Daily Doodles Summer 2013 (+playlist)

This really struck me. I happened upon it thanks to a Facebook post.

The thing that stands out most for me (apart from the colour and movement and fun!)  is the fearlessness of the creativity.

I love the fact that there is no intention to form a perfect end product but rather the artist is simply expressing their day/themselves/their feelings and so on, with complete creative abandon.
As the viewer I could not help feeling transported into a beautiful, colourful world, full of hope, light and freedom.

I hope to take a page out of this artists book...

Exe 3.3:Image Development

The photograph I have chose to use is one I took when exploring Istanbul:

I took 10 separate photos of the above image, using a cardboard view finder to demarcate different parts of the image and therefore annotate different meanings to each new image: 

SUNRISE

FAST FOOD

SUSPICIOUS

DISAPPOINTED

NAUSEOUS

BUSKER

 HOT

SINGER

BAND

RHYTHM

I chose the following part of the image to illustrate into a poster and adapt slightly:

GUILTY /RED-HANDED/ BUSTED

I chose to use the word " BUSTED"

Chalk pastel version of above image

Using Pixelmator (Mac visual image app) I managed to cut out the scanned image of my pastel drawing and lay it on top of a graffiti wall I downloaded from the internet.

Trial 1 

Trial 2 and final image

I chose to write the word 'Busted" in a graffiti wall style font. I adapted it from a font I'd seen on the internet. 

I chose to have the characters being 'busted' for graffiti as a slight irony on the fact that they are in fact originally graffiti characters themselves. 

They also don't look like your stereotypical 'graffiti villains' which I felt added a little bit of humour to the image. 

I stopped at Trial 2 mostly because I printed out the version with the blue graffiti wall and after colour photocopying it it had a glossy surface which made it difficult to paint/draw on it. When I cut out and stuck my chosen word, "busted" on it, it also didn't seem to work and therefore I stuck to using the black and white background (a std photocopy) for the final image. 

Does it work as a poster illustration? 

• I think that if I had more time I would play around more with the typography as I don't think that the way I have written 'Busted" is very easy to read and as a poster it is important to communicate a message and therefore this would need to be reviewed. Perhaps a simplified font with paint dripping down. 

• I also think that the red of the writing is perhaps too bright and therefore the 1st thing your eye is drawn too which is not really where I wanted to the emphasis to lie. I would therefore tone down the colour a little more if I had time to re-work it. 

• I would also like to trial another version with the blue coloured wall if time allows but for now I will press on. 

Exe 3.2: Reading an image

For this exercise we needed to study the following image provided and answer the questions that follow:

1. List the contents breaking the image into its constituent parts
2. What is the image about?
3. Work out the narrative and identify the story.
4.Describe the palette and tonal range which is used and the connection between hot colours and the importance of the elements in telling the story?

1.) Content:

• Characters: Two adventurous children: an older brave girl and a younger frightened little boy. (presumably brother and sister) and a large sleeping Dragon
• Location: Dark cold cave, presumably where the dragon lives
• Objects: A variety of treasure; Fire torch, held by little girl; Empty armour presumably from knights that been eaten or defeated by the dragon after failing to accomplish their quest.  

2.) What is the image about:

• Two young children find themselves in a dark cave where there is treasure guarded by a large dragon. 
• It is clear from the expressions on the children's faces and their body language that they have come into this cave with a purpose of retrieving one of the objects guarded by the large dragon. 
• We can sense the fear from the little boy who appears to indicate that they should leave the cave for fear of failing but the determination on the little girl is evident and as a result we now that the story continues.  

3.)Without knowing the story at all, I feel this image conveys a clear narrative and this is my interpretation.            

• A pair of adventurous children (likely brother and sister but not necessarily) find themselves in the middle of a quest  to rescue an important piece/object of treasure which is closely guarded by the large, dangerous but sleeping dragon.
• It is evident from the abandoned armour that strong knights, trained to defeat dragons have failed in the very same quest that these small children are undertaking.
• The image evokes anxiety and excitement and despite the fear that we feel for the unlikely heroes, they seem determined to be victorious in their quest.            

3.) Palette and tonal range and how the colours link to the story: 

An extensive palette of warm and cool colours is used to contrast each other in this image. 

The colours themselves are key to the composition as well as to creating the atmosphere and narrative within the image. 

a.) The warm colours: 

• The reds, oranges and yellows within the image immediately come to the foreground in the image. They are the 1st thing that your eye is drawn to before you start looking closer at the image and the narrative. e.g: By painting the dragon red, our eye is immediately drawn to it therefore emphasising the dragon as the most important element in this image. 
• The large red light draws our eye to the small children who are the unlikely heroes in the story. 
• The reds and oranges also suggest both light i.e.: lighting the dark cave, as well as heat which is echoed in the fire lamp that the little girl is holding as well as of course the dragon, who is likely to breath fire as well.
• In the western culture, in which this story appears to derive, red is also a colour of danger which also adds to the narrative. 

b.) The cool colours:

• Our eyes observe these colours receding into the background with the resultant effect of 'pushing' the warmer colours forward. 
• They also create an atmosphere as well as implying temperature itself e.g: The purple and intense light blue of the cave suggests that it is scary and dark as well as generally a cold damp place.
• There is a number of instances where green is used. This has the effect of helping the warmer orange hues stand out (by virtue of green and orange being opposite colours) as well as providing balance to the image as the green of the little girl's dressed is echoed by the green on the throne protected by the dragon as well as the knight's armour. 

       

commuter sketch booking

 

Exercise 3.1: Illustrating visual space

This exercise continues on in the study and understanding of composition and viewpoint.

The task was to create an image that included a tree, a child running/walking and a building and to arrange these in different scales, sizes in a square frame and then comment on the following:

a. )How does your sense of the image and it's meaning change when the figure is smaller then the other elements?
b. )If the elements are at differing angles to each other and at an angle to the frame, what dynamic is suggested?
c. )If all the elements are completely horizontal and vertical in relation to the frame what dynamic is suggested? What is your opinion about this image and what sensation does it communicate?
d. )Which is your favourite composition? Explain why you feel it is the most successful.

I have done ten variations to comment on and use as examples.

a.) The smaller figure: 

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 4

In the examples above I have varied the size of all the elements but ensured that the figure is essentially smaller then one or both other elements in the composition. 

I feel that when the figure is smaller then the other elements, there is almost instantaneously a narrative that is created simply by virtue of the scale. The figure is a living object and therefore our eye is naturally drawn to it despite the fact that it is smaller then the other elements. As such, when the figure is smaller it can creates a feeling of adventure or curiosity. Also the small figure helps to emphasise the largeness of the surrounding objects which makes the figure seem even smaller and the intrigue even greater.  

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

When the running child is at an angle a strong sense of movement is created, especially when part of the figure is outside of the frame. 

Fig 8

When the elements are at different angels to each other, there is a sense of unease on the eye and a sense of chaos. In this image the stationary elements e.g.: the tree which is a stationary element rooted in the ground, usually vertical and representing stability is at and angle compared to the running child who is so vertical it looks like she is coming to an abrupt halt. All is not ordered. Because of the angles, there is still a sense of movement.

Fig 9

Fig 10

This image feels particularly stable with the horizontal horizon, vertical house and tree and almost vertical running chile. The scale of the child makes it appear they the child is in the foreground and the house and tree are in the background. 

My favourite compositions are fig 1 and fig 3 as they seem to have a natural narrative within them...and I love a good story!