Research project - getting my thoughts in order

 'It looks 3D!' said my mother after I gave her her birthday present (above) - a print of a beagle. It has been mentioned to me that the technique I will be using in my Final Major Project is similar to 'Pointillism' - repeated dots, which from a distance 'merge', similar to when you un-focus your eyes and things blur together. After looking at Pointillist works (below), I began to think of 'Illusions' - images that look real but aren't, or things that play with our perception of depth and reality.

 

Pointillist painting by Georges Seurat

 From this I went a step further, and decided to look into creating work for 3D glasses. The term for 3D images viewed using red/cyan glasses are 'Anagylphs' (below). 

Before I can attempt to create my own work, I will have to further research how they can be effectively created, and what other methods of 3D are possible for me to create. While researching I came across the fact that illusions/3D images are used when detecting sight defects. This is a particular interesting fact, to me, because I have slightly mis-aligned eyes myself. I also went on to think of other eye related things - eye tests, or colour-blindness tests, and wondered what primary school children are taught about eye tests. I also have a brother who we suspect is colour-blind, but he has never been tested. With these slight things that fascinate me, I am as yet unsure if I want to create 3D artwork (still on the theme of birds) as education for children about eye-sight, as entertainment, or as a medical tool. I would like to create 3D things are posters and/or small simple zines. I will have to do A LOT more research (as there's lots of science involved!) but I hope I will find it interesting, and will be able to use my new-found knowledge effectively.

Anaglyph (to be viewed with red/cyan 3D glasses)

3 Influences

1. Film - Labyrinth - Scene - Ballroom



Masquerade masks:

http://www.makeup-fx.com/gallery/Bildeng32.html

2. Costume - Face and Body art

Dani Fonseca - http://thebodyofart.com/

Mario Mariotti - http://amazingcentral.com/amazing-hand-paintings-art-by-mario-mariotti/

3. Street Art

Elbow-toe - http://elbow-toe.com/

Finished fabric wings - 7th April 2012

Yesterday I finished my fabric wings! I'm tired of looking at them now, so I can't say if I'm proud of them or not.

Hopefully they'll come in some use and I can get people to pose wearing them for me so I can take some photos, then do some art - yayz.

Now I should probably get on with my research for my Publishing project, and think about my essay... (sigh)

The Proposal - 20th March 2012

My research project will be an investigation into how Photography and costume leads into informing the Illustrative purpose. I will explore if, when creating a 3D object, it helps a person when they are drawing. Because a person has made something themselves from scratch, and have spent a long amount of time creating it, does this mean that they are able to visualise it more easily and from different angles?

I hope to create pairs of wings, first from fabric, using an internet tutorial, and secondly a pair from more substantial materials (again using an internet tutorial, and the materials will depend on the instruction provided). The more ‘solid’ wings may be hinged (able to be pulled open, or opens when arms are moves) or stationery depending on the extent of my skills and access to materials. The size of the wings will depend on time constraints, costs etc. I am unsure whether these wings will be bird-like (part of a costume, which I would make myself) or will be stand-alone (worn with normal clothes).

From these wings, which will either be created for me or a model, I will take photos/have photos taken. I may then use these photos to create a narrative, either of a found text, or one created by myself. I will make sketches from the photographs, and would like to explore collage, printing methods, and mixed-media. I would also like to try making stencils from the poses modelled. Through this I hope to see what an Illustrator can take from a Photograph/making process. I will explore how creating a 3D object and photographing it affects an artist’s understanding of colour, composition, light and texture. I will explore the questions made earlier – whether, after having made the wings, if I will be able to draw them with confidence and accuracy.

I also hope to design my own fabric; using repeated patterns and form, maybe using my own Photographs of my wings. I will explore different methods of fabric printing, possibly screen printing, but will use the internet to find inspiration and instructions, and will use craft websites for videos and photo tutorials to learn new skills.

This proposal is my first draft, and is (very) likely to change, though I doubt the subject of flight/wings will change.

Blog shuffle!

Hello! After a huge discussion about our third year (gasp!) of Illustration I decided to create two different blogs - one for my Final Major Project (which is as important as it sounds) and one for my Research Project (which will be in this blog). I'm creating two blogs to keep the projects seperate so I can keep a better track of things. There'll be some brief re-posts, so bear with me, but then things will hopefully fit into a flow. Stay tuned!