Friday 30 November 2012

WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Hello there chaps! So my official portfolio website is now up! Please do have a good nose.built using view book, a really easy to use portfolio template website. Only problem being that the link to my Etsy shop only seems to work if you right click it and open in a new tab... SABOTAGE.

A cheeky screen shot!

Any queries please email : hello@katiemacon.com

Adding text


I was a bit concerned about the composition of this page... however with the text added it's not so bad.. please imagine all these pages as double page spreads


The text fits quite nicely on this page.. but I think this spread is my favourite so far...


I did need a fair bit of space here to fit in the concluding text... but it does seem a bit crammed compared to the rest of the book... as if the ending has just been shoved in, where as the previous pages have minimal text... though in terms of looks, I much prefer this page with added text than simply a sole image. 

Intro page


So the opening page, sets the mood of the book I think... that poor unsuspecting bird. Its a yellow legged button quail incase you were wondering. (Haha, except now I've updated it, illustrated is spelt correctly!! Unlike the image above! I wonder if you had noticed!)

Typography

Well now comes the brutal task of dealing with font, something which is not my forte. Though I decided as my book is bird themed it seemed to make sense to create a title which was created using feathers, so heres the progress work for the cover of the book.

Thinking of fitting the text into some form of wing shape

Or just having a few feathered words... 
But instead I chose this approach, black was too harsh against the front image so to fit with the rainforest it became green. 

Voila!

Now to play about, here are a few progress screen shots.

Doesn't stand out as much as I would like..


Added 'illustrated by' hand written.. my handwriting eugh...


Drop shadows to make it more bold

Then the background blurb...  papyrus is not the font for this project me thinks..


and a simple sans serif didn't seem to have enough character


Far too elegant!


Hang on... i think we're onto something here... chalkduster, what a brilliant font. Rough yet nice and rounded at the same time.. 


Looks grand to me, with a white stroke around the green font and a bit of a drop shadow.. I think I'll scratch the hand written 'illustrated by' and replace it with this, it looks much better... 


Old author tag line


New one, ok you can't really see the difference here... but hey!

Playing with the title text




Hmm  I think the original was the best option actually... ahh well you don't know until you try it out!

Ok so final outcome here:


Unused imagery

Though I do like this image I don't think it will be used within my final book. Thought I would share it all the same though!


Making promises with the Quetzal.

Thursday 29 November 2012

Logos

I've been building a portfolio website.. I know shocking! As much as I love my blog, to be a true pro I'm going to need to showcase my work... and in order to do that I want to revamp my logo... the one above though I love... it was drawn 3 years ago when i was sat next to a scanner thinking 'oh flip I need a header for my blog'. Not bad for a spur of the moment job... but here are a few outcomes.. and also I'm thinking of doing an 'about' page with a tad of info about me... and I thought the final image really summed me up quite nicely. 



I think this one might be the keeper... simple but very sweet
Me...in a nutshell... 

And for good measure...

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Todays Drawing

Photographs of two double page spreads. I'm very fond of the first, however I don't think the second communicates the message clearly enough...

Here Ari is looking longingly at the birds. He so wants to fly. I'm very pleased with the way this image has come out. 

this would be the opening page, setting the scene for the tree top village... where all the residents can fly  except Ari, 'The Boy Without Wings'. 

I'm finding it tricky to make sure I leave breathing room for the drawings, they tend to get a little crowded... well it is set in a rainforest... but I also have to consider the text, where that is fitting in with the images...  and also where the spine will go... I don't want crucial parts of the drawing to be hidden in the fold. 

Phew well thats not too bad for a day. And I even went to the post office today, popped to tescos, did laundry, sorted out my wardrobe and cooked a chicken pie... which was delicious, thank you for asking.  :)

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Story Board part 2

Phew about flippen time I completed the story board for my narrative... before hand it was just creating random imagery and hoping it would fit into the book... which it mostly will... why didn't I do this properly earlier?? It's ok.. just 4 double page spreads.. it'll be all good. (I did do some story boarding earlier, but this one has a far more complete order. And not just certain sections of the narrative selected... it's the whole shabang! Here's a sneek peek! Some images have already been completed so I'm relieved... but I really want to create interesting perspectives for this... being a rainforest story there is so much potential for it. 


Other earlier story board imagery here: Earlier Story boarding click here

 
Image for one of my final pages

Hand rendered text for the front cover. I really should have remembered from my last narrative unit that work really begins to happen once the story is physically written out. Then you can print it out and separate it up into sections for images which support the text in conveying the story. 
Well enough procrastination, happily I can use most of the imagery I've produced so far.. looking forward to the final outcome... I really want to continue this on for my FMP... then produce merchandise for it too... toys and what not... we shall see what the future holds!!

Give the story a read if you like: (though some parts wont make exact sense without the imagery) and a little disclaimer, I own this story and all related imagery, if you have any interest in using any of it, or related materials; you must ask permission, and really I only want it published if I've been the one who has illustrated it ;) as any illustrator would! Hope you enjoy!
The Boy Without Wings

Ari was born in a treetop village, here everyone can fly,
Except Ari
Ari was a boy without wings. This made him very sad.
‘One day I’ll fly… somehow…’ he told himself.
He had caught almost every bird in the forest, ‘No bird can out smart me!’ Ari chuckled.
‘Once I’ve collected a feather from each one, that’ll prove to everyone in the forest that no bird is out of my reach… even if I am a boy without wings!’
However, there was one bird, the giant Quetzal, King of the birds that Ari hadn’t caught… Ari had heard many stories about the Quetzal and his beautiful tail feathers…
He thought I saw him once, maybe he didn’t…
So it was Ari’s next mission to find the Quetzal and pluck one of his tail feathers to add to his collection.
He climbed high , and searched low,
Explored in dark caves, and among the lights where the brightest flowers grow.
He looked through the tiniest cracks, and the great expanses…
Collecting more feathers along the way of course! But he just couldn’t find the Quetzal!
‘Maybe I’ll never get one of his feathers….’ He grumbled.
CRACK
Suddenly the branch Ari was standing on snapped and he fell, which often happens when you are a boy without wings…
He fell further and further …
Right into a giant spider web!
‘Oh no! I’M STUCK!’ Ari cried.
He wriggled and squirmed and tossed and turned but there was just no way that he could get out of the web! The spider had noticed Ari trapped in the web and was coming closer and closer…
‘I’d rather lose these feathers than get eaten! And I don’t need this coat either!’ Ari thought as he dropped the feathers he was holding and slipped out of his orange coat.
He looked around and webs were everywhere, he couldn’t climb down the tree… there was only one choice... he had to jump!
‘But it’s such a long way to fall!’ Ari whimpered. ‘If only I wasn’t  a boy without wings!’ He gulped, scrunched up his eyes and leapt away from the spider’s web.
Just then there was a flash of green…. And Ari wasn’t falling anymore.
The Quetzal had caught him on it’s back!
Ari was ecstatic! “The Quetzal is trying to save me!” he yelped.
The Quetzal swooped in and out of the trees with such grace. Ari loved feeling the whoosh of the wind in his hair; it really was amazing to be flying!
The Quetzal flew right above the highest treetops and perched on the tallest branch.
Ari really didn’t want to get off of the Quetzals back, ‘how amazing it was to fly on the back of the King of the birds!’ Ari thought.
Then much to Ari’s surprise the Quetzal began to speak! “I’ve been watching you collect the feathers from the birds in the forest. The birds need their feathers and I want you to stop!’ He said.
Ari’s face fell. “But how will I show everyone that no bird is out of my reach… even if I can’t fly…” He murmured.
The Quetzal looked at Ari long and hard. He had a good think and decided ‘If you stop taking the bird’s feathers, I can be your wings… every once in a while. You just have to meet me here, at the highest treetop on the tallest branch.’
Ari was so happy! He was going to be flying on the back of the King of the birds! He agreed with the Quetzal and promised to stop catching the birds of the forest.
Ari kept his promise and all the birds were very happy to keep all of their feathers, and keeping his promise, every once in a while, the Quetzal did take Ari flying.
So even if Ari is a boy without wings, he can still fly! Thanks to the giant Quetzal.

Been Busy Making


It's that art stally time of year again where all art students rally together to raise a bit o' cash. We have our final degree show at the end of this academic year so things should be interesting! As you can see it's badges galore for me at the minute. I had already sold a few at last weeks art sale so thought I had better refresh the stock. 



Faces from my hatted students print series. Prints available for purchase at: www.etsy.com/shop/katiemacon


Today's beauties, I personally like the one that reads 'flip' the most :)


Also I had some beautiful vintage fabric lying about and decided it was high time I made something with it! My final ambition is a skirt.. with the orange floral print, but for the minute I'm warming up with draw string bags and cushions. Hopefully I'll screen print a few designs on these beauties :)


oh crayola... you are brand new... why do you toy with my emotions so???! Broken leads make me feel like a broken woman :( Ok time to crack on with project work!



Monday 26 November 2012

Prints for sale!

I've put a few of my screen prints from one of my previous posts online, 

Check out http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatieMacon (my Etsy shop) if you fancy getting your hands on one!



SOLD SOLD







Wednesday 21 November 2012

The Boy Without Wings

So my for my current self initiated brief I'm writing up a narrative for a book entitled 'The Boy Without Wings' It's about a boy (let's call him Ari for now)  born in a hidden village in the rainforest where all the natives have wings and can fly, but him. However this doesn't get Ari down! He's out to prove himself by showing that even if he can't fly... no bird is out of his reach! So he goes out capturing the birds of the forest and taking a feather from each one, he let's the birds go after capturing them of course! But his greatest challenge lies with the GIANT Quetzal! King of the forest birds, though huge in size the Quetzal is rarely seen... how will Ari go about finding this bird and showing that, even if he can't fly, he is still a capable member of the tree tribe. 

Grab a birdie!



Looking in the deepest darkest caves!

Exploring amongst the flowers!

GOT ONE! the poor bird looks so gormless, aw!