OrnitholoSEE - the shortest book in the world.

Someone needs to save me from myself, now!

I've put the question out to anyone i've come in contact with tutors/students/family/friends alike, and i'm still no nearer making peace with myself and what style i should be making this bird book; 

1. Minimal Paper cut style 
2. Slick vector shapes with texture style
3. The IanF ,super-chunky vector & halftone signature style.

I KNOW I NEED TO STOP OVER THINKING IT!!!!!!!!!:(


There are pros and cons and reasons why i like all three variations and the same goes with the people i've asked about it. They like the way version 3 has my trademark style to it, but when i show them version 2 they have all replied "ooooh, i like that one". Largely because it has a bit if texture to it and comes across as a bit more hand made, even though it just as digital as the chunky black line style ive become know for...!? So i'm torn between the two. Both styles do a job and wold appeal to a certain market - all depends on what i want them to do, and for who?


Theres' a large part of me that really doesn't want to do deal with this anymore. It's gone from a subject and an idea i was looking forward to tackling, from a personal and professional point of view, to something i'v become totally disenchanted with and wish i could come up with something else. Trouble is, i'd only have the same conundrum with what style to use for it anyways. This is my nightmare with OUIL505 (Applied illustration) all over again.

There's no escape.

Matt had some great motivational words for me, which massively helped to nudge me in the way of a solid decision;

Staring defeat HARD in the face...(even with 2 months to go)

From the day we had to plan out our FMP statement of intent, action plans etc my time management and delegation has been absolutely piss poor, and i've missed every FMP deadline i've set myself. Since the (advised) decision to leave any plans i had to tackle smaller live briefs behind ive made a stuttering start with my Canadian Bird diary, and it is stuttering. 

The last two weeks, where i was going dedicate to sketchbook experimentation, has been interrupted somewhat by mural prep and painting, continued paid mural design work for Pete Barber aswell trying to work out my diary in order to fit in being an assistant on a number of his up & coming large scale murals around the country, also paid. Other smaller, quick turnaround and paying briefs have also come onboard, and the money factor is turning my head and motivating me more than the self driven uni work right now - which isn't a great thing to be admitting, but that is the name of the game right?! I WANT MONEY.


After taking stock of just how long (short) i have til the May 15th submission date, and doing some rough maths - the results don't make for good reading... heres a break down;


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BIRD IMAGES I NEED TO DESIGN/DEVELOP/PRODUCE : 39 (plus working out background elements, and collecting bird facts and adding my own bird blurb)

WEEKS TIL SUBMISSION: 7
That's right up until the day before submission, which i wont be able to do if i actually want to get a physical copy of the book printed. Also thats not factoring the PPP3 presentation prep, Creative Strategy/Presence that still needs to happen - prospective on-site work with Pete Barber (he'd need me for 2/3 weeks) as well as literally anything going on in the outside world that isn't my FMP.

IMAGES I NEED TO PRODUCE A WEEK: 5 (based on a 7 day working week & not taking into account the odd days i already know i wont be able to produce anything due to family visits)

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Sooooo, its not looking too healthy, and the more i think about it (and more time i waste documenting it on the my blog) the more it seems i'm going to have to bite the bullet and have a serious bird cull - maybe reducing the final count by as much as half?! Perhaps down to 20 of my favourite sightings, but that kind of defeats the object of wanting to illustrate the whole list. 

Maybe i was always asking too much of myself to produce a 40+ page book, to the standard i demand of myself - and maybe if i hadn't been doubting my concepts so much to begin with and just got on with it earlier i might not be as much of a pickle. But i am and i can only really see two ways out of this;

• DO NOTHING APRT FROM FMP 24/7, ABANDON ALL OTHER MODULE WORK AND COMMISSIONS. (even still, its not gaurunteed id complete it all)

• COMPROMISE MY PRACTICE - switch to a much, MUCH simpler style, with less detail and craft. This would cause me to produce work that wouldn't normally be associated with me - i should be using my 'signature' style surely?

• SPEND ZERO TIME ON DEVELOPMENT - don't make loads of scamps, cut straight to the chase.

• FOCUS ON THE BIRD CONTENT - don't get bogged down in worrying about what other elements i could be putting in the background to fill the composition? 


What ever happens, i think i'm going to fact the fact that 40 birds ain't gonna happen - unless i totally lose all discipline and start churning out super quick,scruffy-assed paintings & doodles and submit them as part of the book (although a mix of styles might be more interesting!). 20 is probably more realistic, i will aim for that (it could be a proposed Two Volume book) anything more than that new total i can now look on as an achievement rather than a failure!

Also trying to spend less time on my blog posts, but the sweet irony is; the more work i actually manage to produce on this will only mean more bloody blogging..!?

LETS GO!

OrnitholoSEE (FMP) - as it stands...

Matt suggested taking these last two weeks to experiment a bit with how these bird images are going to look. Which i have done to a point (prepping and painting a mural has taken centre stage) - but it hasn't ventured too far away from where i originally going to take it. 

>>>>scamps/sketches/tests<<<<

As much as i like the idea of using 'real life', expressive paint strokes and splats is just isn't me, and it would feel weird to all of a sudden start making all this loose imagery with no carefully crafted linework or visual cleanliness; ie totally analogue. Although I've considered different, simpler ways to digitally render the bird so they appear a bit less digital, i keep getting the feeling that i'd only being lowering my production standards purely for the sake of making something totally different from what i usually make? 

II'mim going to draw and colour it in by hand so it looks digital, i might aswell save myself the time and DO IT DIGITALLY?!(i must've told myself that so many times by now)

As I've been pretty worried that there isn't enough concept or originality or scope to generate my own material (without referencing lots of already existing things) i've tried incorporating some of my own thoughts about each particular bird, where it was spotted along with some facts - nothing too long but just something that could accompany each image, possibly on the adjacent page?

I've still got a whole heap of reference imagery to collate before i can properly get this going, but the development work/testing i've done so far has been on a Spotted Towhee and has resulted in my first finished image, complete with bird blurb. 

>>>towhee pics<<<<

True to my recent working process, it looks & IS balls-to-wall digital. There's no denying that. I've also managed to keep the palette farily restricted - as much as i can with colourful birds. Limited myselfl to 5 colours on this one, using large scale halftones here & there, all contributing to my 'signature' style.

Looking at the result i'm happy - this lasts untill i scan through Instagram and see new work by Erik jones, Ken Garduno or Will Barras and I'm immediately back to hating what I've just done and wishing my work looked completely different and not quite so unspectacular!

Ben said it might be a good shout to do a mixture of styles - it would make it more possibly interesting and varied to look at, but less coherent and may just look like i'm trying too hard to be someting that i'm not?


Either way, I've got to stop overthinking and GET ON WITH IT?!

Action Plan & Executive decisions

On the advice of tutors I've spoken to, and on my own assessment i've taken the decision to bin off the Roald Dahl YCN brief & also the Free Range Freddy book illustration brief. This will be in favor of knuckling down with my FMP which isn't looking massively healthy as of yet.

Also, offers of paid commissions with Pete Barber (designing the layout of some of his murals) is something i feel would benefit more from than making pictures for children's books, although i had initially been pretty enthusiastic about taking part in them both for some character design work.

'The Twits' scamps

Time waits for no man and it was tough decision, especially as i'd been developing rough ideas for a Twits illustration. I feel i have generated enough work for portfolio use within the projects briefs that i have completed so hopefully won't have too much of an impact on my final module grades.

FMP - Progress (or lack of) / Tutorial with Matt...

As far as Extended Practice is going...

Small briefs and competitions / commissions from outside uni; i've been pretty prolific and have completed all the tasks outlined in my SOI to date.

Final Major Project;

Haven't really made a substantial start on a project that i'm not sure is even interesting enough to pursue. Would i only be making something that looks good? I do want to make a collection of bird illustrations which brings a more alternative, contemporary feel to the practice of illustrating birds.The Birds featured are all one ive spotted in real life, with my dad so there is a personal element to it. But is this enough to make anyone give a shit, beyond it looking 'cool'?

MAIN POINTS

• WHAT'S CHANGED - WHAT HAVE I DISCOVERED?

Using less colour and more considered palettes & composition.

Sometimes less is more - reigning in the amount of fine detail (in part). 

• WHAT DO I DO?
"Clean digital (via hand drawn) imagery". Matt & I are in agreement; i'm good at tackling briefs that have been given to me by clients or in competitions and also making worked referenced from things that already exist (pop culture, birds, tv characters). However this is leading me to struggle with generating much of my own original material, and i'm simply recreating these things in my own  drawing 'style'. 



• THIS WORK NEEDS TO WIDEN MY EXISTING VISUAL LANGUAGE.
Although technically impressive, nothing i'm doing right now is very innovative. A damning statement, but i couldn't argue. I'm not taking enough risks with my output -  this has mainly been because at this late stage in the degree, and with the FMP to concentrate on, i didn't think taking my visual voice in a drastically different direction, using unfamiliar techniques would be the way to go. It may confuse not only myself but the people looking at my work, having been used to seeing a certain style of process from me.

• WHY DO I LIKE BIRDS/WHY DO I WANT TO DO THIS?
Birds are something thats just always been with me - Dad would always have a pair of binoculars handy, and would give me a shout when he spotted an interesting looking one. Still does to this day. Like WWF wrestling, and Norwich City ive no reason to still be intersting in watching them, but i have done for years and years, and cant ever see me not wanting to (although Norwich City are pushing me pretty close at the moment!).

I want to introduce them an audience that is bored of seeing the typical watercolours, photo-realistic images of birds - and give them something fresh to look at.

The reasons i like birds are the same reasons i like particular art; Shape, pattern, bright colours, movement, charm. I'm ware (at its been commented on ) that my digital/vector work can lack character or personality at times. When i watch birds i see their different species personalities the way they jump about and behave, so getting that across in my work is something i need to try and do.

• Although id been hesitant in researching into other practitioner (bird and non-bird related) in case it lead me to get stuck in the research rut - Matt did give me some names i should look into. David Lemm was one, and i instantly loved his work. Minimal shapes and textures, with minimal colour schemes, documenting things he sees and places he goes. Couldn't be more down my street if he tried.



• MOVING FORWARD
Having created a substantial amount of work to this point with the smaller briefs Matt has suggested that i make the YCN  Roald Dahl Brief my last one (due March 22) so i can focus fully on the FMP. I should spend the next 2 weeks in my sketchbook working on the bird characters/composition/content for my proposed images trying to experiment with my process more, use different tools be inspired by other artists, maybe get some narrative involved or my own feelings about the birds i'm drawing.

Even go SPOTTING! My parents are coming up in a few weeks on a Northern Tour, i'm sure Dad will bringing his Binoculars with him -so we could go for some twitching action.

Peer Review - 7.3.17

Main points from the peer crit session.

General Comments:

Have more confidence in myself. "It's really annoying!" (T.Butters 2017)

Get some self worth in what i'm doing.

I'm tackling given briefs better than self initiated projects. Good at taking peoples ideas and turning them into visuals. Struggle to settle on work i'm making for myself in terms of content and concept.

Look into internships - i'm knocking out a lot of live briefs, look to work for a company rather than freelance..?




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WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE IMPROVED?

• Confidence in final product
• Make a solid start on my FMP

HOW WILL YOU BENEFIT FROM THIS?

•The sooner i get started and nail down an aesthetic to the project the easier it will become to knock out bird after bird. Will mean less stalling and more doing!


WHAT DO I NEED TO REVISE?
• My action plan, and the amount of projects initially intended to participate in. Also need to realign my self-given deadlines.

WHAT WOULD YOU ACHIEVE FROM THIS?
• It will give me a better idea of what work i have to do in what little time is left.

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WHAT ACTIONS WILL YOU TAKE IN RESPONSE TO THE PEER REVIEW SESSION


WHAT?
Start FMP, work out what style you want to work in and how this will benefit your future practice/profession
WHY?
Find a way you enjoy to work & love you do more. you need more self-confidence.

WHAT?
get small briefs out of the way and focus solely on the FMP.
WHY? 
This will leave more time to test out and experiment how you want to approach your images.


WHAT?
Listen to Roald Dahl audio books whilst sketching, to save time if you're a slow reader.
WHY?
So i can MULTI-TASK.I dont want to lose time reading books when i could listen and draw and the same time.

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WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED FORM THE PEER REVIEW FEEDBACK SESSION?
Appreciation for other peoples sketchbook work, namely Tilly's. 
She has a similar problem as in; she feels she works with too many different styles and materials and feels she needs to focus her practice but can decide on which one for the best? Her little sketchbooks were so inspiring to look through, especially her simple shape compositions - she told me she doesn't really think about too much when she does them, but just goes for it. Something ive never been capable of, but some of her drawings have really made want to start sketching random objects more, and just doodle for fun. 

I've told her that my next work will probably (definitely) be a massive rip-off of (one of) her styles.