FMP - Talking and Messing Around

Today I talked to Sarah about my project so far, I told her what i'm up to and where i'm heading. We discussed the text that would go  been shown in my film and in my book and I told her that I'm still looking for the text I want to include. Sarah suggested that I should probably just right my own text on the message that I want to put across and just make it personal seeing as most of the artwork is personal to me. So i'm going to sit down and write my own text over the weekend. We also talked about my animation film and she said that some of my artwork pieces didn't really show the message that I wanted to show. For example this one.

So she suggested that I insert a clip of me biting my gums and other things that may relate to my film to indicate the meaning of my art, which I think was a good suggestion.

I decided to start test my animation film today as planned. I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out Final Cut Pro  but really just couldn't remember how to use it. It also seemed harder to work with my graphics in the software. I then tried out imovie which seemed easier but the effects they supplies were really basic and I just didn't feel confident by it. After panicking for a bit I decided to try out PowerPoint, I know its not that sophisticated but I just felt I needed to use something that I knew my way around and really didn't want waste time before it was to late. So I spent the rest of the day just separating the layers of my artwork on Photoshop and the importing the separate layers into Powerpoint. I also thought that I could always import my slides in Final Cut Pro and add some short video clips to my animation if I wanted later as that would easier for me to do.

This is my animation film so far, it's still very rough and I need to add more text and edit some of the transitions times.

Overall i'm pretty happy on what I completed today. Tomorrow I'm going to add more slides to my animation film and see Dan for my weekly crit

FMP - Posters, Postcards and Stickers

Today I searched the web for companies that could print my final project in postcard, book form along with some stickers at an affordable price. I thought about printing my final product in Uni but I realised that I cant print double sided with the high quality printers. I found a few websites that supplied good services but I could only find moo.com that supplied all the products I wanted on one site. I'm also thinking about using them as I'v e used the twice before and they're print quality is great. It's also and affordable and the supply 20% off for the students. The only thing is that they don't sell photobooks just postcards or cards so i'd have to op for individual postcards instead of a postcard book or book.

The website lets you try out your designs and preview your product, so I tested some out. These are what the postcards and stickers would look like. They also have different sticker shapes to choose from. 

So hopefully I'll order from them in the next week or so, unless I find a better website.

FMP - My weekend of work

So I didn't manage to do everything I planned to do over the weekend but I did mange to make some more collages. Some of them are similar to the ones I made before but I just thought it's better to have more so when it comes to to my final stuff I have more to choose from. Also some of the collages are a bit simple but I think they can just be backgrounds or I can add photos later.

I didn't manage to record do anything, one because I was too busy and I didn't know what I wanted to record myself doing. However I have got an idea of recording my feet to link with a problem of me looking at the ground when i'm walking because I sometimes lack confidence to look at people when i'm outside. My recordings are also on hold because my camera's not working and i'm waiting to get my iPhone which I'm going to have by Thursday so I can record stuff on that because it's easy to transport plus the cameras pretty good on it.

I did start to do some research on short films and content. At the moment I like the Eurostar's 2014 adverts format. I like how it's the clips are short and simple but really effective. I feel as though the handmade video style would work for my project as it's another form of making art which the viewer may want to try out. I also like the dialogue of the advert, it has the message that, you could do anything and it could change your life and be really enjoyable.

I've also been watching YouTube videos on why to make art and one of Kusama's short documentaries called Yayoi Kusama: Self Obliteration caught my interest. I like how the short film starts with a poem that is pictured line by line with the over voice of Kusama reading it. I also like how words that describe Kusama and her work is slowly flashed on the screen and then it speeds up to become a blue. The quickening of the words can demonstrates Kusama's mind set and makes you feel like yours going through a frenzy. 

FMP - Pick Me Up at the Somerset House

Today I went to the Pick Me Up exhibition that is being held at the Somerset House over the next two weeks. I was suggested to visit it by one of my classmates at the beginning of my FMP. I was told the annually exhibition displayed array graphics, illustrations and zines, so I've been waiting for a couple of months to go. I was looking forward to seeing the types of zines on display to get inspiration from for my project. Some of the illustrators that were on display were Julia Pott, Isabel Greenberg, Linda Linko.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the exhibition as much as I was hoping to. I felt the exhibition only showed a few illustrators and the rest of the exhibition was more like 'The Affordable Art Fair'. I also went quite early in the morning so there wasn't much visitors there and I felt a bit awkward approaching the stalls as the artist/sellers were glaring at everyone who walked past. 

However it wasn't all doom and gloom as I did get inspired from small  sketchbooks that were being sold on 2 of the stalls. The sketchbooks displayed were about A5 - A6 size with plain cartridge paper and the artist print on the cover. One of the covers was a simple brown card type cover with a simple repetitive outline illustration on it. I think the sketchbook are a good idea to include in my project as it would encourage the viewer to take it create their own art. I could even include a pen or pencil so it could be a sort of starter kit. I then could add one on my artworks to the cover or add a few inside as inspiration and I could add a few encouraging quote throughout the book.

I also started reading 'How to Stay Sane' by Phillipa Perry on my journey. The book has some good points and I can see that the first chapter, 'Self Observation' relates to my project. As i'm a bit on a short time scale I might just skim read the book and see if it's the right book to include in my project. I'm looking forward to the chapters, 'Stress' and 'Exercises' which will hopefully enlighten me a bit more.

Over the weekend i'm still hoping to do what I mentioned at the end of my last post.

FMP - Printing and Chatting

Today I finished up on some of my samples then printed and chatted to Darren about my project so far.

I printed my samples as A5 as I thought it was a nice size, that's if it was a book it was easily transportable and could fit nicely in a bag without being to big or heavy. I also personally think that books that are around this size are 'cute' and are more aesthetically pleasing which make you want to pick it up and read it. After printing these out I also noticed I few errors in colours and things which I will edit next week.

Picture of my prints not a great quality photo, I'll try and upload a better one next week.

I also had a quick chat with Darren about my project and he gave me the best advice I've been given for this project so far. I explained that I felt that I had a concept and all this research and artwork but didn't know where I was going with it as I felt my other tutors were kind of steering me off course. Plus I was also worried that my project was more Graphics based than Fashion. But he told me to do what I wanted to do and what I felt was best for me as the my creative work wouldn't show through if do what other people tell me to do. I feel as though this is what I've been thinking for week now but after hearing someone say it, it's give me the extra boost to go forth with it. I also think I work best when I stop worrying about others and just do want I want to do, although I know this won't always be the case in future i.e. in a job. Darren also added that my work would look great as a film which I think is a really good idea and never came to mind.

So overall I've finally decided to make a short film educating about Mental Health and making art as a natural remedy. Alongside the film I will add my original idea of making a a postcard book/book (and maybe stickers or badges) that consists of the film and my artwork. This promotional material will be set alongside the film for viewers to take free of charge to inform them and others about Mental Health and create their own art.

Over the weekend I am going to take more photos of me, make more collages and maybe start some final pages on Photoshop. I am also going to do some research on short films that are relevant to my project.

Next week my aims are to edit the errors I saw in my sample today and urgently search for the text and content I want to include in my final piece. I am also going to play around with Final Cut Pro and other similar software and see how I transform my work into a short film as I've never done it before with just Graphics and text. I'm looking forward to it!

FMP - Paintng Stick Men and Creating Samples (continued)

After break I decided to go on Photoshop and create some samples as I want to try and bring all the work I have made over the last fortnight. I also think it's a good way of making something new and moving on. The text I've added are not permanent they're just to there as a prototype, i'm still on the hunt for my specific content. So these are my double spreads:

As you can see I pretty much kept my collages as they were and added my prints onto the background of the text pages. I also changed some of the print colours and layered and repeated them. Tomorrow I'm going to finish a few bits off I didn't manage to finish today and then print them to see how they look and feel.

FMP - Paintng Stick Men and Creating Samples

So in today's lesson I started it with some painting with ink. I didn't really want to paint the usual eyes so I decided to paint people as I find how they act and move around interesting as a onlooker. I got body references from student and teachers around me and from looking out the window. I decided to paint in black as its my favourite 'colour' plus I think it look simple and neat. I also thought black works well with my Kusama influenced colours plus I can easily change the colours of Photoshop if need be. 

The figures body shapes are Giacometti inspired as I studied him for my A2 History of Art exam which I found really insightful and I like the way his figures referenced to being anonymous which meant they could relate to anyone.

Tall Woman III. Tall Man II and Monumental Head, Alberto Giacometti

I didn't include these painting in my Photoshop samples (details in next post) today as I thought I might leave them to include in my final pieces and create new material to include these in with.

FMP - Once again more collages

So today as planned I made more collages from all the stuff I did over the weekend. I printed my screen shots and photos in a range of sizes and colours so it would give me variation in my work. In each of the collages I tried to mix all the work I've made so far together. I've tried to include:

• A series of images of myself
• Some of my hand drawn repetitive patterns
• My eye illustrations

My friend took out a Wild Flowers book from the library and it immediately called to me as so I decided to add photocopy some of the pages onto tracing paper to layer and add to my collages. I decided to including the floral pages as I really do love flowers and nature and it has a sense of peace to me. 

After thinking about the importance of adding flowers to me I realised that maybe I should make the collages personal to me. I think it's easier to make them personal to me than trying to find someone or something to base it on thoroughly as it's easier to get references. I also think mixing the flowers with my illustrations and the photos of me work well together and are sort of a personal portrait of my work, emotions and passions. So with the decision of making these portrait collages it shows how other people how simple it can be to make artwork to represent them and help them deal with their issues.

I will still include references and influences from Kusama and de Waal as their work and wisdom have helped me with this project and myself which makes it personal and will have a great contribution to my work.

I also went to the library and picked up two books from the 'School of Life' series I saw when I went to Foyles a few weeks ago. I picked the 'How to Stay Sane' and 'How to be Alone', so i'm hoping I'll find some interesting stuff or text to include in my work.

In tomorrows lesson I am going to paint a few illustrations as I think I could make them into repetitive patterns for the background of my collages as some of them are a bit boring on a white background. I don't think that will take the whole day so I may start creating some samples on Photoshop with all my scanned work.

FMP - A concoction of ideas and things from home

Today I decided to create concoction of things so I would have material to use the following week in Uni. Although some of the things are still in process I post the completed ones so far

I began the morning by fingerprinting repetitively on sheets of paper on my bedroom wall. It is kind of an extension of the work I did on Wednesday. I used red, yellow and black as those are Kusama colours. And decided to do fingerprints because:

• Natural tool instead of a paintbrush or pen
• Fingerprints are similar to dots which relates to my Kusama influence
• Fingerprinting is quite calming 

I also decided to record me biting the inside of my cheeks and the result of that as I do it when I'm nervous and I pretty much always have bitten, sore gums as I regularly do it. I thought it would be a good a idea as it's kind a personal thing and it's not a obvious thing that can be seen by an outsider and is kind of contained secret. I sometimes bite them to the point of them bleeding and they really hurt. The photo I took them weren't that bad today compared to yesterday as I've noticed that the inside of the gums heal quite quickly. I didn't manage to photograph them yesterday as there wasn't any good lighting.

I can't find the recording of it at the moment but for now here are the photographed results:

I'm thinking of photographing the inside of my motuh daily to see the result of my day and maybe they could contribute to my work later on. At the moment I just thought this would be a good idea as it's sort of the only physical thing I do that relates to my personal anxiousness, who know's I might scrap the idea later.

FMP - More Collages

So I made more collages today. These collages included photocopies of my questionnaires and screenshots from the short documentaries I watched on Kusama and de Waal. These were elements that were suggested to me in group crit today. I think by including it clearly shows my influences of this project. To be honest I didn't really think of doing it before because at the time I didn't see how it could come across as my own work. Now I've realised that including them in my collages with my own photographs and illustrations I can make it my own as they are what my project is built upon.

These are my collages from today:

I decided to keep de Waal's pieces more black and white and neutral as I think that's the sort of colour he uses in his own work and his personality suits those colours as I find him to be quite humble and intellectual. For Kusama's piece I used reds as that's kind of her trademark colour but I tried not to overload them colour as I thought I could add more colour on Photoshop.

FMP - Patternssssssssssssssssssssssssss and Processsssssssssssssssssssssssss

 Today's lesson I went back to the the obsession and repetitiveness idea that is seen In Yayoi Kusama's work and thought I would go into that a bit more. I also wanted to look more into Outsider Art which and cover the making of art can be fo anyone so it can help deal with personal issues.

 From the questionnaires I made to give out to fellow art student to fill out I included a section on the back that got them to doodle the favourite obsessions, fears and patterns ect. and decided to use these doodles to create patterns and to record my repetitiveness.

These are the doodle from the art students:

I wanted to do this today because as I feel after taking to Suzie, researching and reading about Outsider Art it is important to show that anyone can do it whether you are an artist or not. I think that it's more the effect of making something rather than the result of the art piece which is key and I wanted to create and show the process of that today and then possibly use my results in later work.

Here's me drawing and repeating the polka dots:

I'm planning on using the patterns and screenshots in collages and distorting them in Photoshop next week or maybe at a later date

Video screenshots

All the repetitive patterns I made today

When I got home I decided to record my self hanging up my final pattern on the wall. I felt by doing this it ended my process and showed my art as a piece of finished artwork.

Me placing my patterns on a wall to signify a piece of finished Outsider Art

I do like the result of my day but I think they are quite detached from each other. I think i'm going to do a bit more by maybe mixing and layering them together so there not so separate and including them in my other work. I'll probably do this using the photocopier and scanning them into Photoshop and changing them up a bit.