A Hail Of Bullets- Graphic design Typography project

I started my typography project by looking at possible wordplay within the metaphor 'A Hail of Bullets'  The word hail could also be used in the weather sense with the word 'Bullets' being the hail that's falling

I also made an animation where the word bullet is being fired from the word of. A Hail of makes up the figure of the man in this picture.

Also playing on the more literal meaning of Hail of Bullets I made a bullet hole version of the metaphor.

I also looked at playing around with the lettering like i saw in a graphic design magazine where the I from hail drops down to become the second L of bullets

Another offset from the hail and weather connection was the use of the words 'A Hail of'' as the cloud and bullets in very small size to represent the hail.

My final idea is the words 'Hail' and Bullets' in a different colour which changes the meaning of the metaphor to a statement about the addiction to power and power of firearms. The words Hail Bullets are faintly behind to symbolise a type of subliminal messaging which is used to create a fascination with guns and their power to kill

Printmaking

As part of my printmaking elective project I looked at the barries and fences which define the spaces we live in and restricts our movement within them.

I took photos of nearby car parks, the gate from my apartment cmplex to the street, the fence surrounding a rugby pitch and a gate leading to some overgrown vines and plants. My idea was to use the bars in the front of the pictures in the prints over the backgrounds.

I set about monoprints working of these photos with different layers and colours on each to try to create depth and a feeling of the objects behind the bars being out of reach.

I also looked at the outside view of a barrier around a window of an apartment. Although it's meant to protect those inside, when viewed from outside it looks like it's trapping them inside.

For my mini project on clutter I looked at objects crammed together.

I based my prints off the 3rd photograph.

 The first two we're just etching with the bottom two being mono printswithe the etching printed over.

Shadows Growing

A sort of stop motion shadow capturing in a room. Working from the theme of shadows not behaving as they should. The photograph have been altered to show shadows spreading around the room even though the light source doesn't change. Thought the TV changing channel constantly was a nice touch too.

Shadows 2.0

I began focusing my attentions on shadows. Both creating shadow movement and figures.

I  started experimenting using design i cut into card to create these transforming and moving shadows. Also I had to experiment with different light sources which was the most difficult thing to do! After this I creatyed a video of these moving and changing shadows. The camera also focuses and goes out of focus to create a pulsing effect. I added some copyright free music aswell which I though fit quite well :)

New Animation

I've finally finished a new animation using photoshop to edit pictures of characters and background I created with card.

What the edge of your seat was made for

Blog time has struck and I'll begin from the beginning. I began my reaction to the project topic of movement by looking at prosthetic limbs. I was interested in the development of them from non functioning object which looked like arms and legs to pieces of technology which imitate our natural limbs.

This victorian leg for example is simply a wooden carving with hinges. Made in the time to look the part, not do the job of a leg.

This piece by contrast is more aimed at practicality and functionality than aesthetics. From studying these I then constructed my own model of an arm to understand the movement involved. 

From this I began to think about the control of movement and how we move our limbs. Also from this came the relation to prosthetic limbs and how machines control their movement. the general movement of limbs from controlling signals sent from the brain was interesting to me so I began making animation of arm movements. This is a short piece of a hand drawing a hand which comes to life.

With the idea of the control of movement in mind I moved onto puppets. I looked at how the arm and leg movements are controlled by strings or sticks. From the different designs of puppets I focused on shadow puppets. I took inspiration from the likes of Lotte Reiniger and designed my own puppets.

After failed attempts to animate thes with string I decided to put them into photoshop and edit their movements by computer.

 Sadly my blog won't let me uploade this animation but here's the first frame anyway. This is a precursor to a story i will create through shadow puppets which will hopefully be ready by next week! :)

If you've read through that whole blog and watched the video well done and thank you very much. :D