Character Development
Assessment 2 Brief:
This project runs over two weeks. The brush tool will be explored as a device for building characters and creating textural representations. This project transitions from working in the paint pigmentary space to Adobe Illustrator’s brush tools. 2.1 BRUSH UP AGAINST hands-on making will consist of several sample pages (minimum x2) working with mark-making via brush as a form of character/subject expression. These studies will work to develop your understanding of paint & water, brushstrokes, and paper. This dynamic relationship will be at the forefront of your method for responding your chosen thematic and image production to produce and one final works on paper AT2.2 BRUSH UP WITH Adobe Illustrator will consist of 3 Artboards, one of which is to be nominates as finished artwork. Students are invited to experiment with Art Brush and Scatter brush to produce their own work, inspired by AT2.1. You can nominate your best work from the three Artboards provided.
2.1 BRUSH UP AGAINST HANDS-ON MAKING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Create (at least 4) character driven textures produced to chosen theme
Space/Planetary
Flora and/or fauna
Monster Love
Geo/metric
2. Begin by selecting theme and researching (online or via image collection from magazine (collages), or from source (visit site, document, draw)
3. At the sample time start to investigate through making samples of brush marks.
4. Sample 1 You might like to grid using masking tape. Remember to make note of the brush type you have uses and any other factors (wet paper beforehand or used watercolour not gouache).
5. Sample 2 Second sample should be completed when you have a clear sense of subject and approach. Use this sample to experiment with aspects of your design/intended artwork
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Theme:
Monster Love - I can’t go past the opportunity to create monsters! The ‘Love’ could be used in many different ways. Love between monsters, the love OF monsters, love symbolism… ?
Research:
The below are images sourced online. I’ve provided click through links where possible.
Wednesday 6th July: Began with the experimentation with brushes and paint using acrylic and watercolour, on a 300gsm watercolour paper, and a recycled handmade paper.
Sample 1
Friday 8th July - did some more experimentation on a smooth 300?gsm paper I had used for a drawing. Watercolour with pastel, pencil, and dry pastel over top while still wet. Using a mix of the synthetic fan brush, large hog bristle brush, and no 12 synthetic Kolinsky brush.
This page was based on the thinking my monster will be watercolour with line over top. Enjoyed look and feel of white dry pastel over the wet watercolour (giving a more solid mark than usual) and maybe mixing with graphite and colour pencil for some added interest. Will review in morning once dry.
Saturday 9th July - Further research
Sunday 10th July - Character development of my ‘hug monster’ and further experimentation with paint, pastel and pencil. Enjoying the process and playing with different approaches, some monsters coming from just line work on the page, or reworking pastel/paint over the top of designs I don’t think are working.
My 5yo daughter predictably picked the monster with the biggest eyes as her favourite. I think I need to come back to look at them again tomorrow to decide which one to develop further. Please let me know what you think!
Sunday 17th July - I haven’t achieved much this week other than buying some watercolour paper and masking fluid. And I’ve become obsessed with monsters as my pinning history shows 🤣
Today I attempted the brush exercises for the second time, my first attempt resulted in creating an enormous file that my computer couldn’t process 😝 Screenshots as below.
Attempting to find a mark similar to the yellow pencil mark I’d used in my experiments to look like hair. Created a scatter brush to combine with my main brush but not yet successful.
Playing with concept of drawing hearts (for the Monster Love) as a skin/hair texture. Created a scatter brush at two sizes. To experiment with this further. Could potentially use alone to create monster figure.
I’ve included one image of my daughter’s first go at drawing in Illustrator as recording my children’s art is a part of my practice - pink figure is a monster in a pretty dress with long hair 😆💕
Thursday 21st July - further attempts at the monster in InDesign - below. Frustrated at my slow progress, making small mistakes that result in simple actions not working like the crop function in pathfinder. Tried making eyes that were more complex but prefer the simpler version. I think I’ve achieved enough for the assignment requirements but hope to spend more time on experimenting and refining further. I’d like to introduce a figure that the monster is hugging but this may be beyond me for now.
I need to work on final works for 2.1 but have been procrastinating on getting into studio. I’ll proceed with developing a monster based on no.2 monster (top row-second from left). Will aim to experiment with masking fluid (instead of white pastel) before continuing further but time may dictate this as need to get onto my drawings for the next assignment also,
Thursday 28th July - happy to sign off on this assignment now.
2.2 Illustrator digital drawing - I simplified the facial features in my green blob monster to regain a fresh hand drawn feel. See below for final character. I could’ve spent endlessly more time on this but have decided to leave it alone! The Illustrator file provided to my tutor will demonstrate my understanding of creating and using brushes and shapes.
2.1 works on paper - I experimented with masking fluid and created more sample monsters and textures and took what was most successful - small hair-like marks made with masking fluid pen - and created a large final watercolour paint and watercolour pencil work on paper at roughly A3 size. I used yellow as a base to signal happiness - with greens and blues layered over top. I introduced a figure for the monster to be hugging - source image my own of my daughter hugging a swiss ball.
I feel the final image is relatively successful. It does have a nice feel to it. There are however many technical mistakes due to my learning curve with watercolour and masking fluid. The monster could have been drawn more dynamically with more focus on compositional elements. Light source needed to be more considered. Eleven seems to be missing a leg! And her face looks older than her 5 years.
Watercolour is a fascinating medium but at present I feel it’s not for me. The patience and time required for building layers does not fit my personality. I like to be able to scrub or scrape paint off and this is not a medium that allows that (or is very limited). I might return to it later as a way to bring colour into pencil sketches but use in a more expressive way.