Taking photos in the rain can be a pain.

Phew! After dodging the rain, hauling huge boards around city centre, copious amounts of duct taping and dedicated photographing, my final images are complete and ready for the final photoshop editing. The photoshoot itself was a lot more arduous than I had anticipated and took a solid day. It was worth the work as the shots turned out great. Starting to feel the pressure of the deadline approaching, and this is where time management skills really come into play and late nights suddenly become bountiful. The life of a viscom student is primarily a sleep deprived one. 

Final Comp sketch-a-roo.

I have finished developing my sketched outcomes (above are a selection of a few of my development sketches) and have begun creating my final large scale illustrations which I will place around Belfast for the purposes of my way finding strategy. The illustrations are going well, they are being created through a combination on cassette tape, vinyl, markers and lots and lots of paint. Tiring yet enjoyable work! I'll post the finished outcomes soon!

R.I.P cassette tape. Hello illustration.

Experimentation has been going well! I'm using defunct formats as a medium through which to create my illustrations to allude to the link between illustration, music and evolving technology. This is a main problem which is outlined by the diesel brief and therefore I think it is appropriate method to incorporate my modern utilisation of illustration for the purposes of music promotion. I have been developing using old cassette tape and vinyl procured from a combination of charity shop trawling and pilfering from the parents! The cassette tape in particular works well i feel as it encapsulates the loose feel of Florence's melody, and the illustrative design reflects the more sinister undertones of the lyrics. 

Sketching against the clock!

This past week has been all about concept development, I'm feeling slightly behind schedule, but feedback from my seminars has encouraged me to develop my way finding concept further and I hope to catch up on all my lovely development work in the coming week! I have begun some initial sketches of key imagery found within my chosen tracks (rabbit heart and bird song by florence and the machine). My concept promotes fan engagement with the music artist through the use of tangible illustration placed around a chosen town or city. The illustration will be used as a way finding method to a secret music event location, where fans who have followed the clues will get to experience an intimate music experience with their musical idols. 

Research research research!

Lots of researching has been undertaken since I last updated, particularly on the plight of the digitalisation of music format and the pixels pictures which are the vestigaes of illustation within the music industry. I have found a few interesting examples of alternative methods which Bands and artists are employing to incorporate illustrative form into their brand idenity. Such as Florence and the Machine who's fan site sells limited edition products such as a jewlery box which epitomises the 'feel' of the albulm lungs. I've also gained a lot of inspiration from examples of Berlin street art and also from researching pop-up events (the latest craze to hit cities across the U.k). I am mostly on track with my research and now need to concentrate on developing my illustrative style through plenty of experimentation work. 

Pecha Kucha Night!

Yesturday, taking a break from research I attented Pecha kucha night at the Black Box with a Miss Tara Jamison. I have never been to a pecha kucha night before and was unsure of what to expect, but a chilled night, of quiet pints and inspirational words from local creatives talking about their personal journeys against the clock, awaited me and I was very glad I attended. Lots to think about with regards to my own future journey and defiantly worth going to the next one if you haven't been before!

Refreshed and ready for some designing!

Its Monday, and after a week of recovering from the sleeplessness that was the January submission, I'm ready to start a new project. It is our appointed duty this semester to complete at least one competition brief, so after reading more design briefs than barrel of monkeys, I believe I have settled upon the Diesel:u:music brief. I have settled upon this brief as I believe it will give me most scope for creating interesting illustrative outcomes which could be an asset to my portfolio. This states that the designer undertaking this project must look upon the plight of illustration within the music industry and try and find a new solution that can once again incorporate this medium into the music world. The task is to create a concept which encapsulates this, chose a band or artist, select two of their tracks and illustrate them accordingly. The deadline is the 4th of march...so good time management, and swift research, conceptulising and developing is a skill which i must now employ inorder to meet my target. Off I go! P.s read the brief in full below.

Brief set by: The Diesel Creative Team

Sponsored by: Diesel

Creative Challenge:

Over the past decade the world of music has undergone a revolution. Just as the ways people consume and experience music have been turned upside down, so the role of illustration in the world of music has changed too.

From the decline of the 12” album cover as a ‘creative canvas’, to the rise of downloadable tracks with artwork reduced to the size of a screen based icon. This situation has pushed people creatively to explore new opportunities that include street art, online video, experimental performances and interactive applications.

Your challenge is to choose a band or artist and create an illustrated response inspired by two of their tracks. In doing so, you’ll be facing this issue head on and demonstrating your vision of a brave new world for illustration in music.

Target Audience:

The target audience intended for the illustration will be the fan base of the musician/band/artist you select as part of answering the brief.

Considerations:

• Successful entries will demonstrate how illustration can reinvent itself as a powerful tool for promotion and expression within the world of music.

• We are looking for work that explores new ways that illustration can be integrated into the music experience.

• You should consider how musicians are reinventing the way that they interact with their fans and the increased importance of building intimate relationships and new experiences between fans and bands.

Mandatory Requirements:

• Produce a minimum of two illustrations, each based on a different track from any band or artist who’s music inspires you. While your solution maybe 2D, 3D or even time based, they must be documented and presented in A3 format as per the Formatting Guidelines PDF. The choice of band is unimportant – they maybe well known or equally unheard of.