Rebel 8 Tshirts.

Been looking at these over the last couple of days as someone approached me and asked if I produced t-shirts. I don't think I will be able to get this done as part of my project, however a little bit of research into won't do me any harm. I was interested in this as a brand as well as the t-shirt design, as they are a very re-nown brand.

I was mostly looking at where and what kinds of images they position on their t-shirts, I really wouldn't know where to start and am unsure of how as the shirt moves where the images goes. I've heard that a particular trend at the moment is to have the image on the back of the t-shirt with a logo on the front where a pocket would be. This made me think about my 'Lionel' image and whether I could screenprint that onto the back of a t-shirt with his name on the 'pocket' space at the front of it?

Pillows?...More pretty brands

As well as buying clothes, it seems that women are obsessed with buying little things here and there for the home so turning some of my fabric designs into pillows or things for around the home seems perfect.

The design below is by the creative group 'Rise and Fall', very pretty and like the heart shape, what's also really clever is that there are skulls hidden within it, I like this idea.

It seems that block colours are pretty trendy at the moment and I also want to look at maybe having a different back and front to the pillow, this exaggerates the front and feels more like a piece of work, which could be useful if I work on big images which aren't a repeat. For a repeat pattern pillow I will look to having the whole of the pillow covered.

Whether I'll have time or not to produce pillows I'm not sure, but it's been really interesting exploring all the available brands out there and learning bits from them for my jewellery brand!

Tutorial - 25th March.

Well today I spoke to Matt really briefly, told him that I was really agitated by this idea of producing zines or a book format and that I really want to produce prints/screen printing and explore working with media that I really enjoy using. I feel that the basis of what this projects holds for me is now clear and I know what I'm producing loosely.

- A series of images commenting on the subject of beauty in some way

- Use pyrography within brooches more

- Doing big pieces for my final show using pyrography

- Creating a brooch narrative some how

Want to try and use the graphic lines... within images.

I also spoke to Matt about the lack of explorative colour in my work, and expressed that I felt it was pussying out. He said no it isn't and that it's me so not to get to agitated by it. Although, I am going to try and put more colour in my work over the next few weeks...

To do:

- By next week (Wednesday) for the interim Crit, going to have filled my sketchbook with possible print ideas and development.

- Taking a sketchbook and a paintbrush/ink to a barge trip I'm going on, to further my skill within illustration and practice on my week off. A break from my subject and practicing my skill might evoke new ideas and inspire me.

- Explore the fabrics more... look for possible outcomes for them.

The f Word - Contemporary UK Feminism

Just came across this website through the links on Morgen Muffel's website. Been looking through the articles posted and one I particularly liked or related to (which was only because I'd heard it all before), was 'Men and Women: Are we really worlds apart?'. It does just really re alliterate this notion of the key stereotypes of women and men, but it's helped me to think more simply about illustration ideas.

The website is set out really well, as the articles are set out by category which narrows down the subject or topics, so they're easy to get to...i've been keying in on the 'Body and Health', 'Sex & Relationships', 'Men', 'Violence' and 'Work & Play', it's kind of given me key topics that i like to be inspired through the writing.

Mike Perry.

Making images that don't need/without words...?

Mike Perry is an artist I like because of the bright colours and 'fun'/'playful' feel of his work. It seems his work is more about how it looksss....than meaning...? The meanings all seems loose, which is what I would like within my work...Worrying about meanings puts a massive pressure on me and I can't get anywhere. Below is a birthday poster he's done...

Most of his work is more pattern based...

This is the new approach I'm going to take...creating pattern and images which tell a tale with only a couple of words, or just look aesthetically pleasing.

Major Breakdown. FabricZ.

So this week I've had a breakdown in realising that I can't enjoy this project if I producing a zine, although I love the idea of creating chapters from a woman's life and turning them into little chapters of a book. It's not what I most enjoy doing and don't want to spend my last bout of creative freedom doing something I wont enjoy that much.

Visited Sheila Gaffney's exhibition called 'Material Memories' and read the report that went with it, which stated that in a study done by Maura Banim and Ali Guy, which was titled 'Why do women keep clothes they no longer wear?'. I thought that the concept was really interesting and it unravelled the fact that all women are so attached to clothes and their relationship with clothes is a very strong one. Women have clothes they no longer wear, but still they keep them, which seems for sentimental reasons.

With this in mind, I have been using ink on fabric and it looks really really lovely. Going to try all sorts of things on the fabrics in order to communicate loosely my subject of women and sub-conciously their relationship with fabrics and clothes. Below are a couple of the bit's i've started...Whether i will use them for anything in particular is another question...but for now they are pretty and i'm happy!

Stitching into this one was fun... gives the image more dynamics to it although the ink already sits lovely on the fabric...

Illustration Today & Tomorrow...

Been reading this article this afternoon from Computer Arts about Illustration and the way that photography seemed to take over as a way of documenting for a while, but that illustration/print has come back and is now as popular as it was in the 60's and 70's. Illustration is now more widely seen through large corporate brands who now regularly use illustration to differentiate themselves. The sheer number of different styles is forever growing and it seems that illustration isn't as accepted as illustration in a digital format as much anymore.

It's a brilliant article and I feel that I can agree with a lot of the statements made, it's also made me feel a little better about where illustration is going. It's hard to stand out in a crowd but the kinds of images I'm producing at the moment are images of today.

http://www.computerarts.co.uk/in_depth/features/illustration__today_and_tomorrow

Updated Tumblr:

I've been trying to post almost every other day, my creative activities... and am finding it really useful in getting feedback, on what people enjoy, what people don't enjoy and figuring out what people like aesthetically (drawing/painting wise) and also subject wise.

It is helping me to slowly develop my work and helps me in understanding how to put images together that people can relate to, find funny and me comforted by.

Here are a few bits, which I have been doing and have found that I have developed new ideas from:

Really enjoying this idea of inverting images, gives the image a completely different feel, this is something I could work on to learn how to give people a feeling of comfort, then conversely using techniques likes inverting images and manipulating them even more with colours to create an uncomfortable feeling. Such as the embarrassing moments which I want to capture in my books throughout a woman's' life.

I've been experiencing with-drawal symptoms from not creating any pattern recently, so I had a little play around with some rough Ideas to develop patterns...although I haven't had much feedback on the coloured ones. I've been enjoying painting patterns and then putting one singular image over the top, thus just creating patterned backgrounds for images, which I will continue to do.

I've been trying to practice this idea of narrative and making a series of images, putting them together to be understood. Been playing around with these painting I did. Not great, but it's a start...

Finally, I've been working straight onto coloured card and papers to introduce colour slowly to my work, as I'm not confident with colour at all. Working on paper, instead of a sketchbook gives you so much more freedom and doesn't feel as pressured. From research and from working on papers, I want to start collecting bits of interesting paper to work on, as I'm just as interested in texture as I am my drawings! Here are a couple...

However I feel that I might just start putting tiny sketchbook bits up there, which aren't put through photoshop yet, this gives people the chance to see it from sketchbook to final images and I think it's important for me look at how I work and how things come together, to teach myself!

Raymond Lemstra.

Came across this guy whilst I was exploring the world of websites! He's pretty special! I love elements of his work, the pencil bits are beautiful and really well done. But I also love what he says about himself and how he describes the images he puts together.

'In childhood, one encounters and experiences many things for the first time. Through curiosity and imagination, these moments are lifted to almost magical heights. As you get older, new impressions become more scarce and it's a rare experience to be suprised by anything. I try to bring back the sense of wonder we remember from being a child, bridging the young and mature, by creating a contained fantasy world populated by my characters.

This contrast, between the naive and sophisticated, gives the work a somewhat awkward taste. A clash of intent, simultaniously assuming simplicity and complexity, randomness and reason, flaws and perfection. The purpose of which is to inspire a sense of joy and discovery'.

It's how I feel about the work I'm producing now and is important in the message I want to provoke from the audience I will have.

It's also given me inspiration for creating characters, as I need to put myself back into my 'childish' ways more and create things people have never seen before. Also it's the easiest way to create characters and then develop them....

Especially love the type in this image... I must start painting in colours and trying to re-create type like this:

Comedians...

From wanting to produce illustrations or series of images which are bringing up issues within society, but wanting to put a humorous feel to them, I've begun looking at female comedians, to gauge how they go about commenting on such issues in a tasteful way, but a way that an audience can relate to which is why they find it funny. From talking in the group crit, I've realised that I want to bring up things and comment on things which most women think and don't say. I want to remind women of their subconscious activity, within their brains.

Sarah Millican.

Brilliant comedian, in this sketch she talks about loneliness and takes the piss out of it, something which many people feel. She also comments on women doing jobs around the home and how quickly they just want to get them done and also the irony of sex and boyfriends. Touches on the stereotype of men and the idea that she still wants to feel independent even though she has: 'I love you, we're having a nice time, but if we split up I'll probably be okay'. She also discusses how valentines card were different and everything was less up front years ago. 'Dying of a broken heart'.

'Trapped in a Bra'...

Jenny Eclair.

Again, a good comedian, particularly like her 'grumpy old women' show. It says what women are thinking or what they subconsciously do, which in turn makes the audience laugh. It does what I want to do in the way that it makes women think about their subconscious activity.

Josie Long.

She speaks on her outlook of the world and I just really like the way she describes things!

Whispered Between Women.

Just came across a wicked blog which is written by a middle-aged woman, which discusses things which women think and feel but don't discuss and might keep secret. Women send her stories or comments and she writes about them. A lovely read and it will be key in giving me inspiration...

'The secrets of married women and a place to whisper among friends.'

http://whisperedbetweenwomen.tumblr.com/

It coincides with my the idea I had about women thinking and not saying and also the idea that women subconsciously feel a lot of things which they never voice or maybe even notice.

Morgen Muffel.

http://www.morgenmuffel.co.uk/index.html

From speaking to Liam in a tutorial, he mentioned a comic artist called Morgenmuffel, who creates zines, which are very honest and brunt. Commenting on issues within society and people thoughts, I could liken her to what I'm trying to reach within my work, commenting on many women's thoughts as they grow up as a girl into a woman.

She draws and writes about things she does and likes, such as feminism, vegan cooking and self defence. Through these illustrations she comments on each i= in regards to society and her own opinions.

She also had a lot of useful links listed which I have been exploring, grabbed the 'Feminism' title and also the 'Zines and Distros', which should be useful research for me...

Group Tutorial:

Finally I feel as though I am sorted in what I am going to producing for this module: Today we had our first group tutorial, which was really really useful, as they always are! I feel like over the last couple of days I've got a better idea of what I want to produce and so it was a great time to explain all and get opinions on the idea. Below are some notes I took...

Liam spoke about: Illustrator...Morgan Muffel

Feminst meet every month somewhere in hyde park, could be a good research point.

Talking about a personal topic and being playful, an obvious place to look is at comedians ...

Music....

Books aimed at young girls...

An Final Idea?

Well, I have my group tutorial tomorrow...to get lots out of it. I set myself a deadline to have a rough, but pretty sorted idea (in my head). Been writing and jotting stuff down over the past couple of days and believe that I'm sorted.

Researching the zine culture, I decided I wanted it to be roughly based around that format wise. Looking at the subject I have decided that I want to create teeny tiny little 3-4 page zines, eventually put together like 'Mr Men Books', pulling together various chapters of a women's life. 'From Girl To Woman'. The different chapters will take a humorous effect and be reassuring, women and girls will be able to relate to the funny situations all girls go through on the route to becoming a woman. Chapters such as, 'The Blob - Girl's first period', 'List of Lovers - Heartbreak' and embarrassing things which stick with you, such as 'Girls first shave'.

See below, notes and notes of this idea. also notice chapters I have thought about...

Mariel Clayton & Barbie.

Comments of the negative effect Barbie has on society. Which has been something I have written about in essays and really interests me. Objects which are thrust in front of children, young girls, women and females in general, all work to communicate ugly as bad and good as pretty. Her work questions the idea that the Barbie Doll is given to young girls by choice by their mothers.

Mariel's art features Barbie in myriad situations, such as bondage, sex, suicide and murder. I really like the attention to detail and the tiny bits which communicate so much. I hope to communicate this simplicity and attention to detail through my image making. Colour is also important in most of the work I aspire to and so developing my skill within the use of colour is important to me.

Mariel Clayton:

"Everything is so damn gynocentric, every woman is being told to “find herself’ and that she is “special” and “she can be everything she wants to be, damn anyone who tries to stand in her way.” To me that’s nothing more than a way to shirk personal responsibility. If something goes wrong, feminism says that it’s a man’s fault, that if you can’t get the job you want, it’s a man’s fault, if you aren’t being understood, it’s a man’s fault for not being more in touch with women’s feelings, if you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s a man’s fault for not offering to shoulder your burdens, but if he does offer, then he’s terribly insensitive and callous for assuming you can’t handle it". - Is this how feminism is shaping the world?

Sarah Lucas.

Sarah Lucas' work is very provocative work. I really enjoy the messages that her work portrays and think the literal but hidden and subtle nature her work takes is something I want to achieve through putting together my illustrations and narrative of a woman's life.

The work that I find particularly interesting are the visual puns and sexual metaphors of sex and gender that she portrays - through photographs of herself and through little sculptures she puts together. She is described as employing 'bawdy humour' - 'dealing with sexual matters in a humorous way'. This is what I want to do within my illustrations, creating a real situation but making it humorous to ease the women who read it and reassure them.

Here she is seen communicating this idea of gender, she photographs herself as a man, challenging the male gaze, which unsettles men who look at the photograph.

Below: 'Chicken knickers'

Preparing email for Illustrators.

Been thinking about what I want to include in this email as it needs to happen pretty soon in order to get some replys...

I've narrowed the topic down to be me wanting to understand more about the world of freelance and how these creatives go about their daily lives, working doing something they love.

Questions I've thought I might ask are:

- How would you describe what you do?

Ilustration is a broad discipline and I've found that many creatives have labelled themselves as something other than under that one category.

- Have you got any tips or things to be aware of as a freelance illustrator?

This should shed some light on whats to come...

- Is there any thing you would have done differently over the years?

- How do you go about getting work? Do you have an agent? How does having an agent work and what are your experiences with one like?

I really have no idea what to expect or how to go about getting work.

- How did you promote yourself to get where you are today?

How do these creatives get their work?

- Is there any form of work that you seem to be getting more regularly than others?

Is there any work which is in demand at the moment, or do they all have very different jobs?

- Have you ever worked with a client that gave you a suprisingly high amount of freedom to do what you wanted?

I'm not sure that you would get a lot of freedom?

- What has been your favourite project over the past year?

- Are there any sites you think i should be registered with or you'd recommend?

Getting yourself about and being involved in a lot seems key...

Initial Business Card Research:

Been looking at some designs of business cards that I like for a bit of inspiration and to inform me of fun and different ways in which people are promoting themselves. This idea of it being unique is really important to me, as I want to take what was good from my last business card which was it's uniqueness and it almost being a piece of work in itself and re-do all the bad bits such as type and functionality.

Here are a few interesting ones, (I've also stuck some in my sketchbook which are interesting)...

More important than anything for me, is that my business card shows all my different disciplines loosely on the card, whilst looking professional and handsome! The jeweller below shows off the style of her jewellery as well as who they are...

Love that this is engaging well with the customer, interactivity is important...

I like that these are again interactive, but also that they are a bit of a mystery before you take the card out...

Simple but cute and to the point...

Betty Boop - 'House Cleaning Blues'

Came across this and thought it was very funny. Taking the everyday house wife and putting a spin on it. However the subject at hand and the way Betty Boop is portrayed at the beginning (Dramatic, negative and moaning) seems a very true representation of the way the women works in society. (Or how brashly she is stereotyped).

It was important to look at, as the attitude I'm going for within my illustration needs to take the same humorous, yet realistic nature.

Oh Comely Magazine.

'Oh Comely' magazine...

Is a magazine which focus' on people and their quirks and creativity. It's a calm and qitch magazine which aims to inspire people and explore new things. Rather than buying things, buying 'into' things or worrying about silly things it gives a fresh feeling and I like this about it. As it focus' on this idea of no worries, I'm wanting to get some work together on my current topic about this idea of resistance to beauty and see what they think!

Here are some of the featured illustrators...

The Doll.

I was shown this by a friend today and I think it's such a brilliant representation of how fragile women can be...of course not speaking for all women. It also seems to say to me that everybody is more a less the same, we are all human and have arms legs, noses, eyes. Really everybody is the same and equal, but everybody strives for this individuality so desperately. It's made me think about applying a message like this in my work: 'Everybody all the same'.

It also uses Make-up which is imperil within 'most' womens lives...

I'm pretty in love with it as well, an amazing bit of film/animation!

Zines.

Firstly, I was interested in trying to explore what the difference between a book and a zine was... It seems that a zine is shorter, not as bulky and can be produced in any way thinkable. I like the idea of zines as you can produce them in lo-fi ways such as photocopying. This gives them more character. Another interesting concept of a zine, is that it is mostly not produced for profit. I like this idea, as with my illustrations I am putting together, it is more important that the subject be communicated well.

With my idea slowly coming together (well, formation of an idea, not the bloody work yet!), I have been looking at all the little zines I can get my hands on and view via the internet. It's given me a wicked insight into how they come together and the kinds of ways people communicate serious, or humorous subjects in the right way. They've given me a lot to learn and think about. here are some I particularly enjoy:

Especially enjoy the form of this one, like a colour chart book, you can swivel all the images out...