Monday, 4 May 2020

Portfolio and Job role research

Looking at the requirements for a vis dev or a bg artist to understand the skills I need and what to show through my portfolio to make me more employable.
Recently discovered that background design, as opposed to character design is an entry level job which is added encouragement. 
Vis dev is a dream job and although it's super competitive there is no harm in pursuing it.

It also meant I included learning Maya and using it for background reference as I'd picked up that it'd be important in a portfolio and generally a useful skill.

Research



I’m collating some of my favourite artists work in this document so that:
  • I can easily refer back to their portfolio links for reference
  • To advise my website in terms of content and layout 
  • Inspiration 
  • To remind myself of the quality that I need to eventually reach (a lot of advice is that we need to show potential that we can reach these studio artists and be about 80% of the way there.
AtomHawk Advice:
This is a website that Rob told me about and it’s sooo helpful in breaking down what a company might want from a portfolio. This has helped me focus on what I need to add to my portfolio. 


YouTube/Skillshare : Notes in previous blog post video

Katie Gasgoyne
Background portfolio should be- fully rendered jpegs. Vis Dev Portfolio- Thought process: development, iterations etc.
Clean and simple, White bg portfolio, large images, Simple UI.

Software I need to know
From looking at example portfolios, and job vacancies 
& according to ScreenSkills: Photoshop, 3D modelling and painting software (Maya etc), 2D animation (TV Paint etc), Traditional media


"Background designers are usually employed as staff in an animation studio, rather than being freelance. ( layout artist decides how the figures should be placed in the background.)
Firstly, they need to make a list of all the backgrounds that need to be designed for the film. They create designs which fit the style of the animation, thinking about colour, texture and light."

Skills: 
Draftsmanship (form, colour, texture, light)
Knowledge of environments (architecture of city and landscape)
Creativity
Communication (with director feedback)
Passion for animation 

Portfolio:
For background, prop or layout roles 
-Plenty of observational drawings, colour studies, perspective studies, landscapes, cityscapes and studies of light

    Sunrise on the Matterhorn study
  •  I have various lists of things that I refer back to if I'm ever forgetful about what I should be working on, including lists of landscape artist to do studies on and collections of their work to study.

 

Vis Dev/ Bg Artist lessons - How to get better

NOTES from classes, portfolio research and books I've read above
Some of the classes I've been checking out below 


Classes - Skillshare and YouTube
-confirmed my focus on backgrounds.
- help me better my work to strengthen my portfolio (an ongoing task).
- I see a huge improvement in my work from 2nd year.
 

Books:
  • Master the Art of Speedpainting - LOVeD this book, so helpful!
  • Colour and Light: A Guide for the Realist painters by James Gurney
  • Digital Painting Techniques Vol 7 Ken Barthelemy
  • How to Draw : Sketching objects and environments from your imagination by S. Robertson and T.Bertling
  • A big book on perspective - I can't remember the name!


--
Schoolism
When I hand in for extended practice I plan on taking a lot more classes to improve but I'm waiting so that I can take the classes full time to make the most of the money I'm spending - this is mainly for Schoolism classes. In particular:
- Painting with Light and Color with Tonko House and Cody Gramstad
- Introduction to Visual Development with Victoria Ying
- Landscape Sketching in Watercolor and Gouache with Nathan Fowkes 



What I definitely need to get better at if I want to be a good candidate for Background artist:
(Vis Dev along the way)
- COLOUR THEORY! Do colour studies
- I want to learn how to properly lay down paint traditionally as I think it'll help me digitally 
- lighting, shadow!
- perspective can always be improved - getting better at Maya will help this!
- Drawing urban areas, architecture as well as landscapes
 I plan to keep on taking classes where I can. The library resources have been invaluable, I'm glad this year I finally took advantage of it!

Covid-19 Lockdown plan

A change in exit plan due to covid-19:
With 'more time' on our hands, my focusses are slightly different considering I like many people don't have either of my jobs to fall back on now :(

-Start a BAME Collective????
- Apply to this online graduate gallery space by Light Grey Art Lab.
- Schoolism & Skillshare will be my saviours- learnt to background paint traditionally to properly understand colour??
- Working on portfolio
- Working on personal projects: series of diversity focussed illustrations
- Start animating again for fun!
- Learning Maya properly if my laptop can take it
-Do more commissions, more freelance work
- See where other crafts take me (embroidery, tapestry etc!)
- Staying in the animation loop e.g. studio news or podcasts like Cartoon Saloon https://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/podcasts/

Shop:
Starting to sell my work -really promoting that
I have a shop in mind, but want to spend more time working on branding when uni is done, plus it'll keep me sane during all this madness.
For now I think the shop will focus on
- a series of illustrations which I want to make into a zine (one focussed on mental health that I've wanted to do for ages)
- prints of my work, illustrations
- small lino prints

I've looked into some printing places etc, it's not with the intention of being anything great, just something fun on the side.

Saturday, 2 May 2020

Sending my essay to journals


Journals
I was really pleasantly surprised with my COP feedback on my essay exploring how representation of race and culture in animation affect society's psyche.
Mike suggested I put it forward to a journal so I've been toying with this idea, waiting to get the confidence. Race representation is somthing I am so passionate about so I would like to atleast give it a go.
I haven't sent them in yet as I'm still waiting on feedback from Dotty but after deadlines hopefully I can throw myself into it with some research at the ready as to where I can send it.

YES

NO