Sanjay Badhan is Famous!

31/01/2014

Carrying on with using photos of other students for reference, I went and drew Sanjay from uni. This one is a Vault Keeper.

He's definitely got that gangster look.

Another Facebook profile picture.

I'm pleased how the imagining of the library, structurally is coming along. I didn't really want to portray a full room with books, shelves and other paraphernalia. Focusing on certain aspects of the architecture allow me to work a little more freely and with greater speed.

Well Someone's Got To Clean The Toilets!

28/01/2014


After a good critique from the tutors, it was put to me that they'd like to see more of the library in my images. I took this on board, especially as I've been thinking of doing this myself.


I'm using myself as the model in this one.

If I look miserable, it's because I've been cleaning the bogs.

Again, I feel the colour brings the image up to a better, visual standard.

Taking on board what the tutors said, I'll be incorporating more structures in the background.

Hannah Smith is Famous!

29/01/2014

After rummaging through google images for………..images. I've finally had enough of not finding the references I really want. To solve this I asked for volunteers from uni to pose for me. This is the first of those models, Hannah Smith.

She is a diva and was very demanding during the 3 photos I took of her. She wanted all the green Skittles taking out of the sweets bowl I provided and wanted only the chicken legs from the KFC bucket I had to buy.

Had a lot of fun colouring this one in, as it really did finish the piece off.

She loves her new yellow scarf.

I really do feel that this is the best direction to take the project. Using the people I know is very rewarding for myself and the models, as they are interested to see the finished product. It also means a lot of my images are going to be peoples Facebook profiles.

20 Minutes Until Hometime!

25/01/2014

I finished the image for Friday (see earlier post) and saw I had 20 minutes or so until I had to leave. I decided to use this time wisely and knocked up another picture. I only used existing images for other work for this project and tried to do a little collage/montage, for The Library of Babel.

Trying to figure out composition by putting borders round each picture and then working on layout. It'll do.

Logo/T-Shirt Design

24/01/2014

Continuing with the image a day from The Library of Babel, I decided to go with some sort of t-shirt design come logo. Trying to use a bit of a graphic nature for this image.

First off, a skull done in charcoal.

Secondly a book. Again, charcoal.

A quick bit of photoshop. The wings I already have on my usb stick.

I enjoyed this one, it was quick and thrown together, without much fore thought.

The Cult of Tacitus

24/01/2014

In the short story there is mention that The Lost Books of Tacitus may be shelved somewhere in the Library. This then started me thinking of the type of people who would want to find these books. Different to the Seekers of Books as described in my previous post, I envisaged these people as part of a cult.

This time I'm going for a 1920s theme to see if it fits into the genre.

I'm going for another figure in this image to highlight the first.

Another hooded figure seems appropriate for something like a cult, so I'll go with that.

The colour definitely makes this character recognised. I feel that the pure black and white image wasn't recognisable as a person on first glance.

Added a bit of art nouveau design in there and I think the Arabic text adds nicely to the idea of mixed genres.

Seeker of books

24/01/2014

Thinking more about the characters that inhabit Babel, I started to come up with an idea of someone who searches for forgotten tomes of knowledge. Also the depiction of women isn't really realised in any big context in the story. This is something that should be addressed for contemporary images.

The colour will hopefully bring out some more idea of the cultures I'm trying to convey.

I'd also like to capture more of a timeless quality to general look of the characters.

I like the relationship between the text and the rest of the image and hopefully it doesn't detract from the picture. The hexagon should also be used in different ways but I'm unsure yet if it should be the main subject of the image.

Inquisitor

21/01/2014

After reading The Library of Babel, I was particularly interested in a character simply described as an Inquisitor. They wander around the various hexagonal rooms, leafing through books trying to find heretical or blasphemous writings.

The idea I wanted was some sort of Witch Hunter from the 18th century, mixed with a Quaker or Amish looking man.

I like the image but I'm wondering if it's a bit too fantastical. The rendering I'm happy with. Time to work the background.

It will be good to see all the pictures together and find out if the hexagon is working as a continual theme.

Also after showing my peers a black background was suggested.

I actually like both, luckily the whole exercise of producing an image a day for 15 days is really only to discover what self-directed project you want to work on. So either image will have it's benefits.

I'll try one without the hexagon.

Although it's not conforming to the rest of the pictures, I like it but feel the tutors will think it's too dark.

One without the hexagon and black background.

That's not English!

18/01/2014

In my next image I want to use a bit of text but not in English. This will hopefully give the image a more exotic flavour. I'll try something simple for my first attempt. Illustrators (in my case) aren't as well known for their use of text!

Start off with the black and white version of the character first.

Add the colour.

Work in to the image with photoshop. I think it actually has a more graphic feel to it. Not sure if it fits in to the genre I'm trying to concentrate on. The text seems to work well and I like the fact it's in Portuguese. Hopefully it shows the futility of reading through one of the infinite number of books in the Library of Babel! 

May add a bit more into it, to make it fit in with the rest of the images……or I'll wait to see what my peers and the tutors say.

Lighting in the Library

18/01/2014

I've been working on the latest piece, combining my last two images. I'm undecided whether I should be using photos for the background instead of my own drawings, but it saves a lot of time, especially when the deadlines at uni are quite tight.

I'm happy with the image, but I feel I should add the marbling myself by experimenting in the sketchbook and then scanning it in to photoshop.

I do like the way the characters interact with the hexagon, but I'm wondering if this is going to get a bit tedious later on in the project.

Not sure there should be a naked flame where there are books!

Lantern Lady

17/01/2014

Done the second part of the picture that will include the 'Candelabra Man'. I'm finding this technique surprisingly fast. It will take me roughly two hours to do each figure, to a satisfying standard. My only concern is I'm running out of ideas, or rather reference material from the internet. I definitely need to start taking some of my own photos for reference.

Black and white version first. I believe it's imperative that the images should hold their own as black and whites before adding the colour. This way I can see if the whole project works best in colour or not.

Colour version. I must admit I do like adding the colour. Seems to bring them to life a bit more. I'll put the Candelabra Man and the Lantern Lady together later on in the week.

Candelabra

16/01/2014

Back on to the uni project today. I'm liking the theme of concentrating on the characters that inhabit the library. I need to form some sort of back story or some idea of what is going to happen. At the moment I'm just concentrating on producing some interesting images, which hopefully tell some sort of story. But admittedly, the general subject is a bit vague.

I'm pleased with the image though, it has a sense of the gothic about it and I want to touch upon many different genres in this project, to capture a sense of the style that may have evolved in this environment.

Shadows and Lines

15/01/2014

I've been looking at a favourite illustrator of mine a lot lately. Timothy Bradstreet http://timbradstreet.typepad.com . When I first saw his work years ago, I thought I'd found myself an illustrative soul mate, so to speak. The shadows he achieves using ink and brush are superb. He takes photos of friends and family to use as reference for all his images.

                                                                             Fig 1

He never colours his own pictures, he prefers to work in black and white, but his lines are sublime! I will start to take photos of friends and family to use as reference for the characters I will create for my uni project. This is because I want to capture that reality and make this place 'Library of Babel' more believable.

                                                                             Fig 2

For my own progression I will obviously render everything myself, as limiting my technique to just black and white, will only hold me back as an illustrator. Tim Bradstreet uses a light box to draw out his images. Some people think of this as cheating, but the major decisions of where to place marks and also what type of marks, always comes down to the artist and Bradstreet has definitely evolved his technique of what to line in and what not to.


Another artist I looked at today is Danjiel Zezelj http://www.dzezelj.com  His work is also quite harsh in it's black and white tones. An artist from Croatia there is a definite eastern european feel and look to his work.

                                                                             Fig 3

                                             
The shadows, again are exquisite, the poses add a sense of drama and the rendering technique can add a sense of mystique but also contemporary design.

                                                                               Fig 4

His lines are a little simpler but still manage to portray a very detailed look to the finished image. I also like the way he uses foreign style text. Something I may well use for the Babel project, as the the author  was from Argentina.

No More Grayscale!

14/01/2014


After pondering my first picture, I decided to take it in a different direction. As I said in my first post, I decided to stick to black and white and add colour after. I also think I'd like to see where the images take me in regards the look of the images. I think The Library of Babel is quite fantastical but also deep with religious and philosophical meaning……something I wish to explore.

So…..second image.

I think this technique works better than the first image, so I'll leave the grayscale out and let a separate layer of colour do the tonal work.

I'm happy with this technique, now to add the rest of the elements in: hexagon, background etc.

I liked the image but wasn't completely satisfied and decided to get something else in.

The ancient text in the background completes the picture in my opinion. MCV is quoted in the short story as a sequence of letters that is repeated over and over again. Must do something else with this.

The Library of Babel

13/01/2014


So, this is my first blog for my university, MDes course. We have to read The Library of Babel, by Jorge Borges. It's a short story, only a few pages long, fortunately it's packed with interesting ideas to kick start an illustrators fickle imagination.


First published in 1941, the story is in need of a little modernisation, which is where I come in. I believe the whole idea has the basis for a captivating project and after reading through it a couple of times over Christmas, I have some ideas that I want to get on paper.


The first impression I had when reading it is, 'how would it look as a major Hollywood film?'


I also realised I'm all about characterisation in my work, so this will be explored.


I knocked up my first idea. From the short story, he's supposed to be the librarian who is writing down his journal.

Initially I wasn't blown away, so I added to it.

I like the use of the hexagon, as this is the shape of each room of the Library, so I may use this as a running theme through out the work.

I also did a version with the surrounding area blacked in.

Generally I think that for purposes of inking in, I'll stick to pure black and white, using illustrative marks for slight areas of shading, but then add colour for greater tones.