ILUS 400- final summation of work

All The Finals.. ALL OF THEM
[warning- large file is large.  'compression' on a Mac seems to be nonsense]

originally my plan was to include a fully inked and lettered page of the comic as my final, but time and a recent inflammation in my arm will not allow that.  so i'm including all of the pages as they stand now, all penciled to some degree of completion, along with the first draft of the manuscript i wrote to accompany the pages.  i can't help feel a little disappointed with how this all went down, but i'm trying to look at the bright side of it...

the grad panel review provided me with some much needed direction to help aid the completion of this project- mainly to use my time back home to gather environmental references- photos, palette formation, audio recording- to incorporate and lend to the authenticity of my work as being physically set in the Bahamas.  i hope to gather enough material so that i can actually do BACKGROUNDS in my work *gasp*.  it's funny how much it shows that i haven't been home in a year.  clearly, going off of memory can only carry me so far.

either way, my arm and i are glad that this ordeal is over and done with.  i can only hope that my efforts bear promising results.

Self-Assessment Essay- ILUS 400

so i know that this is supposed to be a simple, one-paragraph write up detailing my experience and time in ECU's very first Illustration Senior Studio course.  but honestly, keeping everything to one paragraph is pointless.  there's a lot that has to be said.  so you've been warned- this will be a bit of a ramble.

being in college classes for the past 5 years between two colleges, i've been used to juggling the usual barrage of assignments, from several classes.  yes, it was a chore, and yes i often complained that such pressure to complete these assignments [most of the time nowhere NEAR applicable to my interests in the case of the College of the Bahamas], were detrimental to my own creative practice and thoroughly killing the urge to create something of my own.  heck, i had the worst, longest-lasting artists' block thanks to the hell-on-earth that was my 3 long years at COB.  soooo naturally, the prospect of having graduation classes SOLELY devoted to creating MY art became the most perfect of morsels i would savour at a distance.  i had the perfect idea for the project i wanted to embark on, and i wish i was kidding when i assert that most of my summer was spent in preparation for the class.  talking to past students, researching material, planning and planning and PLANNING AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!

...yes, i was eager.  could you blame me?

but there's something sooo different about hearing about another person's experience, and actually sitting through 14 weeks of the class that you thought would be a cakewalk.

well.. it wasn't quite a cakewalk.

i faced a lot of self-discouragement, opportunities to procrastinate [which i took more times than i care to admit].  my prized project very nearly became something that i didn't want it to become- a decoration on the wall of half-assed attempts to make a dream come true.  developing a crippling case of tendinitis at the end of the year felt like the final nail in the coffin.

but despite all the physical and metaphorical pain i brought upon myself this semester, i was able to find a dimension in my project [exploring the concept of identity] that i had never considered as a 10th grader in highschool, and latch on to it.  everyone in the class has been wonderfully supportive and receptive to the ideas i was trying to present.  if nothing else, my classmates have helped give me the confidence that i'm not stabbing aimlessly in the dark at some abstract concepts.  justin's insightful commentary while showing him my processes showed me that i have a habit of being a perfectionist when it comes to concept and harping more on that, than actually hurting my head on the artwork that should support and augment my ideas... a hard feat to accomplish when you've messed up your right arm drawing too much, mind you, but one i've learnt to take to heart [hopefully not too late, of course].

well, back to drawing and hopefully not killing my arm in the process!

Process Sketchbook Link

Click here for link to process work for ILUS 400

Wanted Poster Update

so i think i'm just about done with this one?  toned down the original color pallatte and worked more on details.    i still have some cleaning up to do [with the water in particular], but i'm loving how this is turning out.

time to start Sharifa's!

ILUS 400- Concept Illustration Idea?

more after the jump...

ILUS 400- Flagettes Cover Page [update]

update!

so i'm slowly regaining use of my arm again.  which is good- i don't want this thing developing into something worse.
this is a slight update from the second concept cover that i posted earlier.  i decided to simply the 'WANTED' poster idea from one long poster to three large ones that should get the point across that the Flagettes are not welcomed.  i imagine that i'll render the posters a little more worn and weathered, probably with graffiti over it to tie it back to my typology assignment.
how i'll finish the project is still of some concern, since i'm not quite in the clear with my arm- not to mention a concept illustration and a page's worth of panels are still needed to complete this.  we'll see as the end of the semester draws ever closer.

Long Road Ahead.. but hey, updates!

so this last end of the semester hasn't exactly been to kind to me.  injury after injury, mishap after mishap- not exactly getting a break.  even worse when it's your drawing arm that's to blame for most of your pain and woe- i got an official diagnosis last week of mild tendinitis- but it still hurts like a bitch to draw or use the computers.
i'm slowly working it out though- yesterday i was able to [slowly] churn out two cover mock-ups for my grad project.  they're really basic b/c that's all i can manage right now, but i like them.

concept one: more story oriented.  ties into final storytelling assignment

this forst one is based off a storyline i'm working on in my HUMN 312 class- Sharifa [The Flagette of Strength] accidentally stumbles upon a black militant group that has been brainwashing girls with 'non-natural' hair into cutting their locks and submitting to their army.  her teammates Sanchala [The Flagette of the Sea] and Sorcha [The Flagette of the Sun] have stormed into the groups hideout just in time to see a defeated Sharifa about to get her hair cut-off by the militant group's leader.

concept two: more overall 'message' oriented

this one is a lot easier to read- i got inspiration form various old comic book covers, and it's closely tied into my first disastrous attempt at a cover.  it shows the trio walking past a 'Wanted' poster about The Flagettes- trying to remain inconspicuous, but still otherwise agitated that despite the good they do, they're still wanted like common thugs.

i have a larger concept illustration in mind for both covers, but i think that only the first one is going to be properly developed [since i am working on actual panels and pages for that class' assignment].  here's hoping i find a way to complete them all in time.

ILUS 400 Deadline assignment

will add commentary when i get home/when my arm stops aching so much- whichever comes first.


what ended up coming first was me falling and landing on my back on the way home... oh the joy.
so anyway, this was a tiny, frustrating [that word's specifically for justin :) ] assignment that had to be completed in the timeframe of the class period [so essentially 6, 7 hours?]

my tailor-made assignment was interesting to tackle- a business card-sized, two-colored editorial illustration celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 'creation' of the vitamin.  yea, you read that correctly.  thanks to this assignment i will never have a multivitamin again.

for the most par i'm not happy with this- the color was added last sans tablet, with barely 20mins before the technical deadline of 7pm to upload our finished work.  i'll probably go back to this and make the coloring not as shitty.  but i am pleased with my treatment of Casimir Funk [the guy in the image, namer of said 'vitamin']

Speculation Exercise: The Drive Behind The Rogue/The Flagettes

old character design is old!

I’ve grown up in an island archipelago nation where certain behaviours, characteristics and morals are expected of you in order to be considered ‘normal’.   Anything that differed from these set ideals- from your heritage and beliefs, to your sexuality and your status in life- you are often chastised, ridiculed, mocked and sometimes even attacked as not a “true-true Bahamian”.  In order to survive, one is often forced to hiding aspects of their true selves in order to blend in to society.

Therefore I believe that it’s important for the country of my birth to be confronted with the idea that more than just the ‘average’ exists within our populace, and that we as a society should stop ostracizing these persons for their differences- even [and especially] if the things that make us different is beyond our grasp of understanding- and instead concentrate on what truly unifies us as a people, and a nation.


The superhero genre- the tales of gifted individuals who combat their society's ills behind a mask to conceal their identities for protection- fits in perfectly with the identity struggle that I'm largely trying to tackle through the story of The Flagettes- especially when the reader is presented with a society that is not the metropolitan capitals of the Western world, but instead a 3rd world country- where 'different' is hardly ever welcomed with open arms.  The Flagettes will face opposition from all sides- from the criminal underbelly to the powerful people that don't want them there- simply because of their identity and what they represent.  Likewise, the girls behind The Flagettes will face similar challenges because of who they are and what they represent to the society of the Bahamas.

It's their journey- their struggle to understand their own identities both with and without the mask- that I want to explore.  And maybe if I do it right, I can make a difference in how people see their countrymen, despite their differences.

Typology Part 2: I'm Still Bahamian

"half-hyshun"

"paper"

"sissy"

The following was part 2 of my research, but this was brewing in my head for a while.  Words are often used to beat down and abuse persons just because.  And in the Bahamas, the labels used to describe those who are different are used by everyone in a degrading manner- by school children, 'boys' on the block, women in the office.  Hell, even our politicians throw these harmful words around and everyone laughs because it's considered okay.  The people who they are hurting with these words are part of an immoral, deviant minority.  Hurting them doesn't matter.

So it was important for me to give the Flagettes that as their source of conflict- both with and without the mask.  I decided to take my experiment a step further and covertly search for the phrases or words that were used to target people like them.  I then chose to weave the single word or phrase over and over again into the image of the Bahamian flag- because at the bottom line, the girls- like many others who are labelled like them- are still Bahamian.  A fact that is sometimes forgotten by many.

Typology Exercise Part 1- The Average Bahamian

Our first assignment for my Senior Studio Class was to embark upon a visual exploration via a diptych or typology.  I've elected to tackle both simultaneously, and use it as a springboard into not only launching The Flagettes as my project, but also introducing the complex country of my origins, the Bahamas.  as the physical setting of the comic, it's important that i find a way to explore the archipelago from two very distinct vantage points: one as a citizen looking critically at her countrymen, and as an ambassador for everyone else who's never set foot in the country [and probably never will].

Since a key point of conflict with the girls is their own identity versus the identity of the 'average' Bahamian populace, I thought that this was a good starting point.  Visiting the various Bahamian political forums that I frequent on Facebook [it's one of the quickest ways of being up-to-date with the daily news], I asked the members- all Bahamians- to describe the average Bahamian in one word or phrase.  None of the words came from myself [although I agree with nearly all of the words that came back], and I opted to leave the words unedited [as I feel that the mark of a 'true true Bahamian is their bad grammar XD].  The words and phrases I got in response were then assembled into a graphic with the Bahamian flag super-imposed on the words- the words themselves now becoming the fabric that makes up the flag.

Most of the words were exceptionally negative- this is a given for various reasons: the state of the country has certainly been more optimistic, we're on the precipice of the Silly Season [national elections-time] and it's always easier to pick out one's shortcomings than one's triumphs of character.

I feel that because of these words that my fellow Bahamians have opted to use in order to honestly describe themselves, characters like the Flagettes are needed- persons who can lift the spirits of a pessimistic nation and bind them closer together- much as other superheroes like Spider Man and Superman have done in the Marvel/DC comics respectively.

But as my next section of research will  show, that doesn't mean they'll be welcomed with open arms. 

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Ignore this folks, just testing the mobile blogging

first day...

...and i'm already STOKED for what's to come.

i had a really awesome yet stressful summer thanks to the three classes i took straight through [two B+'s and an A-, bitches!], so i was honestly really surprised that i reacted so strongly to seeing the throng of students  bustling around emily carr.  it was chaotic and crowded... and felt like home.  it makes the knowledge that this is going to be my final year in school a little sad.

anyway!  enough doom and gloom.  I GET A STUDIO SPACE!

i'll post pics of it later.  the actual space hasn't been fully set up yet, since it is technically shared space with the drawing students.  but it's awesome to know that there's a dedicated working space for us.

but now, it's rest time.  class again on thursday!

[oh yea!  i got $7500 from the Bahamian Government in the form of a National Grant!  how awesome is that?]

HOLYCRAPHOLYCRAPHOLYCRAAAAAAAAP

SO!  remember how i drew the Flagettes last month?

i've been slowly working on other things, but the girls haven't been out of my mind completely.  just needed the proverbial kick in the seat to actually start writing out the storyline for my grad project.

well, i got that kick in the seat this evening thank to mum.  she sent me this photo of my girls in the art section of this newly-launched paper in the Bahamas called "Arise", specifically targeted to children and teens.

that's them in the top-right corner!!!

so yea, i'm stoked.  this paper might just be the best way to push the Flagettes to a perfect target audience.  as well as the perfect networking opportunity for the rest of my artistic endeavours.  but still, how amazing is it to see my work in print!!

The Flagettes and Summer

So the first thing I actually 'drew' this summer was for a mini-exhibition back home entitled 'Bahamian Superheroes/Supervillains'.  While initially the idea to craft a supervillian seemed way too good to pass up, I saw this as a good opportunity to draw my OCs for my graphic novel [and soon to be grad project!] the Flagettes.  Haven't drawn them in months, so I figured this was a good enough time as any.

Beyond that, I've been neck-deep in schoolwork aplenty.  Started a new class today actually.  Surrealism is nowhere close to being my interest anymore [funny how things like that evolve, right?] but that's what the class is essentially about, so *shrugs*

I gots a new phone the other day too- with a KEYBOARD.  Shocking, I know.  So I'm going to see if I can be a little more on top of updates.  No promises though- obviously my brain isn't able to remember such promises lol

Neo-Burlesque Fundraising...

So as some of you all may know, I'm also an alternative model with Morrismore Models in Vancouver.  I may not be as familiar with all the girls that are represented, but I like what the group represents- strong, confident women who defy the fashion worlds norm and are damn proud of it.  Last Saturday was our 1st birthday, so we celebrated with these stunning Night Portraits by a local photographer, hung up in a restaurant for the entire month of May.

I did my shoot with 2 other girls I hadn't met before- both were incredibly sweet to me, and I was happy to be around them.  So it made me really sad to find out that a day later, one of them lost everything they owned to a fire.

I can't do much in the way of donating clothes or money to her- I'm just a poor art student- BUT I know that I can put my talents to good use and help raise a couple of bucks to give to her.  Plus it's good incentive to do something I love for a profit.  I'm thinking on combining my new-found love of pin up girls and the Neo Burlesque scene to put something together.  If I work smart and keep up with my readings [I've got a SHIT-TON with these two classes I'm starting this week], I can get a good variety of work up by the end of the week.

Another semester done at ECU

..and this one is a biggie, because I'm now 3 classes away from starting what will be my final year at Emily Carr [that will be rectified throughout the summer with the 3 classes i'll be taking]

it's an entirely frightening prospect to consider, since i've barely been in Vancouver for a year, and now i have to consider things like finding a job, finding a job WITHIN MY INDUSTRY, whether or not i'll be doing what i love or will i end up working at a fast food joint in the Bahamas trying to rub two pennies together like everyone else with broken dreams O_O

but for now i have one week to see friends off to their respective homelands, hope for sunshine-filled days, relax each night and take deep breaths.  september is still a ways away, right?

UGH

so life made me forget i even had this blog... oops.

what's been happening recently? well..

1. i turned 22 on the 22nd of February and had the most awesome birthday evar.
2. schoolwork is slowly claiming my life
3. DECKshow by the Illustration club is happening soon [April 1st, if I recall..]
4. co-curating a mini-exhibition for ANIM 205

...yea, think that's it- pardon me while i go and bury myself in a ditch to die of fatigue. kthnxbai

ANIM 205: Mistress Benevolin

so for ANIM 205, we had to create a character model sheet for an original character.  this is the type of work i enjoy doing, but for the first time i couldn't figure out what i wanted to do.  eventually i settled on an old OC that i had in my head from my highschool days... i think it'll be interesting to show a style progression here.

first drawing.... i was 13, 14 years old maybe?

a bit of a style evolution here... i was 19 here

and this is my current re-design and final project!

i was even able to put this piece up for the Illustration Club's inaugural show during the 2nd week in February [more on those pictures later]

Process: Spirit of Junkanoo Diptych

Just a preview of my two paintings for my Iconography class for Thursday.  Tonight's gonna be a LONG ass night..

Also, I have a Twitter!  follow me on @art_rogue for extra little tidbits i may decide to throw up there.

Second week of classes beginning...

...and I have to remind myself AGAIN that morning classes require food in the morning and a full night of sleep beforehand- and I ALWAYS forget both!  especially the food bit T_T

but at least this class is fun!

it's ANIM 205- Intro to Drawing for Animation.  I picked this because regular figure drawing sessions bore the shit out of me, especially when it's not in a structured class setting.  I get the advantages of studying the human figure [especially considering the incredibly terrible job COB did in attempting to teach this course in early '07], but DAMN...

Anyway.  So this course isn't figure drawing in it's strictest sense.  I need to be able to create expressive, dynamic figures for my own work, so I figure that this class would help me do that.  And so far, the results are incredibly promising.  I've never done so many figures before [12  pages worth, hotdamn], and I've never been more pleased with the results so quickly.  Here's half of the set below- the tough part is that now I have to decide which 4 of my 12 pages are the ones I wanna show off for critique next week!

Happy New Year! And ILUS 303 stuff

Hope that your new year was as good as mine- it was the first one I actually got to spend with my man, so that automatically bumped it up several notches <3

So I'm back in Vancouver [rain and cold, you know, the norm], and back into the swing of things with Emily Carr.  But before I can share with you guys just what I'm up to now, I still have one more class to share- ILUS 303, Illustrating for Literature

My teacher for this class was Guin Thompson [who's married to my ILUS 300 instructor Durwin!], and she's done both book illustrations and comics.  It was a really awesome class, probably my favorite of that entire semester.

I can only show you 3 out of my 4 assignments, though- the last assignment was a full 32 page storybook, and I think the effect would be lost if I didn't present it in the proper way.  I will however, show the cover page and full color spread from the book.

Assignment 1: The Execution of Katherine Howard
[Topic: Illustrate a line/verse from a nursery rhyme.  I chose verse 6 of "Bluff King Hal"]

Assignment 2: High Concept Illustration
[For short story "Gaulin Child" by Helen Klonaris]

Assignment 2: Spot Illustration
[Also from Helen Klonaris' short story]

Assignment 3: Book Cover Redesign
[I chose Philippa Gregory's 'The Red Queen' ]

Full size of the Book Cover, including spine and back cover

Assignment 4: Storybook
[the title page]

Assignment 4: Storybook
[full color spread]

As you can tell, I was running with a theme in this class- either English royalty or the macabre.  Oftentimes both!!