So…. With the concept in mind, I have started experimenting with some styles and compositions that I am going for.
For the idea of “Skin is sunburn, Face is UV damage” here are some reference images I am looking at:
UV damageSunburn skin peeling
So I have came up with some mock up compositions..
UV Mapping of a human head texturemy failed experimentation
With this mock up, I have originally planned to use the pyrography technique to try to burn holes into the face to show the damage done.. So I have experimented with burning a stick and poking it into paper, but it only resulted with burnt marks….
photo manipulation of a head texture
As for “skin is sunburn” I have decided to also follow the style of a “head mapping texture” and also to recreate the peeling skin on the scalp. I thought of using those Daiso Charcoal / nose skin cleanser products (when dried) as they give off that peely effect but it seems like Daiso was out of stock.. haha
Next up, I tried composing the shot for “ex-convict is freedom”, and with some sketchy-style images I found + drawing with a mouse, I have managed to recreate the pyrography style in Photoshop. (yay to photomanipulation)
The sun from the point of view of an ex-convict is FREEDOM without silhouette.
I kinda really loved the result of this image.. so I have decided to create the other compositions in this style… For the silhouettes, I have fired up Illustrator and started creating the prison/barbed fences… then went to process the papercuts out.
composed image on Illustratorbarbed wires papercut
So to end this post… here is the sneak peak of the “draft” of all of the compositions after adding the silhouettes counterparts in Illustrator.
Finally! All compositions are completed. Here is long awaited breakdown of the final project:
Overall Concept: A milestones based on my Visual Effects artist timeline.
Style: From digital art works to traditional mediums or vice versa.
1. 3D ARTIST
This composition is based off my secondary school days, as I was quite lucky to be the pioneer batch that took 3D Animation as an GCE ‘O’ Level Subject – where I learnt and used Cinema 4D. The idea of using low-poly art, made from a few simple polygons, was also to show that I started from something basic.
This composition is made up of 2 layers, 1 transparency and 1 printed artwork.
Originally, as a 3D Artist, I wanted to incorporate a popup element in the design but the design was too complex. Hence, I have experimented with layers of transparencies, and it was an accidental success with these 2 layers, when overlayed, creates an illusion that the name “pops-up”.
2. LOVE DETAILS
For this concept, it is based on my Poly days, when I was interning and was tasked to primarily texture paint. My colleagues then taught me well – to observe any single details of the textures around me and even study some of the physics involved.
For this design, I have used a thumbprint as the background as it represents the macro details that can be found. I have modified a script font by using illustrator and painfully incorporated it to fit the lines of the thumbprint. Also, the medium for this was paper cutting as I felt that paper cutting is an intricate and delicate process that will truly bring out the concept of intricate details.
3. ART STUDENT
With Secondary and Poly days aside, this piece is based on my current status of an Art Student in ADM. This was originally a hand drawn handmade font done with graphite, then scanned and digitized and painted in Photoshop. This was to show that at this stage, I am trying my best to do things in both digital and traditional mediums. The coffee stain was added as a representation of the long late nights students spends doing studying or doing their assignments.
4. VISUAL EFFECTS ARTIST
Last but not least, being a Visual Effects Artist is the GOAL. Whenever someone asks me “what course are you in” or “what do you do”, I usually tell them visual effects, but some of them still does not know what is visual effects. So I usually use Iron Man as an example, and with that, I have decided to go for a HUD (Heads-Up-Display) style based digital “holograms” for my typeface.
Just like the breakdown video of the Swedish Idol Title sequence in my previous post, many layers are needed to create realistic visuals. With this concept in mind, I have created my typeface in 3 layers, with 1 background layer:
On the topmost layer, I have added a bunch of text on the right corner, of the programs that most vfx artists will use, to complement the balance of the composition of the bold and heavy typeface of my name. Also, with 4 layers in total, I have decided to give it a little depth, in z-space, to create an illusion that the text is in 3D. (from the parallax differences)
Last but not least, with all goals in mind, the ultimate goal is to see my work on a big screen.
So to start small, I have incorporated the last effect, the “negative filter”. Due to the some limitations (access to white ink, etc), I could not create the same effect in print, therefore I have thought of going back to digital – through the phone camera.
“POSITIVE”View of NEGATIVE FILTER from my phone camera
Creating this piece was a real challenge as I had to design this while looking through the camera filter, tweaking it in a way that the “positive” image will still look good.
Also, to create the depth, I had to find a transparent alternative to foam tape so after much thought, I have finally came up with using transparent straws and I have spent 2-3 hours gluing them onto the transparencies.
If you noticed, my compositions are also arranged (my opinion) from the most basic to the most intricate:
digital 3D < papercut < drawing < multi-layered “3D”
Overall I really enjoyed pushing my boundaries of sticking to digital work and experimenting with transparencies, tracing paper, papercuts and other traditional mediums for this project – some which was rather tedious as compared to doing purely in digital. I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did!!
With less than 72 hours to submissions… here is my final update.
3D ARTIST
Based on the reference image above, I have started researching on a easier and/or more generative way of creating this in 3D. I have finally decided attempt this style, a trend in 2015, called LOW-POLY ART.
MountStar – Behance
I chanced upon a tutorial on a simplified way of creating these, and seemed like Cinema 4D is the way to go. With reference to the first image, I fired up C4D and created my name on a landscape, and here is the output.
JUSTIN low-poly
The typeface is created from selecting random polygons and extruding them, so its kinda like a handmade font. I am now attempting to convert or incorporate this into a pop up card for the final piece so… yep, I still have a little more to go..
VFX ARTIST
For the VFX image, I have already completed and printed onto my transparencies. (pardon the photo quality, my phone broke)
I am still thinking of a way to mount these together to create a some z-space in between each layers to create a parallax effect. Since its transparencies, I cannot use thick double sided tape and might have to use the left over transparencies instead.
LOVE DETAILS/EYE FOR DETAILS
Yep, I might be changing “love details” to “have an eye for details”. These will be based on papercuttings, definitely. I have yet to start on them, so here is some research.
A photo posted by Kristine Benum Braanen (@kristinebraanen) on
I should be going for a more geometric look (purely shapes or lines) for these patterns found on the cutouts. The lines will be fairly thin, creating a intricate overall design.
STUDENT
Here is some research on coffee painting that I might be referencing.
I might start my base of this piece with splatters of coffee, then adding these things I have used (the things I have already collected) throughout the entire period of creating all the other compositions in this “student” piece. This will only be done last after I have completed the other 3/4 of the typographic compositions.
With this, I’ll end off here with a cool website called Type to Design that I have chanced upon. The next post will be on my completed product! Stay tuned.
So this week I did not progress much: I have only finalized all my concepts and have to start experimenting and executing them.
VFX ARTIST:
First off, it’s the VFX concept. I have made use of transparencies and tracing papers and have already experimented on a prototype:
This was purely a test and I was pretty happy with the result, but my I have to try with colours this time and will need even more experimenting because of the translucency of each colours as compared to black ink. Here is a work-in-progress:
20% progress…
3D ARTIST:
WALL ART: Still Life Comes Alive
For 3D Artist, I will be creating a digital 3D piece with a 3D program – looking something like the wall art image above, but a more simplified version, so that I can try to push this concept further by incorporating this into a pop-up card, if possible.
A really simplified version of a pop-up card would be something like the image above, with the digital work being printed out onto a layer and cut with another design to form an “illusion” layer popup.
As for student, I will be using coffee, spoons, redbull??, wrappers, McDonald, etc – things that a student will use for studying or chionging work to create a typeface. I have already started collecting some of these materials, and I will start on them soon so stay tune for my next update(s)!
It’s already semester 2, so being allocated to our majors, I have decided to go with the things I do/surrounding my major: Animation (vfx??). I have listed them out in my sketches below:
So I have decided to probably go with these 6:
VFX Artist
Photographer
perspectives
3D artist
loves details
student
Originally all the ideas I have came up with is all in 3D but after the consultation I was encouraged to try to go back to 2D since I have to stick closely with the project brief, so I have then went back to ideation again.
Here is some of my research I have been doing since:
For visual effects artist, I will be basing it on a visual effects breakdown, something like this one for Swedish Idol:
So elements like green(blue) screen, wireframes, etc, are elements that I could use.
For “loving details“, I have decided to use paper cuts maybe like the ones below:
For 3D artist, I will be doing a digital artwork in c4D/Maya with modelling, lighting & renderings.
For photographer, I am deciding between going for a “travel/landscape photographer” or just photography in general. I am currently looking at the Instagram’s Photo Map as my reference at the moment.
For the rest of them, I am still currently churning out some new concepts so stay tuned!
The first thing that comes to mind on typography is the documentary on Helvetica that I watched in one of the mods in my Poly years. Personally for me, I prefer San Serifs and minimalist typography. Also, I have a bad handwriting so I prefer digital to traditional handwritten text.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE TYPOGRAPHY
3D Typography
I have seen many of these being applied in 3D motion graphics in TV Spots and title sequences. In fact, some motion graphic reels are quite inspirational.
As for traditional 3D typography, I am really interested in paper sculptures/paper cuts.
ERODE
Recently I have been looking into popup cards and some of them make use of unique typography to create an object. Below is an example of a birthday card made with some greetings that forms a 3-layered birthday cake.
