Aftereffects workshop II

KEY POINTS

• Work area - thick gray bar, to adjust what you playback
• To adjust pace - Select all keyframes by clicking and dragging mouse over them, and then --> Alt (to adjust)
• To move sequences - Select all keyframes, and then drag to desired point in animation

How to prepare images in photoshop

• File new --> Document type: Film & Video 
• HDTV 1080
• Must be RGB colour
• 72 resolution 
• Big rectangle is the ACTION SAFE ZONE
• You can adjust the size of your images without losing the markings - these are just guidelines. To adjust --> canvas size
• Do NOT enlarge images in aftereffects because this will make them pixelated. Make images the largest you want them to be in animation using photoshop before importing image into aftereffects.
• If you want your images to 'pan' across make them longer than the action safe zone e.g. sky. 
• File management is like indesign - you must save them all in one document. 

Importing images into aftereffects

• Import into project area, File --> import --> File...
• Options will come up 
• 'Footage' - using separate images to then layer on aftereffects
• 'Composition' - works as one composition (no separate elements)
• 'Composition - retain layer sizes' - assemble composition on photoshop, and then importing it like this will allow you to animate these layers separately in aftereffects. 
• You can have lots of compositions within one project - make all 3 within one. 

Transformation techniques

• You can select multiple layers at once, and transform them all at the same time. 
• You can set a keyframe for the current position of your object, and then the other before - move it out. So things will pan into frame to their original position. 

Exporting composition

• Composition --> add to render queue
• Render settings --> time span: full composition
• Output module --> format: quicktime, format options --> H.264
• Then sort out where its going to saved 
• Press render!

What do I want to achieve by the end of this week?

Time is ticking on, and to be honest I am overwhelmed. I need to make a plan, and start being more structured with how I set about my work. 

So, I am going to try start asking myself : what do I want to achieve by the end of this week? (hopefully getting into the routine of doing this every week), and maybe I won't get everything done, but that's ok - I certainty will get more done than if I did not make the list in the first place!)

Printed pictures:

• Final experimentation 
• The screen-print positives for my final prints
• find out and structure, when and how you can do this prints - maybe considering vernon street? (talk to the print room staff)

Moving Images

• Continue brainstorming ideas and documenting these in your sketchbook
• Do some research into stings and complete the task - posting it on the blog

Responsive

• Continue drawing and brainstorming ideas for YCN Uk greetings brief
• Complete the sheet outlining your briefs from the last session and post on blog
• Start reading In cold blood, and maybe watch the film

COP

• Get up to date with the tasks and blogging 
• Start reading the semiotics book for research and document on blog
• Create a more cohesive project proposal form and post on blog

After effects workshop I

KEY POINTS:

Setup :

• To import images : file --> import. This imports into 'project' panel, which is basically a storage area for all the images and compositions you are going to use to make the animations. 
• 'Timeline' - like layers in photoshop
• 'Composition' - like image in photoshop, what its going to look like when exported. 
• To make a new document : composition --> new composition 
• Setup :
• NTSC - American video standards
• PAL - European & UK video standards
• For brief setup :
• HDTV 1080 25
• 0 (hrs) : 00 (mins) : 30 (secs) : 00 (frames)

Animating still images :

• To make layer : layer --> new 
• Arrange composition before making time variables. 
• Playback - as the animation increases in complication, it will not playback in realtime (in order to check look at the info. fps 25 = realtime)
• To amend this adjust the resolution of the image or select particular areas using the grey bar. 
• Layer properties : 
• Click on stopwatch - where you want transformation to start, move band and then click on diamond where you want it to end. 
• Lines of motion act that vectors in illustrator, use pen tool to adjust them. 

Printed picture: Peer review

• I need to start working harder! I think I am struggling with juggling so many things at once, as when I immerse myself into one brief I lose out in the other. 
• I think the trick is to do little and often - rather than dedicating a whole day to one and the next to another. As well as making lists like - what do I want to achieve by the end of this week?
• I like the way my final prints are progressing, but I think there is an extra jump in the final aesthetic of these images that I have not quite made yet - I need to go back to thumb nailing, as well as experimenting with my prints on photoshop to make screen print positives. 
• In order to meet the OUILs I need to do more author and contextual research, as well as better document my thinking and development on my blog. 
• Things to consider: using coloured stock, and whether I want my final prints to be A4 or A3 - how does changing the scale affect the image?

Printed pictures : fishy monoprinting

• I realised in the crit that I have been focusing my time and attention to three of my prints, more than two others focusing on the motifs of fish and ears.  So I decided to start developing these images further. 
• I really like the textures I have managed to create through monoprint - inspired by the idea of waves and scales. I think they have a really nice quality and hopeful will translate well into screenprint. 
• I do like the fish, I created by drawing onto the monoprint template before printing, however I think the quality of line and sense of texture is not as nice as if I put this image into lino or stencils for monoprint. I think I will therefore be experimenting with this further... 

Printed pictures: more lino printing

• After the lino print workshop, I really liked the negative image I created of the top drawing but the actual cutting of the lino needed some refining - so I decided to do it again, along with another image I have made since. 
• I really the quality of line in these drawings, and the ghostly atmosphere achieved through cutting the lino so as to create a negative of the image - I think this adds to the sense of otherworldliness I am trying to achieve in my images. 
• I tried printing the lino using both the printing press and then rubbing the back of the paper by hand. I really like the results of just doing it by hand, it provides this added texture that will look really interesting when using these images to make my screenprint positives.

YCN, Uk greetings : Initial ideas

I began brainstorming in relation to this brief to come up with some initial ideas, and also to better understand the industry and potential audiences. I explored what people want greeting cards, wrapping paper, notepads ect. for and ultimately I concluded that they are about relationships, because it is the exchange of a thing from one person to another (to put into simple terms). 

I looked at a number of different ideas for the theme of my collection and decided that I would like to focus on 'cheering people up'. This will allow my collection to be appropriate to the everyday, and not just to a specific event or time of year. I want my work to bright, bold, fun and playful, with a message of positivity and encouragement. Within this I will play around with the idea of relationships, especially for the greeting cards, focusing on perhaps friendship, family or love.

In terms of audience, I have been thinking a lot about what Rob Hodgson mentioned in his big heads - about how if you produce something you like, 9/10 someone else will like it too and so you'll find your audience. I think I would like to apply this to this brief, especially since it is superficial in nature and I am using it as an opportunity to produce things that please me aesthetically. Ultimately, however, if I follow this idea I will probably be producing work for a younger generation, angling towards girls, that appreciate illustration and design. 

In response to this I did a number of sketches mostly looking at animals and nature - since these are the things that make me happy. I would also like to include, on the greeting cards, a cheesy or encouraging quote or two to work with my theme. Maybe I should do some research into what makes people happy? 

I think these drawings would look really nice when put into monoprint, screenprint or lino - I would there to a strong sense of the handmade or print process to my final outcomes. I need to do some more thumbnailing and drawing, but then I think it would be good to experiment with media such as gouache, textured collage and print. 

Responsive: Deadlines

Module submission deadline : 08/05/17

Collaboration Briefing : 02/02/17 (get personal briefs done by then?)

specific brief deadlines:

Penguin Random House, 'In cold blood' : 07/03/17 

YCN, Uk greetings : 23/03/17

Batsford prize, 'Interpreting nature' : 04/04/17

Loop de Loop : changes every month (current deadline - 27th November)

Secret 7 : brief not released yet (to be announced Dec/Jan)

Timetabling --> split brief into 3 main stages (make a timetable)

• Research and initial ideas
• Development - thumbnailing, storyboarding, concept development, experimentation
• Refining and production of final outcomes 

SET YOUR OWN DEADLINES (in consideration of other module submissions)

Responsive peer review

KEY POINTS

• Nice balance of briefs - 2 small, 2 medium, 1 large. Good variation in media and context, as well as the reasoning in which why you are doing them. 
• If I were to collaborate I would like it to be a beneficial experience in which that person would teach me a new skill like animation or typography - not simply just them that part of the work and then leaving it there... 
• I think in terms of typography reading books, watching youtube videos and experimenting is probably the best approach. It is something I want to get better at because I feel that it a very useful and important skill for a creative practitioner. 
• Uk Greetings rationale is good, but I need to research my other briefs more deeply, and write up my rationale for them on my blog. 
• TIMETABLING! is very important. Plan out when and how your going to do things, as well as the deadlines for each brief and the modular deadlines. 

Secret 7 : Brief rationale

BREIF : To design a 7" vinyl sleeve in response to one of the 7 selected tracks. 

I'm really excited by the opportunity to produce a visual interpretation to music, especially for a brief that draws responses from some of my favourite illustrators - like Thierry Noir and Louise Lockhart. 

This brief being very open it allows for a personal approach that I think will help me to further explore the aesthetic and individual intent of my practice. I would like to capitalise on my strengths of creating graphic imagery focusing on composition, using shape and textures, but also experiment with naive line work and perhaps venture into photography, typography or 3-d work to widen my skill set. 

I had a look at the archive on the secret 7 website and selected some of my favourite artist responses to the tracks of 2016. I think a variation of designs caught my eye, perhaps showing that how I approach this brief in terms of aesthetic will very much vary on the concepts I evolve from the selected tracks. I would, however, like to develop these concepts through techniques such as sound mapping or mark making, producing a very natural and automatic response to the music. 

The details of this brief I think will not be announced until the new year, giving me the opportunity to focus on others in the mean time. 

YCN, Uk Greetings : contextual research

Having had a look at the Uk greetings website, I felt that the existing work did not really reflect how I would like my own final outcomes to look or the way in which I would like to approach the brief. This is because I felt that a lot of it lacked visual quality and interest - it was not any different from anything I've seen before, but I guess this is to be expected. So I began to look for inspiration from other companies or practitioners that produce products such as greeting cards, notepads or wrapping paper. 

WRAP

is a company that focuses on contemporary illustration to create stationary products, working with practitioners such as Nicolas Burrows and Ping Zhu. As well as having an online shop, they produce a biannual magazine. 

Wrap provides some really great examples of simple repeat patterns for wrapping paper and notepads. I really enjoy the aesthetic quality of each of these examples, as well as simplicity and boldness of the designs.

LOUISE LOCKHART

I really like Louise Lockhart's use of simple bold shapes and focus on composition, as well as the sense of handmade and print process within her work. 

I think what lies in common with these examples is that they use simple bold shapes, and the aesthetic of the image relies mostly on media, colour palette and composition. When in a shop, or on a website placed alongside a lot of other similar, or identical products, you want your work to jump out - hence the need to be bold, bright and to the point. 

I think what I am most excited about concerning this brief is having the opportunity to produce something purely superficial. With products such as greeting cards, notepads, wrapping paper ect. people are looking for something unassuming and aesthetically pleasing, occasionally maybe with a cheesy tagline or motivational quote. I think in my current practice I often put the concept of my work in balance, or maybe sometimes even before the actual appearance of my final outcomes. This is not something I want to change, however it is rather liberating to purely aim to make something beautiful, fun or playful. I want to take this opportunity to develop my drawing style, understanding of colour and technical ability in photoshop and print processes such as monoprint, lino or screenprint.

'UK Greetings', YCN

The brief is to create a collection of greeting cards, notecards, notepads, gift bags and wrapping paper for UK greetings. In terms of the illustrative style and message behind the collection the brief requirements are very open. It should, however, be made with a certain target audience and purpose in mind (anniversary, birthday, everyday), as well as with a consideration of using a cohesive colour palette and the images working collectively together.  

I was drawn to this brief because I am interested in the relationship between illustration and product, and it provides an opportunity to place my work within this commercial context. I think it will be a valuable challenge to produce a collection of images working within the constraints of the specified formats and products.  I would like to use this brief as a vehicle to explore my emerging drawing style, experiment with media and produce work that is fun and playful. 

Within the module, this brief will work as a one of my smaller submissions contributing to an overall larger body of work. I think it will be necessary to carry out research in order to gain a better understanding of this specific creative industry and create a body of development work, however ultimately I will be responding to this brief with quite a quick turn around. 

Study task 4 : Andre da Loba "Tuttodunpezzo"

Tuttodunpezzo by Andre da Loba from Andre da Loba on Vimeo.

WHAT I LIKE :

• The use of pattern in some sequences suits the playful tone of the narrative, as well as provides some welcome contrast to the more simple sequences - breaking up the animation and holding the audiences attention. 
• The use of colour overlap and sense of texture gives a lovely handmade feel to this animation, which is the appropriate to the naive and playful nature of the story. 
• I think some of the transitions from sequence to sequence are really effective, often using the movement of the character to naturally pan out of the frame, or zooming in or out of a certain aspect of the image to provide a change of pace. 
• I like how the animation uses a lot of visual metaphors and quirky imagery to translate the story being narrated - it creates this lovely imaginative and abstract world. 

TO TAKE ON FROM THIS ANIMATION :

• I would like to achieve a similar sense of the handmade and quirky/abstract nature to my own animation. 
• As well as a similar level of a flow of sequences and interesting transitions from frame to frame. 

Responsive Competition Brief form

Study task 4 : Innerviews

INNERVIEWS from Chen Winner on Vimeo.

• The variation of pace within this animation I think works well to hold the audiences attention - using moments of suspense and drama, followed by more fast paced sequences.
• Something I particularly noticed within this animation is often how one sequence will flow effortlessly into another, giving the narrative fluidity. 
• The animation being made up of a number of different narratives, however, this is effectively marked through there being a subtle change of pace or aesthetic. 
• Aesthetically I think this animation is really pleasing. The use of two colour overlap is very effective in highlighting key aspects of the image, as well as providing a more handmade and print based feel to the overall animation. 
• I also really enjoy the textural quality of the animated images, and how each frame is carefully considered - being able to work as images or illustrations of their own right. 
• This particularly animation also caught my eye due to its quirky and sometimes abstract nature - not everything has to be representational. 

THINGS TO TAKE ON:

• The colour overlap - used to highlight certain areas and create a focal point. It also adds a strong sense of print and the handmade, which I like. 
• The effortlessness of transfer from sequence to sequence - I like the idea of something coming in and moving across the screen to reveal something else, or zooming into a particular part of the image to provide new detail. 

Study task 4 : Luke Best - 'How we got to now' with Steve Johnson

How We Got To Now | Montage from Trunk Animation on Vimeo.

I think the narrative of this animation is held together by the voice over, the content of the animation reflecting the narration. It is very fast paced, moving from sequence to sequence - these ranging in media and animation technique, which I think holds the audiences attention. As the music builds, so does the pace of the animation and the transfer from one sequence to the next. I like how each sequence is almost like its own image, you can really see that the composition and media had been taken into careful consideration. 

• These are the moments that stuck out to me most with in this animation. I like the combination of simple drawn elements, and the texture of these, combined and interacting with the black and white collaged photographs. 
• The actual animation of this is reasonably simple - often the image working as a composition - being zoomed out of or moving across the screen - with the drawn aspects animated in a loop.
• I think doing something like this could work well in my stings - creating some form of interaction between the photographic and drawn aspects of my prints, perhaps creating these drawn elements using monotype.
• How would I make these drawn elements move? - need to ask in workshop. 

Studio Brief 3 : Moving pictures briefing

• 3 x 10 second OR 1 x 30 second two-colour animated sting (black counts as a colour)
• To advertise a documentary programme about your author
• Stings are eye-catching and dynamic in nature - used to advertise, identify and promote
• What do you want to communicate about the world of your author? 
• Extend your printed pictures aesthetically and thematically into moving pictures
• Contextually look at practitioners concerned with storyboarding, character design and moving editorials. 
• Develop an understanding of sequential thinking and basic animation techniques
• Explore design elements such as 'off-screen space', composition, pace, metamorphosis, economy of production, sequential thinking processes and communicating simple narratives through storyboarding.

Specific requirements 

• The authors name must appear at the end of each sting
• Output requirements: HD, widescreen quicktime movie with H.264 compression
• Uploaded to vimeo and embedded on studio practice blog for submission
• music/soundtrack must be copyright free

FOCUS ON THE VISUAL QUALITY AND COMMUNICATION OF CONCEPTS/NARRATIVE - KEEP THE ACTUAL ANIMATION SIMPLE --> SIMPLICITY IS KEY :)

Printed pictures: atelier bingo

I really like this screenprint by Atelier Bingo, and think it contains a lot of the qualities I would like to apply to my own final outcomes for the printed pictures brief. Recently, in reflection of my work, I have realised that the containment of texture within shapes is a particular mainstay of my images. In evaluation of this I realised that this is because I do not only like texture, but the contrast provided when placing it next to block colour or negative space - the effectiveness of which is particularly highlighted within this print. I do also appreciate the strong composition of this image, and how it is full but not overwhelming. I think something I often struggle with is the concept of simplicity - often I result to simplifying my images by reducing the amount of content within them, but now I see that less is not always more... 

Printed Pictures : Experimenting

• I have begun to experiment with my monoprints in photoshop to create screenprint positives.
• Ben showed me a way of retaining the quality and texture of my monoprints digitally and hopefully as well when printed, by using 'select' --> 'colour range', and I think this is really effective.
• Originally I thought that the photographs would exist within the monoprints, however I feel this does not work compositionally. 
• The images above - the right more than the left - I think work really well as they retain a sense of composition and simplicity, as well as achieving the contrast between these two very different form and process of images. 
• I feel that this sort of imagery could be a step in the way of how my final prints could look, however I do think that they are very similar to my editorial outcomes in the last brief - this is not a bad thing, but in each project I do like to feel that I am progressing beyond what I have already made, therefore this is a dilemma for me.

Printed Pictures : Experimenting with monotype and stencil monoprinting together...

WHAT I LIKE:

• I think that the texture, created through using a piece of grey board on the inked up monoprint template, works really well - especially isolated within the rectangular shapes. 
• The monotype drawings have a lovely naive and charming quality to them, which works well with the stencil monoprints. 

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

• I do not think that I would like to use monotype as a print medium in my final results, it is too messy and it is hard to be precise with what you are creating. 

MOVING FORWARD:

• I would like to experiment more with creating textures using monoprinting, to then use for my final outcomes. 
• Ultimately I think I have concluded my final outcomes would be most effective screenprinted, but also using monoprinting and linoprinting to create certain components of my images. 

Printed Pictures: Thoughts / Planning

The screenprint workshop left me feeling a little bit torn between using it as a final print process, or using a combination of stencil monoprinting and monotype. 

SCREENPRINTING

• I really like the effect of printing photographs, and how this creates a contrast between this highly digital image and the drawn aspects of my work. I think this speaks really clearly about the 'two worlds' which exist in Murakami's novels. 
• The clean colours that you can achieve in screen-printing are really nice and I think suit the bold shapes of my work. 

MONOPRINTING

• I prefer the unpredictability and messiness of mono-printing. Visual interest is created so easily through overlapping shapes and colours, and you can achieve really nice ghost images in the prints. 
• Monoprinting provides a surreal and quirky quality to my work which really suits the sense of otherworldliness I am trying to achieve within my images. 
• The disadvantage of mono-printing is that it lacks structure and the ability to create repeats of the same image. In some ways the unpredictability of it is very attractive, but I think would become frustrating when I have got particular final images in mind. 

The obvious solution is to combine the two print processes together, but how would I do this? Do I screenprint photographs onto monoprints? or use shapes created through monoprinting and make them into screenprint positives trying to retain as much of the texture/ overlap of colours as possible? 

MOVING FORWARD: 

• I need to do more experimentation in order to decide how I am going to make these final images: 
• Monotype onto stencil monoprints
• experiment in photoshop using monoprinted shapes and photographs to make positives
• Do more monoprinting, creating images using the motifs of: moon and fish
• Do some stencil monoprinting that are more simple and bold in their colour and shape - only 1 colour and then add in the second with monotype/screenprinting? 

Printed Pictures : Thoughts on final images

I keep on having this feeling that I need to do more research and create more thumbnails exploring other themes within Murakami's work. However, through experimenting with print processes over the last couple of weeks I have made some images that I am really happy with centring around the subject of motifs and otherworldliness within Murakami's novels. 

With the pressure of time, I have started to consider that I need to focus my experimentation to a particular set of images/ theme so that I can purely be working on the process and final composition of my prints. Therefore I have decided that I would like to narrow my exploration to simply motifs, particularly : moon and naked girls, butterflies, cats, ears, time and fish. There still remains the question however, which of these will feature in my finals, as well as whether it will be a motif to each print or one motif across all five? 

Printed Pictures: Screenprint workshop

• My concept for this image was the existence of 'two worlds', the 'real' world and the surreal otherworld, and the theme of female sexuality within Murakami's novels.
• This sense of otherworldliness is represented through the contrast between the photograph and the textured ink drawing of the moon separated through the broken line. 
• I used a colour palette of pink and blue in order to emphasise the theme of femininity and infer a feeling of melancholy - another prominent aspect to Murakami's work. 

WHAT I LIKE:

• I really like the colour palette, not only does it work well with the concept, but the combination of blue and pink I think makes a really visually interesting and satisfying image. 
• I am surprised by how effective the print of the photograph is and how well this contrasts with the drawn aspects of the image. 
• The composition of this image, I think is really strong. I like how I am developing my drawing style but still combining this with my passion for simple graphic imagery. 

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

• The registration of the image was never right  - I think this had something to do with the printing of the positives, so was unavoidable. 
• I think the drawing of the girl is perhaps too overly sexual for the concept - maybe try something more subtle next time... 

MOVING FORWARD:

• I would really like to experiment more with screenprinting and produce further images working with the contrast of drawn and photograph images. 
• I would like to produce some screenprints using the opportunity to overlap colour within the print process.

Study task 1: Brief Rationale - YCN, 'Quorn'

The manner in which the agricultural industry is affecting our planet and the ethics surrounding consuming meat is an issue that personally concerns me. Within my illustrative practice I have not yet applied my skill to speak about a subject that I am truly passionate in a way that may change and shape peoples opinions - this is what ultimately attracted me to this brief. 

The deliverables for this brief are quite open - there being the suggestion of either creating an animation for social media or a series of posters to be displayed in supermarkets. I would say that creating a series of posters would be a more likely response in consideration of my skill set. It would also allow me to produce some graphic, simple and eye-catching imagery, which is appropriate to my current practice, as well as potentially experiment in print processes and advance my skills in typography. The requirement of the work needing to communicate cross-linguistically, as well as to all genders and ages really interests me as challenge. 

This brief would allow me to create a series of images to be viewed and used on a number of different platforms, that in combination with 1 or 2 other briefs of a similar size I think would provide a sufficient amount of work to fulfil the module criteria. The nature of this brief does not easily adapt to my current practice; however I think I will enjoy the challenge of creating work both appropriate to the brief and natural to my personal interests within illustration.

Study task 1: Brief selection - D&AD, "Fur for Animals"

What problem(s) are identified by the brief? 
Despite the advancement of ethics within fashion, every year 100 million of animals are still killed to supply the demand for high end, high street and fur trim garments. 

What is the brief asking you to do about it/them?
Create an online anti-fur campaign, focusing on shareable content on social media that could either be an image(s) or video. 

What is the brief trying to achieve?
Convince people that there is still an issue concerning ethical fur and spark conversations about the cause. Get people to engage with the anti-fur movement and let them know how they can make a difference. 

Who will benefit?

• Fur for animals
• The animals that are killed each year for their fur
• You as a consumer, your saving animals that are being unnecessarily and unethically killed 
• People who are passionate about the anti-fur movement, we are giving them an opportunity to be involved and engaged in the cause. 

What is the message?
The content needs to be appropriate to the 21st century, and show people why this cause is relevant to them. Consider what effectively prompts behavioural change - shaming, shocking, educating? The content needs to be delivered in a way that will resonate with people and shape their opinions. Graphic images often cause people to turn away so the content need to be something that people would want to share on social media.

What is the audience?

• People who have bought or would be considering buying real fur garments. The aim is to change their minds - think about their motivations, fur is often a symbol of social status.
• China and Russia are the primary consumers of unethical fur. The work therefore needs to translate both linguistically and culturally, as well as be relevant to these countries own popular social channels.   
• The general public - by gaining the disapproval of a wider audience this undermines the consumers motivations for buying real fur. 

How will the message be delivered?
The message will be delivered online as shareable content, using either video or image. The content needs to be made in consideration of the 3 second window that exists in which you can grab people's attention and the small budget available with a charitable organisation. It needs to engage people, how can they make a difference? maybe prompt an action? - think about the 'ice bucket' challenge. Another thing worth considering is the involvement of celebrities already in support of the campaign, such as - Joanna Lumley, Paul McCartney or Ricci Gervais.  

Can you foresee any problems in responding to the brief?
This is a very difficult subject to navigate, how do you convince people that their actions are wrong without offending them or being patronising? 
The most effective response to this brief would probably be a video - something I do not have that much experience in... 

Printed pictures: Lino Print workshop

Going into this workshop I was not too sure as to whether I would like to use this as a print process to produce my images, but I am actually really pleased with what I produced within the workshop - although the prints are a bit clumsy in places. With practice, however, I think I could produce something really visually pleasing. I think I will experiment with this more, perhaps go back to the workshop within the next couple weeks and produce some two colour prints of these images. 

DISADVANTAGES:

• In terms of a print process it is very labour intensive.
• It can sometimes be confusing to figure out how the images will look when printed during the preparation stage. 
• I enjoy simple bold shapes, and images that focus on composition. I think lino lends itself more to textured line work and more complicated imagery, therefore it might not work very well with my images. 

ADVANTAGES:

• It produces really nice textured line drawings, and texture within the block colour as well. 
• I could collage blocks of lino drawings - like I did for cop, which worked really well. 
• I could use lino to create drawings, and then scan these in to create positives for screenprinting. 

Printed Pictures: Collaging with used monoprint stencils

An advantage of monoprinting is that it can also produce interesting patterns and colours on your stencils, leaving them to be potential pieces of work. So I scanned these in and created a couple of images using photoshop. It is a shame, however, but I am not a massive fan of these - I feel that they look stark against the white background, and the colour palette is pretty distasteful. Within the brief, as well, I was particularly looking forward to having produced a final outcome that is not digital printed, but has a very handmade quality created through screenprint, monoprint or lino. Although, it is a potential idea that I could use these shapes to create positives for screenprinting, whilst trying to retain the texture and colour of monoprint. 

Printed Pictures: Monoprinting

• After the workshop I went back and did some monoprinting focusing on motifs, using stencils cut from shapes in my thumbnails.
• I think that the results are effective in capturing this sense of 'otherworldliness' and the surreal and imaginative nature of Murakami's novels. 
• I really like the experimental and unpredictable nature of this print process, and using stencils definitely lends itself to my preference for simple, shape-based imagery. Since this brief also has the constraint of two colours, it is worth considering that mono-printing is an especially good process for naturally generating different tones and variables of a colour. 
• The disadvantage of monoprinting, however, is that it is almost impossible to reproduce the same exact print. This could be a problem when producing finals, especially if I am placing these in the context of creating prints to sell - in which case I would need multiples. 
• Maybe I should use monoprinting to create the shapes, composition, colours of my image and then use screen-printing as a final process.  

TIME

CAT

Note : I printed the yellow over the black, did not know this was possible but think it really works.

Note: really like the wavy texture in the background, it was made by mistake but could be easily recreated using a rag or piece of mdf board. 

HEARING/EARS

GOING FORWARD:

• I am generally happy with these prints, but some I think are a bit too simple. I would like to go do some monotype line-drawings over the top - I think the contrast between line and shape will be really interesting. 
• I am not sure as to how much I like the yellow/blue combination, next time I would like to try red/blue. I used red for the zine and I think this really worked. 
• I would like to create some more simple monoprints - just white silhouettes on colour and then monotyping some simple lines over the top. 
• Overall though, I think this will definitely be a primary print process in the creation of my final images.