Roughs and crit

IDEA 1 

My first idea is based on the feeling of community I got whilst sitting and drawing at the castle. It is to create a book showing the life of a couple - getting together, getting married, having children ect. - all set in the castle grounds. I was thinking this may be nice to do in isolated scenes on the path running around Knaresborough castle in the format of a concertina. 

IDEA 2 

For the book to be about a child's perspective of the castle - flashing between their imagination and reality. I thought this would work well in a similar format to Eleni Kalorkoti's space zine - breaking up images into different sections using different sized pages ect. I also thought I would use perhaps a really naive and fragile aesthetic - alike to Laura Carlin...? with coloured pencil and ink to create this sense of child's play and imagination. 

IDEA 3 

To pursue this idea of the 'Raven Lady' and the relationship with her birds, as well cultural and historical perspectives of Ravens as a bird. I do not think this would produce a beginning to end narrative but maybe a sequence of information or contrasts? I like the idea I have been experimenting with of creating images contrasting a negative and positive view of the Raven. I would like this again to maybe be similar to Eleni Kalorkoti's zines with overlapping images, as well as using monotonal and very shape driven imagery. 

FEEDBACK 

Overall in the crit I think the general consensus was that I should pursue the 'Raven Lady' idea. People seemed to think that it was the most interesting and original, as well as well suited to the brief of telling an 'untold story'. Louis also said he liked my use of ink in the images I had created for this mock-up hotdog book, and so I think I will continue to use this as a material when looking at visual content for the book. 

I agree with what was said in the crit and am excited about pursuing this idea. I like that in terms of a narrative it is not a finished product and I have a lot more research and investigation to do surrounding the subject. 

Illustrators and thoughts

Eleni Kalorkoti

I really like the way that Eleni collages different shapes and textures in order to create figures and characters. After the last two visual language sessions collage, shape and texture are all process' that I would like to start using and experimenting with to create my own work. 

Looking at Eleni's website this 'Space Zine' really stood out to me. I think the progression of imagery through the zine is really interesting, as she overlaps/adds different sections. I would like to experiment with this and potentially use this in my book as a way of moving through my narrative. 

In this 'glitch' zine something that I also really enjoyed was the combination of pattern and full images in order to create narrative. I think the combination of the two work really well together, the patterns reflecting and adding to what is happening in each image. I think it also provides 'breathing space' and gives each double page spread focus - not being too overwhelming for the audience. 

Jon Mcnaught

Adrift (double page spread for art review magazine)

I would really like to create something alike to this work of Jon Mcnaught - using small details/ cropped snippets/a sequence of information to tell a story. I think this works really well to create a real atmosphere and sense of place. 

Raven Research

After the visual language session experimenting with texture and shape I created some images of ravens and the 'Raven lady' using the same process. I think this works well to describe the texture of the birds feathers and to create a simple yet interesting image - I will definitely be using this more. 

https://vimeo.com/86204745 - "The Unkindness of Igraine Hustwitt Skelton"

I re-watched the film about the "Raven Lady". Something that really interested me in the film is her determination to change people's perspectives on ravens and her feeling that we have a lack of understanding of nature.

"They are a very misunderstood bird and we just want to try and educate people that they have nothing to fear from ravens"

"We don't really understand nature as we should do"

I agree that we lack understanding of nature and often place certain stereotypes onto animals without basis. On the other hand I do feel that there is something unnerving about ravens - the way they can speak and imitate voices or noises...and her stories of them harassing people at the castle. Maybe it would be interesting to do a book contrasting these two perspectives?

I need to do some more research into myths and legends surrounding ravens. Some facts that I have found so far are really interesting and I feel excited to explore visually -

•  In Sweden they are thought to be the lost souls of murdered people
• In native american cultures they are the guardians of both ceremonial magic and healing circles.

Back to Knaresborough!

I went back to Knaresborough to do some more observational drawings and take more photographs of the castle. I was hoping on gaining some more distorted perspectives on the 'Raven Lady' from the locals. Everyone I seemed to ask, however, knew exactly who she was or not at all - so maybe this is not a valid or interesting enough idea? 

All my drawings were also terrible because it was so cold and windy! Although by taking notes of my surroundings I started to consider another potential narrative.  As I began to notice the way children were reacting to the castle - forming these imaginary worlds, pretending to be knights or that father christmas lived there...  

                                   

A lot of other people were walking around as well - people walking their dogs, old couples, young couples, men talking about their wives and children...There was one particular moment when everyone just stopped and all watched the train pass over the viaduct in silence. 

This all made me think what about illustrating a book about - 

• a child's perspective of the castle? disappearing into this imaginary world or simply finding the real thing really wondrous and big? 
• the castle being a place where you can see all different members of the community? maybe linking this my previous feeling that history goes unnoticed in Knaresborough...as the castle has transformed into an almost park, but isn't this good that it is being used and seen though?

One thing I do definitely want to capture is the kind of bleak but beautiful 'wintry' feel I experienced today at the castle. 

I also started speaking to a man called Ken who was taking photographs of the castle. He was a member of the Knaresborough historical society and so had a lot of information about the castle, and also some photographs of Knaresborough throughout lots of different periods. I got his email - khwatson30@gmail.com - and so might contact him for some of the old and new photographs he has collected of Knaresborough. Some of the old photographs could be interesting to provide this imaginary/medieval world I could use as a child's perspective? 

Research Crit

• The research crit made me realise that I need to use drawing more as a research tool and that I am lacking secondary research. 
• I received most positive feedback surrounding the idea of the 'nordic nun who has tamed the ravens of Knaresborough castle'. People found the idea of the 'myth' surrounding her in Knaresborough, and how the locals perceive her, as apposed to reality of her being a normal woman from Harrogate quite funny and interesting. 
• They also seemed encouraged by the idea of Knaresborough feeling 'homely' to me, despite the fact that it is so far away from home. Could there be a potential narrative in this? I could pursue drawing 'rural', 'pastoral' landscapes (as they described in the crit)…I also like the idea of reflecting on communities and how you come to feel at home in certain/new places. 
• How to move forward:
• Do some factual/historical research into ravens. 
• Look again at the 'raven lady's' website and the film about her on vimeo. 
• Consider different perspectives: locals, the lady, the ravens, historical - as well as different tones- scary, funny, ambiguous ect. 
• Go back to Knaresborough - do some more drawing of rural landscapes as well as the castle. Interview people about this woman and her ravens. 
• Consider more ideas/themes you could delve into do to with feeling a sense of home/community, and how you could form narratives around this… Would you be the protagonist? Would it be about a personal journey/experience? 
• Try to narrow your interests and find a theme so as to form a narrative. 

The Ravens of Knaresborough Castle

When I got back from Knaresborough I was still curious about this 'nordic nun' and her ravens. I therefore started searching the internet and it actually came up with both a website, and someone has also made and posted a short film about this woman on vimeo. I think this really could, with some more research, start to form a really interesting narrative.

Here are the links
https://vimeo.com/86204745
http://knaresboroughcastleravens.webs.com/

Why is this interesting?

• I like how the woman (although she seems a bit nutty) is so passionate about her ravens. She claims that as a bird ravens are misunderstood and this is routed in our ever growing lack of connection with the natural world. I think that a lot of animals in the world are misunderstood, and as a consequence of this, as well as them inconveniencing modern civilisation, we kill or destroy these animals and their habitats. (I am passionate about this)
• On her website she describes lots of funny or mischievous stories done by this one raven, I think that illustrating this could make a humorous narrative?
• I find it funny that after watching the video on vimeo and reading the website that the initial description of this woman as a 'nordic looking nun that has tamed the ravens of Knaresborough castle'...is so not true. But I think I quite like this image of her?
• Ways to move forward? 
• contact this woman for more information on her ravens?
• Maybe while I am at home I could go to the tower of London and draw some ravens there?
• Go back to Knaresborough castle and do some more observational drawing and find out more information? 
• Look more at her website
• Start drawing!

Knaresborough

These are some reflections/notes I wrote throughout the day. The first list are little observations or conversations I noticed whilst on the train, then notes I made about a conversation I had with a woman in the train station coffee shop, and then little personal rantings about how Knaresborough was making me feel about family and community. 

This was the little coffee shop at the train station, where I met a woman who gave me lots of information about the history of Knaresborough. She was very kind and motherly.

These are the Galleon steps. They were used by smugglers coming up from the river.

I sat on a bench for a while and noticed it was covered in carvings or writings of 'Steve and Stacy foreva' or 'Brian was here' (just making these up). It got me wondering as to why people do this…and more about this theme of feeling a sense of home or community. 

Knaresborough Castle: 

Knaresborough castle was built between 1307 and 1312, under the rule of King Edward II. This is a photograph of the main ruin/building - the King's tower. I think the ruin is actually really beautiful and interesting, sitting on top of this hill that overlooks Knareborough - obviously for strategic reasons. After the woman in the coffee shop told me that there is a 'nordic nun who has tamed the castle ravens' I really wanted to investigate this further…but she was not there. I think a lot of things close down during winter, the main tourist time obviously being summer. 

The River:

The Nidd Gorge in Knaresborough, part of the River Nidd, dates back 16,000 years and there is evidence of human inhabitance of this area over 4,000 years ago. What I found most interesting was the Castle mills - the site of waterwheels that used to power a really prosperous and successful linen industry in Knaresborough (you were not allowed to enter them however).

The Railway:

The viaduct collapsed in 1848 causing the river to rise by 12 feet and all the were fish killed by the lime in the mortar. This played as a major contribution to the decline of the linen industry - as they were not able to transport goods as efficiently as other towns, such as Harrogate. It was rebuilt in 1851 at the cost of £10,000.

These are some observational drawings I did during my day in Knaresborough. I think because I did not have a focal theme or location within the town, I just drew anything I found interesting and as a consequence I feel this drawing lacks purpose or value as research. If I was to pursue something particular within Knaresborough e.g. the river I think I would have to go back and do some more observational drawing to record details and more information on this subject.  

Thoughts on Knaresborough

• It is true, people are much friendlier in the north. I can not tell you how many people said hello to me or asked me about myself.. 
• I get the sense that a lot of the history in Knaresborough goes unnoticed by the younger generation.
• I feel like there is a spirituality surrounding Knaresborough or a sense of the paranormal.

Im going to Knaresbourough!

Why? - it contains loads of different themes...

• Rivers, bridges, streams or lake
• Castle, monument or ruin
• Church, mosque or temple
• Old traditional pub
• Train station and the railway
• Parks and woodland

I originally thought of going to the airport or a laundrette but...although I think these places would provide interesting potential narratives, they are not really places I want to spend a day at or am really interested in...

Knaresborough to me looks like the type of place that will make me miss home...I am really looking forward to going there and spending time in the woods and in a small countryside town. I think this idea of finding somewhere I want to go and explore, somewhere I enjoy being means I will find a more poignant narrative.

Shape

The aims of this session was to learn about using shape to create images, as so far we have only really looked at using different values of line. We were then set the task of using shape to create 3 portraits of people wearing funky outfits. 

Geoff Mcfetridge

I was excited by the prospect of using shape, if not a bit daunted, as it causes you to think in a completely different way. I feel that there has to be a significant consideration for composition, as you have to begin to understand how the shapes your creating will relate and work with each other. You also have to employ the ability to distill and simplify information. I think this distillation of information is probably what comes most effective from shape based imagery. It causes illustrators, like Geoff Mcfetridge to create really dynamic and minimal images that are very immediate in what they communicate - no wonder it can be so commercially popular...  

My work in response to the task - 

In this work I really wanted to explore my own personal style and taste in clothing. I do like to wear, sometimes but not always, really bold patterned or block coloured clothing. I also wanted to experiment with how I could use negative space to create new shapes. 

I like how I have collaged plain cut paper and images from newspapers and magazines together to create this piece. The use of an image to describe the clothes I think works well and is quite interesting. I think the cutouts in the face and hair, however, seem a bit random and the stark white ruins the composition. 

I think my use of negative space to create the shape of a hand and arm has worked really well here...

In these three images I feel I really expressed the style of clothing that I find interesting and fun, as well as the general appearance of bold hair and makeup. It was really enjoyable to explore this through my work, and I think it works really well in the bold coloured paper I have selected and the defined blocks of shape.

These are some gouache paintings I did in my sketchbook. Again I like the use of bold shape and colour, although, I think because I was painting it was easier to overcomplicate the image and revert back to using line instead of shape to describe facial features. To me, therefore, they are not as effective as the cut paper images, which seem more clean cut and shape driven.

One Week Book: Finals and Evaluation

Spider and the Dark Arches 

• I think the finished book has an ambiguous narrative, yet this adds to the haunting and unsettling nature of the story that we decided to tell…
• It was hard to make the images work together to form a coherent narrative as well as  work collectively within a book because we all have such different styles. I think it is important though that we did not sacrifice this and I like how all our work is identifiable as our own.
• Personally I found this brief quite difficult. I enjoyed working as a group, however it was definitely more difficult to get things done and I found it quite unnerving not having total control over the work I was producing.  
• I also found the theme of our book quite difficult - I do not often seek to create work that is dark and would not really choose to write or illustrate a haunted story. On the other hand it was good for me to work outside my comfort zone and diversify the type of images I make… 
• In terms of my own finished images I messed up by using a sharpie, meaning that parts of my images were poorly exposed. I think on the first image it actually works quite well, adding this interesting texture and movement, but on the second image it meant that it was very light in colour and the shapes were not as defined as I would have liked. 
• Overall I am rather disappointed with the final result of my images. I have learnt now to not use a sharpie if I want block colour! I also feel that we could have done a lot more with the screen printing process - e.g. overlapping colours to create a 3rd colour or different tone.  
• In terms of screen printing I have used this process before, but only with positives printed from photoshop so it was interesting to learn about all the different types of textures you can use and how different media looks when printed. Screen-printing is something that I really enjoy as a process as well, so I am really glad that we are now inducted and will definitely be using this  to create images a lot more in the future. 

One Week Book: My Images

Within our group I was assigned to create a double page where I would have to include us finding and entering the shed, whilst being followed by spider. Here I experimented with different compositions in marker pen. I wanted to achieve a real sense of being in this dark 'spooky' tunnel and the subtle, haunting feeling of being followed. 

This was the final composition I decided on for my images. I think I am happy with these images as I do think that they convey a coherent narrative and also contain a good sense of a haunted and dark atmosphere. 

Before I drew the final images I also did some drawings experimenting with colour and texture. I actually found this very difficult to get to a point where I was happy with the final product. I am glad that I added this however, even if I would liked it to be more refined, as it was necessary to break up my images and make them more interesting.