CONCEPT : Blog entry 19

Have spent the day just experimenting with all my ideas on the computer. Have mainly been working out little problems with how to draw this way; things like eyes, level of detail and gradient and/or iridescent feathers. Trying to experiment with a little bit of everything, but there's still a lot that I wanted to have a go at. I've still got some time, I'm hoping I can have a go with butterflies before I have to leave.

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Chaffinch

This was the first thing I did this morning and, and you can bloody tell. I'll probably have another bash at one of these at a later date, I just wanted to do a couple of finches.

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Bullfinch

This is starting to look better, but then this one was fairly simple to do anyway. Have also added one of my ideas to this one; as well as the colours of the bird on the pallet, there is also a watercolour of what the egg looks like (I'll talk about that more later though)

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Goldfinch

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Hawfinch

Photo from yesterday

Experimentation in Photoshop - playing with text, combining with photography

This is just an idea I had, similar to using the feathers with text. I'm not sue about it  though...need to try it out with more things.

Experimentation in Photoshop -  A Charm of Finches

And then I just combined everything to see how it would look..want to make one of these for butterflies next. The photo text works well here. The drawings look quite sweet together too. This could maybe be a heading for a chapter? or a specific board around a nature reserve?

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Lapwing

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Collective noun/photo

 Not sure this composition of text actually work tat well..it's supposed to read "a Deceit of Lapwings" not sure it it works, but I can work on it, there is so much more experimentation to be done with each little bit of this idea.

Photograph from yesterday

Sketchbook Experimentation - Egg watercolours

After finding and egg yesterday, I thought another aspect to add would be the egg of the bird (also gives me a chance to sneak some watercolour in/more organic texture) here's the bits in my sketchbook followed by a close up. have only used this idea in a couple of designs so far, but I quite like it. Not sure bout it also being on the pallet though, maybe its not clear what it is? There's a couple of other ways I could incorporate this idea, I just need to try them out.

Sketchbook Experimentation - Egg watercolours - Lapwing, close up

Experimentation in Photoshop -  Lapwing mock up

As with the first stuff I did, I thought I'd make a quick mock up, and provide another example of my idea. And there's a couple of different ideas on this one.

First, using the same technique as the flying birds on the title text; I don't think these two work well so close together, in the goose mock up, the birds seemed more effective next to the solid text.

I've also included the egg watercolour on the pallet. I think it's a nice touch, but maybe not for the pallet? is it clear that thats even what it is?? I need a second opinion. I think all of this looks quite nice yadda yadda, but I need some one to tell me all the things I cant see.

Although thinking about it, right now, I suppose; what info will be included on/in this will depend on what kind of 'thing' I make, where it will go, who it will appeal to.

If I were to include the eggs that serves one of two purposes; 

1. hardcore bird identification or

 2. treasure hunt family activity with children. 

So the format it may take if I do decide to include it, will depend upon who I choose to aim this at...

Something else that is usually included in these things is a map, showing where the birds is from/where you can find them; how can I make a map different?..another thing on the list to experiment with.

So far thats;

- drawing animals

- drawing birds

- drawing frogs/snakes/insects

- drawing butterflies

- more ways to add egg texture?

- experimentation with typography/font/photographs

- experimentation 

- Feathers/birds in flight - other layouts ways??

CONCEPT : Blog entry 13

I have continued to add to my Pinterest board for ideas, and have ordered 'the bible of mythical creatures', which should be good to have a flick through, I should also really get my hands on Matt Sewell's 'Our song birds' too, although this isn't released yet. 

Pintrest board

I've also been trying to draw some of these myself, only a couple have worked well, but most of it just looks too cartoony, or manga-esk. I want them to look like illustrations taken from biology text books. I find it very hard, when drawing something fantasy based, not to revert back to being a 14 year old drawing final fantasy fan art...

Wolpertinger - Sketchbook experimentation

Nagini  - Sketchbook experimentation

Medusa -  - Sketchbook experimentation

Harpy  - Sketchbook experimentation

 Unicorn - Sketchbook experimentation

Hippogriff  - Sketchbook experimentation

CONCEPT : Blog entry 11

This is the cockatiel I was working on. This is much better..I just need to keep it up. The block colours work really well here.

Sketchbook experimentation

Working with the colours like this is all very well and good, but I have yet to work out how that will work when it comes to doing an african grey..I might do one of these next to try and work it out.

CONCEPT : Blog entry 9

Still thinking of the idea for a parrot guide, I remembered an idea I originally had around the text for the Red List project when working on Babel; using images of feathers to create text (found in this post).

This could work quite well for this idea too, so I spent a little time making some samples of the text. If I were to actually use this idea, I would take my own photos for use, and also spend more time thinking about an experimenting with which fonts to use, but for now this gives a good idea of whats in my head.

Experimentation with text and feather imagery

I have also started doing a couple of water colours of the parrots, thinking of Matt Sewell's simplistic style with the blocks of colour to highlight the birds characteristic qualities.
(My pages got stuck together..)

Sketchbook experimentation - Catalina Macaw

Sketchbook experimentation - Ecelectus & Blue and Gold Macaw

I need to practice more... my first macaw looks ok...the ecelectus looks horrible, but i'm not sure why. They have a really funny simple face, when simplified even more apparently it goes to hell...but, overall the blocks of colour work! its just my drawing ability that needs working on. Also I need to take my time, and let the individual blocks dry before adding the next section. I think I just need to do more and practice..and do something about the feet too.

I'm working on  cockatiel at the moment that, so far, looks lovely, I'll add this later.

CONCEPT : Blog entry 5

Another ideas; previously, I have worked around the subject of pigeons. I was interested in our relationship with them and how I felt that they were quite misunderstood. I feel that there are many of these same misconceptions around rats.

Apparently, one of the most common phobias is of rats. they are considered filthy, and are responsible for the spread of the black plague. However, they are incredibly intelligent; they are now being trained to sniff out landmines, and can detect gun shot residue in seconds. They also make excellent pets, and respond when you call their name. 

This is just the start of it, I'm sure if i were to go down this route, I would find lots more information (as I did when I started researching pigeons) although right now I'm (once again!) not sure how this could be a project - although I've a few ideas;

-I had been thinking about making an info book in the style of a child book. but i was thinking about doing this for badgers or foxes, wasnt sure if it would work - would it work better with rats???

-Concrete poetry; using James Herbert quotes ('The Rats', 'Lair', 'Domain')

Sketchbook experimentation

Sketchbook experimentation

I've also been thinking more about the Red List idea..how to make it work. A short guide/pamphlet for each bird? How to simplify them, get away from traditional imagery found in bird guides...

Sketchbook experimentation

Initial Ideas...

CONCEPT : Blog entry 2

Still havent had any major brain waves about what I might do for a project...or even work to make that might be more relevant to my disseration.

I am still thinking about something to do with British wildlife (watching spring watch is not helping..) have had acouple of ideas but nothing solid yet..

-RSPB Red list

The book I thought of whilst doing the Babel project. I like this idea, but I think I want to do something that will allow me to experiment a litte bit more..but something along these lines would be a good start I think

-An info booklet in the style of a childs book - pros/cons/explanation of badgar culling?..This could also apply to foxes

-RSPB Red list, bird guide...using poetry and poetic nouns (an unkindness of ravens, a parliment of owl etc.)

Have also started doing a few doodles;

These are a little rough in places.. but I am keen to keep working with watercolour. I love it! and i think it works really well. infact, I might have gotten a little obssessed and made a pin board with lots of examples of this.

Skecthbook work - Starlings murmuration

Another thing that came to me was starlings in flight. I had been thinking of things to do around the Red List again, Starlings drew my attention as they are not hard to spot, can be considered a pest, and in this form take on quite a menacing form, but are a part of the ecosystem no less and have made it to the Red List (although i need to check if they are still there..they may have moved to amber recently). the murmuration of starling is something that I have never seen in person, and something that I may never get to see. I also find it really interesting that scientists still dont know how the birds form theese patterns.

While doing this piece I was thinking about lots of things, andgot lots of little ideas. I was also reminded of the Photography Richard Barnes, who did a series of images or the starling murmurations titled 'Murmur';

Richard Barnes, Murmur 21, 2006

Richard Barnes, Murmur 08, 2005.

Richard Barnes, Murmur 25, 2006

(Richard Barnes, 2014)

Here's a video from youtube, of the murmuration at Gretna Green for good measure; 

As I was saying..this gave me a few more ideas, one of which links back to the Babel project - using text (possibly poetry) to create images of the murmurations (this is somethig that i'm going to have a bash at later once I'm done blogging).

I haver also been thinking of poetic/collective nouns, and possibly incorporating this into my work in some way (FYI the collective noun for starlings, as well as murmuration, are also a chattering or an affliction)

Another thing was flocks, plagues, animal and human relationships...organic shapes in nature (which I also looked at breifly within the Babel project) I was particularily in the idea of flocks, as this is something that I have looked at before in my BA;

BA Fine Art degree show piece, Sheffield Hallam, 2012,  Feral Rock Pigeon: Columba Liva, 500 Polaroid photos of pigeons.

You can view more photos of this piece here.

I have had a couple of idea to work on, mainly at the moment I think I'll focus on the starlings, but I have much more research to be done.

Richard Barnes, (2014). Murmur. [online] Available at: http://www.richardbarnes.net/murmur/ [Accessed 2 Jun. 2014].

wildaboutimages. (2013). Gretna Green Murmations. [Online Video]. 21 November. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Q-EbX6dso> [Accessed: 02 June 2014].

 PP&M: Blog entry  30

These are just a couple of experiments with quotes from the Borges text in watercolour. These could be better (and lots neater) although I like this idea. I don't think I'll do any more with this, I just wanted to try it out really...although it is something that I might come back to later, and experiment with further.

I hadn't used my watercolours for a couple of weeks, and really wanted to give this ago. The watercolours is something that I would like to continue to work with, and I think in the time between this semester and the next, I will be doing some more experimentation with them.

Working with text is also something that I have enjoyed, as I have not done much of this in the past, but I think I will also consider this for my MA project.

PP&M: Blog entry  17

I wanted to recreate my previous sketchbook experiments (Blog entry 13) in photoshop; this is much cleaner and neater than my sketchbook experiments, although some of the qulities are lost in this, others are gained (such as easily being able to change to grayscale)

Experimentation in Photoshop

Experimentation in Photoshop

Experimentation in Photoshop, incorporating text from the story of Babel

I then took this, and tried to incorporate the pages of text into the design. I think that this is quite effective; although I didn't try this in colour - I think I might stick to the original plan of working in black and white when working with the pages of the book...

Experimentation layering watercolour and text in grayscale

I think this is really effective, but then part of me doesn't  want to completely write off working in colour yet. I think I will just keep experimenting with both and see what happens.

PP&M: Blog entry  15

Today I brought all of my experimentations with the water colours from the past few days into uni to begin playing with the results on the computer. In these experiments, I used the textures I created the other day (see Blog entry 12) I scanned them in, and then started layering them onto my pages of text, altering the opacity and also cutting out shapes. I was wanting to incorporate the watercolours into my initial idea of wanting to obscure the text of the story.

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Whilst creating the textures, I was contemplating what colours to use. For me, the story conjures up images of old fashioned dark, dank place. with lots of dark wood, and green and red fabrics, dark plain clothes. So far, i have not been able to create any really dark deep colours (I need to work on this more) however the patterns and marks made by the watercolours is similar in places to the marbled pages in some old books.
For now though, I just decided to stick with red, as the text talks of a Crimson hexagon;

"They were urged on by the delirium of trying to reach the books in the Crimson hexagon: books whose format is smaller than usual, all-powerful, illustrated and magical."

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Experimentation with watercolour and text in Photoshop

Borges, JorQe Luis. "The Library of Babel." Coltected Fictions.

Trans. Andrew Hurley. NewYork: Penguin, 1998.