3D Animation & Digital Storytelling - Brief & Proposal

Brief:

This assignment requires us to create a 3D animation consisting of designing and planning, then producing a final idea using Carrara, and animating it.

The animation must be between 30 in 60 seconds in length (excluding titles), and must tell a complete story that has been planned and developed thoroughly. The animation must clearly show the progression of the story chosen.

The theme of the animation is 'Robots', and the notes taken on the film "Robots" (movement, expression, robot structure, materials and textures) will aid in creating the final idea.

Proposal:

For this assignment I will be designing and creating ideas for an animation that is aimed at families (keeping the young audience in mind in terms of story content) and entertainment, with a comedic theme. I think that this will give me quite a wide window of opportunity for ideas, without having to create too many varied designs that could be difficult to choose between and develop easily.

I can create such a theme by using aesthetics and a storyline that will draw attention, for example, using bright, vivid colours for the characters on a paler background to make the characters stand out, or using interesting shapes to form my characters. I could also create new, original character designs, which could cause curiosity from my target audience, drawing them to the animation.

For characters, I could use a standard robotic human form for the target audience to identify and empathise with, but in my opinion, creating completely new forms (for example, variations on animals, animated household appliances or original vehicles) would be more appealing, and as it would be my own original design, I could customise a colour scheme without any constraints or limitations.

To create a humourous story, I ideally want to create a second character for my first to interact with. This would then allow me to create situations for them both which could have varied outcomes, depending on the personalities of the characters (for example, a humanoid robot playing catch, breaking a window, and being chased around several obstacles by another character).

The content of the story would have to be monitored closely in order to determine whether it is appropriate for young audiences in the family as well as adults. I could do this by conducting research into 3D animations for children and draw ideas from the results I find.

I will be using Carrara to create my animation, using several tools such as the vertex tool (in order to create fairly unlimited shapes myself) and primitive shapes to form the structures of my character, props and environment. The movement of the characters can be controlled with joints and constraints, and the story can be animated on Carrara using key frames to structure the movements of the characters, props and scenery.

Unit 121 - 3D Animation - Research Project Part 1

Applications of 3D:


Recently, 3-Dimensional graphics have been utilised and manipulated in order to create visuals for a wide variety of applications and media. This has proven to be a very effective method of presenting visual representations from and to companies and organisations with minimal time, resources and money used.

Some examples of applications of 3D are:

- Product Design:

The use of 3D modelling programs such as Carrara, Maya or 3D Studio Max has allowed designers to create prototypes of products they have designed without needing to create a physical prototype for visual representations. This is highly effective for companies as it saves a lot of time creating a physical model, and also saves money due to not needing to source materials or equipment to form the model. The creator and client have ability to view the product from all angles, choose and alter textures easily, edit the shape and colour of the product and the possiblity of seeing it animated (depending on the product's functions), all without needing to physically craft the design.

- Animations, TV and Film:

The use of 3D modelling and animation has proven highly successful in terms of creating animations, which can be used for various forms of media, such as short films, commerial animations (which relates to product design), informative media (for education, health and safety etc.), TV (children's programmes, documentaries, education, advertising), film (special effects, CG film, character design) and interactive media (video games, website design, online games). Models and environments are created to depict situations that are appropriate for the target audience, and the developers can create reactions in interactive media, such as characters picking up a weapon in a game after a user presses a specific button.


- Training, Simulation and Engineering:

3D is playing a huge part in training people of varying careers nowadays using simulations to help create an interactive environment in which a person can be tested without needing to take them out into their field of work, which saves time and money. This can help the person assess the situation without too much worry of consequences of failure, which could cause unnecessary stress and possibly put the trainees and instructors in danger.
An environment would be created in a 3D program that trainees could be submersed into (usually by use of a separate room or cubicle with a screen displaying the graphics), and allowed them to interact with the environment to make the right choices in order to complete their training appropriately.

Uses of video in Interactive Media 2 - Mobile Devices

Music Players and Mobile Phones:







































Mobile devices such as MP3 and MP4 players and mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular, especially with younger people, who are always interacting with others using modern methods such as e-mail, instant messaging and text messages.

The latter of these can now also be used with more interactive features, such as adding images or videos.
A more commonly-known piece of technology used for this is the iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Both of these devices, created by Apple, include many features and applications, and contain large amounts of memory, meaning it is able to store large quantities of media, in this case video. The videos are played using Apple's own media player, Quicktime.

Some disadventages of using this platform for video could be:

• Screen size - as the screen can be too small, using high-definition videos would prove useless, which in turn causes the non-HD videos played to become low-quality due to resizing
• Battery life - the use of video on mobile devices requires a large percentage of the device's battery, which would limit its use for more important purposes such as making and receiving calls
• Sharing with others - this can prove difficult at times as so many varieties of mobile devices exist, and videos can vary in quality as they are sent to other devices - there is also the problem that not all devices feature a video player, or have the space to receive large video files

Whereas some advantages of this platform for interactive media are:

• Simplicity - Files are quick and easy to send to others using movile devices, and open fairly quickly, which keeps the user interested in the product and its features
• Personal and public use - the addition of headphones to a device creates a more personal interaction, whereas videos can be shared with several people at once using a device's own speakers, which is more convenient (though a disadvantage to this could be that the device lacks its own speakers, making the videos more difficult to share)
• No loading or buffering time for the videos - As they are already on the device's memory, there is no need to load or stream videos from elsewhere or use the internet, which also saves money

Uses of video in Interactive Media 1 - The Internet

Interactive Media is found and used almost everywhere nowadays and is a very commonplace computer-based method of allowing human interaction with the platforms they choose to utilise through the use of video.

Interactive media is the process of actively making a conscious effort in order to provoke/receive a response in the form of media, e.g. clicking a link on a website in order to get to another page.

There are several varying platforms in which video is utilised interactively, for example:

• The World Wide Web
• Gaming Consoles (Xbox Live Dashboard, Wii marketplace)
• Mobile Phones
• Music Players (MP4, iPod etc)
• DVD Menus
• Digital Television

Each of these platforms require some imput from a person in order to view and experience video content.

The biggest source of video used in Interactive Media is the internet.

Thousands of website pages contain video in some form or another, and some websites exist solely for video-utilising purposes. A perfect example of this is YouTube.

YouTube is an extremely popular website that hosts a wide variety of videos, most of which are posted by the website users themselves.

The website is classed as Interactive Media as the users can interact with the various links on the website itself to find a video they want, or use the search bar to find something specific they would like to see.
What also makes this website interactive media is the ability to pause and play the video, as well as the ability to move it to a point you would like to watch the video from.

Besides these options and the option to control the volume of the video, there are also some extra features the website has provided to enrich the user's experience while watching the video. These features can include watching the video in full screen (which is not commonly used due to the reduction in quality, as the video is already at a set quality once it is recorded), watching the video in High definition (again, this depends on the quality of the video, if there is a higher quality recording device in use this would be better to use as it will be clearer for the user to see, and it will help to boost the amount of views the user's video post will get), and watching the video with captions, which are added by the user over the video after it has been uploaded to the website's server.

3D videos:

An additional feature that YouTube has newly released is the option of watching videos 3-dimensionally. This would require the appropriate recording equipment to take 3D videos on the user's part, and they are given the option to make the video 3-Dimensional as they upload the video. There are different formats for viewing these videos, for example with various colours of 3D glasses (Red/Cyan, Amber/Blue, Green/Magenta) or the 'Cross-eyed' option, prompting the watcher to 'cross' their eyes in order to see a middle, 3-Dimensional image between the two that are displayed onscreen.

YouTube uses its own company-created embedded player on the website for the videos to play on. The videos are viewed using Adobe Flash Player, with JavaScript enabled on the internet browser.

The disadvantage of using Flash Player to play the website's videos is that the player must be downloaded first in order for the user to see any video clips. This can be a problem with a computer with a small amount of memory, or a computer using an older Operating System, for example. Even if it is possible for the computer to download and install the program, the videos may load slowly in comparison to a computer with more memory or a more modern OS.

YouTube's videos can not only be watched on the official website, but they can also be embedded on other websites (e.g. forums and personal webpages), and there is also the option to 'share' the video you have loaded via Social Networking websites such as Facebook.
Again, this could be problematic if visitors to the page do not have Flash Player installed or JavaScript enabled.

This problem could be solved by creating a non-flash player (as tested by competing video player website Dailymotion using HTML5 instead of plus-ins such as Flash) for the videos, so that users would not have to install anything in order to access the videos they want.

Combining traditional and digital media in art

This image was initally created traditionally with a combination of ink (possibly using a dip pen or inking pen/fineliner) and watercolour inks or paints. After being scanned to computer the image has been manipulated in photoshop (using new layers over the original image) using the brush tool with varying opacities to add depth to the colour of the overall image. Also, varying brush stroke types have been used to not only create a more 3-dimensional aspect to the figures, but prevent the image itself from looking 'samey'.

Adjusting the saturation to 'wash out' the image a little, and using darker tones of colour with the brush tool to create 'splash' marks, a dark mood is created, sending a strong message to viewers of the image. The detailed anatomy and shading created traditionally provide a darkened, low-lit environment for the figures, while the dark, warm base colours used in varying tones and textures (provided by the inks/watercolours) give the image an intense atmosphere, which is easily seen in this overall image.

I find this piece very interesting, well-detailed and particularly cleverly created.






















This image was created initially with the traditional media of watercolour paints, pastels and pencils on varied styles of paper, which have then been scanned and merged into one final form using Photoshop.

The watercolours have been mixed using a large brush with plenty of water, allowing the colours to run to create varying shades and tones.
Pastels have been used to shade the musculature of the leg in order to create a softer line which still clearly defines areas of the leg.

The head, neck and arm of the figure have been created with a slightly soft pencil, allowing for darker shading around areas of the face that light could not reach (i.e. eyes, underside of chin , under the hair).

The colours have then been adjusted using hue and saturation, the lighting and contrast to brighten the overall image without adjusting the pencil drawing too much.

This image is quite bright and noticeable with its variety of colours, tones and textures. The mixed traditional media, which has been put together in a cleverly randomised manner, would stand out to the public eye and attract attention quite easily.

























This image was created using watercolours and ink, designing both the foreground and the background with pink watercolour paint. This was then scanned and cleaned up with photoshop, removing unwanted areas of the image and any mistakes.

This image, although simple, is quite eyecatching in its beauty, and the techniques would be interesting to include in any future work.
























The majority of this image was created in Photoshop; only using initial pencil sketches, scanning them and manipulating them with a brush tool in a new layer in order to create the professional final image.
The brush tool has been used to create most of the digital image, varying in opacity to add depth and dimension to the images in the foreground and background. The contrast and brightness have been adjusted to create a bright, ethereal mood.
























Traditionally, this image has been created using felt-tip pens, highlighter pens and ink. The image was then scanned and a new layer was added in Photoshop. This image was then printed onto paper, and the artist applied more detail onto the image using the same traditional media to create the final design.

This image is quite striking due to the range of colours used, and the techniques used by the artist are very interesting and cleverly thought out. I would like to experiment with this ideas in future works.
























This piece, by the same artists as the previous, has been created using ink and various paints such as acrylic and watercolour. The finished painting has then been scanned and edited with Photoshop, adjusting the lighting, colour and hue to create a brighter, bolder effect within the image. The various areas of paint could have been made separately and then put together in the final image to create a 'collage' effect.

This is quite a strong piece and I enjoy the idea of using thicker media such as acrylic paints in traditional media to begin the artwork with. I would like to encorporate this into my work in the future.

Image manipulation research

(Image taken from Google)


Techniques:
This image would have been created by originally adjusting a photo's contrast to darken the tones, and possibly adjusting the saturation to remove colour from the initial photo on the base layer.
Using a new layer, a textured image could be imported over the photograph and the blending mode of the layer could be changed to experiment with the texture (this image could also be adjusted in saturation, hue and contrast to manipulate the colours and tones).
To erase the unwanted areas of the image the lasso (or polygonal lasso) tool could be used to select and delete the excess areas of the image, or the 'add layer mask' tool in order to erase the excess areas with a soft brush.



This is a simple yet effective image which is quite powerful aesthetically, and would be relatively easy to recreate and include in my future development and final piece in this unit.
Using techniques such as these to combine photographs with textures can create very powerful
images which could possibly create strong messages, e.g. political views, satire and propaganda.























(The White Stripes 'Get Behind Me Satan' album cover)


Techniques:

This image will not have been manipulated very much; the colours will have been adjusted with saturation, hue and contrast tools, the shadow around the curtains would have been edited using brush, smooth, burn and dodge tools. The increase of light in the room and the brightness on the faces of the figures could be created using a lighter shade of skin colour combined with the blur or smudge tool.

Filters could also be used on the image to create varying effects, such as the gentle blur in this cover.


This art is quite striking due to the colours and the contrast between said colours, which plays to the overall theme of the band that the album cover art is for. The textures are soft and the overall image is aesthetically pleasing, using the textures of the clothing and curtains to create a smooth piece of art which would easily attract the public to purchase the album itself.

(Image taken from DigitalArts magazine)

The photo has been printed out and drawn over initially in pencil, then scanned in and edited with Photoshop and Illustrator. Shapes such as the circles and lightning bolts can be created in Illustrator, with shadows and highlights in basic shapes for a 3D feel. The 'blob' shapes can be made in Illustrator with the pen tool, or with the same tool on Photoshop, or perhaps the Polygonal lasso tool.

The bright colours contrast with the softer tones of the figure, and give what was a simply posed photo a surrealist feel, making it highly creative and imaginative.

(Image taken from DigitalArts magazine)

Edited in photoshop. Filters and adjustments such as saturation and brightness have been added to the original photo to brighten it up for the deep red of the background. A soft gradient has been created in Photoshop for the background, and more photography has been added in of the strawberries, which have been manipulated with a custom brush tool for the 'splatter' effect. The same has been added to the basic circles, and others have has their own gradient of colour added. The lines could be added using the pen or brush tool with varying opacities, softness and size.

The deep background sets off the paler figure in the foreground, sticking with warm tones of red, orange and pink for a summery look.

(Image taken from DigitalArts magazine)

Created in Photoshop. The skin has been edited using the brush tool and layer types (overlay or soft light) for the glow from the light behind the figure. Textured shapes have been imported from other photos to contrast against the warm tones of the skin, and circles in the background have been created with the shape tool and filled in with different opacities, possibly using a large, soft brush tool for an ethereal glow. The brush tool with a brighter tone could be used for the lines in the background as well.

The luminescent glow of the background shapes helps to frame the figure in the foreground, the tans of her skin contrasting against the deep purples as well as the bright pinks in the glow and centre of the shapes.

Useful Articles, Links and Information

A quick list of wikipedia links for basic information (this isn't my actual research!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop-motion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stop-motion_films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_animation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_O%27Brien

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuppa_Coffee_Studios

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aardman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Jones_(musician)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Selick



http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/bluepeter/central/thingstodo/doit/nickpark#/lb/central/thingstodo/doit/dos/nickpark

"Persistence of vision is a commonly-accepted although scientifically unfounded theory which states that the human eye (and/or brain) always retains images for a fraction of a second. This means that everything we see is a subtle blend of what is happening now and what happened a fraction of a second ago.

In film and video, this phenomena is said to account for our ability to perceive a sequence of frames as a continuous moving picture.

Despite the fact that film-makers still refer to persistence of vision as if it were mainstream medical knowledge, scientists and psychologists do not generally agree with the theory. There does not appear to be any medical evidence to suggest that images are retained in the eye or brain, and psychologists contend that persistence of vision is not necessary for the success of film motion.

Note: Of course there are some situations where images are retained, e.g. looking at a bright light and then closing your eyes, or staring at a pattern for a long time. These situations are not the same as the persistence of vision theory, which claims that image retention happens all the time with everything we see."

Stop motion Videos

Tetriscide - 'Tony vs Paul' - Pixilation

Media: Canon GL1 camera, human figures, natural environment, Final Cut Pro for editing

Techniques: No Green Screens were used in this animation, but the scene wherein the letters are falling from the page sent from Paul to Tony has been animated.

The animated figures themselves were photographed at 15 fps. Both men assumed each pose without any aid from supports or props, including even the 'flying', created by each 'actor' jumping into the air for each photo.

The creators of the animation were also able to use and manipulate their environment with the two characters, to seemingly give natural objects and scenery moving, living qualities.

To create the effect of the characters passing through certain objects (e.g. the wire fence) the actor stands directly behind the fence, as close to it as possible without applying pressure to it. After the appropriate shots have been taken, the actor then moves to position himself directly in front of the fence, aligned exactly parallel to his previous position behind the fence (this could have been marked onto the fence somehow, to ensure the actor would be in the right position) and pressed as far back as possible without moving the fence. The figure could then continue with the movement from that scene.

Another example of the actors interacting with their environment is the scene set in the park. The characters battle and chase eachother using varied parts of the play equipment (e.g. the swings and monkey bars), where each separate movement from and to different areas of the equipment would be photographed.

In my opinion, the amount of detail used in each photograph, creating each frame, is of very high quality and the overall animation flows very effectively, which suggests that the creators have separated the movements and captured every individual one extremely well.

The final animation took 2 months to produce, and contained over 4000 photographs.

Knox's Korner - Klay World 'Glass of Water' - Claymation

Media: Plasticine

Techniques: The idea of moving the clay downwards to show that gravity is moving the objects such as the towel and rope is very effective as it creates a sense of realism, despite the characters being quite unrealistic.

The characters themselves, while not resembling a real form, are effective as unique humanoid forms which can generally appeal to any audience.
The plasticine used to create the characters is quite rough, and it appears that the models lack an armature to support them, which doesn't seem to pose as a problem due to the fact that a lot of plasticine is used to create the fairly thick models.

The lack of real scenery in the background doesn't detract from the animation as the focus of the camera is generally on the characters, but the lack of any colour in the background makes it seem a bit plain, though this could be intentional as the characters are brightly coloured.

Overall this animation is entertaining, but not very professionally done, despite the fact that this is intended. The scenery could be more interesting but as the focus is on the characters this is not necessarily a negative thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUrzcaIaixQ

The Feeling - 'Sewn' - Object Animation

Media: Human figures, environment, pieces of rope, string, twine etc, bed sheets

Techniques: The beginning of the video has been computer animated, whereas the middle of the video onwards includes stop-motion animation of various objects coiling around the members of the band. The stiffer items like rope and twine would stand up by themselves and would be easier to animate rising and coiling, whereas for the string and softer objects, thin wire could be inserted into the centre to make it sturdier.

The use of colours concerning the animated objects is very dull as the room is dark for the majority of the video, but this could possibly be changed (e.g. there could be variations of colours of string) to help the objects stand out a bit more.

The idea of the band members interacting with the objects is very effective, it really gives off the effect of them being ensnared and literally 'sewn'. The more difficult parts of the interaction (e.g. the sewing through the lips) have been computer animated, as it would be close to impossible to animate an object travelling through skin without creating a duplicate of the person in plasticine, for example.

Overall this video is very effective and conveys a very strong message using its animation, both computer-created and stop-motion. The colours could be a little more varied to establish the objects a little better, but otherwise everything is clear and professionally done.

GiR2007 - 'Pancakes II' - Pixilation and object animation

Media: Human figures, food items (ingredients, pancakes, toppings), utensils, environment (kitchen)

Techniques: The use of something transparent to hang the carton of milk from (e.g. fishing wire) has worked effectively to convey the idea that the carton is floating from the fridge to the person's hand. The movement of each of the ingredients between utensils is very smooth, suggesting that a lot of photographs were taken.

The use of the constantly changing camera angles is effectively done, showing the movement of objects from different angles (e.g. the eggs moving around the pan and sink, across the counter).
The scenery and background are bright, which keeps the focus on the video and shows the time of day effectively.

Overall this animation is very smooth and entertaining, and is also educational in an amusing way, which appeals to a wide range of audiences.

'The Adventures of Mark Twain' - Puppet animation and claymation

Media: Plasticine, armatures

Techniques: Clay painting is used to morph the face of 'Satan' into different expressions and forms, which is effectively utilised as it moves smoothly and in plenty of detail. Armatures will have been used to sturdy the characters as they are anatomically correct and need support to stand and move.

The background scenery, although simple, is effective in showing the location the characters are in, and draws the focus to the area of land in the centre of the video.

The use of more clay painting later in the video depicts the grass and flowers growing over the land, which is aesthetically pleasing, despite the scenery and the story itself.
The variety of bright colours used in this animation is very eyecatching and a lot of detail is also placed in textures of clothing, bricks made from the sand, etc.

Also, the use of clay models being created by the puppets has been created very effectively, giving the puppets a more human appearance in comparison.

Although this animation wouldn't appeal to a large range of audiences, it is brilliantly created with smooth animation, creative foreground scenery and interesting characters.

Public Safety Posters and Signs

Media/Materials: Illustrator or Photoshop
Techniques: Basic shape tool, line tool, pathfinder tool, fill tool, text

Formal Elements:

Point - The bold font and separated image draws attention to the upper half of the poster which causes you to read the text below due to what the bold, simplified text says.
Line - The rows of text create horizontal lines parallel to the line insert.
Shape - Basic shapes combined to form the shape of a surveillance camera.

Space - Free space surrounding the text, logos and image to break them up and not seem too clustered.

Colour - No variety of colours, one colour for everything, no contrast (except to background) but doesn't attract much attention to the overall sign.

Media/Materials: Illustrator

Techniques: Shape tool, line/pathfinder tool, fill tool

Formal Elements:

Point - Both images attract attention to the central point of the upper two thirds of the sign.

Line - Combination of both curved, linear lines and straight, horizontal and vertical lines create the shapes and borders which make the sign stand outl.

Shape - Very basic shapes are used to frame the central representation of the sign's message (e.g. a letter, number, or simple image)

Space - Space around the lower symbol draws attention to the centre of that area of the sign.

Colour - Basic, bold colours that instantly attract attention to what message the sign is trying to convey.

Media/Materials: Illustrator

Techniques: Fill tool, shape tool, text, line/pathfinder tool

Formal Elements:

Point - The large bold letters used in 'CAUTION' immediately draw attention to the central point of the poster where the symbol, representing the message the artist/company is trying to project, is placed to inform the target audience of said message.

Line - The lines in this image are mostly angular, keeping the poster simple and easier to decipher.

Shape - Basic shapes to keep the poster simple, but bold enough to attract attention from the target audience (the general public, or specific members thereof).

Space - A large amount of space around the text and shapes stops the overall image from being too busy, leaving the audience to focus on the important information displayed.

Colour - Flat, primary colour used in contrast with the black used in the information creates a familiar theme which will catch the eye of the target audience.

Media/Materials: Illustrator

Techniques: Pathfinder/line tool, fill tool, lasso tool

Formal Elements:
Point - The focus is instantly drawn to the centre of this image after noticing the bright, angular shape of the border (each corner of the shape creates an inward focal line to the central symbol), and the simple geometrical shape frames the image and is easily noticed due to its simplicity.

Line - The use of line in the border alone is simple, but the angles of such a basic, primary shape stand out when compared to a square or rectangle, for example.

Shape - The central image used in this sign is a well-known shape, representing a mother and child crossing a road. This, when framed by the sharp, outstanding equilateral triangle, creates a familiar sign that will be quickly understood by drivers, pedestrians, people crossing said road etc.

Space - There is fairly limited space around the symbolic figures in the centre of the sign, but this brings the border and symbol together, the combination of the two forming a familiar, well-known message displayed in the road sign.

Colour - As with previous images, there are very little varieties of colour used, and the basic yet bright and loud red, white and black are used to attract instant attention to the sign and its meaning.

Media/Materials: Illustrator or Photoshop

Techniques: Fill tool, shape tools, lasso tool, cut & paste, text, line/pathfinder tool

Formal Elements:
Point - The shape of the CCTV camera creates the focal point in the centre of the image, quickly drawing the public's attention to the meaning of the sign. The bold text above this symbol also informs the public of the message the designer has created the sign to represent. The target audience will then read on for details of the information.
Line - The lines in this image are mostly straight and angular, creating a sharp, eyecatching effect. Also, the text at the top of the poster creates parallel, horizontal lines across the top of the sign.

Shape - There are only very basic shapes in the background of this image (the plain colours with flat background colours), but the shape of the camera is more complicated and quite angular, which once again draws atttention to the centre of the sign in order to convey the message.

Space - There is quite a lot of space surrounding the image and text, which helps to break up the parts of the overall image, keeping the sign relatively simple and easy to read. Due to the flat colours and lack of texture and varying tone and value in the background, no space and distance is created betweeen the forground and the background, but the angle that the camera is positioned in creates perspective, which could

Colour

Media/Materials: Illustrator or Publisher

Techniques: Shape and line/pathfinder tools, fill tool, text, shape tools
Formal Elements:

Point
Line
Shape
Space
Tone/Value
Colour

Media/Materials: Illustrator

Techniques: Text, fill tool, line/pathfinder tool, cut & paste, lasso tool
Formal Elements:
Point
Line
Shape
Space
Tone/Value
Colour

Media/Materials: Illustrator and/or Photoshop

Techniques: Text, fill tool, line/shape tools, cut & paste (logo)
Formal Elements:
Point
Line
Shape
Space
Colour

Media/Materials: Illustrator, MS Paint transferred to another program (e.g. Photoshop)

Techniques: Text, shape tools, fill tools, line/pathfinder tools, cut & paste (logo)
Formal Elements:
Point
Line
Shape
Space
Colour

Media/Materials: Illustrator or photoshop, possibly Publisher

Techniques: Fill tool, text, cut & paste (logo, photograph), line or basic shape tools
Formal Elements:
Point
Line
Shape

Space

Colour

Classical album covers 2

The bright, contrasting colours in these images
are different to the softer tones of the previous images, making the albums stand out in an interesting way. The shapes are sharp and edgy, and there are no curves in these covers, only flat lines and sharp colours. The textures are flat, while the sharp corners break up the smoothness of the flat colours.

This cover suggests the possible moods for the music, possibly representing quick changes in composition, tempo and pitch. To me this also suggests the use of string instruments like violins and cellos, creating dramatic music.

The art is very eyecatching, and instantly draws the focus of the public to the centre of the cover, where the title of the album has been placed. This use of typography over vivid shapes will then attract the target audience.


























This cover also contains bright, eyecatching colours, which could suggest that the music shifts through different moods, while the soft textures of the figure's skin and clothing shows the softer moods that could be included in the music. The image is very patriotic, showing pride in Russian heritage, which included famous music, singers and art, as well as the participation in the World Wars, as shown in the image of the saluting soldier.

The lines creating the shapes in this image are bold compared to previous covers, as the outlines stand out over the colours used in the shapes and background (e.g. black outlines over the ship, and white outlines against the deep purple background on the far right). The combined shapes that make up the figure, ship, missile and flag seem to stand out as separate entities, due to the contrasting colours used within the objects and figure, e.g. the red and green of the soldier's uniform.

To me, this image is aesthetically pleasing and eyecatching, so it could primarily attract different audiences. Once again the font used for the title of the album is large and bold, the bright yellow letters standing out against the deep red of the flag. This would easily catch the attention of the target audience, and the bright colours and imagery alone would attract attention from a range of different age groups.


























This album also shows patriotism to Russia and its traditions. The bright colours attract attention, and the bold, capital letters in the font easily show what the album is about, and its musical genre. The use of various shades of red will attract most audiences (as red is generally the first colour people notice in images), and the use of dolls and toys might attract certain age groups e.g. younger adults and children, older members of the public who may collect memorabilia relating to Russia and/or the USSR.


The shapes are basic and the use of very curved lines slightly tones down the volume displayed in the colours alone. Also, the use of light shining outwards from the centre of the image helps to frame the central objects, drawing attention to the centre once again.
As the objects are photographed and not illustrated there are no outlines shown around them, adding to the blended and smooth effect between the background and the objects in the foreground.

After being attracted to the bright colours and child-like imagery, upon closer inspection violins can be seen amongst the figures and dolls. This contributes to the genre of music that this album cover is created for, and would then easily appeal to the target audience.


























The deep, strong variants of colour in this image immediately attract my attention, as I believe it would attract others'. The shapes of certain parts of the natural imagery (e.g. the earth-like moon and the mountains) are very basic and strongly stand out, whereas the irregular, scattered shapes used in the trees establish distance but still give a softer, blended texture. The use of natural imagery displays a sense of peace, while the water's reflection of the background draw the focus into the centre of the image, where the title hovers above.

Once again, the font is large and bold, the lighter shades of blue attracting the target audience's attention with the word 'classical'. I think that, with the combined imagery and use of typography, this would easily catch the target audience's eye.

There are no strong, obvious lines in this cover, but the shapes are still easily defined by the combination of varying colours and tones. The fact that what seems to be the moon is actually earth conveys a slight sense of surrealism, and could perhaps have a deeper meaning which is open to interpretation.
























I am immediately drawn to the typography used in this image due to the deep, bold colour of the font, and the style the font is displayed in. As the font resembles calligraphy, it relates to the high-brow, stylish air of the figure in the centre, thus suggesting that the music in the album is quite refined and sophisticated.

The pale sillhouette used between the smaller, bold figure and the font separates the colours, and therefore creates space between the title and the smaller image of the conductor. the lines are generally quite smooth and curved, making the imagery stand out, but not too harshly as it might with black outlines, for example.

There are no very basic shapes in this cover, but the artist has only used the sillhouette of the figure, who is assumed to be Mozart, as the shapes. The overlay of the yellow sillhouette over the deep blue one changed the colour of the overlapped area, adding variety to the range of colours and tones within the image.

Classical album covers 1

The colours in this image are flat, but the of these colours instantly attract attention, despite the simplicity of the image. The colours are soft and pale, giving the effect of smooth, calm music, which will attract the target audiance. There is quite a lot of free space around the image, border and text; making the cover quite minimalist but still noticeable.

The cover is mostly composed of typography; forming short, simple sentences which are concise and to the point. This will keep the target audience interested as the title is quick to read and take in, while the small image and border placed around the text make the overall image aesthetically pleasing.
There are a lot of flat vertical and horizontal lines in this image, keeping the basic shape very simplistic. The shapes are also simple (most of which are quadralateral) and don't over-complicate the cover.

This image could easily be created on Publisher with preset borders, fonts and art, but it could all be designed on Illustrator or Photoshop. The techniques used are a colour fill, font, either image import/insertion or the border and tree could be created by a pathfinder or brush tool.

I think that this simplistic image for an album cover easily conveys the composer/artist via the typography, and the flat, warm yet pale colours are quite eyecatching and the soft tones could suggest that the music is also soft and gentle.






















This album, to me, already conveys a sense of peace & tranquility through the imagery and colours used on the cover. The colours are warm and soft, yet still bright enough to attract public attention. The shapes over the orange area are all similar as they form autumn leaves, which can be associated with long, quiet days in a peaceful, natural environment.

There is a lot of space used in this image, as the background colours are plain, and only the leaves and font provide detail.
As before, the typography is kept simple, and the composer's name is displayed in large capital letters to gain the attention of its target audience.
In reference to line, there are no bold, black outlines separating the images and the background colours. In my opinion this gives the album a softer look, as black lines against the warm background tones would become too harsh and noticeable, which would betray the message to its audience.

The textures used in this image are relatively smooth, especially due to the grey tones around the edge of the image, making the cover look slightly 3-dimensional, as if it was slightly lifting away from the CD case.

I think that this cover conveys a soft mood, which again would attract its target audience with a calm, yet colourful image.





















In contrast to the previous covers, the colours, tones and textures are quite bold and are very eyecatching. The mixed shades of blue almost seem to represent the sea, once again suggesting an air of calm. The textures are smooth horizontally, but the brush strokes are very apparant in the paint, separating areas of the mix of colour. Again, typography plays a part in this cover; the large, bright white font proving quite apparant and obvious over the deep shades of blue.

Line can be seen in the grains of the background, and along the curves of the paint strokes, the horizontal lines in the foreground contrasting slightly with the vertical lines of the background 'canvas'.

The mixed shades of blue create a space of their own, while still showing the space between the paint and its canvas, creating a sense of distance. The mixed shades of blue could also represent changing moods within the music.















This album cover is very aesthetically soothing, as the pale, cold blues against the darker shades show that the image has been captured at night. Night is generally associated with silence and tranquility, which relates back to the music being relaxing.

Typography is shown very boldly over the background; the composer's name written in very large font across the cover, making the CD easy to notice. There is quite a sense of space in this image, due to the obvious distance between the water and trees in the foreground and the mountains and reflection in the water in the back. The shapes of the mountains are quite distinctive and stand out against the paler tones of the sky, while the sillhouettes of the trees are also apparant against the sky.

This cover is very softly created, the lines and shapes all blending into eachother in a very soft texture. The colours are mostly cold, whereas the hot, deep crimson of the figure's hair stands out, drawing the audience's attention to the centre of the image, where the font boldly states the title of the album, which in this case involves the composer's name. The textures of the image give the impression of water in the background, which also creates space around the figure.

The lines in the image (with the font being an exception) are curved and seem to flow, which refers back to the effect of water.
There are no basic and obvious shapes evident in this cover, though the shape of the figure in the middle ground is quite striking, due to the pose and sense of movement.

Researching Art & Design - 20th Century

The 20th century saw massive changes in the way people percived and created art. Boundries and limitations were surpassed and destroyed by styles such as surrealism and dadaism, where innovation and imagination was key. This era inspired so many artists in the 20th and 21st century to be as original as was physically possible, to really rebel against the normality shown in the 19th century (e.g. Realism & Neoclassicism).


Fauvism

The Fauvism movement revolutionised the concept of colour in modern art. The designs were bold and distorted, as opposed to such movements as Realism and Neoclassicism, which were proportionate, minimalistic in colour ranges, and kept to accuracy without even a thought of being so bold and creative with colours and form/shape.

"La Raie Verte" by Henri Matisse, 1905

Oil on Canvas

The artist has used a brush and oil, with thick brush strokes to mark out the shapes of the figure.


This image is quite eyecatching because of the bright, vibrant colours and varying thickness of the curving lines. The texture is quite scratchy since the paint hasn't been applied smoothly to the figure, but I believe that this created an interesting overall effect - especially over the woman's skin - and will have been inspired by the Post-Impressionist movement. The tones of colours vary in groups of warm colours (i.e. the clothing, right hand side of the face, orange part of the background) against groups of colder colours (i.e. left hand side of the face, hair and other background colours), which create an interesting contrast. The combined use of lighter and dark shades of certain colours gives the character depth and a more 3-dimensional feel.

Abstract Art

Post-Impressionism had a huge impact on Abstract Art in the 20th century, and was essential for the development of modern art. It was inspired by the great painters such as Van Gogh and Cézanne, looking at landscapes and figure drawings/paintings that were 'wild' and expressive.
























"Tour Eiffel" by Robert Delaunay, 1926

Oil on Canvas



The artist could have marked out the large blocks of colour with a large brush first, then going over it with a small brush, applying outlines and detail carefully. The block colours could create the soft texture, and the lighter colour on the darker shapes gives the overall image depth and perspective inside the tower.

Personally I think this is a beautiful piece due to the use of tones, shapes and perspective. The bright warm colours are really attractive (which is not surprising, as red is usually the colour one sees first when looking at art), and the combination of simplified shapes creates an effective overall image (e.g. the panels at the base of the Tower, and the pavillion behind it). The only cold colours used are green, blue and grey, which provide a balance of light and shade in the painting. There are no bold outlines in this painting, the only lines visible are in the varying straight and curved edges of the shapes use in the tower and background. The textures on the tower itself are smooth, yet the textures in the background seem rougher, as if Delaunay had deliberately worked quicker in this area. The lines that define the separate areas in the background aren't as neat as the lines in the foreground, which gives the impression that the background is slightly blurred due to the focus on the Tower. This can relate back to Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, with a wild colour scheme similar to that of Rousseau.

Cubism

Cubism was the movement all about innovation and experimentation. Cubism was radical but influencial, and the artists best known in this movement were Braque and, of course, Picasso. It was the complete opposite to Realism and Neoclassicism and challenged the perceptions of beauty in art. The designs were obscure and somewhat inspired by the designs of African and Native American art.

"Composition in Red, Black and White" by Henryk Berlewi, 1924

Goache on Paper


These precise shapes could have been painted on using a flat edge to help keep them perfectly in shape, or with measurements to make sure each side measures the same. The shapes would have to be drawn slowly and carefully to ensure that they were in the right position and proportion.

The first thing that attracted my attention to this image was the bright tones of orange-red in the shapes. Each shape in this piece of cubist art is geometrical, and the shapes have merely been rotated, enlarged or reduced, and then placed elsewhere in the picture. I think that the placement of the two rows of oblongs shows perspective after looking at it for a short while, as if looking down a street at lamp-posts or looking up at a set of stairs. The textures are smooth and flat, as the shapes contain block colours, with no shading, highlights or outlines. There is plenty of space around the shapes, and the rows of oblongs provide a sense of perspective that suggests further space when following the 'street' or 'stairs'.

Dadaism

Dadaism, like Cubism, was a rebellious movement against traditional, classical art, and was chaotic and anarchistic in nature. A post World War I movement, it was anti-war as well as anti-art, going against what classic art stood for; if classic art was meant to have implicit messages and deep connotation, Dadaism strived to have no meaning. Classic art worked by aesthetics, whereas Dadaism did not. The Dada movement set out to offend and criticise art, but ironically became an influencial art movement itself, inspiring future movements such as Surrealism and Punk Rock.

"Merzbau" by Kurt Schwitters, 1924-37

Photograph of a structure in his own house, created with various objects taken from friends and family, as well as found in his own home. He attached these objects to make shapes as well as nooks and grottos full of different objects to different themes.

The sheer dimensions and perspective attracted me to this image, the use of household waste being added to his room creates a sense of 'safe' space, and the various shapes one can see in this image is fascinating.

The toning is entirely in greyscale, the darker shades of grey indicating shadows from the arrangement of the different 3-dimensional shapes, whereas the highlights could be from natural or artificial lighting in the room, possibly the flash from Schwitters' camera. The textures seem generally smooth, though as it is a photograph you are able to see the textures of certain objects and surfaces, e.g. the grain of the wood and the creases & folds in materials like card.

There are plenty of lines in this image, many in different directions due to the generally straight angles of the objects, which are then folded and shaped.

There is plenty of space evident in this image, as the 3-dimensional shapes create gaps between themselves and the walls, floor and ceiling. You can easily define the space between the foreground and background objects, and also the areas around them.

Surrealism


Surrealism, obviously an opposite to Realism, sought out to create visual expression of the unconscious and un-recreatable imagination. Artists were inspired by Sigmund Freud and his theories of dreams and the subconscious and unconscious mind, and used juxtaposition, wild ideas and the element of surprise to truly bring this movement to light. This movement was a byproduct of Dadaism, really pushing the boundries of innovation, and showing figures and scenes in a completely different way to the traditional styles of classic art such as Neoclassicism.

"Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening" by Salvador Dalí, 1944

Oil on canvas


The artist has used careful brush strokes to ensure the smoothness of his images, and also uses dry brushing to create clouds, while washing out paint to water down his colours to create the gradient of the sky. This technique was used in most of the shading of the figures for a soft shaded look.


When it comes to surrealist art, the artist that has left the biggest impression has always been Salvador Dalí. His ability to transform simple objects into juxtaposed, shapeshifting works of art is inspirational.

There are many textures used in this piece to create a somewhat realistic effect (e.g. the crumbling edges of the stone platform, the textures of the fish's scaly form, the fur of the tigers etc.), varying vastly from smooth, pearly skin tones to the course addition of the clouds, which also give a soft, fluffy effect.

Dalí has used mostly warm tones of colour in the foreground of this piece, which contrast perfectly with the pale, cool colours used in the background. Personally I find that the tigers are what draw me to this image the most, as the blacks used in the stripes stand out against the pale shades of the rest of the image. Also the pomegranate & the fish, as they are created in warm oranges and reds, definitely stand out above most of the other symbols and forms in this image.


Once again plenty of space is apparant in this piece, and it's fairly easy to define the distance between the woman & the tigers, the pomegranate & and the small rocky area in the sea, etc.


The lines in this image aren't as bold as in other pieces in this study, Dalí rarely uses black to outline his paintings, and so the objects and forms seem to smoothly blend into the background. The most obvious lines to me are following the elongated legs of the elephant, the line of the horizon over the water, and the defined edges of the rock the woman is laying upon.


It can be easily argued that shapes can appear anywhere within the image, e.g. a scalene triangle representing the shape of the woman, a horizontal oblong showing the general shape of one of the tigers, etc. Dalí seemed to use different shapes juxtaposed against eachother to create a unique composition which forced you to focus on the image as a whole, while still being able to pick out each visual detail.


The Bauhaus Movement

The 'Bauhaus' was a school in Germany that combined fine arts with crafts, and was famous for the approach to design that it taught, and the innovative training methods it used. The school lasted from 1919 to 1933, and was closed by the Nazis. Students there were taught to produce art that was both aesthetically pleasing and useful, and showed that design could still easily play a part in modernisation and industrialism at the time. Due to the introduction of mass production, the Bauhaus turned its attention to industry, and held an exhibition demonstrating a coalition between aesthetics and effective, purpose-made design and technology.




















"Proto-Form (B)" by Josef Albers, 1938

Oil on fibreboard

Oil would have been used over wax to create an 'absence of colour' effect, clearly separating the shapes and colours.
The simplicity of this image is what draws attention to it. The cool colours compliment eachother with the rounded shapes, and the lighter lines define the shape against the background colour. The space is mostly used by the image, with just outlining space to frame the image with. As it is quite abstract and subjective, viewers could take whatever they want from the piece.




Creation of the World Wide Web (Internet):

In 1989 the idea of the World Wide Web came about, an idea of being able to access information from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. The invention of this network allowed millions of people to communicate across the globe, bridging the gap between societies and cultures that were once so far apart. As computers advances throughout the years, companies began to create software that could digitally create art work and techniques, as well as new tools that couldn't be created traditionally, such as the erase tool, copy & paste, undo, stamp & clone tools, etc., as well as filters, layer types, and the 'action tool', allowing you to record work you've done and re-apply it to other work.