Unit X | Final images

After playing with my images on photoshop over and over again, I have finally produced 2 images which I am happy to print for the exhibition.

During my experimentation, I decided that having 4 animals in one print was perhaps too much and looked too busy. Because of this, I changed my number to three and in order to create another poster I needed two more paintings to work with, so I painted the zebra and the macaw.

Working on both posters was quite difficult, as I needed to create the right combination of animals and in the right places. Eventually I did manage to come up with two designs I am happy with. I wanted my designs to be large scale, so I started with the biggest size available to me which is A0. I was prepared to go smaller if necessary however the A0 prints came out okay, there was no blurring. I am happy with my prints, but if I could have been specific with my paper I wouldn't have chosen matte as the colours did dull down a little. 

Yet I am very pleased with how my work looks and I am excited to put it up in the exhibition.

I wanted to see how my prints looked together get a general feel of how they are going to look in the exhibition, so I tried hanging them up in the studio. I was thinking about mounting them on boards as they might look better, but in the end I decided I prefer them hanging as paper. Also A0 boards would be extremely hard to carry to and from the exhibition, whereas with paper I have bought a tube to carry them in safely so that they don't get damaged. Overall I really like how my designs have turned out and I am very pleased with my work.

Unit X | Photoshop development

I have kept experimenting on photoshop this week, and I have now produced 4 final outcomes.

I really like the four images as individuals. I have completed what I intended to create, however as I am left with a lot more time before the exhibition I would also like to try including more than one animal in each collage. I plan to try layering the animals together, possibly with 3 or 4 in one image. If this ends up working and is successful, I might consider having one larger final piece rather than a collection of four.
Creating my images on photoshop has enabled me to have the distressed effect I have been experimenting with. Like Rauschenberg, I have made layers of different images and blended them together through editing opacities.



Unit X | Digital Experimentation

This week I have finally taken my work onto Photoshop.

As the acryllic image transfer technique can be unpredictable and might not always have the desired effect, I scanned separate image transfers into photoshop so I can edit them together. So far I have only been trying things out but I am happy with how it is going. Turning my images into brushes has made them incredibly easy to use. It is very useful to be able to delete anything that doesn't look right, move things around and start again. I am going to continue to use photoshop to hopefully come up with some final images. I plan to create 3-4 separate images each including one animal like Bryan Holland, but for the exhibition they will be shown as a collection.



Unit X | Layering

I've been experimenting with layering different images together to create the feel Bryan Holland's work does. Using newspaper and found images, I have made collages using an image transfer technique that I learned at A level. Painting over an image with white acrylic paint and then placing it face down and applying pressure puts the image onto the other page. However some parts may not be transferred at all, others will be done lightly and some parts appear more bold. I really like the effect this creates as it gives a worn feel, as if the image is a lot older than it is. I want there to be an older feel to my work as it can then give the impression of old circus posters in a similar way to Bryan Holland. I was going to use image maker however that would copy the image perfectly, and I want a more distressed feel. 

Another artist that inspires me is Robert Rauschenberg. He creates work with a damaged and distressed look similar to what I am trying to create. His work is generally worn everywhere however I am trying to also include some less distressed elements in my work, particularly the animals. I specifically like his use of running paint, I really like how this looks.

Unit X | Development

Yesterday in our workshop we had the chance to experiment with Projectors and acetate. 

I really liked playing around with different drawings together. Me, Abi and Zoe all had drawings prepared on acetate and it was really interesting layering them up on the projector. I really like the look of the different styles which brought me back to thinking of Bryan Holland and his work. 

After the workshop I experimented by layering my acetates with other papers. I really like how these look and the collaged element really adds something to my work. I also want experiment with taking my work onto photoshop and editing in different ways. I am thinking of possibly doing parts separately then collaging them digitally so that they can be used over again in different combinations and compositions. I feel like this will give me more contol over my work, as I can delete, erase or undo any aspects I am unhappy with, which is something that can't really be done on paper.

Unit X | Bryan Holland

I found Bryan Holland while looking on Pinterest and his work really inspires me.

He takes his inspiration from zoos which fits perfectly with my work. Holland uses collage and painting in order to create a feeling of old circus advertisements. 

I find his work beautiful and really enjoyable to look at. I love the way he layers different materials and the animals are beautifully hand painted on top of more basic patterns and designs.