Experimental Film - Ink

For my outcome I am aiming towards creating a surrealist film based around the theme of perception and perspective on an individual level.
My first experiments towards this were to use interesting textures and see how ink would flow on these in comparison to regular paper which is a much smoother surface.

In my first experiment I used red, yellow, and green ink as I wanted to see how they contrasted against each other and also how they would react and mix with each other on the surface. I didn't leave each layer to dry in between pouring ink in order to see how the pigments would blend while still wet.
At first I thought the experiment had not gone as well as I originally intended, the ink appeared to had pooled in big areas and looked like a dark brown colour.

After it had dried, however, it looked completely different. The result being whatever colour was first on the wallpaper soaked in more, leaving a slightly distorted shade depending on what other colour was dripped on afterwards.

The pigments that were created, I find, are really interesting as they leave an ombre effect on the foam parts of the wallpaper. As well, the shiny part of the wallpaper leaves the ink almost looking wet even though it is completely dry. I found this a successful experiment and therefore continued experimenting with this process.



In my second experiment I first did a wash of yellow ink, making sure some ares were darker than others but also leaving some gaps of white to further add a range of shades. I added water to certain areas to create the lighter areas.

Between the layers of colour I dried the ink to see how it compared to my first experiment where I allowed the wet inks to blend together. The result is similar, however the colour used first stands out more than in my first experiment using ink.

I then experimented with yellow ink to see how it would show up on the lighter yellow background.
Even though the colour is the same you can clearly see a different shade between them. I like the effect this creates as there is an interesting darker line.

Texture Studies in Preparation for Film

After my first ink film on plain paper I wanted to try and experiment with different textures, particularly the difference in how the ink flows between grooves.

I started by collaging newspaper and painting a layer of emulsion on top. Once that had dried I then used graphite, charcoal, chalk, or oil pastels in a range of tones and colours.

In my first experiment I collaged newspaper and paint a small layer of emulsion on top.
In addition with this experiment I pull parts off of the newspaper to create small areas without newspaper. I didn't like this effect as it made it look too messy and therefore in my later experiments I didn't carry on with this process.

 My second experiment I began using other materials and expressive marks to try and add more tone into the newspaper.

In some ways I prefer this to my original experiment as a composition as there is more going on in the piece rather than just a plain page compared to the original. However the graphite does not allow for any particularly dark areas such as those achieved by charcoal.

 Here I experimented with compressed charcoal, after the previously used process I then painted emulsion over certain areas of the charcoal which created a more spread out grey tone compared to thinner and more concentrated black lines.
I find this the most successful so far as it has a wide range of tone and line and it balances well to create a good composition.

 Up until this experiment I had only used black and grey tones and so here I used blue and green chalk (as theses are complimentary colours). I didn't like the outcome of this experiment as the chalk wasn't able to create the dark tones that balanced out the piece.

 I tried this technique again with red and yellow chalk to compare to my previous colour experiment. I chose these two as they are both primary colours and create orange when mixed and therefore will all compliment each other.
This piece, however, had the same problem as the previous piece as the colours couldn't create the dark areas that I wanted to allow a balance.

Out of all my experiments using newspaper and emulsion this is my favourite due to the use of yellow, black, and grey tones. I particularly like the use of splattered white lumps of emulsion that sits on top of the pigments.

Overall I think this is a good composition as it it well balanced with both colour and texture.

After my previous experiment I continued using this technique of splattering emulsion on top of the colour. With my second attempt I then drew over the splatters of paint.
I do prefer my previous piece though due to the mix of colours and tones being more subtle.

I don't particularly like this piece as most of the colours are too spread out. As well the colours are mostly seen with straight lines rather than the almost frantic tone that comes from my other pieces.

I went to my first experiment with this piece but used the new technique. I collaged newspaper and then added marks of emulsion and then splattered emulsion, once this had dried I added expressive marks with charcoal and further threw emulsion on top of that.

The outcome of this experiment was successful to an extent as I like the technique however there is a lack of dark marks making it quite boring.

I tried to do a similar thing to the previous piece but improve it by using 00

Colour and Texture Observations

After my observational drawings using a range of media I decided to experiment with chalk and try to explore colour in an exciting and obscure way, working alongside colour theory.


I began by creating different textures using collage and white emulsion and then drawing on it with chalk.


In my first piece I used newspaper to collage and used a light layer of emulsion to create a rough texture. With the chalk drawing I stuck quite close to the original apple by using red but within the shadows I used blue and green to create the shaded effect. I chose blue and green to create the shading as these colours contrast against the red

I think this is a successful first attempt as it breaks the boundaries from my previous pieces while still depicting the shape and tone of the object.

After my first experiment I repeated this method but instead used different colours to represent the apple. I used yellow, orange, green and blue and these colours both compliment and contrast each other. In addition, I also used red tissue paper instead of newspaper as I wanted to have the colours stand out against a more colour background rather than black and white.

I found this experiment more successful as the colours are harmonious with each other while also contrasting against the other colours. I also find the depiction of the apple successful as it still represents the apple but in a different and exciting way. The main colour is yellow rather than red which then brightly stands out against the red which wouldn't have the same effect if it were newspaper.



I wanted to carry on with this technique and so in this experiment I used a light background and a dark colour to contrast my previous experiment. I used a yellow background with a combination of purples, pink, green and red. The combination of these colours created a really interesting piece as different areas had different concentrations of colour, with the top having lots of purple and below having a large amount of red and green added.

I do think this was successful however it is not as well balanced compared to my other experiments. The colours used when looking at certain areas are interesting but as a whole there is too much happening within one small circle.



In my final experiment I went back to my original technique and used four colours (yellow, pink, orange, and purple) as a response to my previous piece. I feel this piece is more successful than my previous one as it is more compositionally balanced due to the blending of pigments, in addition the light blue background contrasts the pink well and makes the whole piece stand out.

Film Music Experiments

I created 2 videos before my final piece all focusing on different clips I would like to use in my final piece. Each of these have different types of music in them to experiment how they would match to the clips.

In my first video I used ink and poured in on a page. I edited the clips together first and chose music later, therefore any parts where the ink matches the song is a coincidence in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7_sEScHt3U

I chose this song because it repeats the line 'Paint it black' and in this video I am doing the opposite, using harmonious colours of yellow, green and blue.

The song is in the rock genre, I choose this specifically because I didn't want an upbeat song to take away from the footage used.

I did like the effect from using this genre but to improve I want to try and distort it by maybe slowly it down or making it louder or quieter within the video.


My second video I created a 3 rock textures in my sketchbook, painting one completely white, leaving brush marks on another, and leaving the other plain. Here is the video I created from macro lens experiments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-bQNa3SnCA&t=1s

In this video I again used a rock song but this time slowed it down slightly and then turned the volume percentage up, distorting the notes. I think this is much more successful with music compared to the other piece as it has a much more interesting quality to it and again compliments the footage well.

In my final piece I will use this style of distortion but I will use a different song as the two I have used are quite well known and therefore people will have connotations attached to them.

Film Inspiration

In my earlier experiments I used my own photography of fruit and drew on top of these with oil pastel. I took inspiration from similar pieces created by Alexa Meade where she painted on actual fruit to accentuate the details, tones, and lines of the fruit.

I wanted to create something similar so I as said above I first created these using paper. But as I was creating a film I tried to create something that was more interesting to watch rather than just an interesting shot painted piece of fruit.

To solve this, I combined this idea with similar styles from the music video from Gotye 'Somebody that I used to know'. In this, there are many different shots where one piece of paint is applied and then another, when sped up this creates a really interesting effect.

As you can see, this makes it appear like the paint is slowly engulfing their skin. However, I still wanted to use oil pastels as I think these created more delicate tones that reflected the skin of the peach. Therefore I compared this idea with my previous work to create the following clip.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzjsrTY3mae1TW9ad0ZDc3lUS1hHZjhBMC02bFVFQUlkei1J

I feel this clip was one of the most successful on my final piece because it combines ideas from early on in my sketchbook while also changing those to fit within the creation of a film.

Looking back on my final piece I would improve it by using more clips like this as I see these as being the most successful as they are both interesting and exciting, while also being a well balanced composition simultaneously.

ART FINAL PIECE

 My final piece is an experimental film that would be played on a loop so the viewer could come in at any given point during its playtime.

Through my other video experiments I have chosen this music as it fits well with the clips and compliments them well.

My aim for this was to show how everyone has a different perspective on something and from viewing the exact same thing will perceive it differently depending on what stage of life they are in, what opinions and beliefs they have, and simply just what they enjoy and what to get from art.

http://youtu.be/_hFvqzhK7t8

I have contrasting views in regards to my final piece. I found the experience of creating a film really exciting and interesting, by creating interesting textures and experimenting with different shots and lens and trying to find the weirdest shot that would capture the viewers interest and try and spark an emotion.

It was very intense at times as I found it difficult to track focus with a macro lens while making the end clip not shake but once I had got the clip right it made me feel more excited to create the final film.

After many melting crayons experiments I felt quite confident as to how it would go, using the same heat gun settings, the same paper, and the same crayon brand and colours. However the result was completely unexpected to my experiments. The crayons bubbled differently and created weird textures, with one set of crayons splashing all over the page and looking similar to an explosion. that being said, these unexpected  mishaps made these clips so much more exciting than I expected, not just slow melting crayons but explosions of pigment and fizzing and mixing together.

All of the filming stage I found successful overall and was confident to finish my film through editing.

I edited my piece to a song I felt would be good from all my previous experiments, and I edited it in a way of making it look random, however I do not like how it came it.

I think all of the clips look very good separately but together they just contrast negatively against each other and at time can appear boring.

To make a more successful final piece, I would like to create 4 separate films of equal length with same music that would play simultaneously and have all the different types of clips playing at once, therefore making it the viewers choice what they would like to watch. I would have these playing on 4 separate walls making it interactive with the viewer and therefore more interesting to watch.

Observational Studies - Apple investigation

In my first sketch I did a continuous line drawing using pencil under timed conditions (1 minute). I feel this was successful as it captures the tones and character of the apple. However due to the limit in time I didn't get to add much detail which would have improved the outcome.


 



 I tried to break the boundaries of clear figurative drawing, therefore I drew the apple without looking so there was an abstract twist to my observational drawings.
I think it was successful as, although it is less obvious, you can clearly see the shape and shading of the apple. This allowed me to look at object in a different way as I wasn't concentrating on how the piece turned out but rather the structure and tones from the apple.

 After this I sketched a timed drawing limited to 2 minutes. This was in response to my first timed drawing, I added an extra minute compared to the original drawing in order to add some of the detail I had lost in the original due to the short time limit. However, I do not like this outcome as much my other pencil drawings as ,although it is more realistic, it hasn't got the interesting marks that my others have or the same character.

I did a few pencil sketches focusing on specific areas of the apple, so I could get a better sense of what all aspects and parts were like to draw.

Again I don't think these are my best sketches however they do show the variety of texture and tones across the apple and therefore I do think it was successful.

I began biro sketches to compare this media with pencil, but I wanted them to not follow strict figurative style. Therefore, in my first sketch I only used curved lines to create the shape and various tones of the apple.

I feel this was really successful as it brings character from the apple, also because I only used curved lines it gives it a more interesting view compared to my previous, realistic pieces, which I would like to create again.

In my second biro sketch I tried to use a combination of black and red, as up until this point there were no colours used in my observations

I like how it captures the red of the apple but uses black as the main source of  tone, as the apple I was drawing from was red and green. However I do prefer the other piece as it is much more interesting with its use of lines to capture tones rather than a range of colours.

 Here I did a sketch of the apple using a biro, and then sprayed a thick layer of hairspray close to the paper to make the ink run down the paper.

I really like how the colour changes from black to a light shade of purple as well as the use of curved lines to create the shape.

However I don't like how the top of the apple turned out as it is rather large and dark so to improve I would make this less obvious and therefore have more of the actual apple stand out.

I originally attempted to do another version of the biro-hairspray piece with this study but it didn't go as planned. The colours didn't blend and it looked very scruffy and broke the flow of the drawings.

To improve it without completely getting rid of it I glued brown sugar paper on top of if with it partially showing. I then created tone using wavy lines or black and red biro.

I think this piece was relatively successful as it covered the other piece without completely getting rid of it, while also bringing in a different medium to draw on. However I don't particularly like how the lines look and it doesn't capture the apple as well as my previous pieces.

Following on from my first hairspray and biro drawing, the piece transferred through to the other side of the paper. I didn't want to leave it without adding to it so I experimented with pointillism along the ghost lines from the previous drawing.

I really liked the outcome of this piece as it was very subtle with lines, while also delicately capturing the tones of the apple. I especially liked it as it is unlike my normal work due to the pointillism style.

I tried to experiment with different colours and textures with this piece. I created a collage with purple tissue paper and then used red and blue sharpies to create the apple, as well as using dots in a pointillist style in respnse to my previous piece. I chose these colours as they both complimented the purple background.

In addition, other than the red colour the blue and purple were not in the apple and therefore brought a different view of the apple. However I do prefer my first attempt at this style, as a composition it is much more balanced and captures more character from the apple in comparison to my second attempt.

I wanted to do more experiment using colour so I changed media and began using chalk pastels.

Here is a timed chalk drawing limited to 2 minutes. I feel that this was a successful first try as it captures the range of colours that were in the apple, however due to it being a relatively small drawing there is little room to add detail using chalk.

As an improvement I will create a larger piece that can capture more specific details.

 

In this piece I wanted to draw figuratively but have a more exciting composition, therefore I thought I would try drawing on black sugar paper create a contrast to my previous piece.

I feel this was successful as it subtly uses colour but clearly depicts an apple with red and green tones.

As a small conclusion to my previous pieces using chalk I created a slightly larger composition of the apple. This is an improvement to my first chalk drawing due to, as previously stated, I wasn't able to capture as much detail as I would have hoped due to the small scale.

I feel this is a successful outcome as it uses a range of colour to create the apple as well as capturing small details such as the small dots of red on the skin and the darker red tones mixed among the lighter red.

After my chalk drawings I wanted to go back to a black and white media and try and capture tone in this way instead of using bright pigments. 

In this piece I used compressed charcoal, I didn't like working with it as it didn't blend as well as chalk and therefore left dark lines behind which I couldn't work into each other to create lighter tones.

To try and improve on my previous piece I used stick charcoal instead as this creates lighter shades and blends much better than compressed charcoal.

I feel this is more successful than my previous piece as it doesn't have an harsh lines compared to my previous piece. However compared to my compositions using colour these are much less interesting and therefore I will experiment with colour theory.