Print #3 (Modern Teen)

For my third print, as part of the people and characters unit in module one, I have created a final print, alongside several testers and secondary prints, of a stereotypical modern day teenager, from around the era of the 80's/90's and early 00's.

I created this print as a homage to Hartlepool during the eras of the 80's/90's and 00's. This illustration will fit alongside my other prints, that involve an industrial worker, a female teenager, and a rich figure.

I used this sketch (below) I created, as a reference point for my print.

For the creation of my final prints, I have used a few techniques for printing. 

My prints above. The darker print is notably the actual printing source sheet.

Thomas.

Jo Davies

Jo Davies is a freelance people and character illustrator and writer, who creates many illustrations commercially for children's books. (I can tie this in as part of my professional studies research because of this).

http://www.jodaviesillustration.com/page5.htm < Reference to image.

This link highlights her work in the children's market sector > http://www.jodaviesillustration.com/page4.htm

She works as an author and illustrator for such children's book companies as Barefoot Books, and Scholastic Books. She also produces educational work for such companies as Macmillans, Fabri and Chalkface.




Thomas.

Unit Recap

For the people and characters project, all other work aside (painting etc), my main section with the character element, was that I created several draft pencil characters, which turned into final charcoal characters, to fit inside ink printed bottles, that hung on the end of the fisherman's pier. I chose to use charcoal for the final characters, because it felt that by using this medium, it sort of reflected Hartlepool's past, in terms of its industry, which was all powered by the fuel of coal, a dusty, and black substance.

Charcoal is a substance that looks a lot like coal, however comes out on materials so much better. So it worked just perfectly. As a side bonus, it gave the piece the impression of industrial pollution. ( example, a smog dust atmosphere)

My idea was to create alternate people, user a unified theme. One of the characters was of a working teenager, living back in the industrial period timeframe, and the other was of a much more relaxed teenager in today's period in history. A stereotypical teenager, with a skateboard, and long hair.

An additional character, was of a 50's female, wearing 50's style fashion and clothing, to represent the middle period in Hartlepool's history.


Thomas.

Gallery advice

This is a nice, straightforward link, to a how to page that is giving tips, and advice, for setting up a gallery exhibition. It's not perfect, but in the good snippets It provides, offers advice such as, how to consider your work, direct viewers through your work, as well as handy warning points.

http://m.wikihow.com/Set-Up-an-Art-Exhibition

Virtual Galleries

A link to a great site, that features virtual 3D galleries.

Could come in really handy, as it could quickly give an idea as to how generic galleries choose to display certain types of work, while sitting at my desk.

> http://mobile.3dstellwerk.com a very good site :)

Thomas.

Damien Hirst

I have had a look at the artist Damien Hirst, and at how he chooses to exhibit, and display his many numerous pieces. I have to say, that in my personal opinion, he really creates beautiful, well presented, clean and stunning gallery exhibitions.

The gallery image that seems to somewhat resemble mine, and my groups own idea, and style most, which I posted in the previous blog, is in the photo example below, and in the link for reference.

http://www.damienhirst.com/exhibitions/solo/2012/pinchuk < reference to image featured

Me and my group for this project used Damien Hirst as an inspiration, and you can see his influences clearly, toward the bottom of the page, where our finished mural pictures are displayed.

This exhibition piece, seems to closely resemble my groups mural, of a figure fishing for miniature ornamental bottles, containing certain elements of imagery, and figures from Hartlepool.

I will continue my research, and add to this blog over time.

You can see, in the two images above this text, that the mural that myself and my group set up and created for our people and characters unit, resembles the example photo, of Damien Hirst's gallery exhibition. Especially around the pier area, on the left hand side.

Link to Damien hirst's interesting full gallery > http://www.damienhirst.com/exhibitions

Group gallery idea progress

For the gallery space in folio, my group and myself, have jointly decided to come up with a maritime/social/industrial idea. Replacing our initial topic, which was surrounding such figures and characters as the unfortunate homeless.

This new idea involves creating an illustration, or piece, of a figure fishing for bottles containing elements of Hartlepool's culture, history, people, or characters. 

< brainstorming on ideas of what the folio gallery exhibition could contain.

The bottles in the piece, will be like the ones used in old ship and bottle ornaments. (Below)

This will tie really well with the maritime theme, which is a big staple in hartlepools history, and perhaps future. For this reason, we all in the group feel like it's something worth taking note of, and addressing it, for use in our folio gallery space project.

I will be posting future blogs on my, and my groups progress.

Ship in bottle image reference > http://www.dorsetgifts.com/shipsinbottles.html

Foilo gallery image taken from ccad website

Session #2 aftermath

Today, I joined the second session, of the people and characters project. It was a really interesting , and unique session. 

It involved two wacky circus/comedy style performers, who participated in a variety of different acts, and poses, I have to say, they were really funny, talented and very entertaining, this session has to be so far, a new personal favourite of mine :)

Over the course of all the acts that they did in the 90 or so minute session, as well as the posing segments, I sketched many drawings. Some drawings were detailed, and some rough. And sketchy. I also used a wide range of techniques, such as using my opposite drawing hand (right), and sketching without looking at the paper, (blind contour drawing).

 

Some of my favourite photos taken by myself during the acts. (Above)

Some of my favourite sketches, that I created from the interesting event, sorry some are landscape, not sure how to change the orientation. (Below)

< my favourite sketch of all.

Gallery space

Went to our groups gallery wall space not long ago, took some photos of the available real estate. 

Will be posing our ideas soon

Thonas

Banksy Research

Banksy is a famous, anonymous street artist, who was born in Bristol, England. He produces a large range of work, from graffiti stencilling, to large scale sculptures.

(Sculpture of a figure bust)

His work features usually everyday people, and characters, as well as activities, but with a message, be it political, or social.

(A character with a social message)

He could tie in with my groups theme, which is chavs and homeless people, really well.*

Other artists who are similar to Banksy, are mr brainwash (MBW), invader, and above.

In the documentary, exit through the gift shop, Banksy works with a handful of street artists, including mr brainwash, to help open a gallery on behalf of him, in the United States.

The gallery came to be very successful, and mr brainwash assembled his own gallery after the success of banksy's.

In the gallery space, a mixture of large, and small pieces were placed side by side, as well as a mixture of 2D and 3D. This may be of help to the group I am in, as we could take inspiration from their use of arrangement, and space.



*Update: The theme within the group changed not long after this blog was published, the theme of 'chavs and homeless people' is now of a maritime/social/industrial idea theme.




Thomas.

Live session #2

Sitting in flix, about to study, view and draw a group of live circus performers. Heard they might need a volunteer for plate spinning :)

Will keep my blogs updated, and post some photos later on, after the session

Thomas

Folio gallery induction

Today, as part of my new project introduction, I had a tour of the available folio gallery space in the main lobby, from Ben and Amy, and after being tasked with planning and producing work on a particular chosen theme revolving around this new topic, that would eventually be publicly exhibited and highlighted by the local press, the class was asked to individually come up with their own personal ideas, and then autonomously assort themselves into groups of 5/6 people, all with similar ideas, or picking an independent group once they had all been formed, containing those with a similar ideology, and theme.

I originally came up with the idea of using scrap materials, to form sculptures of people and characters. And after dipping into several already formed groups, and receiving in depth detail into their strategies, I decided to join one group, of 5, with a topic that interested me. This topic was based around interesting local people in Hartlepool, and also the characters of the unfortunate homeless.

Thomas.

Introduction, and live event

Starting a new blog, surrounding the principles & fundamentals of drawing characters & people.
- This unit involves sketching various people & characters, and working in groups to build from the opening day, until the closing event, a drawing installation in the folio gallery.

Today also contained another live session, to kick off the new unit.
This session was of a talented man, sitting playing the banjo, and hand drum. I sat in the flix movie cafe, observing him while he displayed his talent. I developed several sketches from this live session, in a variety of different techniques. Some highly detailed, and some rough and sketchy.

(photos from today's live session above)




(pieces from today's live session below)

Detailed sketch

Rough sketch    

Detailed sketchy head

Sketchy assortment

Main points of character

Sketchy sketch

Quick sketch

Very quick drum sketch

Sketchy heads

Sketchy sketch

Shoe, and beer

Detailed portrait

Random assortment

Detailed bust portrait

Avery good start, to a new project.

Thomas.