My final project idea

Over the past few days, I have been looking at all the ideas that I have been thinking about so far, and I have decided to go with choosing that of my first idea, which is all about creating a small A5 zine that highlights british wildlife, in my own illustrative style.

I would also like to include animals that are also considered vermin, such rats, alongside classic british staples, like Swans etc.
I want to include animals like Rats, as I feel that they are often brushed aside by society, even though they have a purpose and function.

I love working with the imagery of animals and nature, so this idea would compliment my illustrative skills, and allow to develop them further.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Rock_Pigeon_(Columba_livia)_in_Iași.JPG < image reference at this link.

http://www.pantherpestcontrol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/street-rat.jpg < image reference at this link.

I have decided to choose this particular idea, because I like the idea of making a small zine, as I know for a fact that there will be a big market for me.

I came across many shops that sold zines in Berlin.

I want my zine to be of a reasonable size, of course not an anthology consisting of several hundred pages, as this would be both incredibly time consuming, as well as not being cost effective.
I aim for my zine to be around 20-30 pages long perhaps, however this of course depends on the choices of animals that I make, which I may go into in another blog.

I want to aim to get my idea into production using the print room that is situated downstairs, as I want to take a few copies with me to London to hopefully sell, of course at a reasonable price.
I really enjoyed the process and practise of screen-printing in the past, so I really want to try this method again, if possible.

One of my first screen-printed pieces of art.

One thing that I need to take into account, is my target audience/market.
I would like the idea of making my zine appeal to as many people as possible, so that I don't restrict myself within the market.
In the past I have been very engaged with the children's market, however I would like to broaden my genre for this particular zine.

My small children's oriented book that I created during module two.

There are many different examples of publications that can be aimed at both of these large markets, for instance with the Hildafolk series of books.

http://www.nobrow.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hil_slide05.jpg < image reference at this link.

When I went to Gosh comics in London to get my copy of Hilda signed, a large percentage of the people waiting in line were adults, including myself.
Hildafolk is published by Flying Eye Books, which is a derivative of Nobrow Press, specialised in the area of producing children's books.
The success of Hildafolk, as well as other examples, gives me some form of inspiration, and assurance that my idea could work out, and perhaps be commercially viable, making me a bit of money on the side.

In the coming blogs, I will be looking  more into my final idea, exploring in depth and detail of how I can manage to pull this idea off successfully.









Thomas.

Shaun Tan - Artist research

Shaun Tan is an Australian artist and illustrator, who graduated from the university of WA in 1995, studying a joint honours degree in Fine Arts, and English Literature.

Tan is widely known for his work in the realms of science fiction, and horror, and has n the past had some of his work features in several small press zines.
Tan has illustrated a wide number of books, such as The Rabbits (seen below), Rules of Summer, and The Red tree.

https://gatheringbooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/rabbits.jpg < image reference at this link.

Tan has worked in the world of film, for example producing concept art for some of pixar's movies, including the award winning motion picture, WALL-E.

A concept book by Tan, that I bought in Berlin, Germany.

A double page spread from the above book, my favourite that I have come across in this particular book.

He is an artist that I have only recently found, and already I feel as if his work is inspiring me greatly.

I love his rough, and sketchy style of drawing. His work often revolves around the visual themes of the fantasy world, as well as the abstract world, and his illustrations contain a large element of usage of imagination.

One of my illustrations inspired by some of Tan's work.

I adore his very rough, and sketchy style when it comes to illustration, as it is a style that I have adored for quite a while.

I have tried to allow my own artwork to follow this sketchy style, and I do so by producing very loose lines with quick hand movements, coupling this with such traditional mediums as pen, and graphite.

References:

http://www.shauntan.net/about.html

Thomas.

What are Prints?

Prints are very common in the commercial world of illustration, and are a very good way for an illustrator to not only make some income, but for them also to get their name out into the commercial sector.
A wide range of illustrators produce prints, including some of my favourite artists.
Below I will display some examples of different prints, of different shapes, sizes, and styles.

http://www.hdwallpaperspics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/08.02.29.lost_.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://cdn.supadupa.me/shop/4321/images/643899/il_fullxfull.356600160_grande.jpg?1351570621 < image reference eat this link.

Some of Drew Milward's illustrative prints.

http://a1.s6img.com/cdn/box_002/post_12/295566_14413521-prn01_fp.jpg < image reference at this link.

I have bought quite a few prints in the past, and a lot of my illustration peers have also done the same.

It is a large market in the area of

Illustration, and one that would make sense to tap into.

It would be quite simple to make a print once a design has been assembled.

For example, once I produced a base illustration, I could use the method of screenprinting to make as many copies as I wanted, and put them up for commercial sale.

With the print room being downstairs, I would have very easy access to production, and it would be fairly low cost for me to mass produce.

http://www.saxoprint.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/screen-printing-process-set-up.png < image reference at this link.

There is a market for prints so it is a secure way for an artist to make income, in a way that is not very risky.










Thomas.

What are Zines?

Zines are small booklets that are usually self-published, and contain illustrations, photographs, or text.
They are very good way for an emerging illustrator to get their name out into the commercial world, due to them being very cheap to produce, and with them retailing for generally a small price, consumers are highly likely to buy them if they look enticing enough.

http://www.alittleredhen.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/30/zine_hen_party_2007.jpg < image reference at this link.

I have bought quite a few zines in the past due to them usually being of an affordable price, and I have expressed interest before, in creating my own self-published zine.

Assorted examples of different zines can be found below.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/UK_and_US_zines.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://echotango.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/zine-wall.jpg < image reference at his link.

http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/6452/2300988/ZELDA_ZINE_1_3.jpg < image reference at this link.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi807Yr1AAacFZhfMlhmuTVbVnCEQNNNkRfVZte9oqShBTm_PfDdlbpBZmRsAni6SsCTxuY1JRhwhCWy7DO3YQrxOpvwAy6NVenbuZvZFc5WWpiTqWB4McFGUdtwgw8SeDEDcpEetLlI9eC/s1600/NikonD80-1-15-13+150.jpg < image reference at this link.

It can make commercial sense for an illustrator to produce a zine, for reasons of profit, and to raise awareness of your practises.

The closest thing that I have made to a zine, was during module two, which was entitled narrative illustration.
I pieced together a small children's book based on a story that I wrote as part of the brief.
The book was hand assembled, and wasn't mass produced, but it gave me a good idea of what is required to piece a book together.

My children's book.

I discussed an idea I had in an earlier blog about creating a zine based on the theme of local animals, and it is an idea that I think has a very good chance of working out, and I feel that I could potentially make some money off my product when I take them to London later in the year to sell.

London.

It would be relatively easy to create and produce a zine, as I have all or the necessary tools that I require, such as Adobe Photoshop, and the print room available to me.

The Print room.

Thomas.

What is a Learning Agreement?

The new negotiated project requires me to come up with my own learning agreement for the module.

The Learning agreement is a document between myself, and both of my lecturers, and the agreement will explain what I want to set out to do for this new and exciting module.
It will also go over how I will achieve my project outcomes, which is important.

My learning agreement under assembly.

Of course my learning outcome must contain a reasonable workload, as trying to do too much work may cause the project to fail, and will be unnecessarily stressful for myself.
Doing too little is lazy in my opinion, unchallenging, and would not be an interesting brief to do.
I aim to do around about the same level of work as I do in the majority of my previous modules.

The learning agreement is a fairly important part of this module, as it shows that I can manage with developing my own brief, which will prepare me for my minor and major projects in level 6, and will also prepare me for the market outside of university.

The learning agreement goes over such topics as my synopsis of study, my aims, my learning outcomes, assessment requirements, my research sources and references, as well as my action plan/time plan.
It is something that I will follow religiously over the course of my module, as it acts as my guide for the project.

I will be piecing together my definitive learning agreement over the next few days, and I will produce additional posts going over the process.










Thomas.

Some initial project Ideas

Over the course of the Berlin trip, I have came up with a few rough ideas as to what could possibly be done for the new negotiated project.
I am now back from the visit, and I have some ideas that I want to document and share.

Close to the "artsy" district.

Berlin has helped to supply me with a lot of inspiration, as it was such a cultured city, full of new experiences, and for this reason I am very glad that I participated in the visit.
Most of my ideas came to me in the later days of the visit, particularly on the day I went to the zoo, which was on the 22nd of January.

Lionfish at the Zoo.

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Wildlife Zine:

My first idea was to come up with the design of a zine that revolved around the local life of Hartlepool/or the UK as a whole.

http://www.wobc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Stick-Institute-Zines.gif < image reference at this link.

I would love to create a zine that highlights local wildlife, and use my own illustrative style to portray each one I decided to document.

CCAD campus in Hartlepool.

I had the idea of making quite a small zine, similar to the ones that I saw in an illustration print shop in Eastern Berlin.
Zines are also cheap to produce, and retail for a small price, which is a bonus for both me and the consumer.

With the making of the zine, I could also sell the zine in London during the 2015 visit, at my market stall.

London.

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Prints

I also thought about the idea of making, and selling prints, perhaps in relation to the Berlin trip.
Such imagery as the Berlin TV tower, or the Reichstag may be good bases for illustrations to be produced.

Fernsehturn, known by its alternative name as Berlin TV tower.

With me selling my work in London, I could produce prints that are based around the culture of London, as this may provide greater attention to consumers looking for souvenirs, and I would like to tap into this large market.

http://www.marykilvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/london1.jpg < image reference at this link.

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Toy:

I have also thought about the idea of making my own toy, featuring an illustrative design on the product.
One toy that springs to mind, is a jigsaw, which would be simple to make and produce using a very thick card, or thin wood sheet.

The illustrative design could be easily transferred onto the product by such printing methods as screen printing.

http://www.jigthings.com/library/Manufacturers/d-toy-jigsaw-puzzle-section.jpg < image reference at this link.

Over the next few days, I will think about which idea may be best to go with for this brief, both on a personal, and a professional level.








Thomas.

Visit to Berlin!

Over the past few days, I've been in the beautiful city of multicultural Berlin, Germany.

So far I am really enjoying myself as I feel that travel broadens the mind, and creates inspiration.

Flying over the Netherlands.

I am hoping that whilst on the trip, it will inspire me to come up with a possible proposed project for my new negotiated brief, which is where I have the freedom and flexibility to come up with my own brief, and persue it when receiving the green light to go by Ben and Amy.

I will show a few places that I have been to on the trip, and I will talk about the most important parts for me, in relation to gathering inspiration for my new module.
The first set of images found below, contain photos from around the area of the Berlin wall, which is a big part of tourism, and culture in Berlin, as the structure divided the nation for many decades after WWII.
After this set, more photos are featured, going over art galleries, Berlin architecture, and my time on the U-Bahn.


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Berlin Wall

The Berlin wall was constructed in 1961 by the soviets, and divided Germany between the Communist East, and the Capitalist West, after the chaotic event of WWII.
When the Russian Red army stormed Berlin in 1945, they agreed to joint military control of Berlin with American, French, and English forces, which helped to spark the cold war.

A large concrete wall was soon constructed by the communist East, due to mass migration of East Berliners crossing freely into the West, making the East's numbers dwindle.
The wall acted as a way to permanently divide the country into East, and West, helping to control the population of the East primarily.

The wall collapsed in 1989, after a string of tense protests brought the wall toppling over.
The soviet union collapsed soon after, in 1991, and these events brought the era of the divide to an end.

Crossing into East Berlin from the West.

Wall on the West Side.

Side by side view of the wall, with the left and right side being the East, and West respectively.

My hand on the concrete Berlin Wall.

Autobahn sign in West Berlin.

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Deutsch Bahn Rail

The German rail network features a vast series of tracks, and connections spanning a large portion of the main city, and connects many commuters together, both above, and below ground.
It holds a lot of similarity to the London Underground network.

It helped me get all around the vast city over the course of my visit, and I found it to be very efficient and well scheduled and organised.

Haupt Bahnhof, the central hub for me, very close to my hostel.

A train station located underground under the financial district.

A timetable, containing multiple destinations, and lines.

Café/train station.

Deutsch Bahn Insignia.

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Art

Whilst in Berlin, I attended many trips to different artistic galleries, and exhibits, which I will display below.
Art made up a large portion of my visit, of course with me being an art student.

I visited such great galleries such as the Pergamon, with its wartime wounds on the exterior of the amazing building, and the Gemaldegalerie, which houses a wealth of renaissance, and modern art under one giant roof.

Bullet holes found on the old Pergamon structure.

Roy Litchenstien

Andy Warhol.

Strange exhibit containing 30 year old slabs of fat.

Some Renaissance art inside the Gemaldegalerie

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Berlin Zoological Gardens

Whilst in the lovely city of Berlin, I went to the famous zoo, which was located in the zoo district named Zoological Garden.

A lot of the exhibits were closed, but the aquarium made up for the closure of the zoo.

I was amazed by the beautiful assortment of different animals located in the zoo, and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to go.

Animals are my strong point when it comes to illustration, so I naturally gravitate toward thinking I could do something containing the themes of animals/nature.


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Architecture

One of the things that I was really blown away by on my visit, was the architecture of Berlin.
The majority of buildings were on a grand scale, with a mixture of old, and modern styles.

The visual differences between East and West Berlin are amazing, as the photos below will display.

West Berlin

East Berlin

East Berlin

West Berlin

West Berlin.

Overall I really enjoyed my visit to this amazing city, and country.
I hope to return one day, but in the meantime, I will be enjoy the rest of my time here, and looking at my photos once I return, trying to gather more inspiration.












Thomas.