Kathryn Annimation Process Blog
by Kathryn Ann Jankowski
There is too much text on this academic poster to sustain the viewer’s attention long enough to read everything; however, it does lay out the important components of my research clearly. The poster highlights what I have done, why I have done it, and how I have accomplished my intentions. It also evaluates the outcomes of my research describes new ideas that evolved out of this process and the direction of my future work.
My MA proposal in short, is to create a stop motion film about the metamorphosis of a bottle cap which depicts an example of my research topic The positive affects of new perspectives which are realized when exposed to different cultures. Based on grounded theory, my research takes a phenomenological approach since my investigation involves the observing of others and forming a theory post observation. Aspects of ethnography are also included in my methodology since the opinions and subjective experiences of the people I draw are included in this research. Other methodologies such as surveys and cross-sectional studies may further inform my research as I move forward on the project.
On this blog, I have posted evidence of a practice-led inquiry which informs my work by testing different approaches. Through reflecting on and analyzing the outcome of these art-making processes I have highlighted possibilities and limitations which form the framework of my MA project.
Some examples of practice-led research include the following:
I have been focused on the process rather than the end result in an effort to streamline the art-making process for best practice; however, the process can not be analyzed without the end product which defines how effective the process was in the first place. This demonstrated that research that is both practice-led and practice-based work well together.
As I worked towards my final project by exploring it’s multiple components (backdrops and 3d characters), I realized that some items might be able to stand a part from the film they will be used in. Having completed these items separately lead to the idea that the final project could be an exhibition of the projected film as well as an installation of the landscape paintings and 3d characters. Although this seems like a good possibility, there are still more things to consider. Placing the puppets in real environments seems to work well and the novelty of the real place could lost when it is recreated in paint. Could landscapes of different places still play into an exhibition to reinforce the concept of different origins and exposure?
One of the current debates in the area of illustration is how to define today’s contemporary Illustrator and what does this really mean?
According to Cherie Federico of Aesthetics magazine the contemporary illustrator has evolved into a multi-skilled individual that grapples with concepts which easily overlap the border between commercial and fine art. Her idea of the traditional illustrator has changed so much since it’s infancy that she goes as far to call this change indicative of a new movement.
“Today’s illustrators go beyond caricature and visual representation to observational statements about current trends and popular culture. Contemporary illustration is a new movement with illustrators drawing influences from graffiti, fashion, computer games and animation. There are fewer boundaries and more friction.” (Federico, 2008)
This quote resonated with me for a few reasons but most importantly because it defined the contemporary illustrator as an artist who can tap into the creative flow of energy that is generated through varied art-making processes. Different approaches could include painting, drawing, sculpting, storyboarding, writing, and animating all of which I thoroughly enjoy and have been developing at different levels simultaneously.
I agree with Federico and believe that a lot of what she is saying is based on the positive consequences of the digital revolution that we are experiencing currently. It’s an exciting time where one does not need to be pigeon holed into a specific skill set and forget about developing skills in other areas that are of interest as well. The multi-skilled creative is sought after and in not just free to have hands in several pots but is encouraged to do so. A decade ago there seemed to be a real scare among illustrators with the oncoming digitization of periodicals and associated materials. The future seemed grim; however, I was pleasantly surprised that currently there actually is a lot more (and seemingly increasing with time) work out there for people who thrive on varied art making approaches.
Above, Salum Kambi starts his demo with a palette knife and black lines that are quickly and skillfully applied to the canvas.
This is the result of the demonstration with lots of acrylic paint and a palette knife.
Kambi, the local artist I visited in early April, started this painting by spritzing the canvas with water. He then chose black paint from his palette which he had previously prepared with a variety of gratuitous globs of acrylic paint. As he slathered on the black paint with a medium sized palette knife he told us his friends like to call hime The Black Line, a nickname he enjoys being called as well since he feels that this black line characterizes his work. I would agree that this gestural yet geometric black line not only defines his work but also provides the framework for the composition as all colours applied after the black line simply follow it’s contour.
Black is usually cautioned against in painting classes in North America because if it is not used well and with skill it can easily ruin an artwork quickly. This is not an issue for Kambi, his loose gestural application with no preliminary sketch, proves he can break all the rules. He also uses a lot of white, you can see how he mixes it in with the other colours on his palette giving them continuity in tint which contrasts well with the black. He is not afraid to let the colours mix as he applies them and does not wait for the layers of paint to dry in between applications.
I started painting following Kambi’s lead by preparing my palette with lots of paint and then applied lots of black with a pallet knife.
You can see the texture that was created by the thick application of colours. I found this approach hard to control, I didn’t like the colours mixing, it was messy and slightly stressful due to the fact that I don’t normally paint in this way. There was too much black for my liking and I felt I had given too much space for what I thought might be the Namib desert. I painted over top of the black with thick applications of white and blue using the palette knife.
Later I stopped using the palette knife all together and searched for brushes, I found some but the bristles were very soft and again I had less control then I was use to. I looked for stiffer bristles and finally found a brush that worked well for me. I used this brush to help create the contour of the land mass and to fix other details.
In the end techniques created by using a combination of painting tools (palette knife, soft bristle wide brush and a small hog’s hair brush) created an aesthetically pleasing effect. It was good to be pushed out of my comfort zone because I ended up with something that looked like mine but with new influences from Kambi. I am happy with the final product, it was a good turnout for an hour of painting with new approaches. This could work for a background in the film. I would have to paint larger though and on a rectangular canvas. In the past I have drawn with ink and painted with acrylics on large rectangular paper and to create backdrops but I really enjoyed the process on painting on stretched canvas at Kambi’s studio. I will probably try this again but bigger.
Kathryn Annimation Process Blog 