@Phil - More drawings

Im experimenting with some pencil and pen drawings.

@Phil - Trifles!!!

This task is making me hungry! I'm not currently home but these will be re scanned tomorrow - uploaded just for the sake of being checked. I've also added some drawings I did on the train today.

Train - left - hand

Left-Hand

Left-hand

Left-Hand

(@Phill) Minor Project: Sketching to life

Started using a nice little sketchy tool brush in photoshop to bring to light some of my items that I'll be using at a later date.

@Phil - Following on from yesterday's Comment.

Following on from the comment here's a new segment. 

• I don't think I had a favorite toy till I received a remote control car, which broke like two weeks after I got it. But I do remember this one book that wasn't mine, but belonged to this child care center I had to visit when my Mum got to see me. I remember it, even though I was very very young, because I used to run to it before I even saw my Mum or anyone else. It was tucked behind a chair in the far right corner of the room. It was a large, white book with a giraffe on it. I know I wasn't there long because I couldn't flick throw the pages quick enough before I was swept away back with my day carer. I remember one the workers standing in the door way, almost protectively. It wasn't till I was older that I was told that my Mum was mentally unstable at the time and because I was still very young, for both our safety, she had to be kept under strict supervision. After the visit I would be take to my Day Carer's house where I would have waited till my Nan was home from work before I was taken back home. That continued right till I started Nursery. 

• The Masculine toys were a car mat, the ones that had the cities sewn into them, and a action man doll. Then a Mitsubishi, I think it was, remote control car. 

• I remember Nursery only by the smell and the little red push bikes that all the kids would fight to get at when we would go out an play. I think I only ever rode one like 5 times when I went there. All the other kids didn't really play with me. Not that I can remember. The smells were of cookie dough, sea side and damp. The nursery is still there today, but I think it's just the Church now. 

• I think the weekends were my favorite growing up, I could always remember waking up on a Saturday and going down stairs to looking at things, maybe play a bit of music on the radio while my Nan did her hair. Then run upstairs because the smell of her hair dye burnt the root of your nose. The mid-late secondary school days were the best years I think. That smell on every other Saturday, earning some money ironing my Granddad's shirts. The smell of his Old Spice aftershave in the evenings after he gets ready to go to work. Sunday mornings waking up and helping Nan bake the apple pie. The smell of the roast marching around the house, filling the place with the sense that everything was ship shape and perfect. I loved it when my Uncle came round as we'd either have the apple pie or Nan would have made a Trifle. Home made with sprinkles. I never used to like jelly before then but as soon as my Uncle moved out and I claimed his room I liked jelly. Weird right?

• It felt natural to be like that, in the afternoon on a Sunday we'd sit in the living room together and watch a movie, like a proper family and then laugh as my Granddad started to nod of with his mouth open. We'd nudge him and he would look at you like nothing happened. We'd just ask, ''catching flies, are we?'' And he would tut and continue watching the film. He was always tired because he mainly did the night shifts leading up to his retirements. But those smells will always stick with me, Old spice, Hair dye and Roast dinner.  

• My least favorite clothing item was a dress. I HATED wearing dresses or skirts and I still do. I think mostly I despised the Primary school summer dresses. Because they were a weird material that made you hotter then they were supposed to. That and the boys kept lifting them up because they thought they were funny. I also put on some weight when I was in school and for the last year there I think I actually only wore shirt and tie and skirt. Was so relieved to hear that secondary allowed me to wear trousers. 

• Christmas. What can I say about my Christmas's? I don't remember most of the ones when I was young, we're were a pretty poor family and my Grandparents never spoil me with loads and loads of gifts. I think the best Christmas was when my Step-Mum and Dad brought down their first child, Leo, when he was just a little baby. They brought me a massive Santa sack full of gifts. Loads of ''girly'' things like make up, bags, hair stuff, straighteners. The lot. This was when I was bout 12? it was in 2006. I think the only other Christmas that would top that, two actually were when I got my xbox 360 of my Uncle, and the one Christmas we just had when all of my family, plus Marion spent Christmas together. That felt amazing, my Step-Mum, Dad, Leo, Tegan, Kian, Marion and Me all under one roof and we went over to my Grandparents for Christmas Dinner and my Uncle was there too. 
• I didn't have any pets unfortunately, not even a goldfish. My Grandparents didn't hate them they just didn't see the point. The closest thing I got was a tamigochi ( a rip of version) which died in like a week cause the thing I had was rubbish. 

• I had two rooms growing up, from living there till my Uncle moved out I was in the back bedroom. Through the front door, up the stairs, straight across and past the bathroom. It was a small box room, barely able to get a bed, wardrobe, bookcase and a chest of draws in there. When I was younger I only had a cot, my Grandparents had to have me checked to see why I was always crying or what ever and some doctor person told them that my head should be facing North at all times, when they changed my bed to face north, my attitude completely changed and I was a nicer child. Till I grew into a teen. When I was at school, my uncle installed a old computer into my room, with an old fat monitor on top of a desk that barely left any floor room. You couldn't actually sit on my floor, there wasnt that much space. I had a TV and my ps2 on a stand behind the door, I'd get mad because when my Nan came in to tell me dinner was ready or to do something she'd open the door and hit my TV. 
•    When my Uncle eventually moved out, my Granddad redecorated the room purple. I had to sleep with my head facing the same way it's always been so if you'd walk in this room. You'd see my bookshelf immediately, the desk was in the corner with my pc, then there was a gap (which later came a box which I stored shoes in) then next to that my Wardrobe (this wardrobe was my Nan's before me it was about 30 years old.) Then there was the airing cupboard, which bugged me cause my Nan would come in my room every day to put stuff in and take stuff out, get me to turn the heating on in the winter etc. Then next to that, stopping it from opening the door fully was my chest of draws and beside that my bed. You'd think I'd have slept with my head next to the chest of draws but I couldn't, I had to sleep the other way, so my head was where the door opened. I got older and that room became smaller as I got more stuff. My gaming sessions in that room were loud and annoying. I even made my Grandparents let me take care of the internet and upgrade it just cause. After that I moved to my own flat, then into the house I have now. 

• I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I think the ideas went from mounted police officer - RAF Pilot - Computer Technician - Games Designer - Animator. 

@Phil Creative Writing Task

As Phil has suggested to me I have come up with some creative writing about my personal child hood. 

When someone mentions childhood they really don't understand the difference of being brought up by a Mum and a Dad or Mum or Dad, compared to living with Grandparents. So when you are young and in school and all the teachers are saying ''Get your Parents to help to do this for you.'' Or ''Has your Mum or Dad done this with you.'' It makes you shrink to the side of the room, feeling neglected and out of place. Even if you try to explain to them that living with an older generation is harder because they might not understand things, life gets harder, both on yourself and on them. It hurts, you feel small. But as you get older that feeling subsides, you become independent, even a little passive aggressive, because you mostly had to fend for yourself. Learn by yourself. With little to no help from them or even your parents. They are not dead, they are just distant. Far away from you. When you explain that to class mates they look at you like you're some sort of weirdo. They don't understand. Some, those with a single parents, you can relate but you still feel like you're missing out on a important part of growing up. Not to say it's their fault, problems happen, relationships change, and their is nothing you could have done to make it any different. But you are just grateful for what you had and what was taught to you. Even if it was a million miles away from what the other children learnt. No bedtime stories, no playing ''don't touch the floor''. Just you, a room, books, and hand-me-down masculine toys. Restrictions, not put in place to make my life hell, but to make sure you doing the right thing, not making mistakes.  A normal, boring, uneventful but completely appreciated childhood. 

@Phil - So many ideas.

So it seems my previous block of text hasn't been reviewed yet and its almost time to come back and I'm honestly feeling a little stuck. I've been looking at tutorials in finding a character and developing them as Alan suggested and that has made me think of many different approaches I can do with character design but not so much when approaching an idea. I've been keeping an eye on the rest of the group and they are progressing nicely and that put me in a position of not so much panic but close enough.

But regardless I need to try and get something out.

Previous Ideas:
- A creature that is brought up from the depths of the earth and is shunned for their looks but is eventually welcomed as part of the forest life. (Was supposed to be an animated short)
- A child's toy (like a teddy bear) is accidentally left abandoned after a family hike into the woods. Struck by lightning it fights its way back to the girl and gets tattered and torn along yhe way. (Either animated short or character turn around).
- Two people meet at a patch of soil on a hill and work together to grow the tree which in turn grows their feelings towards one another and they bring colour back into a black and white worlds. (Animated short.)

Additional Ideas:
Even with these "pluck out of thin air" ideas I think in terms of my own potential and skill I wouldn't be able to achieve more than a turn around. But I'd like to push myself and at least try. I've been going out a lot recently, mainly with family but otherwise just to go for walks to try and find some inspiration.  Here are some additional ideas that stemmed from such outings.

- My granddad told me that when he was working in Hastings he used to live up in a cave on the cliff where the tram goes. And he used to have to ride his bike up and down it to work every day. I don't know how much of this is true at all but the concept of hearing old stories from older generations fascinates me. And I would probably like to address some in some respect. Like a cartoon sketch that shows a young gentleman trying to ride a bike up a cliff face to go home and eventually can afford to get himself a flat or something at the end and then turns it into his cave as much as possible.

- Pokemon Go has become fabricated into my daily routine, in a sense that I spend most of my evenings out in Rochester hunting for the little buggers. The idea that stemmed from this was that people complain that everyone's is always on their phones like drones. Walking around silently or sitting in silence glued to their phones. But when the world gives them an app that encourages social activity people become more alive more engaged and friendships can be made. My idea for this is a dull city where people where these visors that have their phones connected too so they can see where they are going as well as everything that is happening on their phone. They walk around in drone like fashion until an world wide update comes out that only works on the device rather than through the visor and requires people to talk. The silent city becomes abrupt with noise and the whole atmosphere changes and people start removing the visors and seeing the world as it is. Bright and colourful.

@Alan - Brainstorming further Ideas

So looking at some of the videos suggested, thinking mainly about plot lines I've come up with a few ideas. Some of them are probably out of my feasible range but I want to try and complete something good for my final year. Most of these were plucked from aspects of my own life as well as influences I've gathered while walking around. (The abandoned toy one was picked up when I saw this tattered and old toy in the window of a vintage shop, it looked sad an alone and if I had the money I would have taken him home with me. He was a cute little brown patched bear with one eye and a button for a nose. I went back to see if he was still there and he was not =/ ). I hope this is what you were suggesting Alan? If not then I'll try again. Sorry for the lengthy paragraphs I tend to think the full story out first.

1. Animated Short: A shiny new child's stuffed toy gets accidentally abandoned while the family are camping and had to leave due to bad weather. The stuffed toy is animated by a strike of lightning. He gets up, looking confused.  Scenes cut between the toy travelling through the woods towards what he thinks is home and the little girl looking out the window on different times of the day at the forest eventually not even stopping as she starts to forget. The toy, getting attacked by animals, nature and the weather eventually finds himself at the little girls house. The girl just happens to open the door to go out play and spots the toy and runs towards it and it towards her. It's thread trailing behind and his leg falls off and he falls down. The little girl scoops him up and his loose foot and runs in to her parents, they take it and they throw it in the trash. the little girl cries, takes it out of the trash when her parents are not looking and attempts to repair it herself in her room. She hurts herself and the toy leans up and holds her hand and smiles she smiles back and he is fixed. The child then goes outside to play with the toy the next few days and the storm returns, striking it again making it immobile. The child is sad to see her animated friend no longer move. He gets placed on a shelf as the child grows he gathers dust. Until one day a young boy climbs onto a chair and calls out to his parents. He places the toy outside as the rain hits, and it gets struck by lightning and comes alive. It's fur tattered and old. Yet is rubs it's eyes and gets up looking at the startled boy.
2. Animated Short: Taking the above and just mainly focusing on the toy's travels home, how he meets the wild-life and has to run from dangers and surviving nature. Like thorns tearing the toy, fog making him loose his way. But eventually finding a home again. 
3. Character Turn around: I want to create the characters mentioned above as turn around's. If the animation is a step to far that is.
4. Animated Short:  So a little grey world full of grey things and the style is paper-like. Two character's are walking towards the same place, a park with a solitary planter atop a hill. They both come there to water the little grey sapling that is trying hard to grow in the small space. They see each other and become nervous. They both look at the plant then at each other sowing the dull grey watering cans to each other. They both smile and approach the tree. Sitting either side they water it a little each. The water is also grey in colour. The male tilts his head and offers the female part of his sandwich. The female declines politely and sits nervously. They both leave at the same time, the night cycle passes and the little sapling grows a little. They both return at the same time, both with watering cans and plant food. They wave at each other, sitting either side again. They both take turns tending to the plant. The female again declines the sandwich offer and they return home. The cycle of night passes and the sapling grows into a shoot with a single leaf. They return, again with something to care for the plant, this time some fresh soil and feed. They laugh and help each other with the tending. The male sits with the female this time. She accepts the food offer and they talk and laugh. They shake hands and part ways. A couple of night cycles pass and the shoot as grown into a small tree with small leaves. The two return again and greet each other with a handshake. The male does most of the work this time, changing the soil as the girl prepares a small picnic matt and food. The male surprises the female with a small bunch of colourless wild flowers. This gesture is accepted and the flowers start to bloom with sparks of colour, this surprises them both. They eat the picnic both staring at the flowers. They remained coloured. They exchange glances. When they depart that time, the handshake seems slower as they look into each others eyes. A warm glow beams from their hands as they part. The night cycle goes by enough for the tree to grow into a small trunk ed one.  The two return a little nervous. Both dressed a lot nicer. They didn't do much to the tree, watered it, sprinkled feed at its base and again set the picnic up. The male picks up a round object of food resembling a strawberry and attempts to feed it to the female. The female ''blushes'' in the grey tone and takes it. After he withdraws his hand the reddest colour appears. They both looked shocked at it. The male looked at the female and points to her mouth. The female wipes it and looks at her hand where the red juices of the strawberry appear. They look at each other and smile. Taking each others hands the whole picnic area gushes with colour. They stand in surprise, the female leaning into the male. They watched the tree change into browns and greens. Only this hillside changed though. The too exchanged glances and the male quickly pecks the females cheek. They leave with a hug. Returning after the night cycles bring rich red flowers on the tree. Doing less then watering the plant. The land around grows more in colour as they hug and lay on the grass together. When it comes to depart, the male leans in to kiss the female, sending further flows of colour through both of them and the land. They leave the same way this time.  The encounters pause a while until the tree is is full fruit-bloom baring rich apples. The two appear in wedding outfits, smiling at the now richly coloured land. They picked the apples and left. The tree goes through the seasonal cycles until it reaches bloom again, the two return, frail, two younger versions of themselves (their grown up children) and they each pick and apple are told to take the apple to separate hills and plant it there. It ends with the two elders sitting at sunset watching their children walk in different directions. They smile at each other share a hug and the camera pans around the tree to see them not there but their watering cans buried enough in the dirt around the tree so they don't topple over. 
5. Character Turn-around: I'd have liked to create a turn around set of characters from one of my most favourite child-hood book series: Maximum Ride by James Patterson. However after a little digging I found out that they are actually releasing the movie on the 30th of this month. Which is both amazing and kind of a bummer.  This idea was really just a floater when I was sitting in my living room looking around to try and pick out some interesting things about my life. The other book series I really enjoyed when I was younger was Harry Potter and that's a well mixed track now. Other than that, there's the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick. Which consists of a human and a Fallen becoming friends and battling other angels and things.