Tuesday 6 December 2011
Thursday 17 November 2011
Monday 14 November 2011
Thursday 6 October 2011
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Craft Club
http://www.craftclub.org.uk/
I will be attending one of the training sessions for the national project of craft club - Millennium Gallery, Sheffield on Thursday 29th September 2011. Luckily I found out about this before it was fully booked!
Train tickets are booked and I'm excited to meet some new crafty people.
Then I just need to contact a local school, museum etc to set up a Leeds Craft Club. This is something that I can do without this training but it's free and it means I can feedback all of the activities to a network of crafters and trainers.
I will be attending one of the training sessions for the national project of craft club - Millennium Gallery, Sheffield on Thursday 29th September 2011. Luckily I found out about this before it was fully booked!
Train tickets are booked and I'm excited to meet some new crafty people.
Then I just need to contact a local school, museum etc to set up a Leeds Craft Club. This is something that I can do without this training but it's free and it means I can feedback all of the activities to a network of crafters and trainers.
Knit 1 - pass it on
http://www.ukhandknitting.com/data/volunteers.htm
24-27 November 2011, Creative Exhibitions Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate International Centre.
I will be working at this show as part of the Knit 1 - pass it on program alongside the uk handknitting society. I've not been given my shift as yet but I'm really looking forward to passing on what I've learnt so far. |The application was very formal, which was a little off putting and made me feel like an unknowledgeable knitter. However, this can be seen in a different light. I simply put that I'm a 'rogue crafter' and that I don't always stick to the rules.....
....which is true!
Most of my knitting/crochet experience has been gained from youtube videos and muddling my way through patterns, as well as little bits of advice and demos from different people along the way.
I hope I meet some fellow rule breakers, or perhaps change some opinions about the 'fuddy-duddyness' of yarn crafts.
24-27 November 2011, Creative Exhibitions Knitting & Stitching Show, Harrogate International Centre.
I will be working at this show as part of the Knit 1 - pass it on program alongside the uk handknitting society. I've not been given my shift as yet but I'm really looking forward to passing on what I've learnt so far. |The application was very formal, which was a little off putting and made me feel like an unknowledgeable knitter. However, this can be seen in a different light. I simply put that I'm a 'rogue crafter' and that I don't always stick to the rules.....
....which is true!
Most of my knitting/crochet experience has been gained from youtube videos and muddling my way through patterns, as well as little bits of advice and demos from different people along the way.
I hope I meet some fellow rule breakers, or perhaps change some opinions about the 'fuddy-duddyness' of yarn crafts.
Monday 1 August 2011
Sunday 31 July 2011
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Northern Green Gathering
http://www.nggonline.org.uk/
I'll be at Northern Green Gathering this weekend doing knitting/crochet/yarn bombing workshops with George.
I've been really getting some yarny practice in lately, crocheting non-stop. I would actually say I'm up to quite a good level, especially as I've only been crocheting less than 2 months. Practice does make perfect.
I'll be at Northern Green Gathering this weekend doing knitting/crochet/yarn bombing workshops with George.
I've been really getting some yarny practice in lately, crocheting non-stop. I would actually say I'm up to quite a good level, especially as I've only been crocheting less than 2 months. Practice does make perfect.
I need to photograph my work in natural light..........better pics for my portfolio.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Monday 16 May 2011
Saturday 14 May 2011
Evaluation - Comm Tech
I had no experience of animation when I began this project. I was curious about animation: where it began and what the possibilities were. It was a daring choice in my mind, but as no final piece was needed, I could do test pieces. I could make mistakes.
I’ve learnt a lot about the origins of animation and the practical skills to make working examples of the first animation tools. I’ve learnt to make a thaumastrope, zoetrope, kineograph (flip book) and a phenakistoscope. Objects I never knew existed before, except flip books obviously. I understand how they work, or should I say how the eye reads images collectively at fast speeds.
I can now video myself using photobooth on my mac and I've been using my phone to film some of my tests too. This is much different to my usual way of documenting my work and I really like it. Tempted to do some video diaries for future projects, maybe some how-to videos for my craft collective in the summer. I now have a vimeo account and can upload the videos. All very easy really but I'd never done it before, a video can sometimes show a lot more information than a photograph. It would save me time typing too if I wanted to evaluate in video.
I’ve learnt that I don’t really want to spend a long time on a computer. I much prefer the making of things to editing animation. I don’t think I would choose to make an animation knowing that I would have to spend a lot of time editing it. However, I do like the concept and aesthetic of stop-motion. I'm sure that if I could spend lots of time making a 'set' and tactile objects to animate, I may enjoy it more. I guess that means I've learnt how I learn. I'm a kinetic learner, I like to make things and be hands on.
I began looking at examples of animation, mainly youtube and vimeo videos. The topic of animation seemed vast and it was hard to initially start creating animations; I didn’t know where to start. I found it difficult to make stop-motion animations to begin with as it kind of put me off the project. I had trouble with the camera focus in the stills, which made the animations look amateur.
I went to Bradford Animation Festival, which was fun, but gave little information about the making side of animation. However, it did show me how animation can be used to make beautiful pieces of work. Imagining the time and effort to make each film, blew my mind. I could not sit a rotoscope for hours a day, I think I would go crazy. I really do like the finished pieces but it's just not me.
The animation workshop with Animation Yorkshire was a great experience. I could do the image capture parts again without needing help. I would not feel confident at all working with Adobe Flash again. Instead of being talked through it and having a go, Rozi demonstrated. I never remember much from simply looking at a screen, I have to use my hands for memory. I know this already and I should have said this at the time. I know codes for doors at work with my hands but I couldn't say the code - the numbers just aren't in my head, the hand movements are there instead. Memory hands!
I found animation books much more helpful than the youtube videos for stop motion. I could go at my own pace. I found that with the tech staff I was at such a level (no level!) that I needed to have a go on my own first. It must be so frustrating for them to have a student that has no idea about animation. I think that now I would have acted differently. My confidence is back to normal after a tough time and I would have no problem asking for help.
I don’t think there’s anything I ‘need’ to learn further. I’m not just an animator nor just interested in animation. This was a project to look further into a discipline that I had no idea about.
That's not to say I will not learn more about animation.
I would like to make a working praxinoscope and then a zoopraxinoscope. These will take much more skills are I’ll have to consider placements and angles much more accurately so that the mirrors reflect in the right direction. I think it’s definitely something I will do. I have a new found love for traditional forms of animation. After a few prototypes, I feel confident I’ll be ready to make them out of more durable materials to stand the test of time.
My record player that I used for some experiments is actually broken and will not play at the usual speed for LPs - If it's not worth getting fixed (if it's more to fix than buy a new and better record player) it's perhaps useable it as a phenakistoscope player. Although I think I need to get it speeded up. I could make more elaborate phenakistoscopes to use on it. Would be a good piece of kit to have for perhaps traditional animation workshops with children?
I think that in the back of my mind I'm always thinking "How could I use this in community arts?" and "How could I teach people to do this?" I think this is something that kids would enjoy making and then using. Although I'd have to test the market, so to speak, as I may be wrong.
I would like to find out more about the image capture in stop-motion and how to stop the camera moving in and out - even when set to manual!
I’ve always believed that making mistakes is important. I think I made a mistake choosing animation for this module in the first place. Although the traditional forms of animation I really like. I know now that I wouldn’t choose to do animation again. It was something I had to try. It's now another discipline ticked off the list of things to try. If I hadn't disliked stop-motion the editing element of stop motion so much I may not have taken my research to earlier forms. Then I wouldn't be able to throw words around like phenakistoscope - if there was any doubt of my progress as a practitioner, at least my vocabulary has expanded!
The problems I encountered with the phenakistoscopes just pushed me to try and make them work.
Technology is constantly improving in the field of animation. New techniques and software are very quickly, to some people, becoming obsolete and out-dated. In my perception, there is still a need for older forms of animation and it would be wrong to forget about zoetropes and phenakistoscopes and their founders, as this is history. These older forms tantalised audiences when they were invented and still have that power to do so.
However, as I don't plan to go into digital animation for anything other than to create imaginative pieces (and that's only a possibility), I fail to see how the advancements in technology would affect me much as a practitioner. It would simply mean that I would have to learn a new software if that's what I chose to do.
What worries me about technological advances is how our lives are being more and more consumed by gadgetry. One might say that the western world is more comfortable emailing someone than speaking face to face. My research into the future of animation was pretty shocking. Animated news reports? It worries me the prospect of fictionalised information being shown to masses of people that have little or no interest in going out of their way to learn for 'real news' and to form their own opinions based on fact.
At the beginning of the module after the briefing I got straight into the project. I organised external trips to an animation festival and went to a workshop by Animation Yorkshire. I continually was researching and watching animations and read through lots of books to gain more insight. However, this level of perseverance with the module did not continue throughout.
Usually I am very good at managing a project and motivating myself. This module has been particularly difficult to finalise. This was purely on a personal level with outside factors affecting my work. Once I had realized there was an issue, I feel that I dealt with it head on. However, I took a break from the module in order to reflect on my work and my life, perhaps I took a break from Comm Tech for too long. This was my first ever extension on a module and so I had nothing to compare it to. If I got an extension on a project (fingers crossed to not) I would try and get the module finished so that I could concentrate on my other modules.
When it came to getting back into the module I did contact tutors to have a look at my work so far and to give feedback. This was helpful, as is any feedback, but especially this time as I didn't know where to start again.
I’ve learnt a lot about the origins of animation and the practical skills to make working examples of the first animation tools. I’ve learnt to make a thaumastrope, zoetrope, kineograph (flip book) and a phenakistoscope. Objects I never knew existed before, except flip books obviously. I understand how they work, or should I say how the eye reads images collectively at fast speeds.
I can now video myself using photobooth on my mac and I've been using my phone to film some of my tests too. This is much different to my usual way of documenting my work and I really like it. Tempted to do some video diaries for future projects, maybe some how-to videos for my craft collective in the summer. I now have a vimeo account and can upload the videos. All very easy really but I'd never done it before, a video can sometimes show a lot more information than a photograph. It would save me time typing too if I wanted to evaluate in video.
I’ve learnt that I don’t really want to spend a long time on a computer. I much prefer the making of things to editing animation. I don’t think I would choose to make an animation knowing that I would have to spend a lot of time editing it. However, I do like the concept and aesthetic of stop-motion. I'm sure that if I could spend lots of time making a 'set' and tactile objects to animate, I may enjoy it more. I guess that means I've learnt how I learn. I'm a kinetic learner, I like to make things and be hands on.
I began looking at examples of animation, mainly youtube and vimeo videos. The topic of animation seemed vast and it was hard to initially start creating animations; I didn’t know where to start. I found it difficult to make stop-motion animations to begin with as it kind of put me off the project. I had trouble with the camera focus in the stills, which made the animations look amateur.
I went to Bradford Animation Festival, which was fun, but gave little information about the making side of animation. However, it did show me how animation can be used to make beautiful pieces of work. Imagining the time and effort to make each film, blew my mind. I could not sit a rotoscope for hours a day, I think I would go crazy. I really do like the finished pieces but it's just not me.
The animation workshop with Animation Yorkshire was a great experience. I could do the image capture parts again without needing help. I would not feel confident at all working with Adobe Flash again. Instead of being talked through it and having a go, Rozi demonstrated. I never remember much from simply looking at a screen, I have to use my hands for memory. I know this already and I should have said this at the time. I know codes for doors at work with my hands but I couldn't say the code - the numbers just aren't in my head, the hand movements are there instead. Memory hands!
I found animation books much more helpful than the youtube videos for stop motion. I could go at my own pace. I found that with the tech staff I was at such a level (no level!) that I needed to have a go on my own first. It must be so frustrating for them to have a student that has no idea about animation. I think that now I would have acted differently. My confidence is back to normal after a tough time and I would have no problem asking for help.
I don’t think there’s anything I ‘need’ to learn further. I’m not just an animator nor just interested in animation. This was a project to look further into a discipline that I had no idea about.
That's not to say I will not learn more about animation.
I would like to make a working praxinoscope and then a zoopraxinoscope. These will take much more skills are I’ll have to consider placements and angles much more accurately so that the mirrors reflect in the right direction. I think it’s definitely something I will do. I have a new found love for traditional forms of animation. After a few prototypes, I feel confident I’ll be ready to make them out of more durable materials to stand the test of time.
My record player that I used for some experiments is actually broken and will not play at the usual speed for LPs - If it's not worth getting fixed (if it's more to fix than buy a new and better record player) it's perhaps useable it as a phenakistoscope player. Although I think I need to get it speeded up. I could make more elaborate phenakistoscopes to use on it. Would be a good piece of kit to have for perhaps traditional animation workshops with children?
I think that in the back of my mind I'm always thinking "How could I use this in community arts?" and "How could I teach people to do this?" I think this is something that kids would enjoy making and then using. Although I'd have to test the market, so to speak, as I may be wrong.
I would like to find out more about the image capture in stop-motion and how to stop the camera moving in and out - even when set to manual!
I’ve always believed that making mistakes is important. I think I made a mistake choosing animation for this module in the first place. Although the traditional forms of animation I really like. I know now that I wouldn’t choose to do animation again. It was something I had to try. It's now another discipline ticked off the list of things to try. If I hadn't disliked stop-motion the editing element of stop motion so much I may not have taken my research to earlier forms. Then I wouldn't be able to throw words around like phenakistoscope - if there was any doubt of my progress as a practitioner, at least my vocabulary has expanded!
The problems I encountered with the phenakistoscopes just pushed me to try and make them work.
Technology is constantly improving in the field of animation. New techniques and software are very quickly, to some people, becoming obsolete and out-dated. In my perception, there is still a need for older forms of animation and it would be wrong to forget about zoetropes and phenakistoscopes and their founders, as this is history. These older forms tantalised audiences when they were invented and still have that power to do so.
However, as I don't plan to go into digital animation for anything other than to create imaginative pieces (and that's only a possibility), I fail to see how the advancements in technology would affect me much as a practitioner. It would simply mean that I would have to learn a new software if that's what I chose to do.
What worries me about technological advances is how our lives are being more and more consumed by gadgetry. One might say that the western world is more comfortable emailing someone than speaking face to face. My research into the future of animation was pretty shocking. Animated news reports? It worries me the prospect of fictionalised information being shown to masses of people that have little or no interest in going out of their way to learn for 'real news' and to form their own opinions based on fact.
At the beginning of the module after the briefing I got straight into the project. I organised external trips to an animation festival and went to a workshop by Animation Yorkshire. I continually was researching and watching animations and read through lots of books to gain more insight. However, this level of perseverance with the module did not continue throughout.
Usually I am very good at managing a project and motivating myself. This module has been particularly difficult to finalise. This was purely on a personal level with outside factors affecting my work. Once I had realized there was an issue, I feel that I dealt with it head on. However, I took a break from the module in order to reflect on my work and my life, perhaps I took a break from Comm Tech for too long. This was my first ever extension on a module and so I had nothing to compare it to. If I got an extension on a project (fingers crossed to not) I would try and get the module finished so that I could concentrate on my other modules.
When it came to getting back into the module I did contact tutors to have a look at my work so far and to give feedback. This was helpful, as is any feedback, but especially this time as I didn't know where to start again.
Improvements
I tried to make the phenakistoscope work by making the balloons clearer to see (defined with a darker colour) and also by making a mask to concentrate the eye to one section. It did help a little. You can still see movements from in a circular movement rather than the illusion that the balloon is going down. I think this would be improved by the record player spinning faster or having a smaller mask over it in a vertical line instead of a triangle. I think the mask would have to be the width of the balloon to fully achieve this.
Seeing as I can't make my record player go any faster, I though I would make a design for a phenakistoscope that used the outer sections (as they travel a greater distance in the same amount of time) therefore these parts would go faster? That's what I hoped anyways.
I tried again with the triangle mask. Simply not fast enough.
I tried a vertical linear mask. It does work better but needs to be thinner.
The future of animation?
This video scares me so much. Local, National and International news are already somewhat biased in opinions. But fictionalised news? To me, animation is about creativity and imagination. News should be about fact. Even if the 'news animations' state that it is of fictionalised content or a view of a possible event - to many people it could be taken as gospel. Who thought this could be a good idea?
If this is the future of animation, I'm pretty glad that I don't want to be an animator. It's one thing to have to work to a brief for a client that you wouldn't choose to do, but had to to earn a living. But to create propaganda material for one of the most public platform for information is disgusting. The world has gone mad.
Zoetrope
This is my first zoetrope. It's pretty crude but I just used things around the house, including a plant pot!
Pretty easy to do, I watched a tutorial of how to do it but it said I needed a coffee lid?!? didn't have that so I used the plant pot, it's circular so I hoped it would work.
And it does work!!
I tried to film it but it wasn't picking up the image. It's another one to physically have a go at.
The one problem with this is the handle (which is an argos pen) it wobbles around, I tried to make it more secure with blue tack but it's not completely wobble-free.
Some experiments
All of these videos are filmed on my iPhone - a little wobbly as I was using my other hand to work the record player, spin the phenakistoscope and draw. However, I'm pretty impressed with the quality of the iPhone video (should be for the price I pay a month!)
This was done simply but putting a piece of paper with a hole in the middle (not too tight or it won't spin with the record) onto the record player. When the record player is spinning I moved coloured pens around - a bit like a spirograph (well that was my idea).
I'm not sure whether this would be considered animation. I just got a a bit experimental with the record player. Although it does look like the lines are moving up and down? It does give the slight illusion of movement - surely that's what animation is?
The issue with this test was that although it is still a phenakistoscope when spun on the record player, it does not work in the same way as when spun and viewed in a mirror. The slots are useless here as they're for directing your view when looking from behind the phenakistoscope into a mirror.
I think if I try what these guy's tried (below) with the cut out triangle it would work much better as the eye is fixed on one section which will chance through the sequence. Although the video below is not of a zoopraxiscope, it's a phenakistoscope. A zoopraxiscope is an actual projection, much like a phenakistoscope and a magic lantern put together.
Ooooo, that may mean I've learnt something.
Also my record player doesn't go fast enough to give the illusion of motion. I'll try again with a triangle cover anyways.
Also my record player doesn't go fast enough to give the illusion of motion. I'll try again with a triangle cover anyways.
This was done simply but putting a piece of paper with a hole in the middle (not too tight or it won't spin with the record) onto the record player. When the record player is spinning I moved coloured pens around - a bit like a spirograph (well that was my idea).
I'm not sure whether this would be considered animation. I just got a a bit experimental with the record player. Although it does look like the lines are moving up and down? It does give the slight illusion of movement - surely that's what animation is?
 |
| Phenakistoscope plain |
 |
| phenakistoscope improvement |
I made improvements to the handheld phenakistoscope. Firstly I made the hole in the middle bigger so that it spins more freely. Secondly, I made a sequence that is easier for the eye to focus on. I did this by colouring in the stills. I think this was the problem with the first phenakistoscope I made.
It's hard to see in the video (above) but it does work!! yippee! It is better if you try it out yourself in a mirror.
I've noticed that the faster you spin it, the bigger the slots need to be. Otherwise the eye isn't fast enough to see the image.
These stop-motions were all edited in iMovie. The one above went a bit wrong as the tripod wasn't tightened and started to move as I was taking shots. note to self - check tripod.
post-it notes are quick and simple to use for animation - cheap too. The camera seems to auto-focus, although here it is set to auto.
It's much better here on manual but still not great. Why does it do that???
I tried again on manual and now also with manual focus (after a little google troubleshooting). It still does it!!!
Alice in Wonderland
I think the installation would look even better if the pieces were on a large scale (like in Alice in Wonderland). Just need to work out if I could fit it in the budget.
Also, considering the idea of getting dancers in the woods be live flowers. I have a friend at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance so I'm waiting on his reply. I'll speak to Jane when I see the site and have a chat about the prospect.
I went to the first year's installation performance at Northern School of Contemporary Dance on Wednesday - this is where my ideas have 'stemmed' (geddit?)
I Love West Leeds Festival
I had a chat with Jane Earnshaw, the director of I Love West Leeds Festival. Brilliant news - I'm going to be using my new found skills in knitting/crochet in a knitted trail for the festival. My piece will be in Bramley Woods and I'm going to see the site next week with Jane to get an idea of scale and positions of each piece. I thought I'd have a little look for pictures or a video to get an idea now (note below video) and it looks pretty nice!
I'm really excited about this project - I'm considering the theme of Alice in Wonderland. Maybe West Leeds in Wonderland? 'Ar' Alice in Wonderland? Alice in West Leeds Wonderland? Alice in West Leeds?
I have a budget of £150 which is brilliant. I went to have a look at the price of supplies today. I need bright colours! Found a few places with cheap and bright wool.
Wilkinsons - £1.70 for a large ball of double knit
Poundstretcher - £2.49 for 2 medium size balls of double knit
Amazon - £6.99 for 10 medium size balls of double knit (not all very bright)
Unsure of the quality and colours on Amazon. Gonna check out hobbycraft soon too.
Saw some unspun wool in Poundstretcher which could be good for felting flowers. Haven't done felting in a while but it's pretty easy.
Also, I've put an advert on Freecycle Leeds to get free wool if possible.
I'm really excited about this project - I'm considering the theme of Alice in Wonderland. Maybe West Leeds in Wonderland? 'Ar' Alice in Wonderland? Alice in West Leeds Wonderland? Alice in West Leeds?
I have a budget of £150 which is brilliant. I went to have a look at the price of supplies today. I need bright colours! Found a few places with cheap and bright wool.
Wilkinsons - £1.70 for a large ball of double knit
Poundstretcher - £2.49 for 2 medium size balls of double knit
Amazon - £6.99 for 10 medium size balls of double knit (not all very bright)
 |
| Poundstretcher |
 |
| Poundstretcher |
Saw some unspun wool in Poundstretcher which could be good for felting flowers. Haven't done felting in a while but it's pretty easy.
Also, I've put an advert on Freecycle Leeds to get free wool if possible.
Monday 9 May 2011
Practice makes perfect
 |
| Awesome wool!! |
 |
| George crocheting |
 |
| My little flower yarn bomb in the cafe |
 |
| Trying to improve my technique |
Sunday 8 May 2011
Remade Leeds - Banner Making Workshop
On 4th May I attended the banner workshop at Remade Leeds.
"We are running a really exciting campaign in April - 'ReMade's Water Month' which aims to highlight some of the issues around water and sustainability through a fun and hands on banner workshop. Participating groups will have the chance to find out a bit more about water, fill in our quick interactive online survey and then make their very own water inspired banner using craft techniques with our team of experienced designers."I've been to Remade a few times and I love how there are so many aspects to the space. As well as it being a shop for remade clothing, there are pop-up shops, clothing alterations, skills workshops and creative space. I think this is what will make Remade Leeds last longer than most indie shops as it's multiple uses give it longevity.
I chose to do more knitting for my part of the banner but with some big 12mm needles and "t shirt wool" which is basically using an old t shirt and cutting it in a strip so that it can be knitted like yarn. Cutting the t shirt in a spiral means that the majority of the material is used without having to tie pieces together.
This was pretty easy and with such big needles I could knit a larger piece in less time. I was really happy with the results and also found a new way to use up old clothing and fabric. It would make a funky rug. I was going to have a go at "ragging" but I had a bit of a headache and so left early. I can remember doing ragging when I was younger on a school trip to Thwaite Mill. It's a quick way to make rosette brooches with a few nice buttons and a clasp.
All above photos by Lana Johnston via Active Arts.
I decided to go for a pollution scene. There were no real set rules for what we had to do and although the medium of crafty banners is very "nice" it was a good way for me to use craftivism to depict an important message of what's wrong in the world.
I used my knitted t shirt as a background; the sea. I then weaved through some sparkly netting for waves and the fish are made of felt and move when the piece is moved. The fish a re dead, I tried to show this by the cartoon 'x' for eyes. If I'd of had time I'd of put some text on there reflecting on water pollution.
I had a good time and would definitely go down to Remade Leeds again for similar workshops.
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