ASS4 - Project 5 - Illustration as object
Research point Look at a range of illustrators and artists who use paper as a medium rather than just a surface within their work. How have they used paper and what processes have they put it through? Reflect on their working processes in your learning log.
Paper as a medium is something I have a passion for here below are some of the artists I have come across who inspire me.
Britney Lee has my dream job not only is she a paper artist but she is a Disney artist. She is known for creating characters such as Anna and Elsa in frozen as well at digital she also creates Disney characters out of paper as below images shows.
Her use of colours is amazing she defiantly knows what works well together. Her cut outs are clean and crisp and she uses other tools to add in details in to the paper craft work with paints and pencils. I find her work very captivating and inspiring for my own ideas. I like how she manipulates paper such as curling it and bending it in ways to create details in her work.
Nahoko Kojima is a contemporary Japanese paper cut artist. She uses paper to create sculptures . Her mission in life is to make paper art cutting a legitimate art form. I think that her work like the floating sculpture of a leopard above considers negative space as well as positive. She creates one off designs that are never duplicated. Above, the life-sized Cloud Leopard, made from one hand-cut sheet of black paper is then suspended from the ceiling in a certain way so that it creates a sculptural representation of the animal intertwined with narrative and hidden characters in the paper cut. It took 5 months to complete. I find her work very intricate and it makes paper look so strong when looking at it from afar but as you get close you can notice how fragile it really is.
Guy Laramée is known for his mind-blowing landscapes, created entirely out of books. He does this by carefully shaving down the books and then repainting them to look like mountains, rivers, lakes, and houses. His main goal is to create art that truly stands out.
When asked about this, the artist had this to say on knowledge, book destruction, and the formation of art through paper, “So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.”
Yulia Brodskaya takes bold papers and colours to make bold statements with them. From faces and flowers, even patterns and text. I think her work is very expressive and tells the viewer a story.
When asked about her passion for paper and visually stunning pieces, Brodskaya referenced her history in graphic design and how it influenced the pieces she makes today. In her interview with Art Boost she discussed this inspiration and how it has helped her to be who she is today, “My background is in graphic design, but I always had a tendency to use hand drawn illustrations quite a lot and have been interested in various forms of paper craft since school years (as a hobby). It took me quite a while to find my own way of bringing together my love of paper with my experience in graphic design, especially my interest in typography. I started to use edge-glued paper technique more than 7 years ago.The first such paper artwork that I made was my name ‘Yulia’ – I was looking for an eye-catching way to illustrate my name for promotional purposes. Somehow I remembered this method of edge-gluing strips of paper and started gluing the letters of my name(at that point I had no idea it was called Quilling). That was the starting point for my further experiments with paper and typography; quoting other people, I made quilling cool, modern and gave this old paper craft technique a new life and significance.”
I think if you have been on social media in the last 2 years you would of come across these sculptures. they are so fascinating and unique that they were going viral around the internet. Li Hongbo’s mesmerising paper busts bend, stretch, and then hold shape when put back together. This incredible artist has perfected an age-old Chinese paper-cutting method and taken it to an entirely new level through his whimsical and astonishing pieces.
According to the Eli Klein gallery where his art is currently being showcased, “Li Hongbo is best known for his interpretations of paper. His reinvention of the material's form challenges viewers’
I really enjoyed doing this task and its really opened my eyes up to clay making which I actually really enjoyed . I will be doing more clay objects in the near future with my character designs to experiment if it is something I can incorporate in to my art.
In regards to my Tealight Willow Display I have taken inspiration from the 200 years old pattern and the romantic story. I think my design playfully moves across each of the pieces. When separated it makes the viewer look at it in a different way as an individual piece of art compared to when they are all together telling a story. The love story unfolds across each quatre showcasing the iconic imagery and the tale of the two lovers. The border pattern is across all the pieces, bringing a modern touch to the collection. I feel my tealight holder table feature displays the historic willow pattern yet has a contemporary design, making it relevant for today.
Paper as a medium is something I have a passion for here below are some of the artists I have come across who inspire me.
Britney lee
Britney Lee has my dream job not only is she a paper artist but she is a Disney artist. She is known for creating characters such as Anna and Elsa in frozen as well at digital she also creates Disney characters out of paper as below images shows.
Her use of colours is amazing she defiantly knows what works well together. Her cut outs are clean and crisp and she uses other tools to add in details in to the paper craft work with paints and pencils. I find her work very captivating and inspiring for my own ideas. I like how she manipulates paper such as curling it and bending it in ways to create details in her work.
Nahoko Kojima
Guy Laramée
Guy Laramée is known for his mind-blowing landscapes, created entirely out of books. He does this by carefully shaving down the books and then repainting them to look like mountains, rivers, lakes, and houses. His main goal is to create art that truly stands out.
When asked about this, the artist had this to say on knowledge, book destruction, and the formation of art through paper, “So I carve landscapes out of books and I paint romantic landscapes. Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.”
I think he has come up with a unique and wonderful idea here and some of his work I have seen works well. The books he uses as a whole create a sculpture of art in its own right.
Yulia Brodskaya
When asked about her passion for paper and visually stunning pieces, Brodskaya referenced her history in graphic design and how it influenced the pieces she makes today. In her interview with Art Boost she discussed this inspiration and how it has helped her to be who she is today, “My background is in graphic design, but I always had a tendency to use hand drawn illustrations quite a lot and have been interested in various forms of paper craft since school years (as a hobby). It took me quite a while to find my own way of bringing together my love of paper with my experience in graphic design, especially my interest in typography. I started to use edge-glued paper technique more than 7 years ago.The first such paper artwork that I made was my name ‘Yulia’ – I was looking for an eye-catching way to illustrate my name for promotional purposes. Somehow I remembered this method of edge-gluing strips of paper and started gluing the letters of my name(at that point I had no idea it was called Quilling). That was the starting point for my further experiments with paper and typography; quoting other people, I made quilling cool, modern and gave this old paper craft technique a new life and significance.”
I was lucky enough to see her work last year and the photos online do not do it justice the amount of work that goes in to each piece is amazing.
Li Hongbo
I think if you have been on social media in the last 2 years you would of come across these sculptures. they are so fascinating and unique that they were going viral around the internet. Li Hongbo’s mesmerising paper busts bend, stretch, and then hold shape when put back together. This incredible artist has perfected an age-old Chinese paper-cutting method and taken it to an entirely new level through his whimsical and astonishing pieces.
According to the Eli Klein gallery where his art is currently being showcased, “Li Hongbo is best known for his interpretations of paper. His reinvention of the material's form challenges viewers’
His work is a great example in my own beliefs that you can actually make anything out of paper. To me paper is the best medium to use when creating art. Personally for me its so versatile that lets your imagination run wild.
For these sculptures to work Li Hongbo uses an age-old honeycomb technique seen in paper gourd making in China, This allows paper works to expand, contract, and retract. These sculptures hint at influences of folk traditions in China, but in contemporary light, the sculptures play upon perceptions of everyday people and their visual idea of what they see as a simple medium that has stood the test of time transformed in to something completely different.
Exercise: Paper circus
The circus is coming to town! Create a poster advertising what’s on, where and when,
but only use paper to do it. Use coloured paper, work with collage, cutting and layering,
folding or sculpting. Be creative in your approach to image-making and typography. Scan or
photograph your final piece and reflect on how the limitation of only being able to use one
material has affected how creative you can be. Was this limitation a help or a hindrance?
Reflect on the results in your learning log
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWjLPRCvJBI&feature=youtu.be
I am really excited for this exercise I love working with paper and for me this will be the first time I have actually created something with just paper as I usually add details using other mediums on top. I have been meaning to do this for a while but just not had the time to experiment for myself properly in the last year. I will be observing this closely and will be interesting to see my use of paper in a simpler style.
As it is for a circus poster I have created a pin board of circus themes art to help inspire me on the link below:
I can see there are a few instant things that tend to appear on a circus posters that instantly in our minds we recognise them and make us think of a circus. During the history of the circus, posters have changed due to animals.
Animals were popular attractions at circus shows until people discovered animals were being harmed and treated unfairly. Today's circuses consist of just people doing stunts, acrobats, making people laugh and illusions.
What has stayed in circus through history are clowns, acrobats, Circus master and also the colour theme of a circus. The famous circus tent has always been designed with red and white stripes.. Red is the strongest of the colours, representing bravery and strength. When circuses began to spring up, they adopted the strongest colour the public identified with and this is still the case in today's world..
Now I have done some research it to the visual history, I am going to do a mind map of ideas and words I relate when thinking of a circus:
From the Pinterest and my mind map I am going to draw some mock-ups of my ideas to see what I like best.
Here above are my ideas I did some that have animals and some were without. I have decided not to do one with animals as that is outdated. Out of the ones I've designed I like the acrobat illustration the best where she is dangling from a hoop which advertises what the poster is about. I think I have created a good composition here and I have kept it simple with just one character which I feel does not crowd the poster and keeps it clear for people to read and understand, especially if I am only working with paper.
Now I have chosen my illustration Idea I want to do another remake of it and use colours to see how it is going to look. For the colour theme I am going to use red and white for the tent in the background and then I have looked at a few options for middle and foreground colours that I think represent a circus and will work together with each other. Whilst researching I found out green is an unlucky colour to use in a circus as it was considered a weak colour that represented farmers and peasants back in the past. Circus people also believe green to be bad luck. That is why tents are rarely that colour and costumes too so based on this I will not be using any green in my illustration.
Here above is my illustration idea with colour I am very happy with the outcome. The colours work well together and I have different colours that compliment each other such and yellow with purple and orange with blue. The red is the only colour without its pairing (green). This actually makes it stand out from the rest as it is the odd one out. The colours I have chosen remind me of a circus which is loud and bright. I think the colours work well to entice the viewer to observe and look at the poster.
I am now ready to create my poster out of paper I have gone through my papers and chosen colours to match the final draft.
The Process
Here is a link below of me creating to poster. I pre-cut all the shapes out before hand using a knife and also my cutting machine for delicate areas such as the typography to make sure its clear and neat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWjLPRCvJBI&feature=youtu.be
The finished Paper Illustration
Here above is my finished illustration made out of paper. I think its turned out great. I think my cutting machine has helped me out a lot with the intricate areas and also when I designed my font I could scan it in and my cutting machine would work out the shapes and cut it out for me. It surprised me how you can create a illustration well with just paper.
Reflect on how the limitation of only being able to use one material has affected how creative you can be.
Even though I think it turned out well I still cant help noticing the lack of small details. I know for myself I just love adding in the final details which would give it more character and texture. In my opinion. the small areas such as giving her an eye and lips is very fiddly with your hands to cut out.
However the limitation of just using one medium helps you to use your imagination and creativity to think about your ideas and how the medium you are using will work with those ideas. You have to realise your mediums own structure and really think how you can use it to create an illustration. It is surprising to think that by simply using one medium such as paper it gets you really thinking more then if you were to have several mediums to help you with an illustration.
Was this limitation a help or a hindrance?
I would not say it was a hindrance as i did enjoy the fact of just using one medium but there were limitations then what I usually don't have to face when doing my art. To investigate further, I have scanned it in to Photoshop to add some bits of detail to see if it looks better with or with out:
Do some research into artists and illustrators who have used ceramics as a surface for their image-making. You might also want to look at ceramicists who have a strong link with image making in their work. Find contemporary examples as well as exploring older ceramic traditions. What sort of motifs feature regularly? Could you say there’s a visual language of ceramics?
Ceramics is an area of unfamiliarity to me so for this research I have started from the beginning and learnt of its history in order for me to understand styles and traditions.
Here below are some websites I looked at to help me.
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/from-clay-to-art-a-short-history-of-ceramic-artistry-131109238/114576.html
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ceramics.htm
https://cfileonline.org/history-file-craft-fine-art-history-ceramics/
https://theceramicists.co.uk/projects/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-20-artists-shaping-future-ceramics
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-z-of-ceramics
https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/shop/surface-decoration-techniques/
Ceramics have been around since early centuries. People have used it for various objects over the years the main ones include vases, pots, cookware and ornaments.
Traditional ceramics
As someone who does not know much about ceramics before this research, the most popular is china ceramics which is a well known type of style. It mainly consisted of flower patterns and also known for their blue china.
Blue and white decoration first became widely used in Chinese porcelain in the 14th century, after the cobalt pigment for the blue began to be imported from Persia. Blue and white pottery continues to be produced, most of it copying earlier styles.
There are some traditional patterns artists have put on ceramics throughout history. Here below are some examples of the most popular and iconic ones I have discovered:
The willow pattern (blue china) is one pattern used the most in china and the world, it has been around for many years. The pattern consists of a willow tree and a Chinese building in the centre of the plate with a framed pattern around the edge to frame the main feature.
Boerenbont Pattern
Boerenbont is a traditional pattern used in the Netherlands.It is a hand painted floral motif, created with simple strokes of a brush. Boerenbont has an instantly recognisable pattern. It comes in a blue, green and red (sometimes yellow) design on white background. The colours are inspired by the traditional farming landscapes of the 19th century – the green grass, dotted with red and yellow flowers, under a blue sky. I like this pattern it is very charming and I can see why is is still used today as a popular choice.
Reflect on how the limitation of only being able to use one material has affected how creative you can be.
Even though I think it turned out well I still cant help noticing the lack of small details. I know for myself I just love adding in the final details which would give it more character and texture. In my opinion. the small areas such as giving her an eye and lips is very fiddly with your hands to cut out.
However the limitation of just using one medium helps you to use your imagination and creativity to think about your ideas and how the medium you are using will work with those ideas. You have to realise your mediums own structure and really think how you can use it to create an illustration. It is surprising to think that by simply using one medium such as paper it gets you really thinking more then if you were to have several mediums to help you with an illustration.
Was this limitation a help or a hindrance?
I would not say it was a hindrance as i did enjoy the fact of just using one medium but there were limitations then what I usually don't have to face when doing my art. To investigate further, I have scanned it in to Photoshop to add some bits of detail to see if it looks better with or with out:
With the added detail above for me personally it does give the poster that final pop to stand out further. I have darkened shadows to enhance the layers of paper and added highlights. I have also added the ladies eye and lips on as a finished touch. This exercise has made me realise that with giving your self limitations it helps you to be more creative in a sense that whilst designing an idea you have to keep the medium you are working with in to consideration to help your design work. I really like the outcome and I think the colours i chose work really well together, making it a very attractive and vibrant poster that would catch your eye walking past it.
Do some research into artists and illustrators who have used ceramics as a surface for their image-making. You might also want to look at ceramicists who have a strong link with image making in their work. Find contemporary examples as well as exploring older ceramic traditions. What sort of motifs feature regularly? Could you say there’s a visual language of ceramics?
Ceramics is an area of unfamiliarity to me so for this research I have started from the beginning and learnt of its history in order for me to understand styles and traditions.
Here below are some websites I looked at to help me.
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/from-clay-to-art-a-short-history-of-ceramic-artistry-131109238/114576.html
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/ceramics.htm
https://cfileonline.org/history-file-craft-fine-art-history-ceramics/
https://theceramicists.co.uk/projects/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-20-artists-shaping-future-ceramics
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-z-of-ceramics
https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/shop/surface-decoration-techniques/
Ceramics have been around since early centuries. People have used it for various objects over the years the main ones include vases, pots, cookware and ornaments.
Traditional ceramics
As someone who does not know much about ceramics before this research, the most popular is china ceramics which is a well known type of style. It mainly consisted of flower patterns and also known for their blue china.
Blue and white decoration first became widely used in Chinese porcelain in the 14th century, after the cobalt pigment for the blue began to be imported from Persia. Blue and white pottery continues to be produced, most of it copying earlier styles.
There are some traditional patterns artists have put on ceramics throughout history. Here below are some examples of the most popular and iconic ones I have discovered:
Willow Pattern
The willow pattern (blue china) is one pattern used the most in china and the world, it has been around for many years. The pattern consists of a willow tree and a Chinese building in the centre of the plate with a framed pattern around the edge to frame the main feature.
Boerenbont Pattern
Boerenbont is a traditional pattern used in the Netherlands.It is a hand painted floral motif, created with simple strokes of a brush. Boerenbont has an instantly recognisable pattern. It comes in a blue, green and red (sometimes yellow) design on white background. The colours are inspired by the traditional farming landscapes of the 19th century – the green grass, dotted with red and yellow flowers, under a blue sky. I like this pattern it is very charming and I can see why is is still used today as a popular choice.
Ceramics a a surface - Ceramicists
As well as patterns painted on to ceramics artist also create their item out of clay but then also sculpture in their patterns and design ideas in to the actual ceramic here are a few examples and also a useful links below with different types of mark-making on ceramics.
I find this really fascinating and looks like a lot of fun to do. More so then just painting a pattern. I defiantly think for the exercise coming up I would like to explore this for myself.
Ceramics Today
Here below are some are the moderns artists today and how they create work with ceramics
Ariel Bowman
Ariel is inspired by nature and creates animals through clay. She creates ceramic sculptures which are beautiful to look at and have so much detail you can be looking at one piece for sometime. Here are a few images of her work:
As you can see above they are fantastic designs that make you smile. Not only has she created creatures of our world but also used her imagination to create her of creatures which you can imagine living in this world. When I think of ceramics I tend to use think of plates and useful items but never really thought about sculptures. I am really inspired by her ideas because it is something I can relate to in my own work.
Eric Heerspink
When I came across Eric's work my first reaction was that it was a genius idea and also in-keeping with our time. Eric is influenced by Star Wars and in the below images you can relate his designs instantly to his own inspiration.
Eric uses design elements such as shapes, colours, and patterns that are used in Star Wars films for background scenes and ships. These elements give Eric's work a sense of familiarity. As well as painting the clay Eric use layers of decoration to create a depth of imagery. I really like his style, I like how he has took something he is passionate about and then implemented the theme in to his own ceramic designs.
Bradley Kelm
I found his image below while searching online for another artist and I totally fell in love with this beautiful piece and after a while I finally found the guy who created it Bradley Kelm.
His work is based on something I am passionate about - Climate change and the way humans are destroying the planet. I read some of his bio and the below paragraphs are his own thoughts of the word:
'Spending the majority of my life in a large industrial city, I’ve developed a need to occasionally separate myself from my reality and travel to somewhere remote. It’s a need that has been learned through many such outings with my father. Something memorable about those trips is that at some point during a hike, sitting in a camp, or fishing our way along a stream we always discovered a mylar balloon. One of us would point and say “there it is” and we always knew what the other was talking about. It was one of the countless interruptions which reminded us that the outside world was still there waiting for us. It seems that no place on earth is so remote that it hasn’t been infiltrated by human made objects. When we let go of a balloon and watch it until our vision can no longer define it, how long do we think about where it has gone? Once the balloon has disappeared from view it may as well have disappeared from reality itself. Perhaps trash that is thrown away is the same for us. I am both amazed and dismayed by the truth of where our trash ends up particularly the plastic that accumulates in our oceans. We live in a geologic age that has been defined by the dominant influence of man over the environment resulting in a planet that has been changed forever and for everyone. The objects that I make, while often inspired by vessels from another age, are meant to be understood above all as being from our current epoch and so I make pottery that is of the Anthropocene.'
I could totally relate to his thinking and that he expresses it through his art. I went back again to observe the photos I found of his work closer and discovered on the pots he has illustrated plastic objects on them to create a visual language to his viewers. His work is textured and he used holographic paint to add what I see as plastic reflecting in the ocean.
Ceramics Language
Does Clay have a visual language? I think Clay has a language like all materials. A literal language through process, words and patterns. It also has a visual and material language relating to the feel and experience of working with it. Clay itself also becomes a medium for communication and as it has been around for so long you can see how it has changed and adapted through history. Just like general illustration, ceramics is another surface to implement your ideas and portray them to the world. It does not matter about the surface or medium, what matters is that you can express yourself and people can relate to your message within the visual object you create. As with my use through paper I am creating a visual language through a medium that I feel a connection with.
Here is a link I also read up about a visual language which was also quite interesting:
After doing this research I have come to appreciate ceramics more and its opened up my eyes to the possibilities of clay. I am excited to have a go and see what I can create.
Exercise: Contemporary ceramics
You’ve been asked to create a range of illustrations for contemporary ceramics that draws
on the visual history and symbolism of pottery in some way. You can start with any historical
period, draw on any tradition of image-making within ceramics, or perhaps make reference
to the symbolism and visual storytelling of the blue and white Willow pattern, but you need
to bring this up to date through your own illustrations.
Create work within the context of plates, cups, saucers, teapots or vases. Either find cheap
white ceramics to work on directly or mock up your work via Photoshop. It’s a good idea to
work at the same scale as the ceramics themselves, so you may need to increase the scale
of your line to make your illustrations larger and bolder.
In your learning log reflect on the experience of applying your illustrations to a surface
other than paper. What did this opportunity offer you and how can you take what you’ve
learned back into your paper-based work.
For this exercise I am going to look at how I can bring some of the history of ceramics in to a contemporary ceramic.
I really like the story of the willow pattern and I know by looking into this further it will inspire me to create something great.
The History And Story Of The Willow Tree
The Willow Pattern was designed in 1780 by Thomas Minton, he wanted to add a touch of Oriental magic to earthenware ceramics. The design was printed on a transfer which was applied to the plate before firing.
This meant that the willow could be produced cheaply, the same method is still in use in our modern day. Although the most popular colour has always been blue, I have noticed it is also available in green, pink and brown. The willow pattern has been used to decorate a wide range of items from tea towels, egg cups, soup bowls and everything in-between.
The Willow Pattern itself illustrates a Chinese legend— called The Green Willow. Here is the sorry below I got from Wiki;
‘Once there was a wealthy Mandarin, who had a beautiful daughter (Koong-se). She had fallen in love with her father's humble accounting assistant (Chang), angering her father. (It was inappropriate for them to marry due to their difference in social class.) He dismissed the young man and built a high fence around his house to keep the lovers apart. The Mandarin was planning for his daughter to marry a powerful Duke. The Duke arrived by boat to claim his bride, bearing a box of jewels as a gift. The wedding was to take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree.
On the eve of the daughter's wedding to the Duke, the young accountant, disguised as a servant, slipped into the palace unnoticed. As the lovers escaped with the jewels, the alarm was raised. They ran over a bridge, chased by the Mandarin, whip in hand. They eventually escaped on the Duke's ship to the safety of a secluded island, where they lived happily for years. But one day, the Duke learned of their refuge. Hungry for revenge, he sent soldiers, who captured the lovers and put them to death. The gods, moved by their plight, transformed the lovers into a pair of doves.’
Thoughts And My Ideas:
Here above is my mind map of keywords I relate to the willow and also a mind map of objects I can think of to create. I really want to have a go at using clay so I have thought of some items that would be useful in the home today. After looking and exploring my mind for ideas, I really liked the idea of creating a tea light holder. Candles are very popular and so I want to create something that brings a bit of history of the willow tree to our modern world.
Design Of The Tealight Holder
Here above are some of my object ideas. The one I like the best is the design for the tea light plate. The tea light plate is a whole plate but cut in 4 quatres, On each quatre there will be an indent for a tealight. This item will be designed for a dining table. It can either be a central piece in the table as a whole or you can put the four quarters along a table making 4 separate features. I think it’s a great idea and something that people would actually use. It is an object with has a modern idea to it. Each quatre will be designed with the inspiration on the willow pattern.
Designs And Final Choice
I really like this idea if the tea light plate. I am now going to practice some patterns to get a feel for the design.
I looked at some of the willow plates to inspire me as well as created my own patterns.
The photos above are what I came up with and I instantly fell in love with the idea. On each quarter I will pick out a key part of the story but instead of just painting it on, I will use some of the clay to actually create the objects on to each tealight holder. As the above images show in my designs I have chosen the willow, the bridge with the couple and her father, the home and finally the couple reborn as doves, the two birds.
I love this idea. I am going to stick to the traditional blue and white patterns and decorate each piece and a continued pattern around the rim so that when they are put together they create a whole plate. I think my idea combines the influences of the past willow story with a twist of a modern design to make it a desirable product for today's world. I am now going to begin to make my ceramic idea.
Process Of making The Tea Light Holder
I rolled out the clay and created a plate shape. I used a plate to help me as a guide.
I cut the circle I made in to 4 quatres and used a tea light pressed in to the clay to make an indent where it will be going once finished.
As you can see above I stared on creating the two doves. I was getting a bit worried as you can see in the pictures the clay was drying fast and cracking on some areas of the rim. I did a bit of research and discovered I could keep putting water on it to keep it soft for longer. I also used a clay tool I brought which makes a semi-circle shaped holes in the clay. I used this to help create the border of the tealight holders which will be going around each quatre. The birds were a bit tricky creating their wings and small beaks. I had a smoothing tool which helped me to attach bits together.
For the bridge, tree and the house I discovered with a bit of research that you can use foil in the middle of objects to help build your clay models. Also it helps with a faster drying process as the object is not made entirely out of clay. It was useful to help bend the branches of the willow tree and make it more of a sturdy structure on the base.
Here above are my now finished made tealight holders I love the outcome and I think my idea is working well. I really enjoyed using the clay and I now have to wait till its dry to start painting.
Painting The Design
Here is a video below if me painting a few so you can see my process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwLbK_6GGWU&feature=youtu.be
I have gave my ceramics 2 coats of white paint and one coat of blue paint. I have followed the design from my sketchbook. I am going to give it two more coats of the blue to make it look less streaky and a bolder colour.
I have gave my ceramics 2 coats of white paint and one coat of blue paint. I have followed the design from my sketchbook. I am going to give it two more coats of the blue to make it look less streaky and a bolder colour.
Glazing And Adding Final Details
Once the paint was dry I then used a white Posca pen to add in smaller details on each plate and then used acrylic gloss to add the finished shine to my tealight holder.
I am so happy with the outcome and feel my efforts have exceeded how I thought this was going to go. Each piece looks delicate and has that oriental style to it with the patents which helps portray the willow style.
Finished Outcome
All I needed to do now was test it out for its purpose and take final photos of it to show how it would look on a table.
I didn't realise that this was going to happen but the candles glow was orange and really complimented the blue on the tealight holders. |They look pretty awesome!
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed doing this task and its really opened my eyes up to clay making which I actually really enjoyed . I will be doing more clay objects in the near future with my character designs to experiment if it is something I can incorporate in to my art.
In regards to my Tealight Willow Display I have taken inspiration from the 200 years old pattern and the romantic story. I think my design playfully moves across each of the pieces. When separated it makes the viewer look at it in a different way as an individual piece of art compared to when they are all together telling a story. The love story unfolds across each quatre showcasing the iconic imagery and the tale of the two lovers. The border pattern is across all the pieces, bringing a modern touch to the collection. I feel my tealight holder table feature displays the historic willow pattern yet has a contemporary design, making it relevant for today.
My experience of applying your illustrations to a surface other than paper.
I have enjoyed creating designs based on a pattern that was designed many years ago to make it fit in our modern world. Painting illustrations on to different surfaces other than paper creates a different style and way of working..This is because you have to look at the area of space you have and work with it. A lot of the time it will not be a rectangle like a piece of paper and also the surface texture is different. As I discovered with clay depending on what you are making the area can be bumpy and you have to paint around areas instead of on top of it like paper. I found it very fun to create a 3D product and then paint on to it. As I don't usually paint much I found myself trying to work out how I was going to create certain marks such as the circles that made up the border. For that I used a circular sponge. I dipped it into the blue paint and then dabbed it on across the rim to get the effect I have. I also found some things difficult such as decorating the birds because they are 3D I had to apply the pattern on to them and some areas were quite hard to get at, compare this to a piece of paper which is flat and you can access every area in your illustration design.
What did this opportunity offer you?
This was the first time I have really been able to explore clay properly, I found it to be as fun as using paper (dare I say it!). This is because of its versatility and how you can make anything from it, it's just how I feel with paper that if you put your mind to it you can create whatever you want. The clay I used was made by a brand called Das - Which is a paper clay, so as I see it, it's another way to use paper but in a moulded form. Its great to use as its air drying so you don't have to put it into an oven to cook it. It has been a great opportunity to discover something new that has opened a door which I want to delve into and see what I can create further.
How can you take what you’ve learned back into your paper-based work?
From this exercise I have learnt that I would like to try making patterns via paper and also in illustrations. I like the idea of creating an illustration and then using a border to frame it. It could be interesting to create a series of illustrations with the same border telling a story just like the willow. It’s made me think about mark making and perhaps explore different ways to add extra detail in my work. Finally it had made me realise more about a visual language. A visual language in illustration is key whether it is through marketing, children's books or maps Many on these are usually equipped with writing to tell the story, instruct or promote.
Finally with researching and creating ceramics, it has taught me to think more about the visual language that I am incorporating into my illustrations. It has made me think more about how and what to include depending on the illustration to make sure the viewers understand and it is clear on what I am trying to say and the meaning behind them.
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