4.2 Generate ideas

The purpose of the ‘Generate ideas’ phase

This phase is about working with the research to generate ideas and concepts that could be developed in the later phases of work to solve the problem outlined in the brief.

I timeboxed this phase to 2-days of effort.

A video summary

This video provides an overview of the work that was generated during this phase.

The process is recorded in more detail below.

Initial thumbnails against text

In order to shape up the work I created a series of thumbnails against the story text;; a process I’d used several times previously for designing comic strips.

EPSON MFP image — Thumbnails against text page 01 – A2 sized

You can view a higher resolution version here: Text thumbnails page 01

You can view a higher resolution version here: Text thumbnails page 02

During this exercise I identified 6 x core images that would be needed to illustrate each scene, and one additional pictures that it would be nice to have, time permitting.

Establishing shot
The Angel of Death takes the man’s soul
The man’s soul looks back at his lifeless body (stretch target)
A strange masquerade
Strange birds
Sharp stones
Who are you?

Model making

I watched Paul Rego: Telling Tales which follows Paula Rego over a period of 6-months and consists of 6 interviews. During one of these she talks in some detail about how she incorporates models into her work, combining them with live models to create sets that she uses to create her paintings.

I really like the combination of dolls and model figures with live models and how, Rego’s paintings are essentially observational, although they look imagined.

I felt unsure and nervous about how to proceed.

I took on of the clay faces produced in 3.0 Fast and fixed it to the face of a child’s doll that I sometimes use as reference.

Model head07 — Model 7 – 3-minute clay portrait

Having been inspired by the working process of Paula Rego I then tried creating a clay mask on top of another dolls face.

Visual style test photo ref

I used this as the basis for a test illustration. My objective was to experiment with using the models as the basis for the image, and try out a visual style based on the work of Russian illustrator’s Masha Pryanichnikova and Victoria Semykina. Both use layers of acrylic paint and coloured pencils to produce distinctive work that is unlike anything I’ve come across in contemporary British illustration.

Doodle sketching

One of my creative approaches was to use automatic drawing to generate ideas. I started with some reference material and allowed myself to just go where the doodling took me.