Christmas Break

Over Christmas break I have decided for the 2 weeks off, I'll give myself a week free of college/sketchbook work so as to enjoy Christmas and all the family merriment. These last few weeks of prep are being used to rearrange my sketchbook pages into an understandable order instead of it following my jumpy train of thought. After the setting up of everything when I return it will just be getting lecturers opinions on the layout of the sketchbook to improve on everything from last year since a while back Ewan mentioned how our sketchbooks last year were rather bare, too organised but its how we thought we were to do it as we were told in first year that painting the pages, decorating the sketchbook, was a waste of time... We were relieved to hear that we could make a mess of the pages now, throw in some colour and  chaos. My final touches to add some decoration, add some final comments on certain images, research and drawings of mine. Sometimes I feel like I am rambling when trying to talk about my own work especially when trying to describe in my sketchbook.

Although I don't feel confident about painting over pages and not laying out research in neat rows sometimes it is necessary to create a certain feel about the work and ideas that you are trying to show on the page. I just hope I am fixing them correctly but other than that it is time to celebrate christmas and the end of this brief approaching. Usually it is a last minute scramble but I am feeling like there isn't too much more to do or that I can do.

Body Casting

Equipment : Algenate, water, vaseline, mod-rock, paint brush, spoon, plaster

1. Add 50g of algenate powder for every 100ml of water and mix into a paste creating no air bubbles.

2. Slop it onto the object you are casting leaving no thin areas or gaps.

3. Once applied thoroughly, leave to dry and become bouncy


4.Once bouncy cover in modrock, doubling over at the edges so they are strong enough to pull at without tearing then leave to dry.


5. When dry, pull of both mod-rock and algenate from the object.


6. Once removed, close over any gaps so that when laid flat with plaster it won't pour out.



7. Fill with plaster and tap till any air bubbles come out.

8. Leave to dry, then remove modrock then algenate. Algenate might need to be torn off.

Casting

Equipment : Clay board, wood, newsprint, chicken wire, clay, drill, screw, plaster, paint

1. Get clayboard and a piece of wood a few inches shorter than you want your sculpture to be and work out the placement best suited to your design. Then with the drill create a dent in the clayboard and screw the wood to the clayboard. Once the armature is assembled pad with paper in broader areas of the design and then keep in place with tightly secured chicken wire.

2. Cover the armature in clay and build up till you have a first layer of coverage and then create your design thickening the clay enough so that you won't get stabbed by any chicken wire.

3. Half the clay sculpture with brass cuttings creating keys.

4. Make a bowl of plaster and add acrylic paint so you can differentiate the final layer. Toss onto the sculpture while still runny making sure it gets into the crevices for complete coverage so details aren't missed.

5.Stick to one side and layer on the normal plaster until evenly covered to the same height as the brass cuttings. Then repeat.

6. Once dry remove the brass cuttings and pull apart the plaster halves.

7. If unwanted, destroy the original clay sculpture.

8. Press clay into the inside of the plaster cast, pressing hard to make sure to pick up all the details. Keep clay quite thick so it doesn't crack when left to dry. Make sure edge of plaster levels out with edge of clay.

9. Glue the edges of the clay and then tie together the two halves with wire. Stick your hand into the cast and smooth out the gaps were the clay meets and make sure it is thick and you can't see any holes.

10. Remove the plaster halves and wipe the clay with a sponge, smoothing out any abnormalities and fixing any holes/gaps.

11. Leave to dry out and then fire in the kiln.

Evolution of Ideas

Before heading to Edinburgh I wanted to try and show how haunted the city was, focussing mostly on Mary King's Close and the city under the city. However, when we did visit, we learned about the plague's effect on the city and I started to look at anything that could be seen as a multiple to keep my mind clear to new ideas. The architecture of the rooftops looked interesting as a background or a silhouette in the fore-front of a picture with the triangular shapes and the sheer amount of chimneys.

 I also liked the idea of multiples lines throughout the city, focussing on the brick work, cobblestones, road lines, map lines, etc. But after a while I couldn't keep focus on that idea because I didn't know how I would have used it as a final piece. After looking at the most historic streets and closes that we could reach through a certain amount of travel and time. We wandered around Greyfriar's graveyard and because of this I tried some image transfers as experiments for my ghosts idea, as a possible idea for the final piece. They worked out well except the printer and paper I used were not too great and the ink ended up smudging when trying to scrub off the back paper. When originally researching for the ghosts and hauntings of Edinburgh I found a few episodes of "Most Haunted" involving the Edinburgh Vaults and Mary King's Close. They sensed many different spirits in the dark underground city areas and they were to be my reference and had maybe thought to recreate some of the "vigils" they had attempted while there. However while on the tour of the close I realised there was no way to create these as it is constant moving, no recording equipment and other tours to interrupt. I did however try to sneak in a sound recorder but was scared of the consequences so never turned it on.

When we returned home I created some small drawings depicting a plague victim, doctor and a rat and gave me the idea of a sculpture involving the three all attached to one another. Ewan commented on this particular drawing about how it was a good concept and how I should focus on something like that. I agreed that since I had more work and research and drawings involving the plague more than hauntings and ghosts that I should probably focus on that and maybe hinting to the hauntings especially around Mary King's since there is already multiple stories of ghosts including one about a young girl who tourists leave toys for. 

You were reminded of the plague through various signs and references posted around the city and it became easier to decide what to focus on the longer we stayed. And so I decided to research farther into the plague focussing particularly on Edinburgh.

Video Diary?...

During the last week I completed a video diary for part of my course work and it went rather well. So I thought that since I missed a post last week I would show you some of the stuff I got up to that was not really college related.

Enjoy!

Why I'm disliking Edinburgh...

So our second week of college has come and gone and on Friday we had a college outing to Edinburgh for the day to get some research for our "Multiples" project.

Now... Firstly, why did NOONE mention Edinburgh is a death-trap with hills and stairs galore?! I swear I have never been so sore and tired in all my life. We only got lost the once but it was hardly far off from where we had intended to go. I realised there were so many multiples in Edinburgh I got a bit snap happy with 440 ish photos throughout the day... oops. AND I lost my phone in the National Museum! Luckily I got it back not long after but jesus I was terrified.

Also, I would put up some of these photos but I am still sifting through them all... this might take me a while so yes, photos will be up at some point. Possibly after my editing starts.

Anyway, I guess I picked my multiple and it is definitely ghosts/the multiple lives that have passed through Edinburgh. Mary Kings Close's tour was amazing and educational about the time with little facts I had never known. A lot of it was rather creepy just due to the cramped surroundings and dim lighting. It really made you appreciate the sunshine. I was upset I couldn't record in the tunnel and I would have loved to take some sound recordings while we went through but there was no way I wouldn't I have been caught which was unfortunate. I was also disappointed that nothing paranormal was happening at all. We obviously couldn't just wander off into random tunnels to look for ghosts but everywhere we went was so uneventful in that way. a ghost tour there would be good to try but otherwise I will have to use the footage of Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters International, the television shows as reference to any form of haunting.

Since I HAVE to go back to Edinburgh I will look deeper into the older parts of the town and try to go to the more haunted spots. I heard about ghost tours that take part there, and it would be interesting to go on one and take real notes on the goings on.

I haven't got much to add from last weeks as those are all still the ideas I have for this project but I hope to have images and sketchbook pages to show next week. :)

BAD2 Begins!

It's another year of college! I actually made it! But I have no delusions of grandeur... I was far to close to not making it back to the hallowed halls of Forth Valley college. I regret failing my resit after having a summer to do it, and also to put my lecturers into such a horrible place of trying to work out what to do with me and honestly cannot thank them enough! I especially want to thank Linda, the head of Creative Industries, for keeping me up to date and getting me back in. She saved my skin 'cause I don't know what I would do if I wasn't in college...

Anyhow, happier thoughts! This year. This year is MY year. I'm going to prove I'm worth it, all that hassle. I am going to work so much harder and think so much farther out of my proverbial box.
We have one brief to last till Christmas and all but 2 classes are dedicated to it. We now learn video skills and I plan to use it. In fact, right now I am downloading Windows Live Movie Maker so as to do some of my homework of piecing together shaky clips of the college and creating a minute long video. But all of our classes seem interesting and I know each lecturer will make sure we learn a different skill with them.

Our brief for these classes is Multiples.. Focussing on multiples within Edinburgh. I've already had FAR too many ideas but my favourites are that of multiple hauntings/ ghosts or connecting that to multiple lives that have passed through Edinburgh? I dunno, I thought it was cool... Also, I have the idea of the multiple layers of Edinburgh, you know, because they have old Edinburgh underneath the new. But I then thought of taking it a step farther and showing the multiple ways people view Edinburgh due to their connection with the city.

Let me paint the scene... So this will be an installation piece (if made), and it would be like 4/5 plastic sheets vacu- formed to resemble the shape of the city, but each one shows different areas.
One layer would show the Edinburgh that shoppers see, so Prince's street and the Royal Mile and such.
The second layer would show the Edinburgh tourists see, so the Royal Mile, tourist shops and museums basically.
The 3rd layer would involve spooky Edinburgh showing the underground section. I am still to think of other layers but the underground one would be last, and each layer would maybe be painted a different colour to kind of emphasise that they are different. That's just one thought.

I had another about a painting or sculpture that would convey the ghosty one more. It was showing a child either standing holding his teddy or playing on a level ground then the ground goes into a kind of hour glass shape where the top section is the earth the kid is standing on and the bottom is a mound of bodies from a mass grave so it would encompass the plague mostly, the separation caused. The idea mostly comes from Mary King's Close and the Most Haunted episode about it, about the child who haunts down there looking for her mother. It's one of my darker ideas to say the least.

 My only other idea connecting to these in some way was to take a picture of a busy high street area and then fade in a picture of some dressed Victorian looking rather sombre standing stock still, well, either in the busy street or in one of the haunted places.

OH! Also had the idea to sketch the faces of the ghosts from descriptions, detailed drawings of the rooms and hopefully the ghosts or even just making them a shadow...
Then there was the idea of drawing the multiple faces of the plague so there was the faces of the doctors with their crow mask things, the bubonic spots all over someone's face and maybe another face if I research more and drawing it all like it is multiple faces on the same head, if you know what I mean?
Then there was my real last idea where I make masks of peoples faces one of the doctor's from the time of the plague, one of an ordinary victorian person, and another of a modern day person and have them hang at intervals from the ceiling. So on the face side they look like what they are meant to look like but on the inside they have at the brain, thoughts that they might have thought about, at the nose, descriptions of smells they might have smelt, at the eyes drawings or images of what they would have seen so when you look into the mask you almost experience their experience?

To be perfectly honest I am going over-board with ideas at this VERY early stage and I still haven't even picked my topic yet... I shall see how the trip goes and if it pushes me towards any of these ideas and if I do them I will try properly this year to upload them.

This was very wordy and if you made it this far I applaud you. This was my introduction to my first week of BAD2 thanks for reading!

I ACTUALLY MADE A BOOK!

Ok, so I forgot to take pictures of each stage of the making of my hard back book but I have pictures of the finished piece... No excuse, I'm sorry...

SO! Since I don't have pictures of each stage then I will just have to describe my process! HERE WE GO!

STEP 1: I took pieces of A2 sketchbook pages and cut them into the appropriate size for the book  but doubled in width because it needed to be folded in half. each page was folded in half, the instructions call for 4 piles of 8 sheets but I only wanted 24 pages so I created 6 sheets and folded them all in half individually.

STEP 2: Next I cut a piece of fabric the length of the pages but 5 times the width when held together and the bend, and then I glued them to it at the bend with PVA but wrongly, instead of keeping the wings unglued I attached them also to the paper...

STEP 3: After I cut up some greyboard with the bandsaw to the same size as the paper as a spine the same width as the join in the pages.

STEP 4: Then I cut the fabric with an inch extra border to be folded over the greyboard. I covered the greyboard in PVA glue and then placed it face down in its place in the fabric with a small gap between spine and covers.

STEP 5: when all of that was stuck down efficiently I SHOULD  have stuck the wings to only the covers of the book not the spine so that it was stable. But because I had screwed up the wings I had to get extra fabric and create new ones and try to attach that to the covers and to the already fabricated pages.... it didn't like me... so I gave up, and when the glue was a little drier I stitched it together... badly.

STEP 6:  Then to cover up the botched job I had made of the fabric I covered it with extra paper to be patterned by me later.

So basically... Voila! I had a book at the end. But since my instructions are pretty below par I will give you the link to  the tutorial I used

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-bind-your-own-Hardback-Book/

Statement for Assessments

Ok, so my class can't be the only one needing to complete Statement for Assessments any time they are nearing completion of a brief or project so I thought for future reference I would place up a semi-detailed idea of what should be included in one.

SECTION 1 : Explain what you did in your project - how
                                                                               - What was the subject matter? like of the drawings etc.
                        Relate to the outcomes given in the handbook/brief - Strengths
                                                                                                     - Weakness

                    What pathway have you focused on in your project?

SECTION 2 : Evaluate research - How it helped you? What ideas it gave you?
                                                   - How you analysed the information you found?
                                                   - Things you did or could have tried
                                                   - What exactly did you research? eg, artist's books.

SECTION 3 : Explain the experimentation - Mediums you used
                                                                  - How they join in with your take on the brief
                                                                  - Why you liked/disliked what you tried
                    Lists are ok - bullet point certain ideas

SECTION 4 : Transferable skills - Learning & progress
                                                    - Time
                                                    - Cost
                                                    - Skills
           
                    What you would have done differently if these things had been different.


This is morely for me but if this helps anyone... yay

The pathways project

Our Pathways project was to be a book based on a journey. My journey was about the day of an average student, the thoughts and feelings this student has through the average day faced with situations and such that the average student has to deal with. The book I was going to make was going to be a real hard back book, made with red fabric for the outside covers  and grey board and sketchbook paper. The art work on the inside will be a mix of mediums such water colour paints, markers, acrylics, sketching pencils, etc.

The subject matter in the book will vary from pictures of people I have seen but never met, like the people I see daily on my bus, selfies with my class mates, people who influence your life, things you encounter like mountains of work, deadlines, lack or or excessive sleeping, and obviously the lack of money and full on partying that is associated with student life.

When I complete the book I will upload a almost tutorial on how I created the hard back book. Step by step pictures. I haven't entirely started the physical making of the book because i still need materials and such but that should be completed tomorrow, well at least the combining of the cover to the paper, maybe not all of the pictures on the paper. My problem is with that I don't want the paper to crinkle due to the use of paint but my only real alternative is to do the paintings in my sketchbook and take photos and print them and stick them into the book instead but I don't think that will be much better, I'd like it to contain all the originals.

I am sorry that right now I don't have any real pictures to show to go along with this post but I swear there will be a descriptive post about the making of the book within the next week.

My transformation project

My project for specialist skills was based upon the transformation of games, the Evolution of games over the last few decades. I looked into the range of games that have existed coming from the game pong, going up to all the more violent games nowadays such as COD and GTA and also trying to see about the consoles for gaming.

Because this project was a whole year long I don't want to bulk this up with just pictures upon pictures of my sketchbook pages and so I will only show and explain my final pieces.

My first piece is a 80cm by 40cm acrylic painting. I showed the difference between old games and new, conceptually showing them in battle, like, which is better, fight it out. One side is the old versions of Pac-man, Mario, Link and Pikachu, all looking like they are in 8-bit form. And the other side has all the newer high definition versions of those same characters. Although, all characters are surrounded in a light haze to make them stand out from the dark grey background. The background was a mixed up colour so in some places it is a little darker or lighter because I didn't mix it correctly. The middle shows the word "FIGHT" done in the style of Mortal Combat, which is a popular fighting game.

 

My second piece is done with photoshop using Mario as a background to show how the girl is drawn into the game, becomes her life. I have never used photoshop and it took weeks to complete but luckily Jack from my class let me use his artist's tablet thing so I was able to act like I was drawing rather than attempting to use the mouse. I got really proud of this because it almost looks like a real person... Almost. Well, as close as I could get her in the time frame.



Well in the end I was pretty proud of my final pieces. My work in the sketchbook leading up to them could have been more in depth and better done I believe... But if I pass I will be proud of what I accomplished.

How to.... Make PAPER!!

HOW TO MAKE PAPER! - I swear it is actually fun

Things you will need : Tub/ basin
                                 paper pulp
                                 size/glue
                                 paper/printing press
                                jiffy cloth & towels
                                sponges
                                 mesh & deco - specialist equipment, I suggest asking lecturers or art shops for them.

STEP ONE! - You fill up a tub or basin with water, paper pulp & glue/size - so that the paper will stick together when dry.

STEP TWO! - Stick your hand right in there and swirl it around so that it doesn't all settle on the bottom.

STEP THREE! - Place the deco on top of the mesh frame and then place slowly into the water at a slight angle till you get to the bottom then level it out.

STEP FOUR! - After a few seconds raise evenly and slowly out of the water, if there are gaps or big dimples just remove deco, place the pulp back in the water and swirl around some more and try step 3 again.

STEP FIVE! - Place the deco on the edge of the basin to balance and to keep it level so the pulp doesnt shift to one side. Remove the deco when the paper has sat for about 5/10 seconds and is more stable.

STEP SIX! - Sponge the excess water from the paper from underneath through the mesh.

STEP SEVEN! - Lay out a towel and place some jiffy cloth on top of it, then turn the mesh paper side down and with a dry sponge press hard on the mesh to unstick the paper fibres.

STEP EIGHT! - Once the paper is safely off the mesh it should be placed into a printing press between sheets of tissue paper and then into a printing press that applies even pressure. Once pressed it should be left on a flat surface to dry if that is the look you want or if you wanted a textured surface... place it on something textured to dry overnight and...

TA-DAH!!!!!

You have created paper! Go out and enjoy this skill... Maybe. 

How I Got Super Poor...

Well.... I just got my bank statement for this month... I got super poor.

To explain, I have been saving up for a good year and a bit, trying to save money to go to Japan for my 21st, dream big! But I don't have a real job so it took me forever to get to the point I was at of £460ish. 

SO! Student life was rather mean to me... Due to people wanting to hang out in town, clubbing, eating out, drinking.... then you have college supplies, sketchbooks, paper, paint, pens, fabric... the lot. Add that to the random money withdrawals at cash points to get random items when in town and I spent a hell of a lot...

Guess how much... just GUESS!

£383... SO MUCH MONEY! The statement was weighty let me assure you... See if those letters from Harry Potter were real, the screamers? Yeah, my statement would have been one...

Looks like I'm living under a rock till I get a job.

Why does it have to be so hard to save money? Students have all these things they wish they could do or that they do anyway and end up flat broke... WHY DO THINGS HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE?!

And art... I mean, why must your supplies cost to much when there is always a necessity for more!?

Learn from my mistakes people, don't be drawn in by sales, or foods, or let people talk you into buying things they think you should have... BE A STRONG INDEPENDENT RACE OF HUMAN AND WALK ON! 

And if you ever see me doing any of this again... slap me.

Lately...

Ok, so recently the course has gotten frustrating with how, everything is due at the once and everyone seems to think they are the most important, and that each of us actually has the time and means to do everything they say when they say it so... yeah. That ain't true. So's you know. We are kinda dying.

Well we got a new brief for Pathways, we are to create a book, based on a journey. Now this can be any interpretation of a book or journey that you want or can think of, makes narrowing down possibilities kind of hard but I think its one of our best briefs. I've decided to base mine on the journey of a student through every day life. The physical journey and the figurative, like through the thought process and the toils they overcome. It will partially be based on my own experience because I travel far, and what I experience specifically as an art student. But then my life can be boring so I thought maybe have it based on the average student for parts, like how, generally, students socialize, parties, drinking, websites, etc. Although, I don't want it to be like a picture book, but too much words would wreck not only the aesthetic but the idea behind it to just portray the thoughts and feelings which might be difficult without words.

For the fact of the book I wanted to make a literal hard back book, which will be difficult but will be worth it if I do it right. Either it will look like a fancy book that students would use to research or study, look like a textbook, or there are more ideas but they've escaped me. Basing it on a notebook style with the lined pages and maybe even coffee rings and stuff in it because obviously students stay up late, live off caffeine whether in coffee or energy drinks.

I don't have many ideas because well... we only got the brief today.

How To.... Make Silk Paper!

Things you will need :- Wallpaper Paste
                                       Plastic sheet/ bubble-wrap/a ball/a cup... etc.
                                       Voile

What you do :-

1. Lay down the plastic sheet or whatever you are covering with the silk.
2. Take strands of silk and place into desired style/design.
3. Layer so that strands are thick enough to stay together. 
4. Place voile carefully on top and then spread the paste evenly and quite thick so it seeps through to all fibers.
5. Lift off voile so it doesn't attach to your design. 

Silk paper should end up not fluffy, (unless that is the desired effect) because that means not enough paste reached those areas. 

It ends up looking very shiny and can end up with a smooth surface if there is a LOT of paste used. 

How to... Make Felt

Things You Will Need :- Towel (preferably old)
                                        Skooshy water bottle (Like Lucozade, sports bottles)
                                        Wooden sushi mat
                                        2 pieces of voile (a type of fabric)
                                        Felt fibres
                                        Soap
                                        Soap flakes
                                        Warm water

1. Fill water bottle with warm water and soap flakes.
2. Place down towel and put mat on top of it, then put on the voile.
3. Add the felt fibres into your desired design into a cross hatch pattern (so the fibres can bond).
4. When the design is 2/3 layers thick place voile on top and soak with the warm water.
5. After a few strokes of the bar of soap roll up towel and mat and felt and roll 100 times.
6. Peel off voile and make sure felt isn't sticking to the other piece, then roll 100 times the other direction.
7. You can then add more layers and repeat.

To Create Felt Bowl :- Everything listed above and a plastic circle (cut from milk bottle, has to be bendy)

1. Place plastic circle in centre
2. Layer felt on top of plastic circle with a 10mm excess round the edges and fold over
3. Copy the above directions.

Student Struggles..

Ok. I like to rant...

There are lots of ways people like to get at students thinking they are pretty low on the food chain, like we are all lazy, alcoholics, wasting resources and stuff.. (least thats some of the theories I've heard..) Well I was just wanting to explain some of our side of the story, cause seriously? People need to get off my back! But, anyway, here's my explanations to students.

Resources
Students, nowadays, are told that we need to pay for a lot of our own supplies and thats for all courses ever invented ever, not just art. But art supplies, are some of the most expensive. So, see when you are moaning at me to buy bags of material, bottles upon bottles of paint, multiple sketchbooks, remember that I am not made of money, I do not have a money tree, no matter how much I wish such a thing would just exist.. *SIGH*
For places to work with bigger artworks we are completely limited, we can't exactly live in college to have some form of space to work at any hour we are struck by inspiration. My home was not made to give me copious amounts of space in which to work, so don't yell at me when all my work is like A3 or smaller. And also, in a house with other human beings there are many things you can not try, like sculpture, printing, certain types of painting... Even in college we can't do some things do to lack of supplies there even! Lets not expect me to do it at home ok?

Stress
Stress is very common among students, we are put under tremendous amounts of pressure and it generally causes us to snap one way or another. I mean, students, even high school students, end up with sleeping disorders, eating disorders, depression, etc. All because they are put under so much pressure from schools, colleges, unis, money, parents, teachers, friends, family. Furthermore, with like a third of all students going through depression at one point or another through education do not think for a second they haven't got hundreds of things going through their mind every second so when they tell you that, do NOT every think it isn't a serious thing, do not see it as an excuse.

Money/Jobs
Like I said, I don't have a money tree, so doing anything money related (which is basically everything these days, lets not lie) most students can't - or shouldn't - take part in. I, specifically, do not get the loan or the bursary from SAAS or the college itself. So to travel as far as I do for college comes out of my parents pocket, all because they wanted me to stay out of debt when I left.. Speaking of travel, yeah, that course is something I wanted and was one of the few places that actually accepted me but seriously understand that you are very far away and if I want to be there early I have to be up 3 hours before it starts cause I have 2 hours travel... Do not yell at me for being a few mins late. Ok, back on topic. They pay for my supplies and everything I need to do with college. Which is completely outstanding of them, I could not cope without this from them, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart, but they are not the only one paying for my life unfortunately. My friends, because I am the poorest of them all, have taken it upon themselves to buy my way when it comes to socialising. They pay for meals, they pay for nights out, drinks, entry fees.. I just hope they know how much I wish I could pay them back every cent tenfold! But I can't so I just cling to their coat tails like a mad pest. KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART EVERY TIME YOU DO ANYTHING FOR ME!!
And I know I know, why don't you get a part time job? You could pay people back, pay for your own stuff, blah blah blah.. DON'T YOU THINK I HAVE TRIED STRANGER!? Part time jobs are incredibly hard to get, for me especially apparently. I know many people who have tried for years, applied to hundreds of jobs over and over again and still gotten nowhere, and guess what I am one of them. So the next time someone moans at me to get one, I might cut you.. Like seriously, run. Run far.

Time/Social Life
Ah, time... How I miss having some spare... Trying to fit in socialising (the free kind) into a life with a full time college course seems impossible to most students. Either you stay in forever and pass the course well, or you go out at the weekends and be a drunken virus and basically fail. The happy medium is what I wish I could achieve but for now I guess I will stick with the indoors. Lazing around in joggies while I think and draw and eat... Fat, nae makeup days = happy(ish) days.

Exposure
Ok, this may be more relevant for Art students or courses that go along with it, but most want to sell their work, gain exposure and earn some money off of their talent, but its soooooo difficult. Its so hard to find someone who isn't a dear old relative who is trying to be a wee sweetheart and buy all yer work. No, you want loads of folk to see your work and instantly know, thats yours! HOW DO WE GET THAT?! I would love to find out about galleries and stuff about here who take in students work to be sold or even just to show... Sadly, I know of none, and we are told of none, and any I ask say naw. Seriously, anyone knows any, HOOK A SISTA UP!... I can't pull that off, I'm sorry.

Even though I rant about everything and worry about everything, I love my course, I love the people, I love the place. There are just a few things that people have said to me over the last few years that have really gotten to me, and well now I have a blog, and blogs are an accepted place for thoughts, feelings and opinions.

I know it wasn't very art related but my blog is the "Blog Of An Art STUDENT" so... You get what you come for.

Well, this is going to be a boring wordy one...

This is our random week off and since we handed in all of our work a week or more ago, we don't have much homework to do. Although, I did celebrate passing my first modules.. GO ME! Aaaannnyway... Other than some personal sketchbook work that was just for funsies I haven't done much.

Although, saying that, I did do some Pathways sketchbook work, basically laying out my original notebook scribblings of gibberish into a real and somewhat intellectual format. I finally narrowed down the brief I wanted to do - celebrating the ballpoint pen, joyous and thrilling... - and also what I want to 'create' under each of the pathways, Visual Communication, Applied Design Craft and Contemporary Art. I say 'create' because it is a fake brief... we don't actually make anything this is just to get us into the swing of it even though we are half way through the year and have done this sort of thing before. Make sense? I didn't think so either. However, I like this brief, it's entertaining, not really sure why though.. Maybe just because of its ludicrous idea, to celebrate a pen, it just sounds... fun! When the class read them we had many ideas, most of them branching off into their field of expertise whereas I was there thinking I have no clue what I should do, like to do, what to do, so I wrote everything.

You see, my ideas are somewhat things I haven't tried and thought would be amazing to do or fake do. So, my ideas are, for vis com, I plan to do typography. I have never used typography to create art before so I thought why not! I will be creating a negative or positive space image of a ballpoint pen and what is written around or in the pen will either be different languages that people (pen users) use or ideals that different people can have and probably have written about - maybe using their trusty ballpoint ;) - such as maybe religion, government, social ideals, etc.
Then, for applied design craft, I have decided to do body adornment. It makes sense for me because I love tattoos and jewellery and accessories so I am going to try and create those through the ballpoint pen! Like, the tattoos will either be based upon the pen literally, or it will be celebrated through the fact I plan to draw any tattoo designs onto someone's skin WITH the ballpoint itself! Cause, I mean, who hasn't got bored and doodled up their arm in byro? For the jewellery and accessories, its definitely a more literal approach. I plan to design the items so as they are MADE out of the ballpoints. Like a bag would be made out of all ballpoint pen casings glued or melted together! It sounded awesome in my head...
And finally, for contemporary I plan to draw/paint with ballpoints! Create a selection of life-drawings and/or sceneries made with only ballpoints, using different styles and different colours.

Well, really this week has very little to say and no real pictures to post, at least not of my actual art work so I think that's all I have to share! Goodbye!

Scale

For the scale brief I decided to look at blueprints and how you could turn an average human, into a smaller version, completely mapped out, to scale.. obviously. I don't have many pictures and they aren't very good quality but I thought I should share. 

 My attempt at the Vetruvian Man by Da Vinci. Thought it seemed kinda like mapping out a human, especially since Da Vinci looked into the anatomy and everything, seemed a good place to start.

 Marker heart

Actually just wanted to draw a heart in all honesty but I really liked the shading.

 Looking at skeletal structure and the different parts of the bodies, labelling them

Done with ink and a Drawing pen

Scale's final piece, the blueprint itself. 

Blue card and white Posca pen

Was so proud when it was finally done, looked professional-ish. (well, to me anyways) 

Really anxious about the marks for all these briefs :S like they are so terrifying... thinking I might not pass, but even if I didn't I am proud of my work so far. 

Never know how to end these things... yeah, thanks for putting up with my work. Laters. 

Transformation/Evolution of Games

For the class Specialist Skills, I looked into the "transformation" of technology over the years then changed it to specialise in games, content and consoles. I haven't done LOADS or nothing but I like what I have done, and since the project is over I have more time to work on it and complete some items. But I thought I would share some photos so far :3

Silk paper - Placed over a ball

Very fragile and easily distorted, if thicker it might have been good to use.

Felt - made into a bowl by placing flexible plastic in the centre and layer fibres around it.

I don't really know why I made it look kinda like the earth, but I like it :3

 Plaster cast taken from vacuu-form mold - meant to be a computer chip... oh well

 Glass - Its like glass sprinkles, a glass stick thing and shards of glass tact together in the Kiln.

Was a good idea just to tac it in case it screwed up if it was fully fused.

 Plaster block chiselled into a old "brick" Nokia

If had continued with technology instead, conceptually I might have thought to create a wall of them because.. you know, brick phone.. wall... yeah :/

 Plaster cast taken from vacuu-form mold - Pong - painted in black acrylic.

 First glass attempt (this is all out of order :S) - it went all wobbly when fused together

A GIF - couldn't get other parts to move yet but being taught how to layer it opened possibilities.

 I don't think it's working, if so, ignore this.

 Plaster cast - Will one day become a pokeball hopefully

Still to paint, create centre section, hollow it out, and maybe make a small Pokemon to place in the middle? Dunno though...

 PS2 controller made of grey board - Bandsaw and cutting knife

Meant to make a version out of wood to create a more stable model, would probably paint the buttons and stuff on it then too.

Vacuu-form molds of the collected items in certain games.

Coins - Mario
Cherries - Pac-Man
Apples - Crash Bandicoot
Rings - Sonic

Want to make plaster versions of them maybe?



I think there are other things I have done for this but I just don't have photos but this is a taster of some of the work I actually do... when I actually work! :P