Thursday 5 November 2009

James Garner's Blog...

I've been wondering how to set about this unit after the critical feedback i received for my last project. it seems that my blogging and idea development was the main ause of concern and i have since givne myself a kick up the ass, to start posting more and doing more in-depth idea development. Looking at James' blog was a great help to see the structure of his blog and his idea development. It was clear to see how he starte off with small sketches and thumbnail drawings before developing these into much bigger drawings and adding perspective and colour. I particularly lked the way he had an idea and tried lots of varieties out, whether they looked good or bad, to see the best possible was he could create his final product. The lighting is also something which is highly important in concept art, as i feel it can make even the most basic of images look stronger. What started out as sketches have since become concept drawings and i will definitely be keeping an eye on how his blog and ideas develop further, as this will hopefully help me progress with this side of the unit.

I have already started the thumbnail drawings and sketches and by the end of monday, i wish to have some final prepatory concept designs for each of my 4 environments and all my research and analyse thus far. After researching other conept artists and looking at this blog, it is clear to see i will need to create bigger and more in-depth versions of my sketches before bringing them together and adding composition, perspective and colour as i aim to produce some rough concept designs. I'm hoping to have a better range of ideas and much stronger idea development than in the last unit to, not only increase my grade, but aim to produce three high quality concept drawings.

This is a link to his blog... http://www.james-a-garner.blogspot.com/

4 comments:

  1. Don't beat yourself up too much Ethan! It was your first time out - and that's the point of unit 1 - to 'suck it and see'! But you're absolutely right to take a leaf out of James' book (or should that be blog) - what your tutors are really interested in at this stage is your creative development - what we want you to develop is what we refer to as your 'creative methodology' - or put simply, the way you crack a brief, organise your pipeline, publish your development and present your finished work.

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  2. Hey man ;)
    Glad u like the stuff and I'd personally recommend borrowing the Gnomon DVD's by Feng Zhu from Phil and Alan's office they're a massive eye opener believe me.
    I wish I'd gone in and started borrowing DVD's when I was in the first year there awesome!
    If you check out the first picture on the post 'Sketching begins, not very well...?' (on my blog) The one on the left is attempt at perspective and I've drawing in perspective loads in the past and everyone knows about how to draw a square in perspective and stuff like that. But to be honest most of that stuff seems to just sit in the back of my head dormant like because you think u know it you don't work by it or at least I didn’t.
    So throw a vanishing point into your pictures and if you’re working in Photoshop digital painting use the layers, then you can tweak the transparencies and all stuff which makes it easier to work from and not too distracting either :)
    Also if you’re not working in Photoshop I'd advise it, it's about a billion times better than pen on paper (or at least in my opinion) because if u stuff something up you can just paint over it or erase it with ease as oppose to on paper you’ve always got a dirty mark or something where it’s been rubbed out etc. But yeah the other great this about it is being able to paint 1 colour then change the opacity to 50% and like change the gradient between colours with ease.
    Also get yourself a graphics tablet its well worth having one I was lucky with mine as Liam (one of the 3rd years) got me and him one which were like discontinued for literally pennies and its pretty wikid to :)
    But it just makes picture so much more in your face and like POW and it makes them look so much more professional!
    If you know what I mean :P
    I’ve just had a bit of a flick through your blog so far or at least your space project post’s (I’ll wip through and have a look at the rest of it at some point) Looks good some of your influences are pretty wikid also are those books just in the library as I’d quite fancy having a browse through them especially that :)

    That Chris Brown video was pretty mental to :P

    Also sorry this has kinda turned into a massive essay, but go watch Feng Zhu ;)

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  3. hey ;)

    cheers for the advice, i'm definitely liking the whole graphics tablet thing cos i'm not great at drawing. I particularly like the way it brings the drawings to life, kind of a step between sketches and animation. i will definitely get one after this unit because i feel it helps me develop my ideas further. i will have a look at some YouTube videos for now, but for my final 3 concepts i will definitely see if Phil or Alan could lend me one of those DVds. as for the books,there's loads of them in the library, i wanted to take more (not for reading, but looking at pictures :P) but my arms wouldn't let me...

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  4. Mate just go into the office next time your in and say let me borrow some DVD's :P
    I'd definaly go borrow the lot by Feng Zhu tbh :)
    U'll get a lot out of um believe me ;)

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