SB2 - The Illustrated Self - CREATING A MOCK-UP

FURTHERING MEDIA EXPERIMENTATION

Having carried out experimentation with 3D building blocks, I am now working through 3D exploration of the book motif, developing it from my initial collages into a construct that is tangible and engages visually with the narrative. My plan for this part of my development work was to create a basic book form and just explore how paper and card shapes can interact with the pages to create an image of 'bursting ideas'. Working with bluetac, I have been able to exhaust possible compositions without having to render a finished image, which in turn has enabled me to further the content of my roughs as I have explored how shapes can operate the negative space in the picture area.

BOOK BINDING

Employing a process I learnt on foundation, I have chosen to construct a real book, hand-bound to maintain my concern with craft. Taking the pamphlet stitch approach, I made a simple 6 page book with graph paper pages and a card cover. Working on a micro scale with fairly thin stock, I was able to complete this process at home with knowledge from a previous workshop. Lots of measuring and trimming was needed to achieve a clean, crisp outcome, but I feel I achieved this and have created an outcome that is realistic and sophisticated. I think working with a real book as opposed to an illusion of folded paper, my image is able to achieve a more refined and sophisticated aesthetic, driving my professional practice.

The process of creating a mock-up also required consideration of shape and mark so I carried out some basic experimentation in my sketchbook which fed into an exhaustive session of cut-paper fun.

Having created the central book form and surrounding shapes, I worked with a DSLR and some bluetac to capture many potential compositions, considering line of sight, direction of energy, interplay of elements and occupation of negative space. The process of creating a mock-up has really helped to drive my exploration of all the components of my image, as well as providing a practice run  for the my more technical elements.