evaluation

Overall, I am very pleased with how the module has went.
I feel with my final design, I should have come up with a few better compositions and ways to include all the elements. The images on their own are strong, however I could have looked at doing the circle of dancers across a double page spread.
Because it was a quick module, I feel that I went with the first idea I had, although I'm glad it came to me so clearly through a dance.
Looking back, I could have used more of my theatre sketches and expanded the subject matter.

I had a lot of technical issues, that started off small and expanded into  bigger issues, such as the slight different in blue for the background, then became a man hunt trying to find what has caused it.

I have used illustrator a bit more than I have done in the past, and just getting to know the program was a challenge. I tried to follow the instructions, which I found easier when working with the screen to hand. I will need to use it more and practise in order to get my knowledge up.

I really enjoyed the one day briefs, and found I could come up with decent ideas and draw them out within 3 hours. This gives me hope for doing editorial work or working to a tight deadline.
I found I was able to go back to these images and progress with them further (such as the bicycle poster).

It was good to know the technical happenings for a production, with the measurements and how to create pages in Indesign.

FINALLY got the background the same colour!!!

After going through the layers and all the colour overlays and wondering why one image had a green tint to it, I changed both to CYMK and altered the backgrounds, copied and pasted the colour code and thank goodness, the problem has been solved. Really chuffed.

I kept my original first sketch design for the final, as I tried to recreate it and trace over ti but it lost the fluidity and movement each time i did so.

The yellow layers for image 2.  Feedback has said that the organic feel and flow is effective.
I multiplied the pose as I felt it could be quite a stable, still pose, so to show it multiplied instills a sense that she is moving around the stage and dancing.

I have included layers from my original sketches from observing the rehearsals.

I felt like the blue and darker shade of the dancers wasn’t giving enough, so some more movement in the background gave it depth. It also conveys the background happenings of the theatre, the rush behind the curtain, the adjustment of shoes and dresses before entering the spotlight. I feel after seeing behind the scenes that a production is weeks and months of preparation, sometimes I felt more dramatic and emotional than what was in the finished production.

riso cats

Grayscale version

50% on each layer to show colours. I added extra stars in to break up the background.
I worried about not having enough negative space, or white space but after a few reviews  i decided against altering it.

Emma is printing tomorrow so hopefully it'll all look fab!

The final begins for Riso Cats

Thick line and thin line. I chose the thin line as it looked better meow

Dancers

I have used the light box to ink in some more finished dancers, they have necklaces and jewels as well as big feather fans!
Here are a few layout ideas, I am thinking of tweaking them and then moving onto colour.

without mid dancers, fans on page.

with side ‘mid’ dancers. Fans within page bleed. More of a circular feeling with bodies.

without mid dancers, fans bleeding  off. more room for visual breathing but doesn’t put across the feeling of theatre for me.

Here are the centre figures, i have added more detail in the feathers and leotards.

pannier

pencil sketch. the two different view points add a passing of time and make it clear that its two separate moments. I  could have made them identical, changing only the substance in the hall, but felt it was too predictable.

warm colours to show vibrancy, life, movement... and puples and cool colours to show inactivity and darkness.

some studies of the objects when there is life in the hall.

Riso colour roughs

this one is a bit higgilty biggitley but a certain charm to it as the two cat are different and could be inning a song to each other at night time.

 i feel the strong vibrant pink background would pop out, and the cats in an orange reminds me of a cat i know.

here is a quick edit where I tried to imagine what a half-tone would look like... not very effective from this image.

layout for dance two

I drew some extra dancers to provide alternative compositions. In the rehearsal, they danced in a circle and there was a girl on each level. Here I have drawn the mid and low levels in to bulk the picture out and complete the circle. 

with extra girls added. 

James Gulliver Hancock

http://allthebuildingsinnewyork.com/new
here he’s used block colours and strong lines to add character. I’m attracted to the unreal colour that describes the building. I think I could expand this to my pannier market by using colour to creat atmosphere.
www.jamesgulliverhancock.com 

Pannier market 11th hour AM PM

The pannier market is a fantastic place in Barnstaple, with different stalls every day of the week. At 5pm they pack everything up into vans and boxes, and the hall is echoing and perfect for skates.

Food festival, stalls and food from around the globe. A live band was also featured.

At night time, some debris left, doors shut. Pigeons coo.

Packing up, the last few tables are out and doors slam.

I feel this is a good second choice as it shows time and place, two themes that i constantly come back to. I love the humdrum, the busy but to appreciate it you need opposites. Both images would juxtapose and support each other.

I also feel close to the pannier as there is always something going on during the day - 
I went for a walk and popped in and hey ho! A live jazz band! A food market! Their music filled the hall and brought such life and joy.

The Retro Rhythm  Rascals. 

I spoke to them and got their card - I sent them the images over Facebook and got some pleasing replies.

Composition rough

I’ve quickly scanned in my pencil roughs and placed them in. I feel that the girls at the back are strong, i’m a bit unsure about the foreground and the lower level girl sitting down. I will produce more poses and fit them in.

I like the effect if the pencil - the rawness and a sense of energy. I have tried to keep some of the geometric shapes I had in my initial sketches that build the figure.

Dance

I felt the circle too stiff and devoid of movement, so  I asked Aimee to recreate the dance, and used some poses from that. I will photoshop the poses into a circle and play with the composition there as i was wasting time trying to compose each one.

geometric shapes within the body, the crossover of the lines and flow of the body, circles and soft flows.

added facial features and little leotards to the geometric form.

Dance

More refined drawings from my sketches of the rehearsal. Play with colour and form.

One of the two poses from my sketch book that I felt was powerful.

I love this with all the curves of the legs and the apple of the bottom cheeks, the legs become an abstract form and almost  another form when at this angle. I think it's playful and they hold their legs like this for a very short time, glimpsing behind  the feather fans.

Figuring out placement and scale to fit in a circle.

To fit on rectangular  format on one page. Trying to fit two circles into the composition and make a geometric pattern with the figures.

Idea for other page spread. I want to play with the form and create the geometric angles beneath, as hough they are pulling and holding her up as she moves and turns. I need to work on the figure and the balance, changing the planting of the feet more forward would prevent her looking as though she's going to topple over. I really want to exaggerate the curve of the back and the upturn, as it's such a strong pose and elegant. She resembles a bird, that of a swan or other that is powerful and graceful. I want her to look fierce and captivating.

A flurry of arms, legs and feathers. `I think it looks like Flamingos in a watering hole, fluttering and reflecting in the water.
I am going to look at the spacing as i know when the book is put together, the guttering and binding can be quite deep so I will centre it more to prevent the image being lost down the gutter.

Theatre rehearsal

After going to the fan dance and tap rehearsal, I was inited back again by the director, Caroline Young, to freely draw. This one was act 1, the first time i had seen all the actors together.

Because they were moving so fast, it was easier to draw them when they were contemplating or at a moment of pause.

 I really enjoy watching the show and drawing what is happening, i feel it makes me watch more closely.

Bike poster - screen printing

I made another background for my bike - I put it back on the lightbox and made sure the bicycles lined up properly. I also edited it in photoshop and made it darker so it would screen print better.

I just wanted to get started on screen printing as soon as possible, but if I  had more time I would have went over some of the areas in half-tone dots to add depth. This is something I can do in the future.

The image onto the screen, Top layer and bottom layer.

Bottom layer printed in a dark teal.I have chosen a contrasting red to pop the colours out, much like my original digital version.

I had a few oops moments - as I have only done screen printing in first year. I learned to mix the paint with thinner, and if they pre-made paint is dry around the edge of the cup DON’T USE IT  as it will clog the screen and all hell will break lose.

The second layer is printed onto acetate, so that it lines up. I always find this difficult as you have to take time and be precise. I have leant it is much better to struggle and spend more time at this stage than rushing ahead and then having 10 prints that look awful.

So far I have 10 teal and red, and ten olive and pink. I am very pleased with them, although with the olive sets, the configuration and line up failed and most of them are a bit wonky. I want to do at least 2 more colour options, then I intend to sell them off at fairs or for my online store when I get that up and running.
I always think posters are great as everyone can collect them or hand them up on their wall.
It’s also for me, a great memory from Antwerp, and I love bicycle stores with all the shapes and layers of the bike stacked up.

olive and pink. I will have to redo these colours or give most away as more than half are misaligned.

teal and red - it has come up more blue than in real life.