First impressions

This was my firt imprassion of Zeb; Zeb is a quiet and polite student with a natural talent at drawing human figures and a wide range of knowlage on artistsand events that influence his work.

And he did one for me:

Lexy Tonge is a quiet yet confident young woman with a rapidly progressing talent for beautiful narrative imagery. She keeps to a strict schedule and very rarely deviates from what's been requested of her.

I'm not sure wether the last bit is a good thing or a bad thing???

I chose to do the illustration course so I could develop on my skills and learn new ones. To gain knowledge on the industry and what it expects of an artist and the type of work different publishing houses print. I also choose illustration because the artwork coming out of the illustration year 2 lasses always inspired me and made me happy. I believe art should be for fun. I want to as a concept artist for Disney or a gaming company (blizzard ect.) so I try to push myself in my work setting up my other blog (link on side of page) to find out my weaknesses and develop them and to build on my strengths.  I am also actively looking for artists that inspire me and keep a journal/archive of them so I can always refer back to them. The world of illustration is bigger than I imagined with lots more area’s than I thought but I’m exploring as many of them as possible and drawing form all areas of inspiration learning that I don’t just have to sick to one thing and that I can be as interdisciplinary as I want. By the end of my course I hope to have a wide range of knowledge on artists and the industry. Be able to use different types of media well and have the necessary skills to get me into the job I want. If I finished my course tomorrow I would promote myself on my blog, deviant art and I would source and go to craft fairs and galleries around Plymouth - to first get some networks before trying to go bigger.

Christmas cards

These are a few designs for christmas cards, they show the way I like to work the most.Although I like working in alot of ways I choose this way because its easier to repeate for xmas cards. I could have also used ilustrator and I would have had a nice slid colour and it would have looked more profesional, but I prefer the more hand crafted look.

Operttuneties

These are some opertunities in the Plymouth area...

College Christmas fair - 26th on november £10 for a stall, starts at 9am. Sell anything you want

Victorian Xmas event in saltash, 3rd december, £15 to pitch a stall, open all day, gifts and handmade crafts.

Loki's xmas party at white rabbit, 15th december 8pm - networking with grafitti artists and tattoists...

Lino Research

I found this blog http://illustratedlife.blogspot.com/2009/01/relief-printing.html of Jeanette Jobson. I really liked her way of printing onto coloured paper to get a two tone piece, seeing as I kind of struggle with layering colours this is a brillient way of cheating :)

I also found this one http://skulladay.blogspot.com/2010/03/lino-skulls.html that relates to my Ghost project, I particually like the use of lines and positive/negative space.

Print research - Dry point

My Artist research for this is Elizabeth Dagger, who talks about two pieces of work I like here http://electrofork.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/dry-point-printing/ . I like the high contrast in black and white, how she uses it well to draw your eye to a cirtain part of the image. As well as the simplicity of the print, I find I sometimes over complicate mine or the ink doesn't transfer over as I wish.

I also found Christine Willcock  http://www.capegallery.com.au/christinewillcocksexhibition/index.html  She does some good sillouets and I quite like the effect it has. It looks quite natural and fitting for her subject.

Health and Safty

Health and Safty thing - So I can be sensible

And I got them all right the first time... :) 

Coinsidentally I will always have the health and safty of any studio I uses at the back of my sketchbook... Boffin much?

Book Binding Blog

This is an awsome blog for book binding http://myhandboundbooks.blogspot.com/ It has lots of info on it and pictures/ things to buy. USefull for our long term project I think. And Mel will like it :)

Martha Mansfield

Some shots of matha Mansfield I'm particually proud of. I think they look quite ghostly, although as soon as I get photoshop to work I'm sure I can make them ghostlier.
I'm not sure which picture is better though, any idea's? I think I like the first one better, Its got more movement and looks more like a ghost picture.
But still any opions?

Blog Monster that I am.

I'm keeping another blog www.blog-monster-lexy.blogspot.com where i've set myself a challenge to do a drawing unrealated to college a day - hopefully this will improve my drawings :)

Go cheak it out!

A frendly monster...

Another useful blog

SO another blog I've found is http://hand-drawn-animation.blogspot.com/ It's supposed to be a blog for animation but I think Animation and illustration cross over quite alot and there are external links on the blog that are good for illustration. Its a blog form Disney Californian Institute of Art and its ment for the students there but it realy useful and keeps well up to date :D 

Disney jobs

This is just a bit of info about the jobs I would like to do or could do in the future and I posted it in case anyone else is interested....

I've taken all the info from below form the site: http://www.careers.disneyanimation.com/ and you can also find the links on the website for submitting your portfolio, current open jobs at Disney, events and summer camp. It's a very useful site and a good starting point.

Storyboard Artists
Have the ability to visualize a film script in a series of panels somewhat like a comic strip. They are able to convey the essence of story line, scene structure, character emotion and create action and humour in alignment with the overall direction of the film. Ability to quick sketch, a mastery of human and animal anatomy, a filmic sense and a design-caricature ability are all necessary requirements.

Visual Development Artists
Visually explore a concept, which may include Character Design and/or Environment Design for animated films, shorts and special projects. Visual Development Artists will experiment with the diverse elements of film presentation to manipulate dramatic story moments, plot thrusts, moods, character conflict and place-time motifs to capture the emotional connection to the story's theme. A rich imagination, a sense of caricature and design, strong colour sense, a mastery of human and animal anatomy, architecture, the ability to work in different mediums and the versatility to conceptualize visually in a variety of techniques are required. Children's book illustration, fine art and/or illustration skills are a plus.

Modellers
Responsible for creating complex organic models needed for character animation; prop elements for effects; and environmental sets and structures. A mastery of human and animal anatomy, perspective, weight, volume, proportion and/or architecture, industrial design or automotive design is required. Previous experience with traditional sculpting is a plus.

Layout Artists
Responsible for the staging and set up of each shot. Layout Artists should demonstrate a strong sense of place and environment and be well-versed in principles of cinematography. Attention to perspective and composition is critical in developing a variety of environments for characters to live in.

Mattew Robins!

I went to the extra Visiting artist lecture and OMG is was good! Matthew Robbins was lovely and very funny and his artwork is amazing. He creates little puppet shows and then films them to create movies baced on a paper world that are compleatly strange and hillarious. He makes everything by hand and doesn't really like any help so the 'movies' have a lovely hand crafted feel about them. His work reminds me of Tim Bertons work, its slightly creapy.

Anyway the link to his website is http://www.sadlucy.com/

I've taken this from youtube but it's Mattew's work and its Flyboy and the Robot:

The link is here if that didn't work : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5x93LMHhDI

Conseptual illustration & Childrens Book Illustration

Conseptual Illustration : I will Not Use Mary Blair...

Okies another conseptual illustrator thats around now is Clair Keane daughter of my hero Glen Keane. She produced the conseptual work for Disney's Tangled, specifically the inside of the tower. Which is awesome. *lets just go take a picture*.....

Anyway her work is really cool and bright and colourful which I like because I'm not so good with colour. Oh and the pictures were taken from 'The Art of (Disney's) Tangled by Jeff Kurtti' and if anyone likes seeing the amazing artwork befor the films even made you should definetly buy this book. Seriously the artwork is Amazing! Buy it! I think they make these books for all there movies and as soon as I get some more money I am buying some more :)

 I love conseptual illustration because it looks so much fun and beautifully done, it makes me want to sit an draw for hours.

Childrens Book Illustration:

Erm I have to pick a favourite?

Then I think I shall pick *cheaking list* Quentin Blake because he was fun to reserch last year and he was cool enough to work with Roald Dalh. And his website http://www.quentinblake.com/ is very usefull to find alsorts about him on. I like his work because there's a style to it that you instently rercognise as his and its clearly talored to children.

I like Childrens book illustratio because it doesn't really matter if you make a mistake or it looks wrong because children don't really care and they'd think its funny. I also like how you can exaggerate things and make them much more funny or increadubly gross... Maybe its just cos I never really grew up and things like monsters are fun to draw.

Two Good Blogs

http://www.gingermelondolls.blogspot.com/

 Is a blog about hand made fabric toys, I like it bacause I can see the potenial to use hand made toys in my work so its very usefull that she has sketches, tutorials and sells patterns on her blog.

http://www.irison.blogspot.com/  Eric Jones

Is a self promoting artist blog but it's interesting because he post up work as he does it so you get to see how the piece of artwork is made. He also explains how he does his photoshop work so thats like a mini tutorial...

Class blogs were

Cory goodbry - http://www.lightnightdreams.blogspot/ - Fantacy

Scott C. - http://www.greatshowdows.com/ - Childlike/ comic illustrator

Eric Carle - http://www.ericcarle.blogspot.com/ - book illustrator and writter

Artist Top Trump

I thought this was a good idea, and a little bit strange but it did get me thinking about the artists more and what makes a good drawing/painting and how diverse the artist is in either media or drawing styles... Glen Keane is still my favourite though.

AND... I've decided I should make one with the monsters I've been drawing lately... I just have to come up with the stats now.....

Blogady Blog Blog....

What is your favourite original picture?

  

My favourite original picture is the one I did exploring the idea of Rapunzel’s tower. I based it on the one from Disney’s ‘Tangled’ but I also wanted to mix in different materials and textures to make it more visually interesting. It’s my favourite picture because I used a completely different medium to draw it in and it worked beautifully first time. I like the high contrast in black and white, I struggle to do that with a pencil – it always comes out far to grey.  I also like the different mark making I used to create the different textures.

What skills did you arrive with?

A variety of different mark making techniques, I like to keep a sketchbook with them in and add more as I find them. Some print techniques, like screen printing and mono printing, there are a few more but I would have to refer to my notes about them. I have a basic understanding of adobe illustrator and Photoshop. I can also use an SLR camera and develop (black and white) film. I have basic metal work skills and a small amount of wood work, although I can't say I'm any good at it. I can sew, preferably by hand because I'm not very good at the sewing machine and have sewn myself to it. I can knit :) it’s fun, do applique and reverse applique and I can make dress patterns. I' very good with ceramics and love to use it....

The illustration work (at college on display) always looked incredibly appealing, bight and so much fun to do. I think that artwork should be fun to do and should be a way to express yourself.  Most of the artists that inspire me are illustrators and several people (including previous tutors) have told me my work looks very illustrative so it seemed like the natural way to go for me. I personally choose it though because I want to work as a conceptual artist, preferably for Disney and to work there you have to have a BA in illustration, Fine art or Animation. And illustration is the best for me.

What area of illustration are you most inspired by?

I like lots of areas of illustration but I think my favourite is conceptual illustration. It can be so many different things and it involves a lot of research, which I quite like doing. One of my favourite artist is Mary Blair and she did some of the conceptual art work for my favourite Disney movies and she was that good at it her work still inspires the in house dismay artist to use idea's and parts of her work to help make their new film. I also like children’s illustration too, I like how funny and naïve it can look – plus it’s fun to draw.