Update on 'Fact' Project

Along time, no talk.

Since my last post I've been researching the hell out of the Tyrannosaurus and have come up with a decent list of facts I feel are interesting and lesser known to the public.

I've really been enjoying the project and have made good use of my time, having already started my final outcome. I've chosen to create a comic strip across five A3 sheets. I'm using black indian ink applied via a nib pen over penciled layouts. It's my first time using one but the process is alot of fun, albeit time consuming and at times repetitive.

I've finished the first sheet and should hopefully have enough time to finish the next four before my crit. Hopefully. I've written up a 'script' for the characters involved in the comic strip so all I have to do is copy it to paper. The comic's style is slightly inspired by the Horrible History books with their comedic characters depicting historical events. Looking at the content I've produced I'd say I've settled on a child/young teen audience.

Below is a drawing I did in similar vein to Peter Blegvad's 'lion' shown to us in the fact brief. I've also done an imagined image and quite a few observed drawings, but this one is fresh from this afternoon's lecture.

What? I got bored. At least I did something productive!

More coming soon...

More Photos from Oxford

I took alot of pictures of things I really liked yesterday. Only seems fair to include some more.

Visit to Oxford

Waking up at 6am to catch a train and a 100 minute bus ride to Oxford didn't seem like the best start of a day, but I was happily surprised by both museums when we got there.

I really loved the Natural History museum for it's collection of things living and extinct. I've always been an animal and dinosaur geek so I was in my element. The Pitt River's museum was also great for its quirky collections, some fascinating and some disturbing and in some cases both. I spent the majority of the 4 hours there drawing and taking photos. With only 19 drawings done you'd think I could of done more in that time but certain drawings had more effort put in than others. This is probably because I tried different approaches, using different coloured pencils and grades of pencil softness to get various results. I think I used my time wisely and would have gladly stayed longer as I didn't even get to see the upper floors of the Pitt Rivers.

The only negatives to this trip was how exhausted I was by the end of the day and the fact (no pun intended) that I now have a plethera of subjects to choose for my project.

Damn you, childhood love of dinosaurs. Damn you to hell.

Below I've included a few drawings and photos from the day:

First thoughts on 'Fact' project and scans from powerpoint

So far the only real taste I've got of this project is the presentation task assigned to us last Thursday. I finished the powerpoint tonight and found it fairly enjoyable.
I worried it was becoming more of an animation than a presentation but I guess it's all subjective. I like how it turned out either way, though it does feel a bit rushed in a 30 second time slot.

Here are some scans from the drawn work I used (some scans shown below weren't used in the final presentation).




Here are some reference images for the presentation too:

Pictures from 'Fiction' book

Bit belated but here are my three favourite images from the book I created in response to the Dunwich Horror. I chose these as I felt they were the strongest and most detailed from the original sixteen.

Nine and a half hours before my crit and my Fiction project outcome is finally finished. I think the pressure actually helped motivate me.

Looking at the book now there are things I'd have added and refined if I had the time. I'd of probably put lettering on the book cover and added extra details to some of the images. However, I think some of the images work fine as they are whether they be highly detailed or quite sparce and open in appearance.
I think my black and white theme works well but adding a third colour might of increased the book's appeal. Having said that, the grim and macabre nature of the Dunwich Horror fits the dark black and white approach.

I'll post scans of the book tomorrow. Right now I need to sleep!

Random find of the day that I find interesting: (Jason Chan)

While browsing on the internet today I came across the work of Jason Chan, an illustrator and concept artist who's work greatly appeals to my usual band of interests. I've even seen some of his work before i.e. the bioshock 2 concept work. Turns out he has a blog on blogspot too, so if you dig digital art (of a high standard) and want to see an extensive range of scenes and characters check out the link below:

http://jasonchanart.blogspot.com/



An illustration by Chan for author Amber Benson's 'Among the ghosts'.





And here's one he did for Magic: The Gathering of a dragon. Just because...


...I like dragons.

Overdue update on 'Fiction' project progress

So, yeah, I have actually been working, just forget to blog about the work I've actually done...
I completed the 'everything drawing' and 4 ways task respectively. I enjoyed both but feel the book format of the 4 ways task is best suited for the outcome I want to achieve.
I have a personal love affair with the book/comic format so it just seems natural to go the route I'll enjoy most.

The crit last week was highly useful in terms of seeing how others have approached their texts and it's always a nice confidence boost when fellow students compliment your work. One in particular seemed really impressed with my fold-out experiment I did for one of the booklets in the 4 way task.

When talking with Luke, my tutor, I decided I shouldn't feel obligated to illustrate for the purpose of story telling and that I could do a book of vague glimpses of the Dunwich Horror itself. This came about because of my confession to him that I greatly enjoyed illustrating monstrous and macabre. He seemed to think if that was what I liked to do then I should do it. I think a few establishing shots for sense of place and moment will be sufficient enough to support a monster-centric story.

Since I'm such an fan of monster creation this whole process will hopefully be a breeze.

More updates soon.

Start of 2nd year

I've had a very long break.

One my brain seems intent on prolonging as the shock of actually having to use it again is still fresh, even at the end of my first week back at Camberwell.
However, despite having to readjust to the weekly routine, the 2nd year seems promising and fun. I see myself working harder this year. Even if that does sound like a cliche I think i genuinely want to prove something to myself. I want to feel like I've physically progressed in some form or other.
I'd love to see my intense way of working combine with the drawing styles of classicism. I want there to be a balance. Not just going one way or the other and feeling half accomplished.

The Fiction brief is 5 weeks long and that gives me ample opportunity to spend the next few weeks wisely and productively. I've already decided that I want my final outcome to be in the form of a book. My passion for writing and drawing will probably always draw me to the book format.

So yes, on with Lovecraft's Dunwich Horror I go.




Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn and all that good stuff.

Zdzisław Beksiński

Just found the website of an artist who's name I dare not try and pronounce. Seriously. You try.
I found some of his artwork on the paranormal board of 4chan (of all places) and it's the dark, weird and unusual type of thing I always meander towards.

Click HERE if you want to take a peek.

Elizabeth Bathory Biopic

So here's the finished product. I've had some nice comments on it so far so that's reassuring. I feel quite happy with the outcome. Maybe some parts could of been improved (the 3 stills of the servant girl being slapped is hard to see compared to the rest of the frames) and I do feel the animation seems short, but I met the one minute target so I'm not too worried.

She doesn't look so scary.

Here are some reference images on Bathory. Although there is alot of fan-based art an imagery on this oddly beloved woman there are few original images of her.

A long overdue posting

Here are some stills from my biopic on Elizabeth Bathory the murdering Hungarian Countess. My time with her has been pleasant. Mostly disturbing and traumatic though.





Really need to update this blog on a regular basis too. Bad Mike.