La Linea: so little says so much

Brilliant work of Osvaldo Cavandoli

Two pages from Calliope

The Brief
Examine two pages from Neil Gaiman's Sandman story Calliope. Read the script carefully and then interpret the story visually in the format of a graphic novel spread.

Illustration Outcome

Pencil Sketches

Inked and Lettered
Semester 2: Form and Object Studio with Gail Rogers Perazzo

Crow & Fox: re-discover wisdom through poetry

The Brief
Pick a children's story and illustrate it with 4 spreads, and design the book cover for it. The goal is to make the illustrations interesting for children, colourful and fun. The medium for the work is line and wash.

Illustration Outcome
I selected to illustrate a Russian fable that I memorized when I was a kid. It's called "Crow & Fox," and it explores the cunning power of flattery. Of course, I needed to translate it as well, which I did during my morning runs by trying out different lines in my head over and over again. I've also brought the fable to Aussie context, cause I am in Sydney after all, and I've used Snowgum trees as the setting.

Well, here it is, my creation.

How many times the world was told,
That flattery is cunning art,
But all in vein, and to the person's heart,
The flattery is solid gold.

One day, God sent the Crow a slice of cheese.

The Crow flew up a snowgum and picked a comfy stick.
Preparing to eat the cheese with pleasure.
But clever Fox too smelled delicious treasure.
She tracked the snowgum, and then thought up a trick.

The Fox spoke sweetly to the Crow,
"What beauty! If only you could also sing,
We would select you forest King!
Please sing for us, give us a show.

The Crow lost his head with such intoxication.
To be a King, now that's a worthy goal!
With all his might he made a loud "Caaaww..."
And cheese fell right into the Fox's teeth.

And here is the original Russian version, just for a good measure :)

ВОРОНА И ЛИСИЦА
Уж сколько раз твердили миру,
Что лесть гнусна, вредна; но только все не впрок,
И в сердце льстец всегда отыщет уголок.
Вороне где-то бог послал кусочек сыру;
На ель Ворона взгромоздясь,
Позавтракать было совсем уж собралась,
Да позадумалась, а сыр во рту держала.
На ту беду, Лиса близехонько бежала;
Вдруг сырный дух Лису остановил:
Лисица видит сыр, -
Лисицу сыр пленил,
Плутовка к дереву на цыпочках подходит;
Вертит хвостом, с Вороны глаз не сводит
И говорит так сладко, чуть дыша:
"Голубушка, как хороша!
Ну что за шейка, что за глазки!
Рассказывать, так, право, сказки!
Какие перышки! какой носок!
И, верно, ангельский быть должен голосок!
Спой, светик, не стыдись!
Что ежели, сестрица,
При красоте такой и петь ты мастерица,
Ведь ты б у нас была царь-птица!"
Вещуньина с похвал вскружилась голова,
От радости в зобу дыханье сперло, -
И на приветливы Лисицыны слова
Ворона каркнула во все воронье горло:
Сыр выпал - с ним была плутовка такова.

Semester 2: Form and Object Studio with Gail Rogers Perazzo

Life Drawing at COFA

Last semester I took my first Life Drawing course at COFA. The instructor was Stavros Papantoniou, and believe me, this guy can teach!

I didn't actually know what Life Drawing meant, but I knew that I wanted to learn realistic drawing, so "life drawing" sounded about right.

I did improve my drawing, but in the class I've discovered something else. A great appreciation for human body and amazing magic of the human form. I've understood what people mean by "the line" and the word that was in my mind during drawing was lyrical. Lyrical design, lyrical shape, poetic line.

Full Life Drawing album on Flickr





Full Life Drawing album on Flickr

Semester 2: Life Drawing with Stavros Papantoniou at COFA

May: Inspirations & Observations

This is the May issue of Inspirations & Observations, my monthly list of 5 things that inspired me, and 5 things that irritated the eye.

Inspirations

1. Life Drawing. I've been taking life drawing lessons at COFA to make animation and design process more hands-on, and I fell in love with drawing the human body in the process. Here are some instructional drawings by A. Loomis:
   
   
   
   
2. Neil Gaiman Sandman series. Totally inspiring, dark and accurate when it comes to portraying human nature. I was especially moved by "A Dream of a Thousand Cats"
   
   
   
   
3. Christopher Hart. I think he is the greatest teacher of comic drawing!
   
   
   
   
4. Cupcakes. I've been baking cupcakes for fun after seeing Cupcakes On Pitt store on my way home
   
   
   
   
5. Knitting - room shoes. Another one of my little projects...still in progress though
   
   
   

Observations

These are the things that didn't sit with me so well this month. It's mostly focused around usability and paying attention to your client's needs (mine in this case).

1. Xbox 360 setup and menu. I have recently purchased the Xbox (mainly to play Guitar Hero) and it felt like I needed a master's degree to set it up.
2. Western knitting pattern notations. It's interesting that I can understand Japanese patterns without speaking a word of Japanese, but when it comes to the American/Australian patterns I am having a really hard time. And I assure you that I can read and write English :)
   
3. Finsbury Paper uses iStock photos to illustration their collateral! And it's using some of the most popular images too. As soon as I received the magazine I felt, "Hm...I've seen these." Of course, a quick search on iStock revealed the answer.
   
4. Paper mail. Please, don't kill the trees for advertising!!! Send me a clever e-mail, and I might just open up my wallet.
5. Digital print shops, in this case Snap Printing. It was one of the most exasperating experiences trying to print 5 pages in the morning, which I needed that afternoon. I refuse to believe that printing has to be so complicated...but who knows, maybe it is. I did learn a lesson though: print the day before, save yourself hours of agony.
   

Previous months

• April: Observations & Inspirations
• March: Observations & Inspirations
  
• February: Observations & Inspirations
• January: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Wolf - texture & line

The Brief
Working from a B&W photo with high contrast, we were to re-create the image and mainly the texture of the animal using technical pens. I used a set of four Staedtler pigment liners sized 0.1 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm respectively.

Rendering Outcome
After about 8 hours over a period of 2 days, I produced this drawing.


I am happy with the way it came out, and most importantly I enjoyed the process. A lot.

After about 10-15 mins you go into a zone where only lines and marks exist. It's like a form of meditation, when the mind is quiet and only shapes matter.

Semester 2: Form and Object Studio with Gail Rogers Perazzo

Perspective Wash

The Brief
The goal of this assignment was to learn the rules of perspective using two vanishing points, as well as observe the effects of light at different times of the day. We were to paint a night scene and either a rainy day or a sunrise/sunset.

The base of the drawing was done at location, after which I refined the lines and composition at home. I returned to that street a couple times more to photograph it in the evening. For the sunrise, I just used my imagination, lol.

Painting Outcome
Both paintings were done on Arches Watercolor Medium 185 GSM paper. Great to do wash on! It holds water for a long time, and it's pretty forgiving with re-wetting if I decide to change my mind on the color. Best part, this weight of paper can be put in the printer for a quick transfer of the image lines.

Here is the early night with some lights in the windows. They bring comfort and interest to the night.


And here is the early morning, when lines and colors are soft and the sky is just starting to light up with warm pink.


Semester 2: Form and Object Studio with Gail Rogers Perazzo

March: Inspirations & Observations

Welcome to the March issue of Inspirations & Observations. This is my monthly reflection on the 5 things this month that inspired me, and 5 things that were cheesy, ineffective or just plain boring.

Inspirations

1. Hand-rendering with pen & ink. Oooh, we did an assignment of rendering fur texture with pen & ink, and it was the most calming activity. Can't post the result yet though, the teacher still has it. But here is a sample from a Flickr user hanssolo.
   
   
   
2. Paper craft. I am discovering a whole world of these crafty designy things I can get into. I already love making things by hand, so it's perfect! Here is my current idol, Yulia Brodskaya.
   
   
   
3. And this month I discovered scrapbooking. I've heard the term before, but I didn't know what it was. Check out Shappy Pricess, really great "digital scrapbook" kits.
   
   
   
4. "The Artist's Way" book by Julia Cameron. It's about awaking the artist within, getting in touch with our innate creativity. I feel the changes happening already.
   
   
   
5. "How to Get Ideas" book by Jack Foster. First part of the book describes the mindset we need to have to attract more ideas. Second part is a step-by-step manual for getting winning ideas. It's interesting that "The Artist's Way" and "How to Get Ideas" frequently give the same advice. It's all connected, describing the same reality from different angles.
   
   
   

Observations

1. Using "click here and here and..." as anchor link text. It would be a lot more useful, if the link stated exactly what I'll find after clicking it. For example "learn about the psychological deviations of underwater worms." Ok, now I know exactly what's behind the anchor-text door.
   
   
   
2. Redesign of Hotmail interface leaves me asking "Where is the send button?!!!"
   
   
   
3. Sydney rail tickets, made of paper. First, I can only buy a ticket for today, it expires at the end of the day. Second, it's a paper ticket that cannot be re-used. Third, I have to put it through machine and wait for it to come out. Fourth, I can only buy one ticket at a time, no buddy rides. Need I go on? Really slows down the morning rush-hour commute.
   
   
   
4. Mini Dell ad. Trying to look like the currently popular floral style, but doesn't make it.
   
   
   
5. All respect to SitePoint, but no discrimination here. This ad was part of the newsletter I received, and I think it's feels like it was actually made by a developer. Literal metaphors for "slow" and "fast"...where is the zesty idea?
   
   

Previous months

• February: Observations & Inspirations
• January: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Clever stick figues

Stick figures can express so much.



It's not always the dazzling vectors of the animation that capture the audience, but the clever idea behind its execution.

Russian folk tale illustration

Tale of Swan Geese
also known as "Gusi Lebedi", Гуси Лебеди

Getting is touch with my roots... this is what this assignment was about. As designers, we have to tap into our unique backgrounds and characters to produce something new, personal and satisfying for clients and ourselves.

To create this tale illustration, we had to look into the history of our ancestors and select a folk tale to be re-told using 6 illustrations. Each illustration used a different medium, which I list under the each illustration. The first is a symbol from Russian Art style called "Hohloma" and I rendered it using gouache paints. This symbol (or its parts) will subsequently appear in all illustrations, see if you can spot it ;)

Gouache on watercolor paper

The Story
"Zhili bili..." that's the classic beginning of a Russian tale, which literally translates to "There lived, there existed". So let's stay true to the traditions and start with that.

There lived, there existed a grandma and grandpa with two small grandchildren. The young boy was named Ivanushka, and his older sister was called Alenushka. One day they were playing outside of the house, when mean birds called "swangeese" came and stole the little Ivanushka!

Watercolor on watercolor paper

Desperately Alenushka tried to catch the birds, but they were long gone. Worried, she set out on a journey to find her brother. As she walked, she met a River of Milk.
"Alenushka, have some of my delicious milk," said the River.
"No way, my Daddy has yummier milk." And she went on.

Later she came across an Apple Tree and a Baking Oven. Each offered her their gifts, but Alenushka just turned her nose away and said that her Daddy has better.

Acrylic on watercolor paper

And so she went on... Towards the end of the day, Alenushka came across a House on Chicken Legs, where Baba Yaga lives. She was terribly scared, but she loved her brother very much, and she she went in. Ivanushka was sitting in a pot ready to be cooked (!!!), while Baba Yaga was organizing her spices.

Alenushka felt a small tickle on her leg, and she saw a little mouse speaking to her.
"Alenushka, give me some of your bread, and I'll distract Baba Yaga so you can escape!"
This sounded like a fine deal, and Alenushka shared her bread with the little mouse. In this moment, Alenush learned a very important lesson of sharing and gratitude. Without waisting a moment, she grabbed Ivanushka by the hand, and ran out of the house.

Collage and acrylic on watercolor paper

Again the brother and sister came across the River, the Apple Tree and the Baking Oven. However, this time they accepted their gifts and said "Thank You." In appreciation of their kindness, the River, the Apple Tree and the Baking Over hid the kids from the chasing birds.

Collage and typography on watercolor paper

When the kids arrived home safely, their parents were very happy to see them. They huged and kissed the children, who learned a very important lesson that day.

Typography print on scanned watercolor texture

Semester 1: Design Culture and Theory taught by Annette Lodge

Atalanta and Hippomenes

Part 1: Myth Illustration

The brief asked us to pick a scene from one of the Greek Myths and create an illustration for that scene using at least 2 human figures in action poses, and employing principles of perspective.

I have selected a scene from the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes. The illustration portraits the race between Atalanta and Hipomenes, which decides whether Hipomenes lives or dies, and whether Atalanta gets to know the taste of intimacy. The viewer is positioned in front of the running figures with the road fading into the distance. I felt that this position makes the biggest impact on the viewer, and conveys the intensity and swiftness of the race.

pencil modello

When producing the illustration, my main challenges included deciding on the postures and composition, and then actually getting the figures on paper. Since my composition includes figures running forward, the drawing involved foreshortening and overlapping of masses, which seemed unnatural during sketching, but after stepping away looked realistic. It was also challenging to use the black pen, since the only mark you get from it is black or white, no grey.

Atalanta and Hippomenes illustration (black pen)

The biggest aid in producing the illustration was the use of reference photos. After creating a rough composition, I found numerous images of the items I wanted to depict. I have combined them one by one in the pencil modello, studying each portion in detail. When the time came to doing the final illustration, it was a relatively straightforward process of transferring the shapes and tone from modello to the pen illustration.

Part 2: Written assignment

Relevance Of Traditional Image Creation Techniques On Contemporary Multimedia And Graphic Design

Before an artist can fly, he or she needs to master the skill of walking. Learning the fundamental techniques of image creation is now more important than ever to the digital artists, since it allows them to apply this knowledge to the world of pixels.

The rise of modern technology had caused many young artists to explore the realms of digital image creation. Programs, such as Photoshop and Corel Painter, made it possible to produce dazzling on-screen artworks, with quickness and precision of the computer, yet with human touch of the creator. There are also many online communities, for example Deviant Art, where aspiring artists share their digital works with the world, and stand a chance at being noticed.

In order to shine among the many, these upcoming artists need to solidify their core drawing and image creations skills. They now realize that the best place to learn is from the people who have done this many times, before the computers entered the scene. All of a sudden, Andrew Loomis has become popular and necessary again, and the traditional knowledge base has mixed with the present.

Semester 1: Design Culture and Theory, taught by David Briggs

The "left" and "right" of our brain

I was reading Betty Edwards's book today "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", and it got me thinking. It talks about how the left side of the brain and the right side are responsible for different kinds of perceptions. Left side is the logical and analytical. Right side is spacial, "in the now." Right side is the one we use when "seeing" for drawing.

Now, what if I did more things with my left hand? What if I purposefully sought out activities that develop the right side of my brain? Would my life and world perception change?

These are the questions I am pondering on, as I am motivating myself to pick up a pencil and start drawing. It's a "love and hate" relationship I have with drawing. I posses a burning desire to learn how to draw (beyond the childish doodles I produce now), and yet almost every time I am with a pencil I just want to stop. Perhaps it's the struggle of the left and the right sides of my brain... Which will I lead to victory?

This idea of the different roles of our brain was also explored by Jill Taylor in her Ted speech in February 2008. Here is the video of her presentation:



Hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me.