Advanced After Effects: Working with 3D Cameras

In our second Advanced after Effects induction things got really exciting, as we were introduced to 3D cameras. I really enjoyed this session and I found it really useful, as it has given me skills that I can use in my most recent project and for future projects. Having said that, the session was very packed and there was a lot to go through, but I managed to keep up and I am really pleased with how quickly I picked up on how to use the tools.

To start with we obviously had to turn our assets into 3D layers and this was really easy to do (literally it just involves pressing a button). From there we experimented with zooming in on our assets to see how the layers were separated and to get a feel for how they worked and how they appeared when you moved through the space. Once we were all comfortable with how the assets moved we introduced a 3D camera, which again was very simple to do. Similarly to how you create a normal animation in After Effects, the 3D camera can be used in the exact same way, which made it simple to get to grips with. I then went on to experiment with adding lights and parenting them to the camera. I learned that there are a number of different lights and that each light works differently to the last. And finally, I experimented with changing the blur and focus on the camera to strengthen that feeling of being in a 3D space. Overall, I really enjoyed learning how to use 3D cameras and I feel that it will be extremely beneficial to me in the near future.

To end the day we were given our boat compositions to create a simple, 3D animation from. I am really pleased with he overall outcome of this task. I was able to move the camera through the separate layers and back again and I was able to create a strong blur and adjust the focus to make the boat the main focus of the animation. I really liked that I was able to do this and I feel that I have made good progress with After Effects overall. 

Advanced After Effects: Working with Masks and Adjustment Layers

In this After Effects we re-capped how to use the program and also moved onto using masks and adjustment layers to create different effects. I'm actually glad we got the chance to re-cap the basics because, although I know how to use After Effects for animating, I can't say I've used the program for much since our last tutorial. First we were shown a very simple tutorial on how the masks and adjustment layers were used and then we were given our old friend the boat composition to work with and once we had it animated we were shown how to apply a mask and an adjustment layer to the composition and place effects within the composition.

Okay, so I didn't necessarily get this down straight away and I must admit I was getting really frustrated because I just couldn't get it to work as well as every one else. But I stuck to it and managed to create this by the end of the session. It's not the greatest I know, but I did manage to get a mask and an adjustment layer on there. Although I managed to use these tools, I think I need to practice a little more with them, as they may come in handy for future projects.

As a quick little add on at the end Mike decided to show us a new expression that we could use to make our object/ asset move randomly to make it look more natural if we ever needed to do this. I managed to do this task with a lot less hassle and I found it extremely easy. I'm not sure when I'd use this expression but it may come in handy at some point, either way it's still useful to know. 

Applied Animation: Maya

In this week's Maya session we looked at a range of ways to use the program to animate 3D objects. I found the tasks given throughout this session quite simple and easy to follow at first, but I must admit they did become a lot more difficult towards the end of the day, as there was a lot more to it than just clicking buttons and assigning key frames to objects. BUT I am determined to give it another shot on my own to complete the tasks I was given and to keep the process of how to use the program in my mind, because Maya can be a difficult one to use if you don't keep practicing.

The first task we did was extremely easy in my opinion and I found the whole process of using Maya to animate very simple and quick. Yes this opinion did change throughout the day, but that is expected when the level of difficulty of the task increases. 

So once we had got the hang of creating a pendulum in Maya it was time to move on to using the software to create more elaborate animation and to begin introducing some of the 12 principles of animation. We started with overlapping action. This task was considerably harder than the first, as there was a lot more to it than just assigning key frames, but I feel that I picked it up quite quickly and was able to follow Matt's instructions quite well. However, I did struggle with the graph editor at first, as I was getting confused about which mouse buttons to click, but after some practice I managed to get the hang of it eventually.

After getting the hang of using the programme for animation, we were given the task of creating a simple bouncing ball sequence that contained two different balls made of different materials. I found this task a lot more difficult than the previous two, as there was a lot more thought and consideration that needed to go into the movement of the objects.

Example of Graph Editor

Again, I struggled with the graph editor and I find it really difficult to use and to get it how I want it to move, but after sticking to it I managed to create a movement I was happy with. I feel that my green 'squishy' ball moves a lot better than my red ball and I feel that the overall animation of the green ball works better overall.

I then moved onto creating motion paths, on which I could make an object move without the need to animate it frame by frame. For this I used the truck I had made in the previous Maya session. I found this task a lot easier than the bouncing ball task, as it was pretty straight forward to get my head around. However, I did really struggle with getting my object to move around the motion path on the correct point and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get my truck to face forwards rather than travel along the motion path on its side. This obviously would have been a lot easier if I could remember what Mat had told us to do but I didn't, which made the task a lot more difficult than it should have been. It was just as simple as fiddling with the up twist on the curve I had previously drawn. The same technique can be used to create moving text too.

Finally I learnt how to create a turntable, which was as simple as pressing two buttons so there isn't really much I can say about it. 

Overall, I feel that I have learnt a lot of useful skills this session that have given me the basic building blocks to use Maya as a programme for animation if I wanted to. I have really enjoyed learning how to use the programme and I am confident that I will be able to develop my skills within the programme if I want to.

Applied Animation: Final Character Design - Death

Now that I have got an idea for my final cloak design and I also know what colour and texture I want to use, I was able to create the character sheets for my final 'Death' design. I am really pleased with the final outcome of my character and actually making myself go through the stages of designing a character properly has made me realise how useful it is go through this process, as it allows room for experimentation and refinement. Although it was quite a small part of the overall project, I feel that I have learnt quite a bit about idea development and refinement through this process and it is something that I will definitely use throughout the rest of this project and in future projects. 

Whilst I was putting all of my final ideas together to create my final character design, I realised that I hadn't actually completed the design for the characters head (oops!), which obviously made it difficult to actually complete the design. So I went back and coloured the head of the character in and added the details that are described in the book, which aren't a lot. In the book however, the character has one main characteristic that I had to get right, which was his shining blue eyes. So I focused upon getting these right before I moved on to completing the design. 

Final Head Design

Final Cloak Design

Final Character Design

I feel that this is a really successful design for the character Death that will be the main focus within my titles sequence. I feel that it reflects the book really well and I feel that I will be able to work well with the design when I come to animate it. However, because of the cloak I will need to collect some references videos to work from and possibly some videos that I can rotoscope from if I decide that this is the route I want to take. 

Applied Animation: Experimenting with Textures

Before I moved on to create my final cloak design, my tutor suggested that I attempt to create a displacement map in order to add texture to my cloak to make it look less 'Scooby-Doo'. This was something I was actually looking forward to experimenting with, as it would allow me to make the cloak look less flat and more realistic than if I left it with the basic block colours I had originally used to colour in my cloak.

But, as you can imagine, it wasn't all that easy to achieve. Creating the displacement map was actually very easy and the whole process itself was quite easy and I had no problem with it at all. However, I did have a problem with keeping the texture within the confines of my cloak. When I displaced the image, the texture was applying itself to inside and the outside of the cloak, making the edge of the cloak all fuzzy and patchy, which isn't what I wanted. At first I thought I'd done it wrong and attempted to do it another 2 times before I began to think that it was the texture I was using. To double check this I changed the texture I was using and created a new displacement map. However, this still didn't solve my problem and I ended up with a load of cloaks with fuzzy, patchy outlines to them.

So, after talking to my tutor about it and going through my process (just to make sure I was actually doing it right) and having the same result, yet again, my tutor suggested that I simply cut the same shape as my cloak out of my chosen texture and then apply an overlap to the texture, as this would create a similar effect to the displacement map, but without the fuzzy edges. 

This created the effect that I wanted and I was really pleased with the overall outcome. I never did find out why the displacement map wasn't working and I feel that I should, at some point, try to figure it out, as it may come in use for other elements of this/ future projects. 

Applied Animation: Character Concepts - Death

Creating character sheets is something that I have never really done properly, which sounds ridiculous since I do animation. However, I've never really placed this much thought into my character deign before, but it's safe to say that I actually really enjoyed it, as it meant that I now have a few ideas to work from. It also allows me to create a character I am happy with 100% rather than having a character I have simply 'settled' for.

Because I am new to this, I decided to start off by creating a base template that I could work over to create my different designs. And to make it easier, I rotoscoped over images of a skull and skeleton so I didn't end up spending ages on trying to get it right. Rotoscoping is yet another technique that I am new to, which I found quite easy to do and it may be something I look into doing when I come to animate my animation to reduce the work load and to make it slightly easier for myself. 

To start with I chose a design that I thought at first was quite simple, but this would change when I came to create more designers. I wanted to create a big, loose fitting cloak that was usually seen on the typical grim reaper character. However, I also wanted it to be my own. I was really pleased with my first design and because of old habits I was willing to settle for this design, but I pushed myself to create a few more, to see if I could create something that I liked better. At this point I was also thinking about the colour of the skeleton and possible colours for the cloak.

This led me to create a simpler design that was similar to the first one and it was here that I realised the first design would be difficult to animate, as there'd be a lot of overlapping action to consider and it would make it very difficult to do. Although I had made this design simpler I wasn't 100% happy with the design and I felt that it was lacking in some way but I couldn't say why or how, it just wasn't what I was looking for, it didn't create enough mystery or go with the mood and tone I pictured for the animation. So I continued to design cloaks.

After my third attempt I finally came up with a design that I felt I was happy with. I really like how the cloak creates a sense of mystery with the hood creating shadow over the face. I also like the simple design, as this will make it easier to animate However, there will still be elements of overlapping, which is something I am going to have to experiment with, as I'm not very familiar with the principle and I feel that I will need some practice with it. Although I am very pleased with this design I do feel that it needs some tweaking and after asking a few of my peers what they thought of the design, I decided that I am going to add the sleeves from the first design to this design and I will use this as my final design for the cloak. 

Once I have finally created my cloak design I decided to begin experimenting with colours for the character. I'd already begun to think about this when I created the first design sheet, but I needed to go back and select the colours I thought matched the description of the character the best, as I was creating this character based on the description taken from the book. This led me to focus on yellowed-whites and aged colours such as beige and even brown. From the colours I had sampled on the first design sheet I chose the base colours that I liked the most and began with those. I then used different shades of the base colours to create tone and shade within the final drawings. Because the character will always be under his cloak, I don't feel that I need to focus too much on these colours and because I'm happy with this experimentation I think it will be okay to leave it at this and use this colour scheme for my animation.

Visual Language: Reflection

Reflecting upon my experiences throughout this module, I feel that I have made a lot of progress throughout, and I feel as though I have been challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone to my own benefit. This module has provided me with the opportunity to develop myself as an artist and an animator in ways that I never would have considered and I feel that I have achieved a great deal throughout this module.

The thing I feel I have improved upon the most throughout this module is my ability to draw what I see. Throughout every task set within the brief, I feel that I have developed my ability to perceive what I have been observing in new ways. For instance, rather than just seeing a bird, or a wall, or a leg I also see the many different lines, shapes and colours within those things too. This in turn has helped me to improve greatly on my observational drawings.

One thing in particular I feel that I have improved on is my life drawing skills. This was a task I thoroughly enjoyed, and I feel that it has allowed me to explore and develop my drawing skills greatly. I have noticed that my lines have become more confident as I have moved through this task and I have become more confident in exploring and experimenting with new materials. I have also learnt not to dwell too long on the smaller details within a drawing, but more to focus on the bigger picture and capturing the essence of the movement or body shape I am trying to capture in front of me. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t need to continue to develop my drawing skills and I feel that there is still plenty of room for improvement in all areas of drawing for me. I will continue to develop my drawing skills throughout the Applied Animation brief through my personal visual language sketchbook, as it has proven to be beneficial to me so far.

Although this module has encouraged me to explore and experiment with new materials, I do feel that this is also my weakest point within this module. The main problem I had with this was that I was lacking the confidence to experiment with new materials, as I didn’t want to create work I didn’t like, as I felt that it would have brought my confidence in my own skills down. However, after completing this module I am disappointed that I didn’t push myself to experiment with a wider range of materials and it has encouraged me to start doing so throughout personal work, such as my visual language sketchbook. 

Overall, this project has taught me a lot about myself as an artist and has opened my eyes to my own lack of confidence in myself, which I am really pleased about because it gives me the opportunity to push myself to be more adventurous with my materials and techniques. It has also given me an insight into which areas of drawing I need to focus on in order to improve on my skills further.

Visual Language: Colour Theory

Over the span of two lectures, we were taught the many different aspects that make up colour theory. I found both lectures really interesting and extremely beneficial, as we managed to go into depth in such a short amount of time. During these lectures we explored the notion that colour is simply a concept not a fact, through exploring colour wheels, colour modes and chromatic values. We were reminded that we see colour because the light is reflecting off the cones in our eyes, and that we see the sky as blue simply because that is how the light is reflecting. This also means that colour isn't perceived the same by any two people.

So how do we actually know that a colour is what we say it is?
For instance, how do we know that this apple is red?

According to colour theory, we can safely say that this apple is red, but not because 'red' is an actual physical thing, but because the apple is the reddest thing on this page. However, when we start to place other hues, shades, tones and tints of red next to this apple, like so...

... we see that the apple is now a deeper shade of red than what we first perceived it as. And this goes for every colour out there. Sticking to the dimensions of colour we start to focus on how colour is a 3 dimensional concept, as it is in fact created out of many different values (chromatic values) such as, hue, saturation and tone. Through these values, it allows us to create a colour system in which each tone, hue and saturation of colour is coded in a specific way, allowing us to use the exact same colour as someone else despite the fact that we perceive it in a different way.

But it doesn't stop there. There are 7 types of subjective colour and they revolve around colour and contrast. For instance contrast of tone in formed by the juxtaposition of both light and dark values, just as hue is formed by the juxtaposition of different hues, the greater the distance between hues on the colour wheel the greater the contrast and so on.

So, it turns out that colour theory is a lot more important than we ever thought. Choosing the right colours could be extremely beneficial to a piece of work and can have a significant effect on the mood, tone and overall message of the thing being coloured. It's important to remember that there is a lot more to colour than just a single defining word such as red and these lectures have taught me that I should pay closer attention to colours when I am creating a piece of work that contains any colours at all.

Visual Language: Glen Keane's Duet

For a start, Duet by Glen Keane is a beautiful animation that was a breathe of fresh air to my eyes. I think that the animation has a wonderful aesthetic and it is beautifully put together. But this isn't why I have chosen to look at this animation this time because on top of all that, the animation deals with the human form in an incredible way.

One of the things that stood out to me about this animation right away was the chosen medium. I really like how the Keane has chosen to use blue chalk on a deeper blue background and sometimes the odd pink for the girl's clothes. I really like how the animation is mainly all one colour and I feel that it creates a really strong dream-like atmosphere. I also feel like the choice of material within this animation works really well with the style of the animation, it flows well with the movement of the characters and creates a nice, smooth, fluid line. 

Speaking of lines, I really like the line work within this animation, it is quite loose and in some points actually quite 'hairy' but it works well with the animation and the material and I really like the overall effect it has on the movement of the characters, as it adds to the fact that the characters are never still. I also really like that the characters are actually quite simple within this animation, there are simple details within the clothes of the characters and the only main details are within the face of the characters themselves. This demonstrates how effective simple line making can be and highlights how much can be achieved with simple line making, not everything has to be super detailed. 

Focusing on the movement of the characters throughout the animation, I find that they move very smoothly and there is a very strong sense of fluidity throughout the entire animation. I feel that it demonstrates a really good example of movement through a space and it also demonstrates good use of the 12 principles of animation. Reflecting upon this animation as a whole, it has made me want to experiment more closely with other materials and experiment using them for what they are made for, for example, chalk is a very good material to create quick solid lines that can be both bold and subtle. 

Visual Language: Richard Williams

For research into the human form in an animation context, I have decided to look at Richard Williams, in particular, his Animator's Survival Kit. This is a book that I own personally and I feel that it is a really useful and important guide into how to capture the movement of the human figure.

The book demonstrates good examples of the human figure (and non-human figure) moving through a space in many different ways. It highlights the importance of line making and how it is important to capture the main line of the main line of the movement, as this is what essentially demonstrates the type of movement you are trying to capture. 

Not only that, but the book also demonstrates good examples of pushing and pulling and representing tension on the human form. Because it does this, it has been really useful for me to look at this whilst carrying out form, flow and force, as it has reminded me what I am aiming to achieve whilst I am creating my own life drawings. 

Many of the processes, methods and techniques that are shown in this book have been applied to many animations and have been used as a guideline by many animators. One animation that comes to mind when I see these movements is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Within this animation there are examples of the human form moving through spaces in many different ways. 

Visual Language: Turn Around Improvements

After completing my first attempt at my turn around, I realised that I had to neaten up my frames and improve the overall animation. To do this I decided to re-draw over my existing frames in pen. However, I didn't take into account that I had to re-scale some of the previous frames in order for the turn around to work effectively and didn't accommodate for this in my rendered frames meaning I had to re-scale the frames once again for the animation to work. I really need to start planning things before I do them to avoid slip ups like this, which take time out of my schedule.

Despite this little set back I am really pleased with the improvements I have made to this turn around. I feel that the more confident lines help to make the overall image clear and neat and the overall result looks less messy than my previous turn around. There is a little issue with the eyes within this sequence, the shine in them jumps around a lot but this is a very small detail that I am more than willing to ignore. 

I think this is a really good outcome and I am pleased that I put the effort in to render my frames and improve upon the overall turn around. 

Environmental Storytelling: Improvements

Reflecting upon initial drawings that I completed for this task, I thought that some of the drawings would benefit from a few minor improvements. So I picked out the ones I felt were the weakest from the collection and attempted to improve them without changing them too much.

I started off with the image I had created with chalk, as I felt that this was the drawing that needed the most improvement, as there wasn't much definition between the different colours and it was unclear as to what was what in the image and I wasn't happy with that. In order to try resolve this issue, I went over the brown that was used to mark out the trees within the setting and I also went over the greens within the image too. Although I didn't actually change much within the image, I feel that these small improvements help to make this image work a lot better than it did previously because it adds definition to certain aspects of the drawing. 

For this image I wanted to improve it somehow but I wasn't sure what I could do with it exactly, as I had learnt that the ink didn't run like it did on normal paper when I was creating the image. This didn't leave me with much of a choice really and I decided in the end to go over some of the lines and add a bit of cross hatch detail to make the closer side of the stairs stand out more. I couldn't really see what else I could do to the drawing to improve so I left it at this. I feel that the cross hatching adds a little more to the drawing and makes it a little neater than it was before.

I had the same problem with this image. I didn't want to detract from the fact that this was a very quick response that I did in a few minutes whilst stood outside the building, but the image was extremely messy and it was difficult to see what the drawing was actually of. After thinking about it, I decided to simply go over the outlines of the drawing to make them clear again. Although it's not much it does make the image clearer but it is obvious that this is one of the weaker drawings within my sequence.

For this image I wanted to create more detail in the tree and the wall of the steps and to neaten up the overall image. I feel that I have done a good job at doing this and I really like the shading I have achieved in the tree branch with simple cross hatch and water over ink. I feel that it makes the drawing slightly more dramatic in terms of tone and contrast, which makes the drawing more successful. 

Because of the texture of the page I had drawn this image on it was really difficult to do much with it, as the pencil picked up every little bit of texture on the page. So I simply darkened the colours within the image and I feel that it has worked to make the drawing more obvious and it's also added a little more depth to the drawing. I also feel that I have managed to somewhat capture the movement of the water through my pencil strokes. 

For the final drawing I had chosen I wanted to create more depth within the drawing and add more tones too. Again, I used simple cross hatch and water, which made the ink bleed. In particular I think it has worked really well in the tree branches in the foreground. I feel that I have managed to create a lot of tone and contrast within that small section of the drawing, which in turn makes this image more successful. 

Visual Language: Strike a Pose

The last part of the task involved drawing four separate poses like before, but with a lot more emphasis on capturing the model, not just the basic shape, but the details too. I really enjoyed this task, as it gave me the chance to slow down and pay attention to what I was actually drawing and step back from my work to improve upon it as I worked on it.

First drawing - James

The first drawing I did whilst I was doing the previous part of task, so I had used pencil, as this is the material that I was using during that morning. Again, this drawing isn't one of the best I have produced ever and the body is out of proportion in many different areas. The lines are very scratchy and the overall drawing feels rushed, messy and lazy. However, it's not the worst drawing I have ever done, but it's up there. I wasn't happy with this drawing at all and it made me frustrated because the image I had in my mind wasn't the same as what I had in my head. I also found it difficult to draw the image to a scale that would fit the page, which also had a negative effect on my proportions, as I was trying to fit the drawing onto the page. 

Second drawing - Matt

For the second image, I was determined to not let the page determine how large I'd draw my image, as this was effecting the proportions of my drawings. I thought that this would allow me to create much more proportionally equal drawings, but this wasn't the case at all. This drawing ended up being just as disproportional as the previous ones despite the fact that I wasn't constrained to the scale of the page. This means that it's just me not the fact that I'm drawing on a certain scale, so proportions are something I am going to have to work on. For this drawing I also chose to draw with ink, as I really like the material and I feel that allowed me to make very quick smooth lines and left no room for scratchy lines at all. This increased my confidence in my line making and made me think less about making the image perfect and more about my initial placement of each line. 

Third drawing - Lauren

Thinking back to the most successful drawings of the task so far, I decided to go back to using chalk and black paper. I found that there was an instant improvement in my drawing and my scale and proportions were working a lot better. However, I could have placed the drawing in a more central area (but no one's perfect, right?). Ignoring this small imperfection, the drawing itself is far better than the previous two. I think this is partly to do with the fact that I find it a lot easier to see the lines I am making when I am using white chalk on a black background, as there is a high level of contrast. This is something I should keep in mind when I do drawing in general and I think I would benefit from experimenting with drawing with different levels of contrasts between materials and backgrounds.

Fourth drawing - Callum

Sticking with chalk for my last drawing, I wanted to push myself and focus on adding more details to things like the clothes. By using chalk I was able to get the outline drawn quite quickly, a lot quickly than I would have using pencil, as I wasn't obsessing over creating perfect marks. This allowed me time to look more closely at Callum and the details within his clothing. I started by adding creases to help convey Callum's body shape and posture and I feel that I have managed to do a good job at this. I found that I had completed this drawing in the quickest time out of the whole task, which I was pretty surprised about, as I hadn't realised how much I had improved. Because of this extra time, I began to focus on smaller details within the drawing and I am really pleased with the outcome. I feel that this is one of the strongest drawings I have done throughout the overall task and I feel that there is an obvious progression of improvement to be seen throughout the task as a whole. 

Overall, I have really enjoyed this task and it has given me a really good insight into which materials I need practice with and which materials I am good at. It has also encouraged me to be more experimental with the materials I use to draw with, as it has come to light that I find it easier to draw onto a darker background with a lighter colour, as there is a higher level of contrast. Although I have improved throughout this task, there are still many areas within life drawing that I need to improve on and this task has made me realise that I need to practice drawing more than I am at the moment in order to continue improving. I also need to push myself to draw things I am unfamiliar with in order to broaden my drawing skills. 

Visual Language: Ah, Push It!

This part of the task was different to the first two parts that we did. During this task we had to draw one single pose that demonstrated the action of pushing or pulling. I found this task really frustrating, as I couldn't get into the zone of drawing at all for the first half of the day. This did make me feel less confident in my drawing skills and brought me down a lot, which in turn made me feel less motivated to continue with this task at all, but I stuck to it and I am pleased with some of the outcomes I managed to get from sticking to it.

Poop photos again, sorry. First drawing - James

For the first image I decided to use coloured pencil, as this material had worked so well for me before in other parts of the task and I thought that it would be a good idea to use the material I was most comfortable with for the first few images. However, it didn't make drawing the image any easier. I found it really difficult to get the proportions of the body right no matter how much I re-drew the image or started over. Reflecting upon the task and how I was drawing, I feel that felt constrained to the size of the paper and I wasn't drawing to a scale that matched the scale of the paper, which made my overall image seem distorted and out of proportion. However, I didn't realise this during the actual task so it was a problem I encountered more than once. 

Second drawing - Matt

Trying not to let the frustration I gained from the first image effect me too much, I attempted to create another pencil drawing. This image started off really well and I was feeling a lot more confident in my own drawing abilities by this point. However, it isn't my strongest drawing and I know that I can achieve much better in 10 minutes time. I wasn't happy with the arms or the shoulders of this image and I felt that the overall image didn't reflect my ability to draw the human form. Despite the fact that this image was a lot more in proportion than the last, I was ready to give up at this point and I felt really low and my confidence in my own work had slipped majorly. 

Third drawing - Callum

After calming down and putting the last two drawings to the back of my mind I decided to change the material I was using, as I felt that this would give me a fresh start. I also wanted to experiment with using materials that I wasn't comfortable with or hadn't necessarily used to draw before. So I decided to use white chalk on black paper (I'd seen it being used earlier that day and I really liked the contrast between the materials and the colours). This went a lot better than the other drawings I had done earlier and I feel that it is the strongest drawing I have done throughout the whole task so far. Although the proportions aren't perfect (his left arm is just a bit too big) but it isn't obvious and I'm not that bothered about it. I really like the overall aesthetic of the material and I feel that I was able to create much more confident lines with the chalk than I was with the pencil making my image a lot clearer and neater. 

Fourth drawing - Lauren

Because the chalk was proving to be a really good material for me, I continued to use it as I moved on to my fourth drawing. I am actually really pleased with myself for drawing this and I feel that it is my strongest drawing out of the four I have done. I also feel that this is the strongest drawing I have done throughout the whole task so far. I was able to draw very confident lines first time round and be happy enough with them to leave them, which is something I usually don't do as I tend to obsess over getting every line perfect. I feel that I have managed to capture the strain on the back leg really well and I feel that it clearly depicts Lauren pushing against something. 

Overall, I am really pleased with the final outcome of this part of the task and it has boosted my confidence of my own drawing abilities. I feel that I have managed to move past a wall (mentally speaking here) that was making me doubt myself in order to create work that I am really proud of. I will take what I have learned from this part of the task and transfer it to other ares of my work. 

Visual Language: Like a Puppet on a String

First off, I want to apologise for the really bad photographs (the lighting is horrific, I'm sorry). For the second part of this task we had to complete a similar exercise, only we were looking at the squash and stretch principle. We also had to work on an A2 scale. I found this task a little easier than the first task, partly because I knew what to expect and partly because I found working on a larger scale easier more often than not.

For the first movement, I decided to draw the images over one another rather than in a line, simply because I wanted to know whether it showed the movement well or whether it just looked a mess. I think it does show the movement really well, but the fact that my lines are 'hairy' ruins it because there is no definite line and makes it a little unclear to see. It was also really difficult to draw onto after the few drawings, as I was getting really confused and couldn't distinguish which line belonged to which drawing. Although this technique worked well at showing the movement, it was difficult to use and I won't be using it again. I also decided to use charcoal for this drawing to encourage me to draw more confident lines, however, because I am unfamiliar with the material it had the opposite effect, plus it was super messy. 

Sorry for the poop picture

For the second movement I returned to two different coloured pencils, as I knew these would work and I was more confident with this material, which allowed me to draw more definite lines. I feel that this movement went better than the first, as my lines were a lot more confident and the images aren't as confusing to follow as the previous drawing. There are a few 'hairy' lines in this sequence, however, I feel that the quality of my line has improved a lot quicker than in the first task. My drawings are also more developed within this sequence, with me using the simple "stick man" figure very little. Scale is something that I need to focus upon whilst drawing, as the scale does vary slightly within this sequence.

Sorry for the poop picture, again.

Sticking to pencil, I continued on to the third sequence within this task. I don't feel that there was much of a difference in terms of line quality within this sequence compared to the last. In some areas I feel that this sequence lacks the standard of quality that I achieved in the last one and I think this is because I found drawing a figure that was more built quite difficult. It was difficult for me to get the bodily proportions right in the very short amount of time that I had and I felt slightly uncomfortable because it was something I was unfamiliar drawing. However, I don't see this as a failure, it simply notifies me that I need to practice drawing various body shapes.

Keeping that in mind, I purposefully sought out a model with a larger, curvier figure than what I was unfamiliar drawing for my fourth sequence. I also decided to draw onto brown paper, as I wanted the colours to stand out more against the background, to make it easier to distinguish between my drawings. I feel that this is my most successful sequence out of the four in terms of confident line making and use of space. However, consistency of scale is lacking greatly within this sequence and the variation in scale is extremely obvious. Overlooking this, I am quite proud of this sequence, I really like how the sequence runs across the page and I feel that it flows very nicely and each position flows into the next one really well. 

Overall, I am really pleased with the sequences that I have produced and I feel that the overall selection is stronger than the first task I did. However, I do feel that there isn't a specific strong point within this set of sequences like I did in the last, but that doesn't mean I'm not improving my overall drawing skills.