(Old) Proposal

(For initial inspiration and research, consult the "Research" tab at the top of this page. Referencing unfortunately unavailable at the current time).

I've explored many areas of art and illustration over the last two years, but the Final Major Project and Research Project are the last hurrahs for my development and production as an Illustrator within this course, so I feel a great idea needs to be used to reflect this. I intend on illustrating a story, a narrative. The outcome of this idea however, such as making a book, a comic, graphic novel, animation, film/video game concepts, I have not decided on. Above are my notes of the story. It's a story I planned a while ago for a different project, but I liked it so much that I felt it needed much more attention than the other projects we've done. I'll start the proposal by defining the current intended target audiences and consumers.

WHO

I haven't quite decided on the exact target audience, so I called upon others to help me define what sort of area of age my story sounds suitable for. Universally, the conclusion is 11-14, late childhood - early teen, similar to The Northern Lights (Golden Compass) by Phillip Pullman and the Harry Potter series. 

http://www.thebigbookreview.jki2.co.uk/thebigread/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/northernlights.jpg

http://www.dan-dare.org/Dan%20Potter/HarryPotterPhilosophersStoneBook1.jpg

The reason I feel this is an appropriate age is because of the characters' ages and nature of the story. The girl in my story is only around 9/10, and the guardian of her is an old man. There's no young adults in the story, so young adults may not relate as much to the story as a younger child/teenager. It's a mystical story and has a nice twist, although it's not too complicated. Adults would see it coming, even if they had enjoyed the journey and experience, which brings me onto the point that adults will definitely appreciate the story, for a lot of depth lies in the details of the semiotics and metaphors. The illustration style I hope to reflect the maturing child. Not anime, not cbbc cartoon style or disney; a style reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh original books

http://guanyinmiao.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/winnie-the-pooh.png

http://artinvestment.ru/content/download/news/20081218_2winnie_the_pooh.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/26/article-2348692-1A7E992E000005DC-157_306x423.jpg

HOW

As depicted above in the Winnie the Pooh illustrations, I intend on minimal items in each image to help emphasis the subject and atmosphere. I want to use a very traditional, hand made approach, like pen and paints. I feel like it may add effect to the message I want. With the simplicity of the compositions, yet the complexity of the rugged, hand crafted illustrations, I hope to emphasise the message and mystique of the narrative. It will be a lot of work to develop my technique in the area I want my narrative to be created in, but I will gain useful skills in the use of colour palettes, paints and different styles to what I'm used to.

E.H Shepard, the Illustrator of the Winnie the Pooh books by A.A Milne was originally a Captain in the army, who sketched the combat areas from his battery position. All the while he was hired by Punch magazine as a cartoonist, and through Punch he was recommended to A.A Milne which is how he became the illustrator for Winnie the Pooh. His inspiration for the "silly old bear" was his son's stuffed bear "Growler". (Wikipedia - E.H Shepard)

I have a little animal character in my story idea - Eugene the chicken, and I feel that a stuffed toy version would make a nice inspiration. I'll of course look at real chickens for reference but I'll try and find stuffed versions to draw from life, reference and inspire my character.

Christopher Robin's profile and character drawings should also help my design of Grace, my young girl character. She's similar to Robin in the sense that she loves to explore and is an imaginative, inquisitive child.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/26/article-2348692-1A7E99EA000005DC-514_634x352.jpg

http://www.publiseek.com/publicity/wp-content/blogs.dir/sites/4/pooh1.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPo-6EvCHtO2445hnK7sMA4icXPs9QS5VTsaw_ombCbnEG2tfiUJyyvNc7YUOZe_Vgk2pfIuSkO1gGGCkoTn0znZQTRuLQGnttFD-89dFSBTUAg0Bu9aRwilSbjVzK0apMX9ui6LKxrcD/s640/Winnie-the-Pooh--007.jpg

Within Shepard's work of Winnie the Pooh, I believe he uses pen/ink and watercolours prominently. The drawings are very expressive and sometimes even requires a little imagination to fully render in your mind - but it's very easy to do so. The details are not finite, they're a little sketchy and hairy in some respects, but I truly believe that helps with the expression of the narrative. It helps to emphasise the childlike wonder of the stories. All of these aspects are what I hope my story to include. Right up to even the colour palette; I love his use of colour. I am rather terrible with colour, I have more of an eye for black and white focusing on tone instead. I've never practiced colour much really. This is something I could research and develop into in my Research Project. Doing so will also aid my FMP - colour I currently intend on playing a large role in my narrative, but I need to develop my skills

"Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841." - (Wikipedia - Punch magazine)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/Dynamics_(music)_cartoon_-_Punch_Magazine_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17397.png

http://www.ivu.org/history/societies/pics/veg%20cartoon%201852.jpg

https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/lea/LEA_Images/Silent_Highwayman.jpg

Researching into the Illustrations and artists of Punch magazine I feel will definitely help and influence me in line art and black and white illustrations I may decide to create. They're all black and white due to the printing limitations of the time of the magazine, so the message had to be created without colour. This will help me to develop my understanding of narrative in black and white.

In my journey through my Major Project and Research Project I hope to practice and develop my understanding and skills in different, foreign areas (to me) of Illustration. I will of course look into techniques and styles, and research more of what I'm comfortable with and enjoy doing generally, because I may decide it suits the project nature. Like above, the illustrations of Punch magazine, I tend to use black and white mainly so my emphasis of lines and details are the focus, whether they're simple or complex. But as I've already stated, I hope to expand on my usual techniques and explore others.

WHAT

I haven't decided upon the outcome, such as a book or animation etc but I do feel the concept would suit a book, like Winnie the Pooh, so for now, I'll work towards creating a book. The nature of the book though, I'll allow to be undefined so that through research and development through the project I'll get more and more inspired and directed by my progress. For initial thoughts, I'm drawn to the idea of a larger, hardback, illustrated book. It does sound more like a younger children's book which isn't exactly what I'm going for, but it may end up being appropriate. I'm also thinking of a completely different approach, perhaps a normal/similar-to-normal sized book with a unique composition and nature. I'll also include printing techniques to help explore my ideas and areas of illustration, but I may mainly cover that in my Research Project. Printing processes such as screen printing, woodcuts, stencils etc. I mention them because they're my most successful and favourite processes.

WHEN

I can't currently devise a detailed timetable due to the circumstances of writing this proposal, but I can make a vague template.

Summer - lots of location drawing towards my desired FMP locations such as wooded areas, beaches, mostly natural areas or manmade areas built around much more natural areas like Wooden Cabins. This will fuel the development of my skills and also my referencing for my projects. I'll also draw people/animals appropriate to my story, like young girls and boys, chickens, and young to old men/women.
1st semester 1st half - Mainly focus on Research project keeping the link to my FMP. Keeping the research broad and vague, from theory, artist and history research to note taking, drawing. Initial ideas of FMP also.

2nd half - The experimenting in my Research Project bottle-necks and becomes more appropriate towards my intentions of both Research Project and FMP

The rest TBA...

I'm looking forward to beginning the project a lot. I'll get to be as exploratory as I will be directed in my research and development, and I'll also create a story that I've thought about for a while. I'll see it in reality and that gives me lots of motivation. I expect my skills will improve noticeably also.

RESEARCH PROJECT

I've not definitely decided upon my idea here, but my initial ideas for it are a focus on backgrounds, locations and colour use, especially related to the FMP, and through this definition I can explore printing processes again, drawing and painting styles. Using this approach, I feel that as a final outcome simply a collection of various prints/drawings/paintings I think would be appropriate, similar to a concept artist portfolio. So in that respect I shall also research into concept artists, locations and scenes. And on the colour emphasised side of the project, I'll research into artists' use of colour, application, processes and methods and also experiment myself - drawing and testing things out myself will likely be the most useful towards my research and development.

- Edit. Research Project will likely explore the different ways of portraying my ideas. From different styles of art, the compositions, colours, concepts, era it's set in, mediums etc. Lots to work with that also is bound to help the final major project.

*UPDATE*. I've not settled on the idea I want to explore yet. I am not happy with working on this FMP idea for the whole year; I feel like I'd be happier focusing on something else that will perhaps help me develop in the direction I'd rather go into, such as comic books and graphic novels, storyboarding and game design.

I'll create a new page specifically for my other potential ideas. I'll see if any peak my interest.

22/10/14