Here we go again !
SCRIPT INCASE IM INCOMPREHENSIBLE
My project this semester has been all about exploration and adventure. I wanted me as an artist to truly discover while creating, and at the same time create something that puts the viewer into the adventure as well.
To fully create an adventure without creating the story, I have been very dedicated to creating works without planning ahead. I have drawn scenarios surrounding the main character Philbert, and some around the other characters. This technique has helped me truly build the world brick by brick. Focusing on small events that slowly builds the world around it, instead of sketching the whole landscape first.
What happens in this kind of work, is that the work you create becomes the research you do. My older pieces for Philbert is the research for my newest work. Discovering by creating means I don’t look up references before I put my pen on the canvas, but look it up if I need it during. I essentially don’t do any research before I start, because that would lead me into thinking too much about what I am about to create, which is what we are trying to avoid.
In an average piece for this project, I have started with landscape sketching, and trying to find the next adventure to visualize. I sometimes find a short story in there, but have to draw only one frame. Sometimes the frame focuses of the story, and sometimes it focuses on the characters or emotions. In the sketching phase, I might look up references for both inspiration and guidelines. I typically test colours, but quickly progress over to lines and layouts. I do colours after lines, and lights or effects at the very end. The finishing touch is almost never an afterthought, but rather something I have envisioned the work always had.
In my research paper, I discussed mainly the birth and rediscovery of perspective, and have always found perspective very interesting. I try to play around with perspective, to guide the viewer on their visual adventure. I see painting landscapes almost like sculpting. I want to sculpt the way for the viewer, and use perspective as a tool to do this.
Before the pandemic, I felt very productive, and created many pieces for the Philbert project. The pandemic surely put me behind, as I have been sick for two months. I also had ideas for the final show that had to be discarded. I originally planned to use a viewmaster, and let the viewer discover the adventure as they flipped through the images. However, not having a physical exhibition makes this idea not work to its full potential. I am considering using the idea at a later time.
Instead of using a viewmaster, after a discussion with Jonathan, I have decided to use sliders on a website. I am still working out all the details, and haven't figured everything out yet perfectly, but there will be versions of the pieces zoomed on certain points, and versions where the full image is shown. This way the pieces will have a true discovery. I am considering making the slider automatic, but I am not completely sure. I am thinking that in the viewfinder, it is manual, but people generally would click through the viewfinder quicker. I would prefer if the viewer didn't linger too long on one piece over the rest. But on the other side, if that is their way of discovering and adventuring, so be it.
While creating pieces for Philbert for 10 months, I have of course found new and interesting concepts for both the characters and story, but also in artstyle. The last few months I discovered using plain squares as light sources fit very well with the Philbert theme. While I have always tried to embrace the fact that I am working digitally, by for example using square canvas, clear black and white features, I think this truly solidifies the digitalness of Philbert. I both enjoy the aesthetic of the squares, but they also add so much in terms of the digital feeling.
Currently I am reworking a couple old pieces, to have these square light sources. I want all the pieces to have them, so it takes a while to do this process. But I think it will pay off.
Jonathan also noticed something interesting that I had not even considered when he first saw the images. He said it reminded him of the reflection you might see when you look at a screen when the sun is hitting just right. I think this perspective is very interesting too, and even further underlines how this adventure is behind the screen.
Overall, the pandemic that hit us at the start of 2020 did slow down my progress, but I am currently working on catching back up. I am glad I was productive before I became sick, and reworking older pieces helps me tie the story together after creating it.
In a sense, the biggest research I do, is at the beginning of my sketch, and at the reworking period weeks later. Creating spontaneous stories, adventures and at the end binding them all together too see the full puzzle. Let’s just hope all the pieces fit!