Premise | Reflection
For my Premise, the idea of using another person’s text to work from was, for me, an interesting idea- and one that could effectively yield a range of designs and give me the chance to work on my pre-production methodology; as I’ve always had trouble keeping set and controlled with the level of research I’d produce. Additionally, I wanted to better my digital drawing, and skill at rendering- both of which I enjoy but need further practise on. Research wise, it was easy to feel one needed mind maps for every aspect of the book, when looking back it would’ve been easier to concentrate on purely the bio-tech and its semiotic relationship with its habitat.
I had some uncertainty around the importance of environment in my end goal… and the number of bio-tech creatures I’d need to finalise. But more problematic, is that I felt all my concepts were lacking something. I couldn’t figure out what. Talking to Alan now made me realise it’s emotion. I’ve got the technical aspect of the creatures down, but knowing to draw a creature a certain way to evoke a specific emotion from people was something I hadn’t considered at all.
Things like uncanniness, fury and desperation are present things in the written account for Mord, for instance, but were ultimately missing in my concepts. They could paint a picture of the ‘character’ of the bear and their ‘personality’ for instance. Mord specifically would benefit from this, as his personality is missing.
Another important thing to consider was over-thinking everything. I definitely felt out of control in regard to research. I felt I couldn’t stream-line the designs without considering something else.
The ‘emotion’ aspect will help with this, but I must bear in mind to avoid over researching that as well.
During the project, I struggled to post things up on the blog and show the work I’d produced, even when coming in to talk one-on-one with Alan about it. Incidentally I had kept people in the dark about the project, out of fear of my designs, and their apparent lack of something. The research had taken a chunk out of the concept design time, and when I found this problem, I stupidly worried about showing my progress with this problem. When in actual fact I should have gone to someone, for exactly that reason.
It was clear to me as I was presenting, the overwhelming amount of research that had been made throughout the project. My struggles with ‘turning on lightbulbs’ but struggling to turn them off again has reared its ugly head this term, and I could see the effect this had on my drawing.
I felt demoralised during the project when all my drawings weren’t giving me answers, but rather just opening more and more questions. When this happened, research felt like a solid, and finalised ‘solution’- wherein I was producing work the level and consistency I wanted. I found myself in a cycle of research and producing concepts that weren’t actually capturing what I felt, what I wanted, or what I even needed.
In some regards, this lack of finalised designs was disappointing, but more importantly, now I feel determined to 1- pin down what’s worked for me on this course, for being comfortable to post, 2- develop a methodology over the summer, ready for year 3, that’s going to put me in the best place for working.
With that in mind, here’s my plan:
1- Schedule
Starting from the week after toolkit hand in, I’m posting every Monday, a plan of my week, and every following Friday a solid solution. On these days I have to get something up in regards to the project.
In this regard, I’m continuing on with the Premise- as I want to produce something I’m actually proud of, with a book and its creatures that I genuinely love.
We’re going to see if the days are too many for getting stuff ready, and if so we’ll move them around to better suit the working process.
For now, I know I’ll feel much better once I have a plan like this, as I feel more assured I know what I’m doing, when I’m doing it for, and what I’m actually getting out of it.
2- Emotion
With the schedule in play, I’m revisiting the creature designs, with ‘emotion’ in mind. I’m listing 3 words for each design, and from that I have to draw something in a set time, in a set program/with specific materials.
I had some uncertainty around the importance of environment in my end goal… and the number of bio-tech creatures I’d need to finalise. But more problematic, is that I felt all my concepts were lacking something. I couldn’t figure out what. Talking to Alan now made me realise it’s emotion. I’ve got the technical aspect of the creatures down, but knowing to draw a creature a certain way to evoke a specific emotion from people was something I hadn’t considered at all.
Things like uncanniness, fury and desperation are present things in the written account for Mord, for instance, but were ultimately missing in my concepts. They could paint a picture of the ‘character’ of the bear and their ‘personality’ for instance. Mord specifically would benefit from this, as his personality is missing.
Another important thing to consider was over-thinking everything. I definitely felt out of control in regard to research. I felt I couldn’t stream-line the designs without considering something else.
The ‘emotion’ aspect will help with this, but I must bear in mind to avoid over researching that as well.
During the project, I struggled to post things up on the blog and show the work I’d produced, even when coming in to talk one-on-one with Alan about it. Incidentally I had kept people in the dark about the project, out of fear of my designs, and their apparent lack of something. The research had taken a chunk out of the concept design time, and when I found this problem, I stupidly worried about showing my progress with this problem. When in actual fact I should have gone to someone, for exactly that reason.
It was clear to me as I was presenting, the overwhelming amount of research that had been made throughout the project. My struggles with ‘turning on lightbulbs’ but struggling to turn them off again has reared its ugly head this term, and I could see the effect this had on my drawing.
I felt demoralised during the project when all my drawings weren’t giving me answers, but rather just opening more and more questions. When this happened, research felt like a solid, and finalised ‘solution’- wherein I was producing work the level and consistency I wanted. I found myself in a cycle of research and producing concepts that weren’t actually capturing what I felt, what I wanted, or what I even needed.
In some regards, this lack of finalised designs was disappointing, but more importantly, now I feel determined to 1- pin down what’s worked for me on this course, for being comfortable to post, 2- develop a methodology over the summer, ready for year 3, that’s going to put me in the best place for working.
With that in mind, here’s my plan:
1- Schedule
Starting from the week after toolkit hand in, I’m posting every Monday, a plan of my week, and every following Friday a solid solution. On these days I have to get something up in regards to the project.
In this regard, I’m continuing on with the Premise- as I want to produce something I’m actually proud of, with a book and its creatures that I genuinely love.
We’re going to see if the days are too many for getting stuff ready, and if so we’ll move them around to better suit the working process.
For now, I know I’ll feel much better once I have a plan like this, as I feel more assured I know what I’m doing, when I’m doing it for, and what I’m actually getting out of it.
2- Emotion
With the schedule in play, I’m revisiting the creature designs, with ‘emotion’ in mind. I’m listing 3 words for each design, and from that I have to draw something in a set time, in a set program/with specific materials.
3- Continuing work in own time with OCD to better my mind set- which will inadvertedly help with the work plan.
So now, writing this reflection, though the works a downer of sorts, I feel motivated now to do the book justice. There’s some interesting concepts, and I want to show this interest through my work. I’ve just got to work on keeping myself anchored and progressing. Up and up!
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