Wrap it up!

Let me start by saying that this unit has been extremely enjoyable and I have liked nearly every part of it. To tell the truth I have not learned that much from this unit that I didn't already know. I am speaking in general terms of the units aim of course not just towards comics, because I think the concepts raised in McCloud's book apply to every art medium. I think anyone who has studied a visual art medium whether it be films, television, painting, sketching, photography, multimedia design or comics will have the same sort of knowledge, because when you get down to it, they all apply.

There are parts of McCloud's book that I hadn't heard of before and I found interesting. Like his theory on The six steps. This subject was kind of covered when we read the Manifesto for Growth. It is all about concept generation and how to apply that concept, and the process we go through in our minds that gets us there. McCloud sets that process out in an interesting way that I hadn't seen or thought of before, and I do agree with it.

One of the other main things that stood out in the lecture was the week that was about the birth of motion graphics and After Effects. It is really stunning that this technology and 3D in general is only about 10-15 years old and yet it has come so far. Comparing something like motion graphics which is so young to painting or sketching which has been performed for thousands of years. You look at what changes the art of painting has gone through in its life time, but it has still stuck to the same basic rules and principles, and then think about what motion graphics will be like if it moves the same way painting has.

Comics themselves as an art form I came across by myself when I first saw Frank Millers Sin City novels. Before that I did agree with the consensus that comics where a throwaway medium and they were mass produced for the entertainment of children. When one of my friends first presented me with A Dame To Kill For by Frank Miller I immediately changed my mind. I would rate that ‘comic’ in the same status as any ‘real’ novel I have read. But I think reading McCloud’s book reinforced everything that I already believed.

Overall, this unit has been a great way for me to go back and re-evaluate the knowledge that I did have, and to update and change what I believed to be true. I believe and agree with nearly everything that McCloud says in his book and I think it is a great resource to understanding comics and many other art forms as well. The lectures also have been very informative on the details of the birth and life of things like Manga and Anime, Motion graphics and Image, Visual styles and much more, and I don't think I will be able to watch The Lion King in the same way ever again. Thanks for that Andrew.

Bringin this shiz together

When you think about, everything that McCloud says in the final chapter is obvious and is no huge revelation, but this doesn't mean it isn't true or important. Yes, of course we are all restricted to our own body and thoughts and feelings, and all media is just a way for us to try and communicate to each other and help other people to understand our view. I think it is one of the most important tools for a developing human being. It is how we are able to create our own identity. to take in all these different viewpoints, and decide for ourselves which ones we want to agree with and which to disagree and therefore create our own thoughts, themes and values.

I also agree when McCloud goes on to talk about comics being made of endless possibilities. I think this is also obvious when you think about it. Of course the possibilities are endless, because the human imagination is endless. We are only limited by our own imagination, not by some rules created by a certain medium. And I think all art is like this. Art in general has no restrictions past our own ability and imagination. Art is not restricted by rules or genres, colours or black and white, themes or ideals, or even different mediums. Comics along with every other form of media communication has every type of visual iconography at its disposal, and therefore...the possibilities are endless!

I have studied and gone to these depths of media communication before. You do learn a lot from studying things at a deep level, when you are able to understand the concept and actually take time to think about it. It is like taking a piece of art a trying to figure out every little detail of it, and why the artist did this and why they did that. This can be fulfilling in one way, but some times I just like to sit back and enjoy what I can see or hear or smell and in turn how it makes me feel, and not worry about the deep meaning behind it. Because really, in the end, isn't that what art is really about? Making something that people (most) are going to enjoy? I like to think so.

A word about coloUr, with a U

In this chapter McCloud talks about how colour effects comics, and the way it has developed in comics. When using only black and white to create expression and meaning in comics, there is much more shapes and forms used and the pictures ‘transcend form’ and they ‘approach language’. When colour is added the artist is able rely less on shapes and forms and more on the universal language of colour to create meaning and his or her view.

An example of the way black and white relies on the use of shapes and forms for its expressiveness is the Sin City comics. The way Frank Miller uses lines and shapes in his work to create shadow and dark characters directly communicates the ideas and themes of the comic.

Comparing this to something like The Legend of Drizzt comics which are vividly coloured shows how colour can be used to create an intoxicating environment of sensations. The colours used in this comic are wide and are used to represent characters and their environment. This creates a dynamic visual effect and is something that using just black and white images cannot achieve.

The six steps

As I stated in my last blog, I seem to agree with McCloud on his definition of art. My idea of art is very broad, 'anything that is produced that creates an emotion or reaction in someone'. I also agree where McCloud defines art as something that creates an emotion, but has no other use than to be a piece of art. Tools for example cannot be considered art, because they are what McCloud would call, things used for the survival instinct in humans.

I think art should be looked at from the point of view of the person who made the piece of art. Any one can look at something that another person has made and judge whether they think it is art or not. But in the end this persons opinion doesnt matter whether it is art or not. If the creator says it is art, then it is art. Say a child made a finger painting that is not much more than a bunch of colours randomly painted on a canvas or a piece of paper. Most people would look at that and recognise it a something a child made, because it has no structure. But the child would look at it and like it, because they made it. Therefore, to the child, it is art.

In regards to McClouds six steps rule, I think he is pretty much right. When I want to, or am required to create something, I think that I go through a similar, or the same process, and as McCloud recognises, I may not use all the steps, and maybe not in the same order. I get an idea for something that I want to make, I either already have the form, or figure out how I'm going to make the idea, so the form comes. I find my idiom, my own way of making my idea in my chosen form. I work on my idea and try to create a structure in my chosen form, and that works with my intended idiom (this step may not always work, or may work, but unintentionally). I apply my craft, my knowledge of my intended form, sometimes I already have the knowledge of the form I am working in, sometimes I have to work it out on the way. And finally I reach the surface, where I apply everything I have done to finish making my intended idea (this is where I often get bored of the process and stop before I have something really good).

Show and Tell

Show and Tell. Pictures show and words tell. Thats the way it is in modern art, and probably the way it will continue. McCloud makes the distinction between the written word and visual art, and talks about how over time they have become used together less and less in different art forms. He uses what people would call 'high art' as an example for this. Painters use pictures to 'show' their meaning and writers use words to 'tell' their meaning, and it is not very often in art that these two mediums combine to create 'art'. He says that comics are the main form that allows pictures and the written word to come together to create meaning. Some would not agree that comics are a form of art, or definitely not high art, but I think that the term 'art' can be used very loosely, and nearly anything that is produced, that evokes some kind of emotion or reaction in a person can be considered as art. 

That is why I think that I am able to use something as bizarre as Lolcats as an example of a visual and text coming together equally to create a meaning. I don't think anyone would consider a Lolcats picture as high art, but it definitely uses words and images equally and is very effective at creating emotion and humour.

You cannot say that this picture does not evoke some sort of emotion and feeling. Seriously, its hilarious. And because it is so hilarious and creates such emotion, it is art. The picture itself is funny enough, because the way it is captured, but with the use of text, it gives it another whole level of meaning and a much deeper feeling. 

Lolcats, may only be an Internet meme, but I think it perfectly captures what McCloud is trying to say about how images and words, are not often used together in art, but can be combined to create another level of meaning.

Living in Line

'The idea that a picture can evoke an emotional or sensual response in the viewer is vital to the art of comics.' This is the most important statement that McCloud makes in the chapter Living in Line. He uses basic lines and shapes to show that a picture doesnt have to look like something specific or be of something for it to evoke an emotional response. Certain colours and shapes are universally significant to an emotion. And artist of all mediums use these universal techniques to evoke emotions in their work.

When you look at this painting you feel a certain way. This is because the colour and style and the shapes used are universally related to feelings of hate and anger. When you look at it, you think blood splatter, and when you think of that you think of murder, and crimes of passion, which usually involve a lot of feelings of hate and anger.

Yet when you look at this painting, you feel something totally different, again because of the the colour and shapes used in the painting. Joy and happiness is what I feel when looking at the picture, and I'm sure most people would feel the same.

Again this picture evokes a different emotion. The shapes and lines used in this painting represent a sort of tension and anxiety.

Most abstract art relies on these universal themes and symbols to give meaning to their work. As McCloud says '..A single image can represent the senses and emotions..' in ways such as - Angry = Reds, Placid = Blues, Anxious = Textures, Loud = Shapes, Quiet = Lines and Cold = Greens.

The example of the photo of the Earth from space is a perfect example. By looking at it we, in this day and age, know exactly what it is and what it represent, and we get a serene and joyus feeling from looking at at. But on a deeper level, even if we didnt know what it was we would still feel the same emotions because of the colours and shapes that are in the picture. The picture has a lot of blue and greens and swirls of white, giving that placid feeling, and the Earth itself is a circle or sphere with no harsh edges, giving a strong, powerful and happy feeling. This shows how strong these shapes and colours and symbols are towards create emotion in art.

Time Frames

I was watching the Japanese anime film Princess Mononoke the other day and after reading the chapter Time Frames I realised the techniques used in one of the opening scenes are the same talked about in that chapter. In the chapter McCloud talks about how time and motion is represented in still images in comics. The techniques he details are of using sound and motion blur or 'speed lines' to create the illusion of time and motion. And the way that different countries and cultures use this technique to create the same effect. The use of these, and either using several different techniques for motion blur is very effective in the illusion. 

One of the opening scenes in Princess Mononoke where the prince is being chased and trying to fight off a demon that is attacking his village is a great example of the way writer and artists use motion blur and sound to create motion. This is a great example of the 'Japanese' way of creating motion. In the scene the artists use several different types of motion blur to create speed, but the shot that caught my eye is very good in creating a sense of speed and fluidity. In this shot you can see how they used motion blur and 'motion lines' on the ground to create the speed. Although this is a film which does not need to rely on visual cues to help create motion, because it already has that, it does help create an extra feeling when watching this scene. And because of that when watching the scene it does put across a great sense of speed and danger because of the quickness of the characters. On top of this visual cue of the speed, there is also the sound of the prince's mount on the grass and the music to compliment the action. All the facets work together to create such and impressive picture, with a great quickness.

Blood in the Gutter

In the chapter blood in the gutter, McCloud talks about how we as humans use our own experiences to fill in the 'gaps' left by writers to create our own kind of meaning to a story in any kind of medium. We relate anything that we read or see to our own knowledge and background to understand the concept and ideas. We have so many experiences that we can feed on and everyone has differing views, so everyone who see's the same thing will have a different view and get something out of it. This can be directly related back to the previous chapter where McCloud talked about how we, using our own experience, can identify a few simple shapes as a face.

This technique is used a lot in film, where the film makers show parts of an event but don't the main part, but it is implied and the same feeling is generated, because we are able to fill in the 'gaps' and create our own meaning. The 'Shower scene' in Hitchcock's Psycho is a very famous scene that uses this technique. This scene shows very little but implies a lot. The whole murder act is shown through shadows and quick cuts. And because of this it is very effective in creating the 'realism' of the murder. Because we, as smart humans, know what happens when someone stabs with a knife, then it is not necessary to show a knife going into a body to know that that is going to happen. I think because they don't show this it is much more effective in capturing the event in the film, and this is why it is so famous.

The Vocabulary of Comics

In the chapter ‘the vocabulary of comics’ McCloud talks about the what we recognize as a face and what we need to be able to relate to a character. This, he says, is very little. People can relate to a character with an ambiguous face of a line and two dots as well as they can a lifelike form. People are more likely to attach meaning and relate to a character or person with a more abstract and simplified face in a cartoon than a realistic one. Because by looking at a line and two dots, we see a face, but there is so much blank space to totally relate that into a face. So we fill in the blanks. So we make our own meaning in the abstract face. But with a realistic face, nearly all the information is giving to you, so it is harder to create your own meaning in the face or character.

I think this fact is clearly shown in the movie Howls Moving Castle. That is probably one of my favorite films, and I think it has more emotion than most ‘live action’ films that are made. The character faces are very simple in Howls Moving Castle, there is hardly any definition in the faces, and only a slight amount of shading. But the way they move and the slight expression shows more meaning and feeling than most actors can portray. The way that they are drawn leaves it wide open for interpretation and to insert your own personal experience and this, accompanied by beautiful backgrounds, is where it is able to generate most of the emotion.

chapter 1-setting the record strrrrrraight

Scott McCloud in the chapter 'setting the record straight' talks about the restrictions put on certain art forms and genres of art by society's view of the medium. The way people view and define a cartoon is very restricted to the way that he defines it. He proves that 'comics' have been made for thousands of years, and in many different forms. He expands the concept of comics as a medium and breaks a lot of pre-conceptions on the art form. Comics are usually seen as aimed at children and made for children, but from what I have experienced recently reading such comics as Sin City, The Legend of Drizzt and Marvel Zombies has broken a lot of my pre-conceptions. These 'Graphic Novels' are definately not the super hero comics of years past. They are not aimed at children and could be disturbing for a very young person. The way that they set out the novel is in a traditional 'comic' fashion, but the art work and language of the comic is very much for adults.

This is the same when it comes to the Disney films we were shown in the lecture. One of my favoirite films is the Disney version of Robin Hood. I saw it for the first time when i was about 5 or 6 and I still very much enjoy watching it now, and can take a whole different appreciation for the film. Another is The Sword in the Stone. The scene in that film where merlin fights the antogonist witch, Mad Madaam Mim, is still one of the funniest parts I have scene. I first saw that at around the same age, and i dont think i would have thought it as funny as I think it is now...Thats it, im gonna go rewatch it.

Manifesto for Growth

Begin anywhere- I think this is a big one, coming up with ideas, not even good ideas, is a very hard thing to do. I know that I and probably most people try to think of the perfect thing first go, and they end up coming up with nothing. They can sit for hours with a blank piece of paper because they are trying to start at the top. Beginning anywhere and brainstorming is a very powerful tool, and it leads to great things.

Harvesting ideas-  I think this really feeds off the 'Begin Anywhere' statement. Harvesting as many ideas as you can gives you a much bigger group to choose from when you actually want to start working on the idea. Even when you think that you come up with an idea that could be 'the one', the idea is to keep brainstorming because that idea could end up falling on its ass and you may end up with nothing. Or you may come up with something even better than your first idea.

Slow down- This is an aspect that I really think is true. It doesn't matter if you slow down by taking your time with an idea. Not rush into anything. Take more breaks. Because I think that rushing into an idea can end up being a very poor decision. This goes along with 'Harvesting ideas', because i think that the brainstorming phase is very crucial. If you rush that and start working on one idea too fast, then you leave yourself closed into anything else that can come along.

I think another big thing that wasn't mentioned is to not be afraid of cutting your losses, or changing your mind and going in a completely different direction. But this can be dangerous, I think again to make this decision you would have to apply the 'slow down' rule again. Although it is a good idea to change direction some times, its not a good idea to do it too quickly. One would need to stop and think before acting. Because you might find a slightly different direction with the same idea that you had, that works perfectly.

first walk, journal

2 days, this house must be pretty bad. She couldn't stand it here for more than 2 days. Friggin weird she moved out. She must have been very sensitive. or crazy. Thought spirits were here? and the feng shui was bad. crazy.

So windy today...I wonder how people simulate virtual wind. must be pretty hard do design that. Those roses look pretty good. 

Magpies in a tree. 7 of them. i thought there was only 3 or 4 then i saw another and then another. right at my eye level and about 2 metres away. they must be sitting in there together to get away form the wind. are they a family, or just grouped together? they are really used to human. funny, the magpie closest to me, looking at me and shifting its head to the side to get a better look at me. It's funny, but i dont think i would have noticed them if i wasnt looking for something to look at, and write about. i guess thats the whole point.

No-one else out today.

i wanna ride my freakin motorbike, bought it yesterday and havnt got to ride it yet.

I see a girl in a skirt riding a bike, her long hair blowing in the wind. it reminds me of a picture from the 1940's or something, very french 1940's, except she's not riding side sadle.

friggin wind, im getting blown around out here. as are the birds. that reminds me of the old 'how do birds fly?' thing.

Plastic bag flying in the wind. 'you want to see the most beautiful thing ive ever filmed' -American Beauty.

our lady of grace encased in carbonite. Wasn't Star Wars stolen from the bible or something? should look into that. That would be kinda cool though, Star Wars with biblical figures. Passion of the Star Wars. Directed by Mel Gibson. Racism by Mel Gibson.

friggin windy.