Inside Outsiders.

     I was set a brief recently based on outsiders/ outcasts and Albert Camus' short novel "The Outsider". Here's what I've been up to...

     I wanted to base my work on the image-based code systems used by existing groups of outcasts such as gang/ cult insignia, hobo signs and, of course, the tattoos worn by sailors and criminals. The very thought that an image can be imbued with enough meaning and significance that it can be read like a language to those who are in-the-know appeals to me a great deal, and I've come to realise that it is this quality (along with overall aesthetics) with which I form an opinion on pieces of work.
     This being said, I decided I should create a visual language for a currently under-represented group that could be considered outsiders. Coupling this with the secondary realisation that throughout the course it has been briefs in which I could relate to and have subsequently immersed myself in that have been the most successful, I decided to begin producing imagery that pertained to myself as an outsider.
     Luckily, I suppose, right at the beginning of the new university year I was finally diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and depression which both come with the delightful stigma that is associated with mental health issues, so I had inadvertently been given something with which to work. Groovy.

     The above image is a screenprinted reproduction of a drawing I made. The wee demon chap, whose pose I hope looks somewhat noticeably like a human skull as I intended, represents the presence of OCD within the mind, and the trident he holds represents the intrusive divide between happiness and depression (the sun and moon) that it can cause.

     I also screenprinted the image onto cloth patches that could be sewn onto clothing and worn in the same way as military insignia or scout badges: the idea being that wearing it would signify to others that the wearer had had to experience something in order to "earn" it. Whether or not it was clear to others what said experience consisted of was arbitrary, and being the reserved introvert that I am I decided that when it came to displaying my work (pictured above) I would give no clue as to the meaning behind the images, other than the obvious notions of "being an outsider" that the title of the given brief indicated. Leaving the image open to interpretation by the viewer.

     This is another, less successful, patch I made using a laser printer on leather at Laserlea in Manchester. Having never used or researched laser printing before, I had no real idea of what the final outcome would look like, and I think it's obvious that my work needs some tweaking in order for it to suit the medium better.
     It's hard to make out in the picture, but the design is of a three-eyed human skull (the third eye representing the mind) underneath which is a broken arrow that is meant to signify (would you believe it?!) something that is broken; in this case, the mind.

Into the Darkness.

     I've really been getting back into drawing recently. I never went off it exactly, but the whole notion of "thinking with a pen in your hand" (or in it's proper Latin form "messing about") has really made me enjoy it a whole bunch more, even though the outcomes aren't exactly brilliant or something you'd mention to your penpal.
     I could rant on about all the influences I've discovered or been recommended recently but I'll save that for later. Instead, here's some of what I've been birthing into existence with my mind and hands:

Sketchbook work for "The Wind in the Willows" brief + mess.

Sketchbook work for "The Wind in the Willows" brief (details).

     These silhouettes aren't finished yet but I actually quite like them as they are. I've been experimenting with solid black/ shadow more in my recent work (as is also evident in my personal work below) and the feel it brings to the table.
     I've also been contemplating the personality of each character and how to portray it without turning them into mutant humanoid clichés  It occurred to me, while in accidental attendance at a strangers houseparty a few days ago, that objects, clothing and specifically eyewear can say alot about you. Judging people based on their appearance/ how they dress is actually incredibly useful and often fairly accurate because of the connotations that items have acquired throughout history, so I do it all the time.
     Above I've given each character eyewear (sort of) that I feel sums up, or at least hints at their general character. If you're wondering what they're meant to be then behold: half-rimmed specs, telescope, monocle, sleep mask.

Awful photograph of a squid I drew.

Similarly awful photograph of a gnarled prehistoric fish I drew.

Party of One i.e. A Fox in a Party-hat.

     Obviously none of these creatures are characters from the book, they're just bits of recent personal work. However, since they've been going on along side this brief they do incorporate some of the traits I've been messing with; namely light and dark but I have also been looking at having more than just one stand-alone element within my work.
     I am definitely going to stick mostly with single elements because it's how I love to work, but it's nice to be able to incorporate others if I have to.

By the power of Greyskull!

and constructive criticism!

     Today, with my hands, I put the final touches on my Age UK work and then, with a computer and the aid of somebody else's hands, neatened it all up a bit. I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out in the end which is mainly down to a group crit I was a part of. I usually feel like I don't get anything from them other than more work to do but this time something clicked; I got helpful/ insightful feedback and by paying attention to it was able to improve my work. Awesome.
     Here it is anyway, in all it's digital glory:

You Know Nothing - Inspired by the life of Wilf.

Kelly Clarkson's Handbag.

     Another new year, another new brief. Got to design a cover for a book that most people have at least vague knowledge of: The Wind in the Willows.
     Personally, I've never read the thing, but I'm fairly certain it's about animals and their shenanigans so it should be fun.
     Gonna pull my finger out for this project, Lord only knows where from.

Freshly picked, organic sketchbooks.

     I want to avoid the whole animal's prancing about in tweed and slippers thing and focus on the slightly darker side of things because I think I'd go mental otherwise. At the minute I'm just drawing critters and messing about a bit though. Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Duck, duck, goosander.

     I've spent hours today trying to get the image I had in my head onto a bit of paper and after a total restart and a whole mess of erasing I finally got the gist of it pencilled out leaving me free to spend even more hours meticulously adding trillions of tiny dots that have quite possibly driven me insane which would explain this massively long sentence that lacks any discernible pauses or punctuation.

     This is it so far.. 

Check out how small my desk is.

     It's not quite done yet and I may even attempt to change the colour of it using a computer like what all the other boys are doing nowadays. Maybe.

Snazzy New Briefs.

     The Art of Protest - got this brief a couple weeks ago to start working on alongside another that we receive tomorrow. The idea for this one is to pick something that you care about enough to have a bit of a protest about and then make/ perform/ draw something that does just that.

     In the end I decided to go with the occasional discrimination people show towards tattooed individuals that results in not getting jobs, having to cover them up or being made redundant etc. Mostly I picked this so I could draw and research tattoo related things and include it as part of my uni work, but also because the more I think about it the more it pisses me off. 

     The idea at the minute is to produce a catalogue/ handbook of sorts, documenting different tattoos and their "meanings" written by an employer of some kind. It sounds more effective in my head than now I've written it down so I'll probably change my mind around sixteen times before the deadline.

     Here's what I've been upto so far:

Dagger heart (Do Not Hire), Pen and watercolour.

Swallow (Non Conducere Haec Persona), Pen

Cockerel (I Steal Things), Pen and watercolour

Bat (Work in Progress), Pen

The Line is Dead..

     The "Imaginary Beings" project I was set culminates tomorrow at 4pm so I thought I'd spew forth some of my progress (the parts I remembered to document).

     The creature I picked was the mysterious and mythical "Pelican". I imagine most people know what one of those is, but the myth that goes with it originates in Egypt, which, along with the following image, was the catalyst for the theme of the entire project.

Title unknown, 2007, Library of Congress

     As part of the project I was required to design and produce a screenprinted wallpaper. I decided, after hours of contemplation, that I wanted to incorporate three stages/ characters from the story as well as a symbol or two. After further hours of tracing, organising into a sort of grid formation and impulsive stipple shading to top it off, I finally got my work onto screens and spent yesterday afternoon making a delightful, three-colour, bleeding pelican/ dead baby bird wallpaper fit for any home or office (I'll add pictures at a later date).

     I also had to produce a 3D model of my chosen character. I originally intended to produce a paperfold creature for this however, having made a sort of prototype of my design I decided that it was too geometric. So now I'm sitting in my room, partially clothed and putting the final touches on a pelican made out of bits of ripped up brown paper and Pritt-stick; much better.

Don Gootens

     Been drawing my arms off recently, but so far I've failed to whack any of it on here.. so I've decided to do just that.

     These are the beginnings of what I intend to be some sort of triptych for the brief I got set at the start of summer. Obviously there will be another panel to go with these two and I also plan on doing a couple of smaller, more detailed panels to go with it.

     I've spent a fair bit of time on this project so far but since I can smell the deadline I suppose I'd better give it a bit more attention and try not to let personal work takeover too much.

     Have a look at some of my older work and more recent endeavours here if you fancy.