'Record' Project: Working With Text In Photoshop Again...

Another extension of previous work, looking at combining the text with the images.

I think the text really works with the image here, however because I put the print in negative to get the colours I wanted, I think it lost some of the quality, but I didn't want to block in the characters because then I'd lose the texture! So I was a little stuck.

I really love this image. I like that the colours are slightly visible and it's not just black and white. I replaced what was the speech arrows with the text and used the same green to emphasize certain words. I'm really happy with this image, moving towards creating final imagery I think this is more like what I'm looking to put together.

'Record' Project: Working With Text In Photoshop Continued...

Trying to improve my images based on the evaluation of the previous ones, and also experimenting with new phrases and text.

This text was more difficult, I decided to make certain areas transparent so it would blend in with the image. I actually like how this looks, I decided to overlap it with the speech arrows to further bring across the idea of speech or conversation. It's very bold but not overpowering, I'll definitely experiment with this more.

Same print different text. I didn't like this at first but it's growing on me. I think leaving the rest of the page clear was the right decision, however I worry it's now a little boring. I'm conflicted because while I like the technique and the colour I just think it's too simple. At least it blends together quite well.

My last one, and first time mixing the two phrases together. I think this would really work if the two elements actually worked together, because here they're quite separate. I love the colour of the bottom half of the text, and I think I'll experiment with separating colour within the phrase again because it works quite nicely!

'Record' Project: Working With Text In Photoshop

I started using my first scans, and working over images I've created previously, editing them here and there to fit with the text.

My first image, I clean up the text a little and decided on white, it's still a little messy but I quite like it! however if I could fix something I think I'd make the text smaller, I didn't adjust the size at all and I think it takes up a little too much of the image.

My second, using the stamps was a good idea, it hardly needed cleaning up at all! I love the style and consistency of the font but I regret the colour choice. I think it looks flat and forced, I'm worried this type will only work in black. 

My favourite of the three. I think this type works really well, particularly with the quite bold imagery and colour. I reckon it's also quiet enough to handle any colours. I'll need to try this out with busier images and see what happens.

'Record' Project: Sounds

More recorded sounds, but I've been focusing more on conversations. I think these are more interesting, some of them are quite muffled but some are complex and busy. I like how you can make out small areas here and there but not always the whole picture, which is really what I've been looking at both in my journals and during development of work.




I think this is a good example of what I was talking about before, I was quite lucky here because on the bus the background noise is usually too loud to make anything out! There are probably around 10 different conversations happening here.




This is from the library in college. This was just one conversation between lots of people which I liked, because you'd think the sound would be clearer, but they were all talking between themselves and over eachother so it's still quite difficult to make out.




This was a large group of people all talking to eachother, and you can hear the television on in the background, with presenters having a conversation with eachother, and the viewers if you like. I think that adds another dimention to the recording as there are different types of conversation and also communication involved.




This is a good example of what I meant about the buses, it's hard to make anything out past the background noise! You can hear some muffled conversation but nowhere near as clear as my other recordings.

The clear recordings are a great addition to my work and I think now I'm really rounding up the basis or theme if you like. It's good to have something other than drawings and recorded conversations in my journal to go by. To improve I think I'd need to place myself in busy places or situations to get good quality clear recordings of the conversations, because some of these are quite hard to understand! I am happy with them though, I like that you can get a little look into someones day or situation.

'Record' Project: Text.

I've been thinking about using text in my images, to decide I looked through all the type in my journal so far, evaluating and picking my favourites.

I like most of these, I think they could be really interesting drawn up with conversation.

A few of these are very similar to what I like to use normally, I'd like to try quite a few of these though, it won't do any harm to have choice.

I tried out several in my sketchbook, and finally drew up a few I liked to be scanned in.

All the phrases were taken from conversations I've recorded in my sketchbook, I thought they were interesting and can also be used together.

I'm planning to use these in Photoshop, and I think my final decisions were the right ones. There is actually a fair amount of variation and I think I'll be able to work with all of them.

'Record' Project: Using Cut Outs / JP King

I talked before about starting to use negative space in my collage work. I first saw JP King's work when we started the course and were being introduced to the Visual Communication group. His use of cut outs is very slight and careful and not over the top. It often is the main focus or helps to compliment an image. I think it's very clever the difference these small differences can make.

My first try, I like the mix of materials, however I think I'm overcrowding the page. The negative space isn't as significant because there is so much going on around it. 

Another progression, thread is actually red but it didn't show up. I think this works quite well but the negative space still isn't clear enough! I think I overused the dress pattern instructions and all the words is a little too much.

Another one but this time I cut the words from a book, I wanted to try another way of showing conversation. The words are from a conversation in my journal. I wish I'd extended the cut out a little more to the right and not had it almost completely filled by the brown paper, other than this I quite like it.

using the negative space and making it work is much harder than you'd imagine! I want to keep incorporating this technique, as well as the collage into my work. I think its a more experimental way of exploring different elements of my theme, that and I'm really enjoying it.

'Record' Project: Artist Research, Hollie Chastain.

I was looking at collage artists and remembered seeing Hollie Chastain's work earlier on in the course. I love her imagery, and think it's quite similar to what I've been doing at the minute. Although her pieces aren't necessarily about communication or conversation, I love her technique and style. The use of colour and material in the work is lovely, and there is a great mix of flat images, drawing and textures.

'Record' Project: Conversation Collage.

I'd been wanting to experiment with collage for a while, and so I thought I'd try to convey the idea of conversation and communication through found imagery. I was using figures I cut out from some old dress patterns, I thought they were perfect as they were quite cartoon like but still aged. I'd drawn up some ideas beforehand and then started working with thread.

My first image using a thinner thread, this works really well. I think the black/white and colour combination is very complimentry. I want to try something busier though and see if I can build it up.

Built up with more characters and thread, I was thinking about old and new conversations. I now wanted to try using coloured figures instead of coloured thread.

I don't think this works as well, you lose the significance of the thread. The textures work quite nicely but I think I'm losing what the image is supposed to represent.

This image was a complete accident, I was trying to begin working with black space, and scanning on top of a piece I did in my sketchbook where I followed conversations as they were happening around me. Instead i got this. I think it's quite interesting and I love that you can see the lettering coming through in all shapes and sizes. It's made me think more about using black space and cut outs instead of the figures themselves, moving forward I think that is what I need to experiment with next.

'Record' Project: Journal, Valeska Soares and Conversations.

I was looking through my journal and I came across this piece of found material I discovered in a road. The way the letter stamps were clumped together reminded me of an artist called Valeska Soares I came across in a book I was reading in the library.

(piece of paper I found in the road).

Valeska Soares looked at a project where she collected hundreds of love letters and deconstructed them.

I started thinking about my own project, and the sounds I have been recording and began to think about words and conversations. From this I started deconstructing my own conversations.

"What shall we do?"

"I don't know".

"Alternatively I had another idea, which was to..."

I love how these came out and I think it would be really interesting to pursue this idea. I will have to record many more conversations. I think lettering is something I've avoided before and could actually really benefit my work. Also, in terms of focusing in on one aspect of the theme I think this could be a good place to start.

'Record' Project: Video

After my video from the journey while I was away, I wanted to film a journey back home. I started filming my bus to college in the same way, but I split it up into sections. Mainly because the first part was so boring!




You can see that this is just trees, it's interesting for a short time but after that I don't think it really works very well. I wanted to get more windy roads and people like I had before.


I picked up filming again when I know there were going to be more houses and people and generally people moving around. I much prefer this.




I did enjoy this, however as I do this journey all the time, it wasn't really as exciting as filming somewhere different was. Personally I find myself not being able to engage as much as I would had it been somewhere else. I'm still glad I made the films but for future reference I think i'll try and step more out of my comfort zone.

Inspiration

A little bit of photo inspiration for colour and pattern.

'Record' Project: More Sounds.

Over the break I've been trying to collect some more sound pieces. They are quite varied but I think that's important as I want to have lots of very different material.




I like this sound clip because it shows a very normal everyday situation, however you are focusing on it in more detail. I think the conversation and language is interesting!




Something incredibly different. My younger brother ended up joining a choir through what started as a Sheffield music project in primary schools a few years ago. This is from a performance we went to see in the church. I decided to record one of the songs because the material is so different to what I have already. This is a great contrast to the everyday voices and sounds I have already.





This is very muffled and you can barely make out anything at all, it is very loud on planes. Even so I kept it in, I think it's a lesson that very loud background noise isn't always the best time to try and record, and also the quality on my phone is rubbish!




This one is great, there is very mixed conversation going on and in different languages too! Unfortunately you can here my cousin and uncle talking about berets but perhaps that only adds to the strange but great mix of different voices here!

I'll leave it here for now, but I'm really enjoying working with these sounds. I think it's a great alternative way to collect material and adds another dimention to the work. I apologise for the rubbish quality though!

'Record' Project: A Journey.

I went away during the break, and while we were there we did the same bus journey everyday. It was really exciting to be in a place I didn't know and the journey was really interesting, lots of very windy roads and sharp turns and different streets. I decided to film what I could one day. I love the effect it has when you turn the corners and your viewpoint changes, I also thought it was funny how I'd occasionally come face to face with people. My phone didn't last the whole journey unfortunately but I got a fair amount of it. I was originally going to mute this as I talk the whole way through it (hate hearing your own voice.), but I couldn't figure out how so you'll just have to put up with me.




I think it's great to get an different and ever changing viewpoint of an alien area. Every corner you turn the perspective changes and suddenly there's another alleyway or a train track that you weren't expecting. I really enjoyed filming this clip, it was just quite embarrassing having people notice what you were doing!

'Record' Project: Journal So Far.

I decided I'll do a post reflecting on the work in my drawing journal so far. I think it'll help me pick out what I like and what works and think about how I could expand the work I have now, and what techniques I can apply to future drawings. I picked out and scanned in my favourite pages.

I've really enjoyed including text, and also layering up work. I like the how busy some of the pages are. 

I think the pencil texture looks great, I always lean on pen and I need to push myself to work with a much larger range of media in my journal. I've started laying grounds too, to avoid those plain backgrounds.

I was being more careful with colour here which I think kind of works, but also looks a little harsh and boring. I wish I had included some collage in these images. 

I need to keep producing more work, and make sure I'm always drawing on transport when I have nothing else to do. Other than that, focus on experimenting with a wider range of media.

To expand from these I think I'll do some found image style collages, based around my theme as well as what I've produced so far. I'd also like to try the oil on paper/transparent technique as I didn't quite have time today. 

'Record' Project: Mixed Recording.

Recently I went to a cafe in town, I used this as a chance to record the same scene in two different ways. I used the napkins (which had several printed layers) to collage in my journal, and my phone to audio record the general atmosphere. At one point on the recording a waiter dropped a spoon and the whole cafe went silent for a second. It was interesting how one sound cancelled out another.

I think the joining of different media is really interesting, it creates a whole idea of the atmosphere on several different levels for the viewer, without them actually having to be there. Also I got to eat a tasty croissant -no complaints.