America 1950’s

Consumerism

Pop Culture

- I have proposed to base my book on consumerism as it was the first topic I thought of linked to this era. However, I hope that my research will give me something with a bit more of a deep routed element. 

Applied Illustration: Grayson Perry

The Agony In The Car Park

The Annunciation Of The Virgin Deal

When researching into long panoramic images, I found Grayson Perry who creates huge textile pieces, that are often very focused on social commentary. I think my favourite aspect of his panoramic images is how he distorts perspective, which I find really fun and surreal. As I am also intending to base my images around a culture/society (1950's america), I'm starting to think about using satire or humour, which could maybe change the whole purpose of the outcome.

Applied Illustration: Initial Research

At this point in the project, one thing I am fairly certain about is that I want to create a long image that is viewed online/on a phone, and has elements that are interactive. A lot of concertinas that are published by NoBrow display some of the qualities I hope to achieve;

Tom Clohosy Cole; 'Space Race'

Golden Cosmos; 'High Times' 

Ping Zhu; 'Swan Lake'

There's something that I really admire about the panoramic element of these images, and I just find them really exciting to engage with. I feel that creating the images will also be really exciting which will hopefully come through in my work. In general, the purpose's of these books are mostly to entertain and to be bought and treasured; however a lot of the concepts are based on educational elements - for example 'high times' is based on the history of aviation and flying, which can be decoded to be educational, an element I am really considering incorporating into my work. I feel that in terms of making an educational product, the amount of research would have to be extensive in order for it to be legit, including using academic sources. 

In terms of themes, I have been thinking about cultures/eras that fascinate me - one of which is 1950's america. I find the visuals for this era really exciting including B-movie posters, diners, jiving, cadillacs etc. I just feel that visually I could have a lot of fun with this. I will focus on finding a concept when researching further. 

Responsive: Collaborative - Packaging Design

- As the illustrator of the group, I was in charge of designing the bottle and packaging, whilst Gavin was in charge of creating an animated sting, and Amelia was in charge of poster and Website design. 

- Based on my initial mockups, I decided that the pattern of broken glass was bold and would work really effectively on the bottle. I wanted to create a design that would attract attention right away, even whilst is in someones hand, and their hand is covered parts of the bottle. I started working on a surface pattern, experimenting with the shapes of broken glass. At first I started with irregular shapes, however I felt it didn't look elegant enough. So I decided to simplify the shapes down to triangles which gave the design a much slicker look. 

- In terms of colour, I tried with the original plan of neon yellow, pink and green. However, we as a team decided it looks cheap and tacky, which although we wanted to create a party vibe, wasnt the way to go. After Amelia decided to experiment with colour palettes, she found one with multiple colours that practically would push the creative boundaries, but would be possible to make, and it would look crazy and fun. 

- I think that the latter colour scheme does create more of a sense of a party, however we are yet to use it on a bottle design.

- These bottle mockups look really effective in my opinion, and I think the colour scheme works so well with the modified white label. However, the design of the bottle is only the first half of the product, as it is what it looks like when it is glowing that is the important bit. As a team we decided that the pattern on the left looked like it should be on an absolut vodka bottle or something, so we decided to scale it down and make it smaller and more decorative, which I think looks so much better. I also think the triangles will work really well in branding and promotional material aswell. 

Responsive: Collaborative - Development

- I made a start on the practical side of the brief. For our deliverables me and Gavin decided that a Sting, and some branding designs would be appropriate. Unfortunately our organisation as a group is terrible and haven't had a discussion in months, so we definitely need to meet up a lot before the deadline. 

- For our presentation boards I started creating these simple mockups, attempting to get our idea down visually. The design of the bottle pictured right was just an example of how we could make it glow in the dark, however, I think that if we are going to do it, we might aswell make more of an impact with the design. To overcome the problem of photo copyright, I decided to illustrate a desperados bottle, pictured left. 

- These are my mockups of bottle designs that each member of the group created to maximise idea generation. With my designs I was trying to convey the idea of breaking through to the other side, with broken glass shapes. In terms of colour, we were thinking of sticking to the traditional Desperados colours of red yellow and green, which would translate to neon pink, yellow and green, the 3 classic neon colours. 

Sting Idea

- For our sting, me and Gavin came up with a concept of a lightbulb breaking and the exciting colours being exposed. The breaking of the lightbulb will create a link once again to the idea of 'breaking through to the other side'. A mockup(which may be used for the actual thing) that I created. I had a lot of fun creating this still, and I really like the atmosphere and how contrasted it is against our idea of a brightly coloured, fresh and technologically advanced product. I feel that this image appeals to the image of the brand, however our idea will definitely relate more to their brand values of getting the party started. 

Responsive: Collaborative - Idea Development

- So we are deciding to go forward with the glow in the dark bottle idea. We think that it's a really effective solution the problem of encouraging people to party. We decided to ask a handful of people at college if they thought it would be a good idea, and their responses were really positive and they thought our idea was really original. I personally would love to drink out of a glow in the dark bottle in a nightclub, so why not. We also thought that the idea of a neon sign in a saloon bar would be an effective link to make, as it relates back to the brand. 

- I decided to look into why people are attracted to glow in the dark products and how they are linked with the party scene. What is it about neon colours/lights that make people want to party?

- Neon/bright colours attract attention

- The vibrance and brightness of neon colours, especially when worn, show confidence, and often reflect the mood and energy of a person.

- There is also a growing trend of neon parties, that often include dressing up in glow in the dark outfits, wearing glow in the dark paint and accessories, which react with a black light and creates a striking effect. I think that people are drawn to the novelty of dressing up and having something that makes them stand out from the crowd, which is the principal we intend to use for our glow in the dark products for Desperados.

- From doing market research, we have found that currently there are no products like what we intend to make, on the UK clubbing scene. 

- After deciding on our concept, we started thinking of names for our experience, including: 

Fire, Dark, Neo, Wild Nite, Fuego, Ember, After Dark and Showdown. We were trying to convey the authenticity of traditional cowboy aspects, like campfires in the desert etc. From this exercise, our favourite name was Desperados Fuego, (Fire in spanish) as the way the word sounds, especially the 'go' sound creates an element of excitement. The concept of fire is also really emotive and links with energy, which is needed for the party scene. 

- These experiments were really useful in terms of driving the project forward, and helping us decide what kind of design we were thinking for our glow in the dark bottle. My personal favourite is the 'Fuego' pictured at the bottom of the left image, as I feel that it is really energetic and looks quite authentic, the rigidity of it almost looks like a wood carving or something. When designing this, I was trying to incorporate desperados slogan of 'Break through to the other side', which I conveyed with pieces of shattered glass, an idea I really liked.

Responsive: Secret 7 - Dream, Art School, Clearest Blue - Final Designs

Dream - Max Richter

This was the first song that Secret7 have used that doesn't use words/lyircs, which left it completely to interpretation. The slow paced haunting nature elf the track got me thinking about drifting through space, or floating in water. My intention when designing the track was this slow paced, relaxing atmosphere. As the track is based on dreams, it seemed only right to include some unusual, surreal aspects. 

Initial Sketches

Art School - The Jam

I found this song to be really energetic, embodying punk and anarchy. When scamping out my ideas, I focused alot on the lyric 'do anything that you want to do', and in the context of an art school, I based my design on artwork in a gallery. I wanted to convey the subjectivity of art school and how with a decent concept behind it, the visual product can be anything. I started by thinking of random, inappropriate, and unusual objects to use in a gallery setting. 

I think my cover is effective in terms of communicating which song it is, and illustrates the unusualness of some art installations. I really liked the simplicity of this cover and central composition, which reminds me of the \velvet underground's album cover, featuring the work of pop artist Any Warhol.

Clearest Blue - Chvrches

This was the only song I didn't really enjoy listening to, as it didn't really appeal to my personal tastes in music. However, I did pick up on the energy and vibe that are created by the electronic sounds. My intention was to convey this fast paced, electronic energy. 

Initial Sketches

I think that the cover, although quite abstract and pattern driven, fit really well with the the track. It also reflects the style of Chvrches previous covers, which often use geometric, abstract shapes with bold colours.

Responsive: Collaborative - Communication

Recently our group has been struggling to meet up for a discussion about the project, which is bothering me as the deadline is quickly approaching. We're using facebook to keep in touch, however because the graphic design course has responsive scheduled on different days, we've not had a meeting for a while, and other commitments keep getting in the way. 

Responsive: Collaborative - First Meeting + Research

My group consisting of an Animator, Gavin, and Graphic Designer, Amelia, have started on our Collaborative brief. We have chosen to have a go at the D&AD Desperados brief, which encourages it's customers to get the party started, and to create an unforgettable party experience. I'm really pleased that I am in a group with a range of artists, as I think that the outcome will be different to anything we have created before, and more advanced in terms of technical skills etc also. 

To start the brief, we initially looked at some existing Desperados advertisements:

We found them all to be quite similar in terms of atmosphere created and funnily the colour scheme used, which always seemed to be quite earthy - reference to the desert? old fashioned saloon bars? And there is always a focus on young people, having a good time at a party, letting out their wild side. 

We also looked into printed advertisements, and they each have an energy and vibe that makes it clear they are marketed for young people - an element we should aim to incorporate in our product. 

From watching these, we started thinking about our initial idea, notes from our meeting:

Main points discussed:

-Drinking Game? Packaging? Roulette?

- Glow in the dark bottle - Glow sticks at parties, why not a glowing bottle? 

- Notches on the bottle for drinking game measurements?

My personal favourite from our ideas is the glow in the dark bottle, as I think it would be a refreshing take on the desperados brand. We also came up with a concept of being in the LIME LIGHT, which with a neon green glowing bottle would be really effective. Also the link between tequila and lime etc is quite clever in my opinion. 

The idea of a drinking game is something that I personally thought of straight away when reading the brief, which although I think is a possible outcome, i'm not sure its very developed, and there will be alot of submissions that are based on a drinking game. We want to stand out! 

Applied Illustration: Initial Thoughts

OK, really taking this opportunity to sit down and get my head around what it is I am actually wanting to pursue for this brief. I'm slightly concerned about this module in terms of how vague and self directed it is, as in the past I have chosen my own theme for a project, and it has been difficult to pursue effectively; so i really need to nail it this time, and find something that I am really interested in. I'm finding it hard to make a link between my interests and something that I want to make pictures about, and in terms of making a project, I'm unsure which one to focus on, and which would make more effective illustration.

Currently I'm really interested in character and narrative, however, after my last attempt to make a book, i'd really rather not try it again. I'm seriously considering pushing my practice towards animation, for this module anyway, as I've really enjoyed doing it in the past, and find it easier to submerge myself. 

Starting points for my research:
Animations - responding to fiction/non fiction, science - educational, entertainment, music, music videos???(too much work maybe)
GIFS - responding to texts/articles/stories, e-books, online, digital experience(animation also), virtual 

Really inspired by the Ballantine's Space Glass - online experience for Instagram magazine

FULL EXPERIENCE: https://www.instagram.com/w_issue2/

I think that it is a really exciting response to something like an invention, how a complete experience has been adapted from a starting point such as the space glass. I also think that the way the work is displayed/distributed is really fresh and innovative, which helps to make the experience more engaging. Aswell as an amazing piece of work, this experience is promotional and advertising for Ballentine's whiskey - which could also be a good starting point for me as Advertising and branding is something that I'm also really interested in. 

THOUGHTS

Create promotional work for existing products - rebranding? respond to their brand values - through online, digital experiences, gifs, animations, social media???
New upcoming products? food/drink/clothing/music/inventions
look into films/scifi/fictional for inspiration for products 
Use narrative?

Also considering creating an educational experience??? something that would be fun to illustrate/ prehistoric times/cavemen, ice age, space, something that is very visually bold and exciting. 

In terms of branding/ merchandise - What products/brands am I interested in?

Lush cosmetics 
Absolut Vodka
Fjall Raven Outdoor wear

Applied Illustration: Initial thoughts + Study Task 1

Initially we were given the task to gather as many examples of contemporary illustration we could relating to each category. To complete the task my group decided to split into smaller groups and focus on one genre- some books I found in the library relating to various elements of Publishing & Book Design:

Orla Kiely 'Shapes'



Collection of Various Artists 'The Ark Project'

Thames and Hudson 'Fanzines'

Stephen Collins 'The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil'

Lotta Neimenn 'Walk This World'

When searching for material, I had a focus more on Contemporary publications. 

Other Genres/themes to look into: 

Zines, Books, Concertinas, Greetings Cards, Page Layouts, Fonts, Embellishment, Presentation, Spine design, Book Covers, Sleeves, Wrap Arounds, children's books, graphic novels, comics, pop up books and interactive publications (AND MORE)

Publishing Houses

Nobrow

Tate

Penguin

Otto Press

Questions Raised from my Research
How do I push my ideas to make something that's fresh and original?

What is the process of getting something published?/Is it an easy process for an unrecognised artist?

What makes a successful publication? 

Study Task 1

5 Contemporary Illustrators whose practice inspires me;

Tom Clohosy Cole

Screenshot from http://www.tomclohosycole.co.uk

'Wall', and 'Space Race' by Tom Clohosy Cole

This particular artist is one of my all time favourites. His work is often really atmospheric and heartwarming, which is a quality that really inspires my practice. I find his work to be very easy to look at and engage with, which may be because of his beautifully colourful, yet cartoon like style. I am unsure of his method of production, however I know that printing is a significant part of his practice. I really admire the quality in his work that is created through his methods of printing and feel that a really authentic quality is created. His work is also very narrative based, of which he has published a number of books, including The Red Prince, and The Wall. Some of his published works I think are created digitally, which is another element that I am really interested in, however his use of texture etc still maintains an authentic quality in his work. His practice as an illustrator is incredibly diverse, in which he has created book covers, animations, and advertising, each of his works demonstrating an experimental use of digital, and analogue texture. 

His work has also been translated into really effective gifs, which I find really inspirational. His use of colour and the way he draws his characters works perfectly in print and animation. 

 

I am also aware of a music video that he worked on as a background designer; 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVz6TCT5Bjs

Screenshot from She & Him - Baby It's Cold Outside

In terms of the new module, I am really interested in exploring animation as a platform as I have really enjoyed each animation project I have completed on the course. 

Michael Driver

Screenshot from michaeldriver.co.uk

Michael Driver is a London based freelance contemporary illustrator who has recently graduated, yet has been flooded with commissions. His work is often editorial based and does a lot of work for various magazines etc. I love his charming use of character and once again texture, an element i am beginning to identify as something that inspires me a lot, aswell as the use of shape. He is also quite digitally driven, however still maintains an experimental aspect in terms of using texture. 

Some examples of his editorial work:

Once again his images have been effectively translated to animations, which is something that is very up and coming especially for publication websites such as the guardian.