Development Of Creative Thought And Structure In Illustration And Graphic Art

ITAP
Lecture 7
23/11/10

Key principles

• Overcoming Mindset
• Getting Rid Of Assumption

Development Of Creative Thought And Structure In Illustration And Graphic Art

Becoming Creative, we can learn new skills through various places and things such as education, training, observation, reading and personal experience. Remaining Creative is through a thinking process aimed at originality, generating new ideas and solutions for old problems. Creativity is a new way of looking at things.

Overcoming Mindset

Relaxing your habitual thinking patterns frees oneself from practice. Being able to this enables you to come away from predictable results, and add to the element of surprise rather than lack of it. Breaking the rules removes oneself from the idea of habitual thinking, coming out of your comfort zone can take you somewhere new.

Overcoming Mindset - 3 step rule

1. Think about rules you would like to break.
2. Find ways to challenge or change the rules.
3. Be playful/ free yourself from conventions and preconceptions.

Breaking rules needs critical awareness of prevailing attitudes, careful observation, enquiry into existing methodology.

Christopher Nieman

Nieman's play on visual metaphors is quite humorous. His way of showing the relationship between toothpaste and the brush is quite humorous and playful, an example of what i think is overcoming your mindset and thinking about new ways of portraying something that we don't really consider into something playful that makes us think.

As a practitioner you could begin to relax you habitual thinking pattern and maybe challenge your mindset by giving yourself more options and ideas to work from, listing the immediate responses and moving away from them and approaching problems with an open mind. 

Getting Rid Of Assumption

Approaching a problem with an open mind, and doing things such as experimenting and exploring different ways of portraying something could prevent us looking at problems from a new perspective Thinking strategies such as similes, analogies and metaphors all provide new ideas for problem solving.  

Finding ways of coming up with ideas in a easy way (example above) mind mapping, brain storming and classification. This is very useful as organizing ideas into a system allows you to recognize hidden and common points enabling you to generate diverse connections allows you to stretch your ideas further creating spontaneous and a generation of new ideas hopefully leading into 

Rob Ryan

Rob Ryan work is instantly recognizable due to his intricate hand cut illustrations. He doesn't use the latest technology but simply handcrafted work produced using a scalpel.

Looking at a problem you are working on and examine ways in which you can come of it and look at it from a different angle, simply record different ways of approaching it.
Inspirational sources and suitable surroundings can also push and generate these ideas.

For example as maybe a textiles designer being in a shabby chic enviroment such as this, whilst creating and designing will help trigger a series of ideas due to the inspiring aspects around oneself. So you could also approach problems from this angle, meaning putting yourself into a appropriate surrounding in order to allow your ideas to flow and come alive.

Production And Outcomes, Influences And Reactions

ITAP
Lecture 6
09/11/10


Production And Outcomes, Influences And Reactions


Key Principles

• Interpretation
• Delivery

Interpretation

Zeitgeist = ideas and spirit of time: the ideas prevalent in a period and place, particularly as expressed in art, literature, philosophy, and religion.

Illustrators amplify the meaning within a message by creating and selecting in how they want to respond and use their time to interpret a message and content. Time and place has a great effect on productions as these are aspects can greatly influence ones work. Technique's that are used when creating work is also chosen in order to be suitable as it is a vital process. Illustrators tend to take on where we are in the world so their interpretation of the message they are trying to portray is relevant. 


Jan Svankmajor, 1988, Alice

This is Svankmajor's interpretation of Alice. This was produced just before the Berlin wall fell, which as you can see is greatly reflected within his work. His alice shows this and the time of the production, this is due to the dark, mysterious and reflective depiction of Alice. Within the film there are mechanical aspects, which has been put together quite cleverly.


Tim Burton, 2000, Alice In Wonderland

This is the Tim Burton version of Alice In Wonderland, this film is the latest and most modern version made at the moment. Being a great success due to the special effects, heightened quality of manipulation of imagery as well as the amount of imagination put into it to create such a surreal and intriguing world. The use of colour is bright, cool and modern therefore creating a difference in Alice. The technique, materials and media which has been used in different, showing the development in time.


Comparing both depictions of Alice In Wonderland they are both very different, however there are some similar qualities between the Alice's as they Svankmajor and Burton have both tried to somewhat portray a shyness about her. In the first piece this is  shown by her tucked in behind a doorway and here her shy exterior is shown by the way in which she is standing. The representations of both Alice characters are quite significant they are both life like, so this could reflect the era. 
The overall appearance shows they difference in time as Svankmajor reflects the time he was in when creating the piece and Burtons version shows the revelation in todays time and technology being a much more modern interpretation and version of the film. This making it relevant leading for it to be appropriate and furthermore successful as this is what viewers would want to see at the time. Therefore time and place is a great influence and definitely has a lot of input into the way one would respond to a certain message or content.   


Delivery 


There a many different platforms that illustrators used in order to promote there work. This can be editorial, publishing, online, branding, fashion etc.. Editorial platform is usually a great first step for young illustrators as it is the beginning platform they can use to promote and launch them self at an appropriate and useful stage. Text and image within all these areas is equally as important as each other, as there are many ways in which work can be shown through book covers, leaflets, posters, billboards and text and imagery should never be compromised as size, layout and colour as well as the visually heirachy is all very important and significant and shouldn't be overlook as this is key to the production of the work. This all leading to the delivery being suitable. The advertising, breading and graphic communication also needs to be appropriate.


Jon Burgerman

Burgerman is an illustrator I am quite influenced by, his character design and the way in which he works, well doodles I think is really interesting and fun. Burgerman's work has very commercial outcomes and deliveries effects the content of work. The image above is a gallery/shop space where Burgerman has drawn one of his many crazy cool character illustrations and allowed the public to come in an interact and be apart of his work by allowing them to colour in his black and white character wall. By doing this he is gaining a lot of publicity and recognition giving himself the platform to be talked about and remembered for the fun and enjoyable way anyone of any age can be apart of his work. The key to this being the format in which he has chosen to portray his work, as you can see this is a key element as it can be the stepping stone to wether or not your work will be successful and accepted by your audience. 

Development Of Ideas And Structure In Moving Image

ITAP
Lecture 5
02/11/10

Development Of Ideas And Structure In Moving Image


Key Principles

• Story Development (Three Act Structure)
• Story Development (The Heroes Journey)

Jean Luc Goddard 

' Every movie needs to have a beginning middle and an end. But not necessarily in that order' 

Having a beginning, middle and end is the usual sequence in which a film is put together however this can be changed around given the structure, more freedom is created to play around and have fun. The notion of flash back turns it around and makes it more interesting creating a furthermore intriguing perception.

Beginning : Middle : End

      Establish :  Crisis  : Resolve  

Beginning, is where the scene is set, the world and set up os portrayed, the characters are introduced and usually showing the normality of the life the characters have.

Middle, is usually when a crisis breaks out, this could be in the form of a challenge, problem, journey etc. However it isn't necessarily bad, it is essentially the change in the story when something new happens and occurs.

End,is when the problem is resolved and normality is somewhat bought back. The characters may have also changed, due to previous encounters.

Movies are usually broken down into sections of 30 : 60 : 30 minute film structure

This is because the structure and basis of the film doesn't take long to portray however breaking up takes time. (argument, fighting,sex,battles etc) It is the crisis that intrigues us in as viewers, which is why more time is dedicated to it in order to dramatize the crisis n problems the main character is undergoing.

Three Act Structure

In order for a film to have a three act structure you have to have a protagonist, the protagonist is the main character the person which the action is centered around. At the end of Act 1 the protagonist makes a commitment that leads to the main action of the movie. Act 2, 3 characters begin in a state of equilibrium, the normal scene some sort of balance. A status quo anti something happens that disturbs equilibrium, starts a scene of events. End characters come to rest in a equal equilibrium. It is when your back to normality which is different but somewhat comfortable and the situation is resolved.

Within the three act structure the external changes are often accompanied by an inner story, there is the big picture within the film then little physiological stories, this may be the main character falling in love (romance) or discovery of themselves, the protagonist grows throughout the film. 

The Heroes Journey

Monomyth

The notion that there is one underlying fundamental story that we can detect, then it begins to vary and elements are changed and switched up. However we see common elements thats resinate with us as the viewer.

Joseph Campbell - the hero with a thousand face (1949)

synopsis from:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/

Departure:
A mysterious criminal mastermind has stolen one of the pyramids in Egypt, 
sparking a fit of jealous envy in evil genius Gru (Steve Carell), who hasn't managed to make headlines since he and his minions swiped the Times Square JumboTron years back.
 Ever since Gru was a little boy, he dreamed of going to the moon. Now, if Gru can just build a rocket and get his hands on a powerful shrink-ray, he can cement his reputation as the greatest thief who ever lived by stealing the Earth's satellite right out of the sky.


Initiation:
 But immediately after Gru heists the shrink-ray, the cunning super-nerd Vector (Jason Segel) swoops in and snatches it right out of his hands. Now, in order to claim the moon, Gru must first reacquire the weapon from Vector. Armed with the knowledge that his nemesis has a mean sweet tooth, Gru adopts cookie-selling orphans Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Agnes (Elsie Fisher), and Edith (Dana Gaier) and commissions a new line of cookie robots from the evil Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand), his personal weapons specialist. But as Gru and his diminutive yellow minions prepare to carry out the biggest heist in history, something strange happens. Gru discovers that the three little girls who have come into his life are much more than simple pawns. They actually seem to care about Gru, and it turns out the scheming evildoer makes a pretty good father.


Return:
 When Gru realizes that his upcoming moon mission clashes with a ballet performance by the girls, he must decide what's more important -- being a present parent or cementing his nefarious reputation once and for all.

RVJ - Recorded Visual Journey

ITAP
Lecture 4
26/10/10

RVJ


Key Principles

• Draw, Work By Hand
• Utilize Your Creative Brain

Creating a RVJ is essential and an important aspect when developing ideas within a project. It is the creative process that gradually becomes your thoughts, your feelings, and imagination in a book. 

Draw, Work By Hand

Whilst creating an RVJ, drawing and working by hand is very important it is essential as it enables you to engage a physical connection through sketching, thumbnails, rough drawings and doodles all apart of ones creative thinking and development process. However whilst thinking on the page is essential in terms of a way of recording, it is vital to remember thats it shouldn't be random it should be recording and exploring the process and ideas of your given theme. 

 Leonardo

Leonardo piece above is a great example of thinking on the paper. His sketches are full of inventions, drawings and speculations of possible machinery and various products. This is entirely visual recording and creating by drawing. Drawing is a way of getting your ideas out your head, onto paper making it clearer and hopefully gaining a better understanding of your ideas in which you can then later develop. Constantly drawing and sketching throughout a project is almost a way of visual problem solving.
Being a visual creative your imagination is always flowing, being free to explore and not limiting yourself is important. It is important to not suspend your habitual critical judgement and to stop your inner critic from exploring, there are no barriers to mark making or childlike play.

Lizzie Finn

Lizzie Finn uses a combination of fabrics and drawn elements and other materials within her work. She doesn't limit herself which enables her to come up with and produce imaginative outcomes. Being able to work with a range of materials and have fun and experiment is also a good way of throwing around ideas being able to see different possible outcomes of what you feel works and what doesn't.

Utilize Your Creative Brain


Learning how to manage and understand ideas is very useful and it helps with your creative process, benefits your time management and enables you to understand your ideas to a better level. We have two brains, there are two halves left and right. Each side has specific abilities and the way they function enable us to understand the process thats going on. Being cautious of this can help a great deal with you creativity.

Right Brain 'child'  experimental play
spontaneous, play, fun, adventure, moves freely through time, carefree,innocent,curious,sensitive,easily frightened,likes to experiment etc.

Left Brain 'accountant' analyse
organized, clarify, editing, observing, sensible, questions a lot of things,
 what is useful,? is it appropriate?

The above images show an example of the right and left brain, and the possible outcomes

We all can familiarise with being like this, there are times when we are fully engage in something and nothing can distract us,it is when our inner child can be bought out being care free and imaginative as well as times were we are more cautious and sensible somewhat more alert an aware.

When these two halves work together they compliment one another and allows us to create and come up with imaginative outcomes and thoughts.

Being aware of which mode we operate in is useful because we then can learn to utilize what is useful, what to do, and how to manage our brain. The creative process we go through constantly repeats therefore changing brain modes making us speculate an interrogate, left to right, right to left. Play shouldn't be random doodling but exploring the theme allowing the right brain to explore direction, general intention not particularly specific. 

Connectivity

ITAP

Lecture 1

Rob Gib

28/09/10

Connectivity

Key Principles

• Notions Of Originality
• Recontextualize Ideas, Be Comtemporary

Is it possible to be different and original in the 21st Century?..
The answer to that is one to challenge. I found throughout lifes as we grow before we can even speak or talk we absorb and come across things others have already witnessed years before us, Yet we all individually interpret things into our own understanding. These thoughts are helped and pushed further by opinions, voices and statements therefore artist's and designers are constantly being influenced by past present and future ideas.


Who had the idea first?..

Notions Of Originality

Todays contemporary artists strive on trying to gain recognition. All wanting to create something new and fresh 'original'. But ideas that are derived all come from some sort of past and present influences, so people may challenge wether it is possibe tp be orginal if one has reused or rethought ideas. However, I feel it shoud be taken into account that in order to recreate or reuse an idea one has to have the imagination to look at notions thats others have discovered and be able to create new ways of portraying or percieving to be somewhat original. Saying this, ideas are constantly forever flowing. So analyzing previous historical or even current work concepts and ideas allow artist to attempt to potray their work slowly bringing out ones individuality.

Andy Warhol. Marylin 1962

This piece by Warhol is one of his very well known and most recongnised for. This due to his unique approach of the portrait and Marylin's iconic photograph. The image is visually stimulating due to the use of bright and playfull colours which are asscoiated  with pop art. The main focus is her face, this being enough for the viewer to be able to recognise. Warhols was known best for his mass production of work. So Bertollio's restyled interpretation with an alternative characters are able to connect and target the media.

Recontextualise Ideas, Be Contemporary.

Matte Bertolio- Tank Magazine, 2004

Here is an example of Bertollis work which I was referring to. In comparison to Warhols piece there is a stong similarity in terms of similar use of bright colout, the composition is also familiar however this peice shows more of the neck rather then a close of up of just the head. The image was published in Tank Magazine, therfore mass production like Warhols works. I feel this image works because it is immediately recognisable as Marylin became somewhat a social icon, almost a brand. So because the viewers already have prior knowledge it makes the piece furthermore accepted by the audience and successful. This being the comtemporary outcome there are differences to the original concept such as it having more neater lines,graphically done, smooth, almost air brushed look. The main different within the two pieces is the compositions and the image of the male face in the hair.

Originality : 1. First or earliest.
2. New, not copied or based on something else.
3. Being able to think up new ideas.
 4. First version from which others are copied.

Reffereing to that definition, do you think it is possible to be original in the 21st Century?

Illustration

ITAP
Lecture 2
George
05/10/10

Key Principles

• Practice Within Illustration
• Inspiration

Illustration as any other practice is made up from key points which are research, practice, visual vocabulary, inspiration and audience. The point all hold a great deal of significance when exploring and understanding a practice.

Practice.
Within illustration one should be able to illuminate, exemplify anf demonstrate. It is important to gain a broad range of knowledge and understanding on various practices as it allows you as an artist or designer to progress and advance further having understanding other areas. A deeper understanding can be enhanced by constantly observing, collecting, studying and exploring the subject.

Marion Deuchars

Versitile illustrator who is capable of utilising a range of media to create unique and imaginable solutions.



Example of one of many or Deuchars published book covers. From this you can see that she has a great understanding on other subject areas and not just wholy on her focus, you can see the understanding of typography and the thought into the seemingly carefree compostion aswel as the use of inks to create some of the imagery. Her broad minded view on they way she works is portrayed through the desings of her covers.

The role of an illustrator would usually involve illuminating text, clarifying, elucidating text and narratvies and creating pictures in order to communicate. In order to be able to constantly do this as an illustrator for various works being able to be inspired and find inspiration is vital.

Inspiration.


Inspiration can stem from everything and anything, collecting, observing and drawing can also be essential when gaining and exploring inpirational sources.

Mark Wigan - ' Thinking Visually' 2003

'The ability to think visually comes from the basics , and being open minded'

'Visual research plays an important role in the creative game'.

The statements I agree with , inspiration is all around us and the smallest of things can have the biggest influences. Researchingnplays a part of inspiration as collecting things and having the knowledge and being able to understand particular subjects stimulates the brain helping the thought process resolving in creating something fresher. In order to create a create a solution, inspiration and understanding of ones practice is vital. This knowledge is what leads to a unique resolved outcome aswell as being open minded to all things around you and the ability to feel and be inspired.

Ryan Hughes

Constantly sketching, thinking and reading, Feeding various sources into his brain, allowing them to filter down to one elegant solution.

*example of work

Illustrators find that the notion of inspirartion derives from constant inquiry based research.

The Design Process in Graphics

ITAP
Lecture 3
Colette

Key Principles

• Legibility
• Visual Hierachy

Legibility.

Typeface, typesize and layout need to be considered itelligently. As it needs to be appropriate for the intended purpose. Many things need to be considered such as colour for example yellow and white wouldn't be seen as legible. Other things such as headings, images need to be taken into account also.

Find examples of visual communication that are legible or illegiable and explain why?

Here is an example of the New York Times newspaper, which I feel isnt legiable due to the way it has been put together as an article. As the type face is an innapropriate size and causes a strain upon the reader, also the layout to close and compact making it hard and somewhat fustrayting to read through. In terms of colour, black and white is an obvious combination that works, but in this case as the type is so small and portrayed in a boring way it lacks prominence therefore isn't stimulating to the viewer.

This is an example of a piece I feel is legible, in comparison to the pieces above you can see it is immediately alot more visually stimualting and so much more easier read. This is due to the differet type faces, aswell as the various font sizes, attaracting the reader to different areas of the newspaper. Aswel as a combination of different coloured text makes the pieces legibale aswell as the thought out composition of the images used. All these aspects combined make this newspaper appropriate for the intended purpose. 

This newspaper example leads appropriately into my second key principle, Visual Heirachy as this is a good example. Visual Heirachy means what do we see/read first. Foreground, background, priority of information.

 Here is another example of an image where this is shown.

I immediately was drawn to 'Miley Cyrus' photograph as it is so porminant on this cover, this also being the main selling point of her interview within the magazine. There are many devices designers use, such as high contrast, here the magazine is white but as she has been photographed in black clothing and her tanned complexion on this plain background makes her stand out. This is the play that designers have on viewers, they may put the least important things smaller and the most important aspects bigger and bolder. Everything is cleverly thought out and put together in order for them to benefit. Magazines, books, newspapers are all designed in a way so you see what they want you too first in order for them to intrigue and attract the viewer into being interested and hopefully leading into a purchase. The order in which you read is usually the title, image, headline, smaller text (article) other smaller images, then the lower level of text. Where your eye is drawn to first could be down to the use of repitition, contant message and signs, key point being stated, colour palette, and the play on image and text, for example light and dark. The Elle magazine above is a key example of this. There are many desing devices thats create and make up the visual heriachy these being colour, typography, image, light, weight, scale, composition, structure, grids, grouping, movement and sound.

Graphic communication is all about communicating something to an audience and communicating information in a visual form such as text, image, time and sound.