Storybook songbooks

Today we start project 7 which is to design an album cover with a wee mini book included.  So I'm currently researching the song and artist I have been given and looking at the design styles from the era it was written (1970s). 

I found some examples of Sainsbury's own design package labels in an old Guardian magazine I was looking through for the last project. The packaging examples are taken from the book 'own label' showing exmples of their 'own brand' label between 1962 - 1977 - very striking designs.  I liked them so much I cut them out of the magazine and stuck them in a frame in my studio.

Imagine my excitement when I then found the book in the University library!! I'm hoping to get inspiration from this for my colour palette and 70's design. 

Composition 2

Not sure whether this demonstrates good abstract composition but I'm really pleased with it anyway.  I really like geometric form and colour. Getting that and the composition right is the challenge!

Composition

We had an interesting lecture on composition yesterday morning.  So I've had a go at at my own abstract composition. I sketched them out last night and am slowly creating them in Illustrator - two more to add soon.

Lights, Camera, Action 2

I've been doing some research on the film genre we have been given to do a pastiche of - Action.

Action films have a hero or heroes that have been thrust into a series of challenges that require often lengthy fist fights and car chases. Objects within the set (building, cars etc) are often blown up and characters shot at. The hero/s often find themselves in life threatening situations that they have to get out of. An example is James Bond although that's probably not a great example as it now has it's own separate Genre.

In the interest of research I re-watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Incredibles, which was brilliant!

The action film genre began to develop in 1970 along with other film genres.  This genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres.  Sub genres include:

Action comedy
Action Horror
Disaster film
Superhero film
Martial arts
Sci fi film
Spy Film

Frustratingly though I still haven't managed to find any helpful tips on typical filming techniques used in action films.  Having watched the above I have a fairly good idea for our 30 second clip but ill continue to research to see if I can find anything else that will be helpful.

1960's moodboard

I did this ages ago and wasn't that pleased with it, I'm still not but it will have to do on this occasion.

Action Film Storyboard

Here are some basic storyboard ideas for our 30 second action film.

Location - the park, as it offers all of the things we need for a chase scene.

We have been to the park and have taken photos of the 'set'.  With all that sorted, and our cast signed up, Eleanor is going to create a map of the site with filming locations on it and then we are all set for filming tomorrow.  Fingers crossed for dry weather!

Lights, Camera, ACTION

Our next two week project we are to work in pairs and create a 30 second film of a given genre.  We got ACTION.  Having watched the camera angle tutorials I drew a wee comic strip to help me remember some of the tech talk.

Bus = wobbly lines.

1st project

Open publication - Free publishing - More blurry photos

We were set a project to create a publication (magazine) that gives the reader a sense of the spirit of a venue of our choosing.

After a couple of visits to the local train station, and being quizzed by rail staff as to why we were taking pictures of the floor, we designed this publication.  

Train stations tend to be places you travel through and the view/experience can be quite blurred by moving trains or just being tired from traveling.  The magazine follows one persons train station experience.

The magazine got good feedback and a good mark on the final piece so I was very pleased.

Mood board

I was due to upload my mood board yesterday but wasn't pleased with the finished result, in fact it was pretty rubbish - so I am continuing to work on it and will post it here when it is better.

Boat

Having fun with pen and digital ink.

1960's character

As part of Design in Context a wee project was to come up with a character from a given period of time.  Mine was the 60's so here it is!

Labradors

Having two very greedy Labradors I have discovered over the years that food really is the most important aspect of their day. They can sniff out an apple core from 1/2 mile away, especially it seems, if it's in someone else's  picnic.

Train Station

Our first project is to, in pairs, design a magazine based on a venue of our choice.  So we have chosen the local train station with the added bonus that it's undercover, which is very helpful given the recent, by which I mean the last few months, wet weather!

Here are a few photos I took whilst there, trying to capture energy and colour.

Getting Going!

So I thought I would upload some images to get my blog going.  These are a couple in a wee series I have been working on.  Theme - woodlands!  I drew and painted (water colour and ink) them first on water colour paper and then photographed.  I opened my photographs in photoshop and then block filled with paint to create a much smoother finish.  I must finish this series off some time soon!