So I know this looks lame and like its not much. But trust me I spent all of today working on it (plus a few times here and there on fri and sat). I know I'm going so slowly because I'm still trying to learn Illustrator, which I am getting better at. Its going a little bit faster and faster the further I get along. But still overall really slow. Illustrator is actually really cool, but only once you figure out it's tricks.... which I've been doing after I go through doing something the complicated way then realize "oh that thing i spent an hour doing... i could have done it in 5 minutes this way"
I am learning cool things though. Like how to make your own pattern fill and use gradients and stuff like that.
So here's what I've got...
Oh and the crappy image quality is because I had to export them as jpegs to upload. It should all be vectors so once its done it will look nice for printing.
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11/17/13
For this project, I decided to collaborate with a friend to write/illustrate a mock kids book, titled Ratchet's Blue Adventure. (It will be a kids book in the same way "Go the Fuck to Sleep" is a kids book). It will tell the story of my birthday this year, which was a ridiculous night in which I was the boss of everything with absolute veto power. I think it makes sense for the identity project because rarely do we get to act however we want to so unapologetically. Thus that night was like a manifestation of my true, uninhibited self (in a silly sort of way).
I rarely make art that is so blatantly about myself so this is definitely a weird thing for me. I plan on drawing the images with the tablet using Illustrator (an extra challenge but hopefully I will learn a lot from doing it). I'll send the book off to a website to have it printed so it will actually be a physical book.
something like this: http://www.mixbook.com/everyday-photo-books/blank-canvas-10?ptid=97
I'm also not thinking about this as a piece of fine art that would appeal to anyone so much as something more intended for people I actually know (and more specifically the people that were with me that night). Not sure where that falls on the "art" scale, but... I feel like could be a place for that sort of stuff.
Adam is the one writing the words. He has total control over what he is writing, so I like the challenge of just having to work with whatever he gives me. This is the first half that he has written:
Hip-hip hooray!
It's Ratchet's birthday!
She is wearing her colors quite well
Her party is going
Theres blue drink a-flowing
So why would a birthday girl yell?
"Listen Everybody,
I'm moving this party"
She screamed in the voice of a punk.
But while standing she sways,
So her friends lead the way.
I think that dear Ratchet's blue drunk.
And though it was far,
She got to the bar,
And just in time for the show.
For a swashbuckling tune,
Ratchet left a dubloon,
But soon it was time to go.
I am really digging yourr idea. I love how you're having to just go with whatever material your friend gives you, it makes it more of a challenge for you and lets it be even something exciting and meaningful to you (at least that's how i would feel). I mean its someone else's narration of you, how flattering and cool would that be to have?? I'd love if someone wanted to turn my life or an event in it into a story book with sick illustrations. I definitely like that you're getting it professionally printed as a book- it really solidifies your project's idea I feel like. If you had it just printed as say, comic strips to hang on the wall or bind yourself, it wouldn't make nearly as much as an impact i think. Plus you really thought about how we would see this artwork in everyday life, something Melissa asks us about with all our projects.
ReplyDeleteI think using the tablet might be a trial and error sort of deal. If your product from using it just isn't as clean and "pretty" as you'd like it to look, then I'd think about illustrating it in a different way. Also, are you going for the true children's book look? With like kind of cartoon-y characters or more realistic drawings? I personally like the cartoon look (I think you'd make a great cartoon character!)
yeah i was thinking more cartoony! i might actually use bitstrips as a reference point. It's going to be a challenge because i only ever draw from life... i suck at drawing from imagination
ReplyDeleteYou could always aim for a really stylized kind of drawing technique draw it as would a child or just come up with a simpler look to make it a little easier. As long as the simplification works with the theme and looks intentional.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily that printing it as a book is going to really make it look awesome, and of course it fits on the "art" scale! It wont be gallery art but it will certainly be home or everyday art.
I think it will be really fun to experiment with the visuals in relation to the words since they are so playful and funny. Definitely play up the comedy.
The colors of the blue drink pattern on the cover page is trippy and makes my eyes hurt in an optical illusion sort of way. It's smart to have a book about getting drunk mimic some of the dizziness/ mind-altering effects of drunkenness via optical illusion/visual confusion. If anything I'd like to see more patterns that play with color and spacial illusion.
ReplyDeleteThe way you drew yourself is funny-- reminds me a little of South Park-- flat, exaggerated, political...Not entirely flattering but goofy.
The style of the typography is girly, hand-written note, scrapbook-like. It seems to match the idea of a blue drink-- girly, unrefined....(showy, easy to make, inexpensive) What is the history of blue drinks? I associate them with young people getting drunk and beaches... or spring break. I know this project is a departure from your other work-- it's meant to be funny, playful, and maybe a little self-defacing in the way that comedy often is.
I like to think about how this project continues to relate to your other work-- the flatness of shapes, the colors, the use of pattern.... I am curious to see how you end up representing the other spaces in the book...