INITAL DESIGN IDEAS

Following on from the last studio brief, I felt like I had a large range of ideas and thoughts that I could work with in order to create my book prints. Despite the roughs being designed for different sizes, I feel like i could easily transform a lot of them in order to work within the new dimensions.
For this brief I need to make sure that my ideas

• don't get too repetitive
• each have their own narrative yet still work well as a set
• use a print method effectively, using hand print techniques in order to achieve the traditional aesthetic (something that i love about hand print methods)
• consider how i'm representing the life and stories of angela carter, am I still doing this in an effective way and how is the narrative and visual language supporting this?

I think the most important thing is the idea of the prints working as a set yet still having their own individuality. I think by exploring one specific story or poem then I'll be able to make this possible!

I started by exploring my previous thoughts, those considering the feeling of maternal instincts, exploring Carter's consideration of the feminine form and the idea of precious life. I find this topic such an interesting theme to explore and illustrate, similar to my zine, I want my prints to feel whimsical, and dark yet still enchanting and almost, peaceful? if thats possible!

I started by making really quick roughs and initial sketches, thinking of this maternal idea. I had previously explored this image of a baby in the fetal position within my roughs for the editorial images in studio brief one, but I didn't go ahead with it due to time restrictions and decisions about other ideas, but I feel now that with a longer chance to explore imagery and ideas, I would like to play around with the possibilities of this idea.

The idea initiates from the fairy tale, Kakuarshuk by Carter that I read and found so intriguing and inspiring in terms of idea generation. 

I wanted to respond to this tale in a way that shows the tale in a enchanting and endearing light! I'm really enjoying using the natural and floral imagery so this is something I'd like to use within all of my prints, and I know that it will work particularly well within this one. 

There's something so sacred about a baby in the fetal position, vulnerable and it shows a human in its most basic and natural form. I really love the idea of this natural and pure human pose surrounded by nature, yet another element of the most pure and REAL qualities. 

I'm finding it hard to put into words about what I'm enjoying so much about working with this imagery, just the free and wild elements, nature is unpredictable, there's no straight lines or borders such as buildings or man made elements, plants and the human form and I think that's what I love about Carter's writing, her fairy tales, poems and even stories are so unpredictable and vivid with ideas and all seem to have so many little elements and details making them feel full of pure and real emotions. This is really something that I'm trying to CREATE and make the viewer FEEL in my work, that REAL, NATURAL and ENCHANTING visceral feelings that Carter creates.

I continued to experiment with the baby in the fetal position, I just wanted to improve my actual drawing ability and understanding of the shape before I began making and designing prints.

I don't want to be to experimental with elements such as line qualities or other shapes as I feel like this will take away from an already rather complex shape, especially when it comes to printing, which is often very shape based.

WORRIES?

• I'm slightly worried that my work won't come across very well in the print format, i keep thinking about how I'm always working with purely line based work and how a lot of print RELIES on shape and this just isn't my strong point.
• I suppose I'll have to just experiment with shapes and my line work and see where this takes me, but at this point in time, that is a slight worry for me...

SOLVING MY WORRIES

• I spoke to Ben the tutor and he suggested working in a collage format before considering any printed techniques. Working with the cut paper would allow me to see how the designs would come across within print and then re work into that design with my line work in order to get a better understanding of the process.
• This actually really really helped me, I was able to consider how the larger shapes would work alongside smaller details.
• It was also helpful to be able to move the paper around in order to create different compositions as opposed to drawing out the roughs in my sketchbook. 
• This is was so helpful and I feel a lot calmer about having the ability to create my prints with less worry.

NEXT STEPS?

• I think my next steps in the process will be to just start printing? start being experimental, now that I have a basic idea for one of the prints, I'll be able to consider potential possibilities within mono print, lino and screen and think about how each of the textures and qualities of these processes will effect my design in different ways.
• I'm excited!!