Final Animation

How this has uploaded now when it wouldnt last week i dont know, but here it is!

Some work that is much neater than mine

This reminds me a bit of the James Roper image i put in the last post, where i was saying itd look good in 3D. It was done by Dan Tobin Smith for Virgin Records. The quality of the objects is so much better than mine, its so neat round the edges.

James Roper

I love these paintings, itd be good to experiment with something like this in 3d.

Guitar

Theres a brilliantly well written piece in the book, a few pages long describing how depressing the early seventies was; when all the hippies who talked about revolution in the sixties had cut their hair, stopped getting high and got mortgages. Nixon was about to get a second term, and icons of the counterculture Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison were all dead.

Iv tried to express this with an image of an acoustic guitar, a symbol of that movement, alone, forgotten and in a dark room. I think the mirror was Ians idea, it really works in expressing a sense of the past, or looking back. There was a psychedelic design on the front of the guitar; im a bit annoyed that this photo stood out as the best and you cant even see all the work that went into it. I made two of them aswell, from card and metal gauze. Took ages and was a major ball ache due to UHU being the worst glue ever.

Final Image: Casino Scene

This image shows a scene in the 'Circus Circus' casino, where the character describes his disgust at the greed of Las Vegas people, through a hallucination involving women with lizard heads. Originally there were alot of lizards all over the floor, but the darkness of the image meant you couldnt see them properly, so i cropped it. As with the carnivorous plants piece, i didnt want to sacrifice the atmosphere by using too much light.

I think i should mention the devastation that this set suffered on the way to college, as a result of my own idiocy and lack of sleep. I put it on top of the car while i got my bag out, and as predicted by Kachia, it flew across the fucking car park and fell apart. So the next hour was spent in an absolutely foul mood gluing it back together.

Final Image: Carnivorous Plants

Set design based on a few lines in the book where Vegas is described as something like 'a town full of carnivorous plants', when hes tripping his balls off and becoming increasingly paranoid about alot of things. Theres alot of things i love about this piece but again, looking at it now i can see where id improve the photography. Like the Venus fly trap on the left should be more defined. And i should have taped the acetate to the lampshade thing, cos it having slipped back slightly has made the Las Vegas sign look out of focus when it really isnt. But photography is now closed so there is fuck all i can do about it. Still tho, i think the atmospheres perfect and i love the contrast between the green and pink. The plants are made from wire and plastic, im really pleased with them, just a shame you cant see them as much as i wanted, but increasing the light would have taken away from the dark atmosphere. And that poor little guy thats probably about to have his head bitten off, he appeared in a very surreal dreeam i had after drinking alot of beers, so i got up feeling quite rough and made him! god i wish it was that easy all the time.

Id like to turn this into an animation.

Final Image: Dollar / Alter Piece

The idea behind this relates to the American dream, the materialism and the almost worship of money. I originally had a few objects arranged on an alter id made, untill ian pointed out how crap it looked. So iv redone it, photographed from below to give a sense of the dollar being above, as if worshipped. All the objects are made from bright coloured plastic or acetate as i wanted a tacky Las Vegas feel to the piece. This is one of the images i photographed on my own, so no doubt it could be better but in a way i dont really care cos i learnt alot about photography, particularly lighting, by being left on my own and having to experiment. So at least some progress there then.

Lizard People inspired by Alexander Calder

Rose brought in a book of Alexander Calders work, iv seen his stuff before but not in so much detail. Gave me another idea for 3d work. Trying to manipulate the thick wire hurt like hell, and my decision to use superglue while semi drunk was a poor one. But despite this, i think using wire has alot of potential and i think experimenting further will create some interesting

results, i hope.

David Hockney Stage Designs

Ian mentioned that Hockney had done some stage designs, i looked it up on the internet and theres loads, i think theyre quality and id love to see them made in 3d. The top ones for a play called "Die frau ohne schatten" and the other two are for "Turandot", neither of which i have ever heard of. I like the atmosphere and his use of light & shadow. The odd shapes, particularly in the third image work well, its a bit less obvious and therefore more interesting.

Finished Animation that wont even upload

I was looking forward to getting this on the blog. and yet again, technology has failed me. For fucks sake, i have done this before! and to take the piss even more, it spends half an hour telling me its uploading before deciding to simply not bother. its quite good anyway, i think. and this is what i had to say about it:

Finally the animations finished! Really pleased with the result, and its been a good process aswell cos iv learned so much about istopmotion and even managed to achieve something with Premier, these types of programmes normally hate me. And i think the music really adds something to it, cheers to duncan for all the help with that that! We sampled 'white rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane cos i really liked the way that song builds up, kinda like the animation does... added alot of effects, it was really insane and paranoid, and i thought it was quite cool and then realized after hearing it a few times that it was one of the most annoying things ever & this is gonna be played at the show on repeat and probably someone will at least try and smash something over my head as a result.... so we changed it. Recorded alot of random tapping noises and screams etc, the bats wing sound is us beating the couch wth cushions. And the money & till sounds are from 'Money' by Pink Floyd.

So iv enjoyed this alot. The i stop motion camera and programme is added to my long list of stuff i need to buy.

Adrianne Lobel

These stage designs by Adrianne Lobel remind me of Josef Albers' paintings. I dont know if they were done for a play or ballet of what, but i think the simplicity really works in creating alot of space and quite a calm atmosphere. Iv never been a fan of the square paintings that Albers did but i think its quite sucessful when applied to a 3d design.

Design Industry and the Recession

To those who believe what the press tells them, the UK economy is on a downward spiral, and we'l be paying for the mistakes of our financial sector for generations to come. As someone who is about to graduate in the depths of what is alledgedly the worst recession for 70 years, im a little concerned about my prospects. This report examines how the recession has affected the design industry, what can be learned from it, and ultimately how can someone in my situation make the most of it?

My inspiration for writing on this subject comes from the fact that all the scaremongering from the media contradicts quite dramatically with what my industry contacts have said. In general, the illustrators that i have contacted have noticed little difference in workload over the past 9 months, but have become wary of turning down any work. However one concern raised by Canadian illustrator Carl Wiens that could seriously affect the illustration industry is the fact that, if newspapers continue losing alot of money, to the point where they go out of business, he would lose alot of important, regular clients. He also added that some clients are taking slightly longer to part with their money.

In the UK, the last year has seen salaries in the design sector drop by up to 10%. As dramatic as this sounds, the significant and probably excessive rises in previous years realistically makes this only a minor concern. What i did find alarming, however, is that as of the begining of 2009, it is reported that 60 small businesses were going out of business every day. Whether this is due to the economic climate, poor business management i dont know, but this loss of competition provides an excellent opportunity for the expansion of new enterprises. Biddy Moroney, an illustrator based in Australia, is involved with two relatively new businesses and has been lucky enough to see them grow over recent months.

The reduction in illustration work is currently making times hard for freelancers, especially those who are not yet established. Its interesting that the first signs of economic recovery for the design sector are predicted to come from an increase in the commisioning of freelance work; a lack of confidence in the market means limited availability of permanent positions, but as clients begin to regain their faith and business improves, they are likely to employ designers on a freelance basis first to avoid having to pay out salaries. Another group likely to struggle this year is graduates. During unstable periods, companies will be less willing to take risks, and place far greater value on experience and those with a proven track record of reliability. The value of a good work experience placement cannot be underestimated.

The best placed to ride out this economic downturn are those involved in the internet and digital markets. This is the only industry to have continued growing through the last quarter of 2008, though at a reduced rate, and 2009 is predicted to be the first year when companies expenditure online will overtake TV advertising. The fact that businesses are still spending money in this area shows the strength of this growing market; "technology needs to be concieved, designed, packaged and promoted". (Exton, Vision 2009. Design Week)

Though some areas of design will struggle and some business will inevitably lose money, we cannot afford to focus too hard on what is at least partially media driven gloom. The last economic downturn in 2001 saw well run companies emerge stronger, with lessons learnt. Attick studios in New York was forced to make half its staff redundant, a difficult decision at the time for owner James Sommerville - but one that resulted in Attick going from being "a sprawling organization to a more focussed studio". Another benefit gained from this last recession was an increase in the quality of design work; fewer jobs made tough competition for illustrators, basically forcing everyone to be more creative and produce better designs, which can only be a good thing.

This will inevitably not be the last recession. As someone who is about to enter the design industry, i should take notice of who is riding out the downturn most effectively and why. Apart from the digital industry becoming increasingly important, it is those capable of working in several disciplines who are least likely to be caught out when one area of design suffers financially. "Those working in overseas markets will be especially well placed to weather the downturn", says Anna Richardson of Design Week, a sentiment echoed by James Sommerville. He feels that designers pitching for work outside their own country have an immediate advantage over any local designers simply because they will have a slightly different outlook and their work is likely to stand out. As the Asian markets begin to compete with the US for dominance, designers would do well to look there for work.

So although the next year is predicted to be a tough one for most areas of the design industry, i feel that those who are capable of working in several disciplines and are creative in terms of design as well as the way they market themselves, will always be able to find work.

Andrew Pavitt

Andrew Pavitt came in today to talk to us about the running of his studio Big Orange, and the possibility of an internship there later in the year. The studio is based in what is now a very fashionable area of London, i was really suprised to learn that his rent is only £200 a month, and that you can easily rent space in a crappy run down warehouse for as little as £50 a month; id thought the idea of having a studio as totally unnatainable at this point. A good location is becoming less important due to websites and email, but if you are out in the middle of nowhere, youll have to work that little bit harder to gain notoriety. The 8 illustrators and graphic designers from Big Orange share their studio with the AOI. This provides the advantage of free membership, and legal advice whenever they need it. He said the main advantage of working in a studio of this size is being able to bounce ideas off other artists, which helps to erase any doubts or insecurites in your own mind. Everyone puts together for essential expenses such as computers, phones, cleaning etc. He recommended that when looking for a studio, pick one thats open 24hours, as its really important to be flexible for tight deadlines. Alot of clients, particularly big American ones, think theyre doing you a favour in commisioning an illustration, and will therefore expect the work done overnight if necessary, completely disregarding timezones.

The only disadvantage he could think of is is a social one: the dynamic of a studio depends on the people working there, for example someones taste in music or just a clash of personalities can create an unpleasant atmosphere. This is why most studios will prefer someone who fits in socially rather than someone who has a similar working style.

Later in the afternoon, i was able to show Andy my Fear and Loathing project, which he was really positive about, he said it looked like im enjoying doing it and that my works quite edgy and stands out alot. Which is kind of what im going for. And he loved the bat and lizard photos. He couldnt offer much advice in terms of the set designs im doing, as its totally out of his area, but suggested i contact a few places over summer and see if i can get either work experience or a job as an assistant to someone working in the industry. This is how he started work as a painter years ago, he warned that the pay is likely to be very low but that the experience is invaluable if its something you really wanna do.

When i mentioned that this projects really strayed away from illustration, he suggested that i could possibly use some of the photos iv taken and collage them, or put together abstract bits of them, maybe working over them or something. I might try this. But also i like the way its going...

Quay Brothers Animations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgA0WBKQUqM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6xG4Nf9Dh4

Eleanor recomended that i look at the work of Steven and Timothy Quay. Iv just watched an interview with them, i think theyre twins and are seriously wierd, the same clothes and mad professor haircuts etc.... i love their work though, most of its so sinister and twisted, they seem to have a thing about dolls with no eyes and setting them on fire, but not in an excessively gory and trying to shock kind of way, its really dark and atmostpheric, and they use music effectively aswell, almost like a dialogue in itself, adding to the sense of drama. The 1st link above was done for the BBC, and the idiots rejected it, i cant understand how, its a 3d paper sculpture animation, really quite elegant.

3D Text

In the weekly email i get off design week, theres this article i found pretty interesting; about how before the digital age, 'type was something physical, chunks of metal you could throw like a rock' etc. And theres various contemporary designers who are keen to make text 3d again, give it some substance and dimension. From top: Vladimir and Maxim Loginov, Maarten Dullemeijer.

Another exhibition i dont have time to go to

Iv read in the latest issue of design week about an exhibition thats just opened at the Victoria and Albert museum, London, showing the history of British stage design and theatrical sets / costumes. It covers 18th century theatre to modern rock concerts stage set ups, the image above is Pete Townsends guitar that he smashed on stage, this image is what drew me to the article, it looks remarkably like a piece im working on for my major project but i swear i did not rob the idea from here!! or anywhere else. But next time im in London ill make an effort to get to this one, could be really interesting.

More Patrick Thomas

Another really simple but effective design by Patrick Thomas, the red fist of communism crushing the capitalist dollar. I love it, think it could look cool in 3D

Comparison Report

Iv chosen to compare the processes and practices of two artists working in very different fields; Patrick Thomas, an illustrator / graphic designer based in Barcelona, and Luise Vormittag, co-founder of Container Plus, a company which focuses on such diverse elements as 3d and set design, fashion photography and street art.

Thomas’s main client is the economy supplement from a Spanish newspaper, basically their equivalent to the Guardian here, for which he produces weekly cover designs and editorials. His illustrations tend to be based around a strong concept, and are very simple and direct in the way they communicate. The nature of editorial work dictates that this is the case, as most readers will only glance at an image; therefore its meaning must be bold and immediately obvious. The piece above is a good example of this clarity, it illustrates an article describing the differences between France and Germany. His ability to work in this way stems directly from his interest in the bold imagery of the punk and pop art movements of the 60s and 70s.

The vast majority of these illustrations have a strong political theme behind them, which is obviously dictated by the article, but it is something that I feel Thomas has a genuine interest in. I felt that his strongest piece was the iconic image of Che Guevara screenprinted, his face made up of corporate logos and symbols of capitalism. This appropriation of images is something that Thomas enjoys; the challenge of putting an original slant on an existing image in order to make it his own. His interest in using clichés also helps to make his images obvious in their communication. The short timescale to which he has to work seems fairly typical of editorial jobs; most images are produced in only a few hours, which informs the necessity to develop a quick way of working.

The relatively low pay of editorial work makes it essential to be prolific. The prospect of a reliable, regular job, plus the exposure that editorial work gives you as an artist seems quite attractive to me; however I think that my 3D style is too time consuming; I simply would not be able to compete with someone who uses Photoshop and can produce an image in a couple of hours. I also feel that the constraints placed on an illustrator by a publication such as a newspaper mean that there is little room for experimentation or development of style, which I personally would find pretty boring.

As an editorial illustrator, Patrick Thomas works alone, though shares his studio with other artists. Luise Vormittag works as part of a small company, and is therefore constantly collaborating with others. They describe their work as ‘hand rendered artwork, set design and photography’, and have an extensive and varied client list including Topshop, Bitburger, MTV, Selfridges, and Volkswagen. The influence of Art Noveau is combined with contemporary art and fashion, and even magazines such as Heat provide inspiration. I think that this ability to work within several disciplines and keep their work up to date with current trends makes it edgy, which in such a competitive world is a major strongpoint for the company, as there will always be a market for their work. Unlike the simplicity favoured by Patrick Thomas, Vormittag’s work is quite elegant and contains a lot of hidden detail. She uses Photoshop, but a lot of her work is hand drawn or 3d.

Both practitioners use self initiated projects as a way of developing ideas and style, and producing promotional material. Patrick Thomas has produced postcards of his screen prints, and he recently held an exhibition in which his work was appropriately displayed in a newspaper format. Self initiated projects are particularly important to Container Plus, due to the necessity of having a wide variety of fresh promotional material to use when pitching for jobs. I find the idea of working in several different disciplines very exciting, as no project would be the same and it would give my style and skills the chance to be constantly evolving. I also like the idea of being part of a team, as the necessary evils that come with running a creative business, such as admin and promotion, can be split, taking the pressure off the individual. However, I recognise the risks of being in an industry where you are pitching for the majority of your work, and the level of confidence, determination and self motivation required in order to succeed. In a way I think I can be too laid back at times. Another downside to this way of working is the cost of hiring other people such as photographers, when there is no guarantee of any income at the end of the project. If I decide to follow this path, I would be keen to learn these skills for myself.

Whether I work alone or collaborate, a lesson I can take from both practitioners is the importance of not being too insular as a designer, as a lot of inspiration can come from other people; also I think being around others in a working environment is good for motivation.

I found the visits to both Luise’s and Patrick’s studios very worthwhile; the idea of set and stage design had not occurred to me until visiting Container Plus in London. A piece from a self initiated project called ‘Footwear Fairytales’ (above) changed the way I work; rather than struggling to combine hand made and digital work, I have found more success in creating a whole image in 3D and photographing them. What I found most inspiring about visiting Patrick Thomas’s studio in Barcelona was the idea of working abroad, as I love experiencing other cultures and find it easy to pick up foreign languages.

While Patrick’s and Luise’s work differs greatly in terms of style, industry, and subject matter, I feel that they share similar attitudes in terms of loving what they do and having the confidence to do it.

Set Design

Since visiting the Container Plus studio in London, iv become interested in the of working in set design. My major project has unintentionally been going this way, and talking to Luise Vormittag has, in my mind, opened up a few possibilities for my work. The idea had never occured to me before, id assosiated set design with some really wierd people doing theatre and earning fuck all money from it. But seeing some of the projects that Container Plus have worked on such as promotional events and launches for companies such as Topshop and MTV, has really inspired me. And then from having looked online, iv realized the opportunities for set design within the TV industry. I remember a show on MTV years ago called headbangers ball, Rob Zombie did the set for that, it was some mental trippy nightmare scene that i cant find to use as an example here, it was mint though.

So basically iv become pretty interested in this, as i think that model making is a skill iv definetly got, and the more iv got into this over the past year, the more iv been kind of dissollusioned , not knowing where my work could fit in, or what it even has to do with illustration anyway. I need to do alot more reasearch into the idea, but for now heres a few examples of some stuff i like, by a company called 3D Creations. Theyve done stage designs for Iron Maiden, who i personally think are shit, but would be an amazing job to have anyway. Other stuff includes sets for museum exhibits, corporate events and launches, channel 4 sets and yes, alot of theatre.

Lizards Animation

Iv done various little tests for the different parts of this animation , i think iv got this lizard bit right in terms of their movement, i used two acetate & wire lizards with their legs and bodies in different positions and swapped them over every shot, quite time consuming and a bit of a ballache but i love it.