Next steps and my current over view (POINT 1, POINT 2, POINT 3 AND POINT 5)

Next steps:

• Experiment more with paint textures
• Test ways of binding
• Explore the possibility of fabric printing
• Improve landscape and perspective abilities
• Design less significant characters
• Explore typography

Current overview

I am creating a 22 page book measuring 190mm x 190mm.

I will be printing it myself .

It is aimed at young adults and older, due to some elements of darker subjects.

The objective is to express a strong view through poetry and illustrated characters.

Time plan:

• End of November- All characters and character structures designed
• End of December- Perspective and landscape scenes improved
• January 14th- A reviewed dummy book with front and back covers
• February- Begin to create final book
• March- Finish all page components and begin to compose pages
• April- A set of completed, finished and bound books. I aim to make at least 30.

MY DUMMY BOOK (POINT 3)

Quick experiment- Screen Printing (POINT 2) (POINT 5)

I experimented with screen printing to see what similar texture effects I could achieve.

I found this really interesting to do because, like the paints, no two patterns are the same. However, I did not have as much control over how the colours would blend.

I would not use this for anything in particular as The Nikahrat that I drew for this is nothing like what I intend my final character to look like.

However, it is always an interesting aspect to remember for promotion and advertising my book once it is complete.

Colours, textures and paint (POINT 2)

I know that I want to put a lot of hand drawn and painted elements into my project. I want to do this because I am more comfortable creating my own patterns than generating them digitally. I feel as if I have more control over what I am doing.

Textures don't have to just be left for back grounds, however. I would like to experiment with collage effects because when I create individual textures, it is sometimes difficult to see how they could work and interact.

Inspiration: Aya Takano (POINT 4)

Artist 2: Aya Takano...

Takano is a Japanese illustrator and manga artist. She is best know for her presence in the 'Superflat' movement and the Kaikai Kiki art group, the same group of artists in which Takashi Murakami is a member (the founder of the Super flat movement).

What I like about her work:
I love the characters' facial expressions! The simple lines are brought out by the use of intentional messy tones in the colour, while still keeping to the idea of a flat image.
With some of her work such as the example above and to the right, there seems to be an impressionist influence in the painting of material and backgrounds.

I also like how childlike the female characters look, yet still keeping mature confidence. From previous knowledge and stereotypical assumption, most strong women portrayed in commercial Japanese anime styles are 'heavy chested' to show their desirability, yet somehow they still appear shy and easily embarrassed as this is deemed "cute".
Takano's girls are mostly topless, revealing a flatter bust, yet they don't really seem to care- it is natural to them. I prefer this approach of not being bothered about seeming less desirable in a commercial world.

Subterraned (2004):

Takano created a short comic book called 'Subterraned'. Not much information can be found on it. However, from the extracts I found in the 'Drop Dead Cute' book, it seems to follow a quaint story about a fish girl who spends her time travelling the ocean to pass the time until her mother returns home.




[Vartanian, I (2005). Drop Dead Cute. California: Chronicle Books LLC. 92-92.]


Spaceship EE (2002):

Spaceship EE again isn't very well known in the western world and isn't very widely read because it was only printed in Japanese.

The idea behind this story is a 23 year-old office worker who, to help escape from reality, plays space-themed video games. As her real life becomes more mundane and stressful, she drifts in and out of her sci-fi dreams and begins to feel free.

Because most of Takano's commercial work is mainly painted, some people found 'Spaceship EE' a shock: some foolishly found it disappointing. This was because the colour work was done in quick watercolour but most of the comic was printed in black and white or greyscale.

Personally, I find this equally attractive because it shows Takano's flexibility in technique and also gives the feeling of being trapped in a bleak world, unable to make life seem as exciting as reality.

NOTE: The source of these examples are off a website where you can view the first chapter free and it has been translated into English as much as possible. Personally, I don't think it looks as good in English...but at least you can read it...

[ Takano, A. (-). Space Ship EE / Chapter 1. Available: http://manga.animea.net/space-ship-ee-chapter-1.html. Last accessed 25th Sep 2012. ]

Nikahrat design pages (POINT 2)

This was the first sketch/doodle of The Nikahrat. 

The main thing I liked about it was the sunken socket-like eyes that emphasised the face, looking more like a mask than it being the actual face.

What I didn't like was the antlers and the strange markings on the forehead. This was too demonic and too closely linked to current fashion trends.

These were the first two pages I dedicated fully to the Nikahrat's appearance. I immediately chose lilac/violet as the main colour for her because although it is a very feminine-associated shade, originally purple was a colour to signify death and mourning, similar to the more commonly used black.

I experimented with the outer appearance of the body to show its femininity, its vulnerability and its deathly potential. I decided against any hair, horns or adornments as this character is not supposed to stand out. She is a forgotten soul, only trying to do good and help the people around her but no one seems to notice the effect she has on their daily lives and emotions.

Chosen pages (POINT 3)

These pages are my final (for now) rough compositions.
As I begin to create a dummy book, however, some things may be changed as I begin to see the book coming together more materialistically.

Tracing paper insert page and page 1

page 2 and 3

page 4 and 5

page 6 and 7

page 8 and 9

page 10 and 11

page 12 and 13

page 14 and 15

page 16 and 17

page 18 and 19

page 20 and tracing paper insert page

Storyboarding (POINT 3)

I want my book to flow more like a children's illustrated book. 

This means big pictures per page, sometimes double spreads. 

However, to create some build up or to show a sequence of movement, I may need to put more than one image onto a page.

Initial inspiration (POINT 4)

Keaton Henson

Keaton Henson has been a big influence of mine for many years.
At first, I was intrigued by his characters and how monstrous and potentially evil some of them looked. However, all seemed to have an air of loss, struggle and depression about them.

Source: 1a

Source: 1b

More recently however, Henson has spread into his own music too and with the music comes some amazing videos.

Source: 2

Personally, I can become equally entranced in a good piece of music as well as in a piece of art. In the case of Henson though I become transfixed with anything. 

His themes of loss, love, anxiety and regret seem familiar to me and I feel connected to it.
I hope that 'The Nikahrat' could have a similar, powerful effect on members of my audience.

Even though I have been writing emotional poetry since I was young, I find similarities between Keaton's work and my own.
This is most definitely my favourite piece which he recorded for Last.fm

"Grow Up With Me

Lets run in fields and fear the dark together
fall off swings and burn special things
and both play outside in bad weather

Lets eat badly
lets watch adults drink wine and laugh at their idiocy
lets sit in the back of the car,
making eye contact with strangers driving past
making them uncomfortable
not caring, not swearing, don’t fuck

Lets both reclaim our superpowers
the ones we all have and lose with our milk teeth
the ability not to fear social awkwardness
to panic when locked in the cellar
still sure theres something down there
and while picking from pillows each feather
lets both stay away from the edge of the bed
forcing us closer together

Lets sit in public, with ice cream all over both our faces
sticking our tongues out at passers by
lets cry
lets swim
lets everything

Lets not find it funny lest someone falls over
classical music is boring
poetry baffles us both
as nothing that’s said is what’s meant
plays are long, tiresome, sullen and filled…
with hours that could be spent rolling down hills
and grazing our knees on cement

Lets hear stories and both lose our innocence
learn about parents and forgiveness
death and morality
kindness and art
thus losing both of our innocent hearts
but at least we won’t do it apart

Grow up with me."

Source: 3a

Source: 3b

Sources

1a - Henson, K. (2009). innsmouth. Available: http://keatonsketches.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/innsmouth.html. Last accessed 23rd Oct 2012. 

1b - Henson, K. (2012). float on. Available: http://keatonsketches.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/float-on.html. Last accessed 23rd Oct 2012.

2 - lawlessprovide (2010). Keaton Henson - Sarah Minor. [online]. Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4b54372-zA>. [Accessed 23rd Oct 2012].

3a - Henson, K. (2012). grow up with me. Available: http://keatonsketches.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/grow-up-with-me.html. Last accessed 23rd Oct 2012.

3b - keatonhenson (2012). Keaton Henson - Grow Up With Me (Poem - Last.fm Session). [online]. Available from: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3o0MFSv4dw>. [Accessed 23rd Oct 2012].

Ideas behind my narrative. (POINT 1)

The Nikahrat is somewhat of an angelic being because she sacrifices herself so mankind can assume to live guilt and care free of the turmoils in the world.

She feeds off sadness and despair but after a while a baby that is dependant on these negative feelings forms inside her. 

The infant is cruel, like a harmful parasite and causes Nikahrat nothing but more struggle and pain and it weakens her. At her weakest the baby is born but as she is giving birth, the baby clings onto her heart, ripping it out as it is born, killing its mother host. When this baby is born, a world disaster is caused by the sudden outburst of excess negative energy brought out along with it. 

The first thing this horrid creature consumes is its mother's heart and it is only then when her kindness is passed on and cleanses the infant to become a reincarnation and a new Nikahrat. 

It then starts on its duties absorbing up all the hate created from the disaster which her birth created.

At the time I was writing 'The Nikahrat', I was unhappy with different aspects of my life and the world around me.
I can't really explain into depths what the message and object of it is because it's a strong, personal emotion.
Sometimes it just seems easier if someone or something could deal with all our stress and problems. If we dwelled on all the wrong doing in the world then we'd send ourselves insane and when bad things happen we always come up with an excuse to blame something apart from ourselves.
All humans struggle to bottle up emotions: it's not healthy and it's painful.

So what if a creature existed that could take away these feelings of hurt and turmoil, like the good samaritan who helped Jesus carry his crucifix in The Bible?

But if this one poor creature had all the world's problems locked up inside it, it's inevitable that it too will have to have an outburst, an outburst perhaps so big and terrible that the effect could harm so many people due to the amount of emotion, hatred and depression that it had to hide for so long.

Narrative...

My narrative for my project comes in the form of a poem. This is an original piece.

' The Nikahrat'

How do we sleep at night?

When the world is as cracked as it is?

While forests are burning and wars are churning?

There is a subject to our distress,

Poor, selfless Nikahrat.

Mankind's overlooked slave.

Our sadness is her cradle, our heartache is her grave.

She feeds off our ignorance,

So we can make it through the day.

Immoral thoughts she has to endure,

Consuming harsh truths and keeping them secure.

Hatred fathers a child inside Nikahrat,

An infant so hideous and foul.

Ungratefulness courses every vein,

Intent on giving its mother nothing but pain.

As her urchin grows Nikahrat weakens,

And at the peak of frailty she is forced into labour.

Then a disaster shall arise,

Mass suffering will start,

As baby is born clutching its mother's torn out heart.

Consuming the heart purifies any detest,

And out of the festering Nikahrat is reborn.

Her mission reset,

Her presence unknowingly awaited,

As Nikahrat begins to cleanse what her birth created. 

My Five Points...

These 'Five Points' will help me manage, progress and direct my project towards a substantial outcome.


POINT 1:
               What is the objective of my project? What message/moral does it convey?
               Who is my audience?

POINT 2: 
              What directions can I take to expand my project's boundaries?
              
POINT 3:
              How is my project going to develop into a finished outcome?

POINT 4:
              Where does my inspiration come from? Who/what influences me?

POINT 5:
              What practical considerations have to be taken into account?