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Thursday 31 December 2015

Churchill and Emily- Initial Inspiration for animating 'Greener Pastures and the Colours of Youth'

Upon being assigned Churchill's collage below, Phil presented to me the following animations involving early abstractions of a slightly synaesthetic nature as the shapes react to music. Firstly 'Boogie Doodle' by Norman McLaren, followed by 'An Optical Poem' by Oskar Fischinger.

Churchill Ongere- 'Greener Pastures 
and the Colours of Youth'

Norman McLAren- 'Boogie Doodle'

Oskar Fischinger- 'An Optical Poem'

Meanwhile I sent Churchill a series of questions about his painting.
  • What materials were used to create the artwork?
  • What does your artwork represent?
  • If your artwork could move, how would you imagine it to move?
These were his responses...

Materials:
I use straw board as my surface and use all available types of paper to make my images and background. In The Human Condition: Greener Pastures and the Colours of Youth, the abstract image is made up of different colours of embossed paper and the background is made up of small pieces of cut printing paper. I use book binding glue to stick the pieces of paper on the straw board.

What this work represents:
'...The human condition is one of ups and downs. We use colours to represent what we feel, think and even expect. The youth are usually very colourful and bright in how they dress and approach life. 
The colour green represents hopes of a better future for the young people. In the composition of this abstract piece, the green also forms a hand (an important part of our bodies that is used to accomplish almost all tasks)
The orange shows how the young people dress very colourfully. The angle of the leg shows there is some element of discomfort (that as much as it is good to seek greener pastures, there are also challenges to this.)
Red represents love and passim and the two black and yellow circles form an eye that looks like a person who is in shock or even excited. 
The background represents the conversations that people have about others. All these represent the human condition. I have had other people interpret this piece differently on their first encounter with it (which is always interesting and invited)- which also goes to show how the human being is analysed differently by other people.

Motion: 
'I imagine this piece being a living creature that goes through difficult and good times while interacting with other creatures.
As for the music, please use any music that is popular among the youth. In addition to that, I have this imagination for how the animated video can look. The video starts with the four different parts of the image coming into the screen one after the other. (The yellow and black circles that form the eyem the green art that forms the nose and the arm of the figure, the leg and shoe made up if the orange and black and the lips made up of red and white). These can come into the screen to finally form the figure as it is like the figure is of a person who is falling from a high point.'

Having heard Churchill's vision of various parts of the artwork popping into view piece by piece and also the concept of the abstraction being a creature. The first samples that came to mind were the introductory titles of the Pixar Film 'Monsters Inc.' I was inspired by the way the elements pop in and out to the beat of the music.


'Monsters Inc'- by Pixar

Meanwhile a second slightly more 'out-there' inspiration was an episode of the children's TV show 'Pocoyo'. I was fascinated by the way in which the bird character 'Pato' moves and interacts as a creature but also a crazy abstraction of shapes in this 'Dance off' episode. I feel this broken up squashy and stretchy character motion might suit the 'Greener Pastures and the Colours of Youth' elements. Though perhaps not to the same extremes!

'Pocoyo'- by Zinkia Entertainment, Cosgrove Hall films, Granada International


Tuesday 29 December 2015

Initial Inspiration ideas

I've began looking at some after effects videos of the kind of movement I imagine the animation could look like. I've mainly focussed on movement ideas - my initial thoughts were quite slow moving kinetic type pieces, where we can travel in-between the wires and around the characters, etc.







For the type of 3D space to create I was also looking at wire sculpture designs, and also some possible 3D shapes for inspiration for the kind of 3D spaces the work could be made into.








Monday 28 December 2015

Introducing... Fahima Munene and Steven Payne

Hello! My name is Steven Payne, a graduate of Computer Animation Arts, and I will be collaborating with Fahima Munene to bring her striking painting, Lamu Under Orange Skies, to life as an animated short.

Lamu Under Orange Skies - Fahima Munene

My work often draws influence from the traditional, be it cinematic technique, design, even storytelling. I enjoy deconstructing the particular components that make up a subject, such as a certain style of film or a particular time period, and attributing these discoveries to my own work.

In my most recent projectFranklin, I did just that. I took apart several elements of the 1970s, specifically, horror movies of the time and British culture, and used them to tell the story of a misunderstood child stylist.





I will be adopting this strategy once again for the adaptation of Fahima's artwork, discovering how this painting came to be and applying it to our animation. I am very excited to be working alongside Fahima and cannot wait to see how things develop over the coming weeks!

Edwin Wainaina // Samantha Niemczyk: Adore Woman Video Research

I have recently started researching various styles and approaches to watercolour that could help with figuring out the animation of Adore Woman. Below are some initial thoughts and influences that I've found around the web.


Few examples of watercolour-like animations:







Below are examples of different effects that could be achieved with After Effects. Some paint dripping and watercolour bleed, although still not something that seems very useful to me.



Perhaps a different direction could be a better idea? The image revealed from the watercolour drips and splats, instead of aquiring them during the animation. Still, early days and only an initial research.

Thursday 24 December 2015

Introduction: Paula Karanja | Vikki Kerslake

My name is Vikki, I am one of the artists who will be collaborating with fellow artist Paula Karanja as part of the MASK Project. My task will be to create a 90 second animation using Paula's work. I was very much drawn to Paula's style and look forward to the collaboration over the coming weeks.

Artwork by Paula Karanja

I am a graduate of Computer Animation Arts course in Rochester UCA. My style tends to be illustrative with painterly qualities. I enjoy working with abstract and delicate designs and mixing 2D and 3D together.




             


I am very much looking forward to seeing how this project evolves in the coming weeks.

Vikki 

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Introduction - Louis Tamlyn, Samson Lazima Jali and Ethan Shilling

My name is Ethan Shilling and I am one of the artists who will be taking part in the MASK project to transform an existing artwork into a 90 second animation!

I will be working with this piece of art:


entitled Daydream by Louis Tamlyn and Samson Lazima Jali.

Before I get started on this collaborative venture, I want to tell readers a bit about me and show some of the projects I've worked on previously.
I studied at UCA on the course CG Arts and Animation and graduated in 2012. Since then I have continued to learn new skills; including a new skill in computer programming, which has opened many possibilities for creating abstract transformative art pieces. This is something which I am continually investing time and research in.

Previous work includes:








So that's a bit about me and my previous work. You can find out more on my website at:
http://ethanshilling.co.uk/

I hope that by bringing my unique skill-set to this project I can make this animation come alive, and through this blog explore, create, and collaborate effectively.

Ethan Shilling

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Introductions : Churchill Ongere and Emily Clarkson

Hello, my name is Emily and I have recently graduated with a degree in Computer Animation Arts. My style of drawing and animation tends to revolve around the cute, but also more graphical shapes. I tend to find pattern and shape visually pleasing.


  
Previous 2D and 3D artwork


For this project I will be working with Churchill Ongere. I am very much looking forward to this collaboration.  Already there are ideas flying around as to how to animate his painting- 'Greener Pastures and the Colours of Youth' seen below. I feel the art work is a ready-made creature ready to bounce and blink into life!



Monday 21 December 2015

Introduction - Edwin Wainaina // Samantha Niemczyk

Edwin Wainaina . Adore Woman
My name is Samantha Niemczyk and I will be working with Edwin Wainaina on animating his artwork Adore Woman that is shown above.

I have graduated from CAA course last May and since then I have been working on personal projects. My interest in art is strongly connected to character and figures. I like using both 2D and 3D tools to fulfill my ideas.

My first thoughts upon the artwork have been circling around some delicate effects, playing with colours and perhaps some dripping effects, as the drawing is really paintily and seems to have an impressionistic approach to female features/make up.

Samantha Niemczyk . Examples of 2D work