STOP!!! Camera time duh duh duh duh!!

Our first shot at stop motion and I love it. Despite the amount of time it took to take a shot of each individual movement, it was well worth it to see the result even if an hours work only amounted to about a minute. Working in a group with the girls from my class was great as well cause not only did we all enjoy the process we were enthusiastic to create a story, which is sometimes difficult to find in some group activities. Getting a group of people who were actually excited to make something made it so much more precious.

We have titled our little masterpiece Budget Toy Story, the editing is still in progress, so watch out for a link in the coming weeks!

Research On Writers

Continuing to look at writers for the brief. Currently looking at Arthur Conan Doyle who was studied medicine in Edinburgh and found inspiration for the infamous Sherlock Holmes under the tutorship Joseph Bell. Bell never got a diagnosis wrong and constantly forced his students to observe and perceive the overlooked. Sounds scarily similar to Mr Holmes.

Casting

 

This was my first attempt of the casting, turns out I hadn't pressed the clay in hard enough so it just crumbled when I tried to separate it. On the second attempt I learnt from my mistakes and made sure that the model had a thicker wall of clay and had been compacted against the cast.

 

This was the outcome, I had to smooth it out in a few places but the piece was exactly as I had desired.

 

I took a lot of inspiration from stairs and tiles for the detail, there was also something out the clay that I wanted to push the medium to the best of its abilities by creating this twisting movement. I really just found it to be an attractive shape.

Splish splish I was taking a bath!

Back to sculpture and we are doing splash cast. SO MUCH  FUN! Taking the clay model that we made a few weeks ago we left them to dry for two weeks. Then mixing some plaster you launch it at the model until all the surface is covered. Word of Warning: make sure you have a large area to work in and that you are wearing coveralls, don't do what I did and wear suede boots. After the first stage the work area will look like the murder scene of a marshmallow.

You then proceed by making a thicker mix of plaster and coating the model one half at a time until you have a layer about 2-inches thick. Leave to solidify for a few minute and scrape back the plaster to reveal the brass plate around the model. Then leave to dry before pulling out the brass and scooping out the remnants of the model.

Sculpture

Back into the 3D workshop and we begin by working with model making. We have to design and create a 3D piece that relates to our Multiples brief. Sculpture is not something I feel particularly drawn to but clay on the other hand is right down my street of expertise. I think having used fondant icing throughout my childhood has made using clay seem so easy.

My design has taken inspiration from the various writers and textiles of Edinburgh, I'm playing about with a fountain pen feature in association with the writers.

I've decided

I decided to look at writers that have been inspired by Edinburgh, particularly those who grew up there and achieved great success in the Capital; Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Irvine Welsh, Muriel Spark, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ian Rankin to name a few. I am going to try and adapt their works and illustrations into a costume piece adding patterns and textures taken from the city.

I am admittedly nervous about this project as so far I’ve not really had the opportunity to show the true extent of my skills as a costume designer. In years past when I’ve said that I want to become a costume designer, it has always been met with fierce opposition. I’ve come to understand that it is only meant to show concern, as costume is an incredibly competitive and difficult career choice – but I’ve never done anything easy.

Dreams you shouldn't have.

Another week of video skills and this week we were asked to create a video based on the subject of dreams. I decided to take a very strange approach, choosing to use a variety of characters to tell the story of an erratic nightmare/dream – starring me. The result is something that would strike fear into the hearts of grown men and should probably be destroyed for the safety of future generations.