“When eating an elephant take one bite at a time.”
– Creighton Abrams (1914 – 1974)
My work methodology has developed from my work in animation. Years of production pipelines have led me to a systematic approach to solving problems as well as creating art. Because commercial animation is such a complex and labour-intensive art form involving large crews of production artists there is little room for spontaneity. Video game production is even more disciplined. Creating art assets for a game engine involves strict naming protocols and optimization. You can’t just colour, animate, and model freely, every megabite has to be justified and accounted for. Each section has a ‘budget’ and each piece of art has a cost. As a game artist you must always be prioritizing where you are going to spend this budget. The flip side of this kind of work experience is that it has fostered my ability to organize my process into a logical pipeline – it is also the down side. Happy accidents, experimentation, and risk taking are rarely entertained. They disappear in the intensity of the volume and complexity of the task at hand. That said problem solving in both of these production systems is fluid. Continual daily evaluation is unique to each production. Each project has its own set of problems. In my mind problem solving is really the definition of game production – and it was the only thing I liked about that industry. I love figuring things out. Despite what people may feel about the ones and zeros of technology I have also found that problem solving tech is an organic process. You never know where the strands will lead you. I feel this has been the basis of innovation of the tech sector. Silicon Valley start-ups often don’t know what their tech may be used for making them hubs for open thinking and innovation.
My methodological approach to my project involves two connected streams. One is visual experimentation and the other is narrative development. This also includes sequencing and layout of narrative illustration. The goal of my visual development is to create simple visual exercises with no particular narrative in mind so that I can concentrate on the elements of the image. The rationale behind this approach is an attempt to challenge my existing commercial production work methodologies by approaching illustration in a more open, less representational way. By breaking images down to their basics, I can create a fresh foundation for image creation. This also allows me to consider how these elements can inform the desired narrative I chose to tell.
As I create these images I am working hard to be more mindful in my creation. Pausing to consider if the direction I am taking is the right one for the objective I have set myself. The latest example of this is gesture study I did of a Henry Moore statue. In the past I would slavishly render the image to look as ‘real’ as possible but with the objective of exploring gesture, I tried to just look at the flow of the figure. When I came to the tonal work I fell back on my old favourite the charcoal pencil. But I stopped, reworked it and tried to find a tool where I could make the tone gestural as well. Seems like an obvious decision but like most of these mini breakthroughs they only come when I am thinking before I draw. Drawing is a fine balance between conscious purpose and meditation for me.
With regards to narrative development, I will be gathering three potential stories and then examining the possible visual approach to one. This examination will first look at the basic structure of the narrative. Then I will consider the beats of the story. This visual exploration fits into idea generation rather than any fixed outcome. I really just want to start feeling what it might be like to visualize one of these narratives with multiple images.
My research methodology is categorized as follows:
NARRATIVE APPROACH– all things related to written and visual story structures and techniques.
STORY – this is my story archive all the possible candidates for the final six to ten ‘hero’ stories I will be working with. This will also contain research on my focus groups and their outcomes.
IMAGE MAKING – this is all things related to creating the visuals. Research on techniques, methodologies and tech research in to VR and AR.
ADDITIONAL – these are areas of research and study that may not fall into the main themes. They include case studies, picture reference and general areas of creative process.
PICTURE REFERENCE – will be broken down in to the sub categories
COLOUR
PATTERN
GESTURE
CHARACTER/FIGURE
SEQUENCE/LAYOUT
These subsets mirror the post themes for my reflective blog as well as the galleries I have already started on Pinterest.
Each topic is assigned a colour. Colour coding gives me a quick visual and allows me to scan and organize my growing research sources. I created a key word tree that mapped out possible threads from each of these main areas. As a visual learner with a tendency towards over analysis, these diagrams and maps help me organize my thoughts and lay the foundation my next steps.
Because many of the module activities are interconnected I tend to work in a fairly non- linear way. Using multiple informal notation documents that I can copy and paste from one activity document to the next. I use my notebook to write notes as I read as well as a hi-lighter that allows me to return to reference later and go straight to the meat of the important information. I use my iPad for image creation as well as small physical sketchbook. I draw at the end of the day or in down time when I my energy is low for writing. I use my phone for documenting exhibitions and everything gets uploaded to dropbox which allows me to access this material from any device and any location. I have been adding to my key resource list as I work my way through the activities.
Simple Wiki Quote (2009)[Online] Available at: https://simple.wikiquote.org/wiki/Creighton_Abrams (Accessed 17 December 2018)