FEED - FMP - GILLIAN

Revised poster

2010-06-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Final Animation for my Arcade

2010-05-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

I want say a big thank you to Justin Carrington for his help and support in making my animation. I am truly grateful.

Final Section of my LIFE Animation

2010-05-24T01:52:00.000-07:00

My Life Poster

2010-05-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I want to use elements in this poster to animate in after effects. This will be the beginning of my narrative, i have the end, which i will post on my blog tomorrow and currently working on the middle part. My animation will incorporate the colours red, purple, green and blue. The end of my narrative is already set in blue, so i will mix and blend the other three colours where appropriate. The geometric image is a star constellation Hercules wielding a weapon.

Arcade Name_LIFE

2010-05-15T12:54:00.001-07:00

Design for the side of Arcade

2010-05-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

The familiar symbols found on games joypad's were designed to state switch off from life.

Switch off from life is a metaphor for dis-engaging from the chaos and randomness that life throws at us. My animation will allow the viewer to connect and move into another realm, even for a brief moment.

Arcade in Situe

2010-04-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to keep the design simple, as the arcade will be situated in the corner so not much of a design will be seen. I will however be designing a few more, which will include typography.

Design for the side of Arcade

2010-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Linking Emotions to Colour

2010-04-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

More Experimentation

2010-04-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at Bauhaus and Kandinshky artwork for shapes, colour and form for inspiration, this is in conjunction with infographic images and Decode to help me with my design process.

2010-04-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

Video Arcade_Work in Progress

2010-04-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Six Variations of my Explosive Sphere

2010-04-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with 3D Shapes/Form

2010-04-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ball within a whirl vortex.

Experimenting with 3D Shapes/Form

2010-04-06T11:03:00.001-07:00

Reflective Mirror

2010-04-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

My 'Game of Life', will have a mirror behind the title,so that the person watching the game can see their face reflection in the mirror.

Arcade Graphics

2010-04-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

The Graphics on the arcade machine had balls, which moved around randomly, which has given me some ideas and I particular like and want to keep the pixelated tone to the graphics, which i will use when designing the narrative. The 'GAME OVER' graphics on mine may read 'THIS GAME IS NOT OVER' instead. My arcade machine is being made tomorrow, now that I've had my quote.

Arcade Graphics

2010-04-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

Eighties Style Video Arcade

2010-04-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

I needed measurements for a video arcade and the last place I thought I'd find one would be at my local church hall. This enabled me to get a quote and it will take at least two 8ft x 4ft (9mm) MDF Boards, which the timber merchant will cut down for £25.96. That's approx £12.50 a board. If anyone want materials the address is: MSS, 28 Soho Road, Handsworth, B21 9BH, 0121 554 4363.

FEED_Magazine Brief

2010-04-02T15:09:00.001-07:00

Example of a Ball Explosion

2010-04-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Explosive Emotion

2010-03-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

The blue ball is a metaphor for the tortured soul, this small animation is just one of a series of negative emotions that I'm now working on and will incorporate the use of a camera to show various angles once I've come up with a strong narrative.

Cross Section and Side View

2010-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

There will be actions that depict an emotion. The abstract image with the balls is someone being bombarded with stuff.

Front View of Game Graphics

2010-03-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Inspired - Advert for the New Library

2010-03-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

I liked the insert of this image taken from an advert. A circle is symbolic and perfect in shape, having no beginning and no end. Therefore because I'm looking at emotions in a random way, the shape that wanted had to look incomplete. This has inspired me to make some 3D type shapes in illustration, then will experiment with them in Cinema 4D, then after effects.

Geometric shapes within a sphere

2010-03-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Camera Mapping

2010-03-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

I plan to have contrasting mediums to engage and hold the viewers attention. I chose to use spheres because symbolically they signify completeness, then i will alter the shape of them when faced with a different emotion.

In my sketch book i will be working in pencil and ink before attempting them in illustrator. I'm also working on a storyboard to accompany the Emotional Grid I'm designing.

Coloured Spheres

2010-03-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

I liked the depth and curvature of the balls in the distance, the form reminded me of the hip and waist of someone and maybe the beginning shot of my game. The balls will represent the individual cells, that morph and go through changes when an emotion erupts.

Animation concept

2010-03-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been researching some mixed motion graphics, with Universal Everything, these were captivating and held my attention for long periods. It left me wanting more and therefore will use the feelings of excitement i felt and incorporate similar emotions within my animation "Game of Life'. I will work with the colours red, green and blue and circular spheres, which will take on many forms through music and emotions that will depict the randomness of life - The highs, the lows and the unexpected twists and turns of life that have no ending...well until the viewer decides to switch off from life (the video game being the metaphor for life).

Gallery Space - The Old Truman Brewery Basement

2010-03-17T05:09:00.001-07:00

I acquired this space for my FMP, which will house my Video Game Arcade with accompanying graphic illustrations and animation game.

Cardboard Mock-up Video Arcade

2010-03-15T15:14:00.001-07:00

This cardboard mock-up of my FMP is work in progress. It will include painted graphics and a photographic image of the control pad, although the real one is situated on top and will go on the final piece. I have chosen to paint the video arcade white, to keep it classic and in theme of the gallery space, which too is painted white - this is to keep the audience's focus on the graphics and on the narrative that is to be shown as motion graphics in my final piece.

2010-03-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

2010-03-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

2010-03-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

B-Hive Project

2010-03-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Fruit Machines

2010-03-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

I plan to go to an amusement arcade and get some images and sizes to construct my cardboard version of a fruit machine.

I will then deconstruct the images and alter them, giving it a narrative. When I think about my design, i will get some quotes on getting them printed professionally on large card.

Fruit Machines

2010-03-09T11:23:00.001-08:00

Chinese culture and funerals

2010-03-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at ways to make an inexpensive game and have been looking at the kind the Chinese culture, in death they have mock-up cardboard replicas of their possessions, which they have buried with them. My game is based around a game of life and the bigger picture in regards to binge drinking, therefore this ritual will somehow be incorporated in my design. I will do so by constructing a fruit machine and the graphical images will depict a narrative based around my Game of Life/Death.

FMP_Chinese Toy Possessions

2010-03-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

Final Major Project Proposal_Game of Life

2010-02-04T01:39:00.000-08:00

Johnny Hardstaff’s History of Game was the first influence I researched and the iconic symbols and imagery bought back memories for me when I played Commodore 64, Sinclair Spectrum and Atari as a teenager. Noticing the way game consoles have evolved in shape, size and graphically over 30 years made me thing about how I had changed over that time and the things I used to do that I no longer do.

As a teenager I used to binge drink with my peers and with the increase of binge drinking, I thought it would be good to juxtapose irresponsible people and a computer game, which allows the person interactively playing a game of life. The game will allow them to look at themselves and question if they have a substance and dependency problem. The objective is to keep playing the game until the end, which ultimately ends in the person, unintentionally, killing themselve.

I chose to use a game as a metaphor for life and because
computer games and binge drinker is social activity done with friends and peers and if can relate to my computer game, making an interesting visual concept it may make them think twice about their actions.

I read a twelve-step program is used in rehab for substance abusers, which looks at the human structure symbolically representing 3 dimensions, the physical, mental and spiritual. I want to build minimal art work to display in London, something interactive such as creating a software package and having a borderline between the game and the paper links. The paper links are likening to the hospital band we receive as inpatients. Instead of a hospital number it will have typography, with cut articles binge drinking statistics, identity and self- reflection.

Recycle_Fashion in Film

2010-01-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

This video was a joint project with myself Gillian (Director) and Parimah (Camera person) and Amy and Lauren from (Fashion). Fashion came up the theme for recycling and the creative design of the dress and I created the narrative and directed the shoot, whilst Parimah was camera person and in post production we jointly edited the footage.

The concept of this two-minute video was to use recycled objects to make a garment. It was a snowy winters day and we wanted to take advantage of the scenery as it was very picturesque. The film was edited in a fast pace to show the relationship between how we produce waste quickly but then reversed the film in a slow pace as recycling goes through a slow and lengthy process. The fast pace of the film reminded me of the first silent movies of the 18th Century like the 'Lumiere Brothers' and Charlie Chaplin' and we used an aged effect to create a particular mood within the film.

Recycle_Fashion in Film

2010-01-15T02:23:00.000-08:00

ZINE_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2010-01-04T08:35:00.001-08:00

ZINE_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2010-01-04T08:34:00.001-08:00

ZINE_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2010-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Using Chemical Relaxer can be addictive only because it saves time on managing Afro-textured hair, so i used the theme of using chemical relaxer, which is also known as 'Creamy Crack', as an addictive drug. My Zine has a narrative set around Black Women and their hair and this image with its typography was inspired by David Carson, who used type which which broke the rules in terms of legibility.

The Death of the Afro

2010-01-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

This image signifies the death of the Afro and other images will depict the transition of losing one's Afro hair to straightened hair.

Reflection of a Black Woman

2010-01-02T12:35:00.001-08:00

This image is a reflective image, and shows the black woman torn and contemplating losing her Afro and Self Identity.

The pain of combing Course Afro Hair

2010-01-02T12:33:00.001-08:00

This is just a sample of manipulated images that will be included in my Zine.

Front Cover_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2010-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

This typography was created from an image of Afro hair

Zine_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2009-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I plan on making a grid system, which will reveal a narrative behind black woman and their hair. With the use of hairstyles, microscopic images of good and damaged hair follicles juxtaposed with typography i will explain in a satirical way some of the social stigmas black women endure from others for having natural or chemically processed hair. I will write short statements from people's experiences using typography, which i will experiment by writing on the space where the face is or use acetate paper to explain the process behind some things black women will go through to fit or not fit into society.

Draft_'If my roots could talk'

2009-12-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

'THE DELUXE' BY ELLEN GALLAGHER

2009-12-21T14:57:00.001-08:00

ELLEN GALLAGHER

2009-12-21T14:56:00.001-08:00

ZINE_IF MY ROOTS COULD TALK

2009-12-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

My ZINE is about Black woman who chemically straighten their hair, a process, which damages the hair but yet every 6-8 weeks we straighten our roots, which we have been doing from as far back as the 40's. The cream used to straighten our roots is now given the nickname 'Creamy Crack' because it is like an addiction. I want to tell a story using just hairstyles taken from the many hair magazines i have collected overtime in contrast to hair styles from other decades. I seen the work of Ellen Gallagher, 'The Duluxe', exhibited in the National Gallery in Scotland and drew inspiration for my Zine. Ellen Gallagher born in Rhode Island 1965 uses repetition and revision, which is central to her treatment of advertisements from popular magazines like 'Ebony' and 'Sepia'. The images she uses to tell a narrative, confronts issues of Race but using clever, satirical humour. My faceless images will include typography in the space where the face will be of experiences shared by black women on social stigma's to embarrassing stories of what it is like today to still have chemically processed hair as opposed to having natural hair like an afro.

FEED NIGHT_Jermaine Francis Poster

2009-12-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

Birmingham Typographic DNA

2009-12-07T11:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Remembering the Homeless and Poor

2009-12-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-07T10:55:00.001-08:00

Reform Animation

2009-12-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Final Reform Poster

2009-12-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

Draft Reform_Poster

2009-12-02T21:09:00.001-08:00

REform_

2009-12-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I was experimenting in Cinema 4D using the explosion tool and the wrap tool, which was used to create the text 'REFORM'. I'm going to combine the image made in Cinema 4D and after effects creating a mirrored effect, also adding layers for texture, which will make it even more abstract and surreal. My influence for using an abstract expressionism is the paintings of the great Artists Picasso, Jackson Pollock and surreal artist Salvidor Dali.

Reform_Hybrid Bear

2009-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hybrid Using various textures

2009-12-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

Hybrid - Cinema 4D

2009-12-01T05:09:00.001-08:00

My first time doing Cinema 4D by myself. These images are work in progress, but I was experimenting with shadows and light.

Hybrid - After effects

2009-11-26T02:54:00.000-08:00

Hybrid 2030

2009-10-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Carbon foot print

2009-10-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I duplicated segments of my hybrid and cut away some, flipped on its side it looked like a foot. I used some typography and it became corporate looking. I still liked it however i need to break free more creating more experimental and abstract pieces.

Dadaism

2009-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I will be researching Dada and the cultural movement and its influences from that movement such as surrealism, the photos i have of a sunset i hope to experiment in Cinema 4D to create clouds.

Typography

2009-10-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Keywords i want to experiment as typography in my animation are: LIGHT, ENERGY, GLOBAL WARMING, MASS-PRODUCED, MANUFACTURE, 2030 and CARBON.

2009-10-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

2009-10-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting, randomly placing shapes, using parts of the teddy's head with segments cut from my energy light bulb. I like the way the bulb and teddy has lost its original form, its curves and soft edges and now transformed into a mechanical object.

Different Variations

2009-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Merging my Hybrid Objects

2009-10-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hybrid- An Energy Bulb and Teddy Bear

2009-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

REFORM - Energy light bulb

2009-10-07T23:47:00.001-07:00

Collage using images and drawing

2009-10-07T16:20:00.001-07:00

FMP Proposal

2009-10-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

As my Final Major Project I want to design an 'Animation Junction', which will show how humans over consume things, this human junction will include graphic routes, signs, shapes, lines and typography, which move and rotate, linking to a narrative. I will research first looking at the beginning of time when we did ritualistic things like consuming milk from a mother's breast, evolving to having a baby's bottle in contrast to having the alcoholic bottle, our society has evolved into a nation of fixations to many things, such as having the latest technology, sunbathing, cosmetic surgery, food, drink and drugs, therefore, my animation or book will show how we the consumer are becoming consumed.

The media bombard us with adverts about consuming alcohol, then warn us in the next breath to be responsible drinkers and to be on our guard when intoxicated, another example is when the government offer free support and advise to help people quit smoking, but demonstrate their lack of concern by keeping manufacturers of cigarettes in business; how then as a society are adults, let alone young people expected to be responsible.

Statistics show that alcohol related illnesses have gone up by 70%, with a drinker's future faced with liver disease and premature death, a concept like this will re-educate the younger generation to make informed choices as they meet challenges in life. A project like this could make them find an alternative way of looking at their own position on this human junction highlighting their successes and failures to eventually identify ways of moving forward. Young people should be evolving, just as fast as technology is evolving, but the truth is, they are falling behind because of the pressures of life we are living in today.

Diamond dust image of the Andy Warhol

2009-09-05T02:48:00.001-07:00

Diamond dust image of the Beatles

2009-09-05T02:43:00.000-07:00

The Venice Suite

2009-09-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

B L A K E

2009-09-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Peter Blake

2009-09-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

British Pop Artist Peter Blake was guest speaking at The Edinburgh print makers, but unfortunately I missed him. The Venice Suite exhibited 20 new screen prints inspired by his recent experience in the Italian City.

Peter Blake inspired by the work of American pop artist Andy Warhol, Blake used diamond dust screenprints to display celebrities such as Grace Kelly, The Beatles and Andy Warhol himself, with this particular screen print of Andy Warhol was produced by Blake just in time for the exhibition and is the first ever showing of this print anywhere.

I mostly like how he used the letters in the alphabet, spelling his name BLAKE in a creative and indepth way. For each letter he collected an array of letters, imagery, words, objects and typography surrounding each letter, which was later strategically positioned on canvas, this made me think of adopting similar work ethics.

Peter Blakes collage style used images from postcards, photos and second-hand books, set in Venice the prints displayed on a background of blues, greys, greens and muted yellows, evoking a mystical atmosphere of a place surrounded with myth and romance. The style of work is simplistic yet effective using cut and paste and still evoking an emotion to the viewer.

Spinning painting - 'Beautiful'

2009-09-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Poster contrasting medicine and food

2009-09-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Various different colours of pills

2009-09-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Various medicine packaging

2009-09-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Damien Hirst

2009-09-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday 30th August 09, I visited the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh, which held exhibitions by artist such as Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Francessca Woodman and Alex Katz to name a few. Damien Hirst's work I was interested in as he produces work that question life, death and relegion. Damien had a catholic upbringing and is one of the key factors to understanding of his work. He uses pharmaceutical products as a modern metaphor for relegion both are employed to combat and come to terms with death. He collected the various drugs packaging that were medicines that could potentially kill or cure, the times when we once prayed for a cure is now replaced with our reliance on drugs to cure and has in some cases been abused becoming a lifestyle assesory; one only has to look at the culture of the wealthy who casually use botox, a poisonous toxic drug for the sake of vanity and ironing out a few wrinkles. There were several pieces of his work displayed ranging from the many fishes and their skeletons to a sheep both encased formaldehyde. A grand piece worth seeing was a spin painting, which stood out being so vibrant and colourful and that was one of his spin paintings called beautiful, created using household gloss paint poured onto canvas while it spun around. I liked the way that a machinical instument was able to create a painting that was bursting with life.

2009-07-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

The image below, was obviously influenced by Paul Jackson Pollock' s work (1912-1956), he was an influential American painter whose technique of paint drips and splashes were created using hardened brushes, sticks and basting syringes as paint applicators to create this chaotic all-over line markings. It was when Jackson Pollock totally disconnected with his painting that he unconsciously brought about his finest pieces of work. He was a reclusive artist who struggled with alcoholism, yet he was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. His line markings neither had positive or negative space and the eye wasn't drawn to a particular area or identified with any thing in particular, thus making it interesting to observe.

Standing on the Mirror's Edge

2009-07-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

I was invited to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Thursday 23 July 09 to view a new exhibition Standing on the Mirror's Edge, which was a collection of photography and artwork by young adults facing mental health difficulties, the theme addressed identity and self-perception, using drawings, typography, photography, video and animation to communicate their emotions. I particularly like how art was effectively used to communicate their thoughts and feelings to us, yet in contrast enhancing their own confidence. These individuals who face mental health issues are usually shunned by society and by not allowing them an outlet to express themselves, this exhibition I felt gave them a voice and a sense that they are still are apart of our community.

2009-07-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

This abstract artwork with the word MIRROR, barely visible amongst it's line making made me reflect, mirroring a thought of myself amongst life's mess and chaos; this was thought-provoking and gave me a window into the mind of the artist.

2009-07-26T10:25:00.001-07:00

2009-07-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Movement of Light

2009-07-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

Presentation Ideas

2009-07-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

I was also researching how to design light boxes and came across images of an innovative lighting product, which gave me ideas on movement, light and ideas on presenting my FMP.

People captured moving within and around space

2009-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Light Box with reflective mirrors and depth

2009-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Time, Movement and Space

2009-07-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

I want to observe the passage of time through movement, space, light, dark, birth, death, depth, depression, reflection and self-Image. In reference to my previous blog about time and space or being present one second and gone the next. These keywords are even more poignant now having lost a close relative Tuesday 7 July 09, who passed away so sudden.