robinleeli

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Book bindings collection

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Reflection

This initiative has taught me the value of actively engaging with and being curious about the world around me. I've realised that even the most fantastical fiction is impacted by real-life experiences. The major goal was to improve my ability to develop ideas and discover inspiration in ordinary situations. In terms of project outcomes, I was entrusted with developing a limited-edition publication utilising no more than two sheets of A3 paper. The emphasis was on creating a micro-narrative inspired by observed or real-world events, incorporating storytelling from my daily life and surroundings.

I believe that the visual diary is a central part of the whole project and I tried several 'drawing from life' techniques while writing my visual diary. It was a huge source ofinspiration for me when I started writing short stories for my book. When creating a mirror narrative, I carefully considered the story I wanted to tell and how I could tell it without using written language, symbols or genre. I learned to look for creative inspiration in the ordinary, unexpected, emotional and exciting aspects of my environment. I think the most important thing I learned in this project was to find aesthetics in life.

I am happy with my result as it is a very honest representation of my everyday life. I don't have many friends and I don't like to go out and play, I just like to stay in my room every day. As an international student, I often feel a lack of belonging and loneliness, and my room is all I have, it gives me a sense of security, I feel suffocated and depressed while drawing security and dependence from the solitude. I like the pale simplicity of the presentation, it's a big break from my usual style, I always like to complicate things, but this time I tell my daily and inner world in a very simple form, and at the same time the absence of words fits in very well with my daily silence, I have a great sense of connection with my work and I'm satisfied with it.

As a reflection, I think I have not experimented enough with multiple media or materials, such as using screening printing, incorporating digital painting or using physical objects to decorate books. I didn't fully understand and experiment with book binding and I will be better able to schedule my next production and experiment to find the most suitable binding.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Communication

In our group of four, we shared our publications and took turns reading each other's work. It was during this exchange that I realized how seemingly minor factors, like paper quality, size, and binding style, can greatly impact the reading experience. As a storyteller and publisher, it became clear to me that I should consider more appropriate binding methods and timing.

When admiring other students' work, I found that everyone was very creative and that the possibility of including three-dimensional designs would make reading more interesting, as well as the fact that someone had used something like a feather to decorate the cover of the publication, also added greatly to the appeal.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Final outcome

Final Images in my publication (edited in Photoshop)

My final print design of the book (edited in Indesign)

Photos of the physical publication

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Printing and making

I scanned all the drawings that needed to appear in the publication and imported them into Adobe Photoshop for colour grading and editing, using the 'ombre' filter to make them look grainy and grey. After editing the images I imported them into Adobe Indesign for layout. Once I had finished I bought the right paper and went to Digital Printing in Lcc's W211 classroom.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Process of making visual dairy and binding

The tools I use for this are electric erasers, paper erasers, charcoal, 12B pencils and 4H pencils. To fulfil the concept of a 'frame', each drawing is shaped with paper tape before it is started and then drawn in the frame, sketched and shaded with pencils and then softened with paper erasers to make the picture grey.

In the Digital Skills Class, the tutor introduced us to a way of making booklets and considering the reason for the event, I decided to finish my final printing and binding in this way.After experimenting in class I found out that I needed to pay attention to the front and back and the order in which the pictures were placed. At the same time, in the digital Skills Class, I learnt how to do layout in Abode Indesign and the various issues that need to be taken care of, such as bleed lines, number of pages, layout size, etc.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Narrative map and storyboard

In the workshop, we learn how to structure the story in a publication, and I try to draw maps combining flat and three-dimensional elements.

My main idea for my publication revolves around the concept of the "frame", set in a room but not only in a room, which breaths with the whole universe. As I lost my iPad in the process, I noticed the use of GPS in the process of finding it: it works on the principle that as long as there are the same Apple users around, the signals they associate with each other will locate its position. I represent a tiny point on the map, and as long as I exist, I will send a signal because I am connected to everything around me in a way that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

I wanted the concept I was expressing to start from the small around me, from myself, and then embody an aesthetic of emptiness and grandeur, with the main character as a body of consciousness, representing not only myself but everyone who sees this publication.

Main content: The story of the main character's daily activities of staying in his room or a state of isolation and emptiness. Derived from my real life and emotional experiences on a daily basis. I do not feel negative about this state, but I have added some parts to make the bland documentary comic into a story, such as the image of the main character's ears resembling an alien, with long, pointed ears and no hair, and the door to his room being open at the end of the story, a representation of the open ending, while another person lying on his bed shows that he can be separated from his physical body as a spectator and take a third perspective of its own life.

I named the my publication as 'Slough', which means to shed one's skin, to be alone and lonely does not mean not to move forward, to explode from the silence, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. The protagonist is a true reflection of my life, akin to a hibernating creature yet as free as particles in the air. Through depicting everything within the room, I hope to capture its inner state using realistic techniques, evoking resonance and contemplation.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Zine & Publication

I learnt a lot from Oswin Tickler's presentation. His idea of 'find your own voice from isolation' was a similar starting point to the work I did this time. As well as his reference to collaborating with others, I think this is something we have to go through as a publisher, to get inspired and reflect and develop ourselves while exchanging ideas.

I also appreciated the way he used the alphabet ruler and paper tape to create his artwork, and the way he created his artwork every day was like a visual diary.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Project lecture and Artist research

From Sabba Khan's sharing I learnt techniques to build a story structure, where the narrative is not developed in a way. Amongst other things she also mentioned that we can start stories from our own experiences, which is knowledge I can apply to this project. I learnt how to combine comic narratives with knowledge and constructive ideas in her work 'Green Lungs Comic', I learnt what to look for in a publication aimed at the public and how to make the illustrations simple and accessible without losing the fun.

Simaoliulian, (2023), Back [Wordless comic]

Through the lecture, it reminded me of another artist whose cartoons do not use any words, but narrate a touching story about a father to the viewer. The colours she uses are meant to show the plot of a humdrum life move, using many small grids to depict many details, seemingly scattered but in fact each small item tells the story together. Her work has inspired me to use her silent yet powerful way of telling the events of my life.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Artist research

Vilhelm Hammershoi (15 May 1864 – 13 February 1916), was a Danish painter. He is known for his poetic, subdued portraits and interiors.

In my view, Hamoshoi's artwork utilizes a cool and restrained colour palette, with subtle tones and an overall soft and elegant feel. The figures in his work evoke a sense of mystery and tension while maintaining a captivating simplicity. I observed that many of the figures in his paintings are always not facing the viewer, but appearing in a sideways or back-to-front manner, which brings a sense of detachment and tranquillity. At the same time I noticed that many of the doors in his paintings are in an open state, as if someone has just stepped out, which brings a unique sense of movement to the picture. I like the way he uses colour, the shades are grey yet it feels warm and calm, like sitting in a chair in a room in the afternoon looking at everything in the room, not thinking too much, just watching and feeling. This is very close to what I wanted to express. The interior spaces he constructs also reflect the every day, yet exude a profound emotional depth.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Experiments on narrative

In the workshop we experimented with storytelling based on photographic images provided by the teacher. We experimented with how to use imagination and narrative to connect three seemingly unrelated images, and these experiments have advanced my publications, and I see the connections between the images and how I can see the developmental and storytelling aspects of the images in the absence of written descriptions.

It was amazing to see how each picture played a part in the overall storytelling, as we tried to tell the difference between what happened before and after the next 5 minutes and before and after a month, and how the key pictures changed depending on where they were located.

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Horniman Museum and Gardens

[robinleeli]

Hand and eye

Visual diary

Here are some drawings where I try to use with different materials in my visual diary.

I took some photos from my daily life and draw them down with my own understanding.

"Frame": I observed that a room can be seen as a frame, and the door as a passage is also a frame, as well as the window, the bed, the computer screen and the mobile phone screen, etc. We live in a myriad of frames, and every second of what happens is framed in our eyes like a camera, and I wanted to integrate this concept into the illustration, for example by making its outer contours regular, creating a sense of cinema and a sense of being constrained by the camera.

As we needed to start from reality, I intended to portray my room, the atmosphere of which I thought would reflect one's inner world and in which the storytelling would be embedded.

[robinleeli]

Hand and Eye

Artist research

He is my favourite artist and I am greatly influenced by him. He used to paint in watercolour, with a subtle monotony of colour but with a unique beauty. The expressions of the figures in his paintings are always bewildered or laughing maniacally, giving them an inhuman and eerie look, more like a conscious body, while most of his backgrounds are set in rooms with simple furniture, more like being in a closed space, very depressing. Each of his paintings seems to be a cross between a bizarre dream and reality, with a surge of emotion hidden underneath the calm.

For this publication I wanted to use a similar realistic approach to painting and a rough and textured colour treatment.

[robinleeli]

Hand and Eye

Project brief

In the workshop, I brought three items as requested by the teacher: a small silver bowl, a coaster and a sponge. We then cut out a piece of paper to use as a 'lens' and practised looking deeper into the object and finding different forms of expression through timed quick drawings. I found this very helpful as we simulated going into different emotional states such as anger, romantic, loving, sad etc. I found that the lines drawn in different emotions were very different and even completely distorted the original look of the object.

During the exercise I was pleased that I broke out of my comfort zone and let my lines follow my feelings rather than logical judgements, I often take too long to draw a picture because I am too restrained and this connection made me realise that making a picture more intense may require me to be more relaxed and attentive to the object in front of me.

[robinleeli]

Through a lens

Reflection

Working on this project made me realise how important it was for us to master the medium of the moving image. We synthesised all aspects of animation and filmmaking, including movement, style and pacing, as well as audience, platform and cultural critique. In VJ's Digital Skills class, we were guided through Rotoscoping and Cinemagraph in Adobe Photoshop, and through practice I learned how to import and edit multiple audio tracks in Adobe Premiere Pro, how to mix and add effects, and we were encouraged to experiment with different ways of creating motion pictures.

We were given free rein in choosing our subject matter and deciding on aesthetic quality and narrative style, but we were also encouraged to develop an engaging piece of work with thoughtful deliberation and academic rigour so that the audience understood the context in which we were creating it. For example, we were asked to write an overview of the film, which also honed my ability to summarise and summarise, while leaving the viewer in suspense.

We also learnt about the role of storyboarding in making moving images, including the basic principles of storyboarding, and gave examples of how to convey moments of action and movements, and in practice I learnt how different transitions can have different effects. Whilst making the film, due to the style I chose, I had to draw one sheet at a time, a dozen drawings per second, which greatly increased my patience and honed my ability to draw efficiently.

We also learnt about the concept of stylistic framing, which is a process that helps us to define the aesthetic qualities of our work. Through various sources of research and stylistic references, I was able to produce an animation that I was happy with and I thought about aspects such as atmosphere, colour, materials, textures and animation techniques. I have always wanted to try and create an animation that draws every frame, and this project helped me to achieve my goal. Due to the time constraints and the amount of work involved, I cut some scenes, but I don't think this detracted from the overall idea to be presented. In the final screening, I was pleased to be able to show the results of my animation on the big screen. I also saw the excellent work of my classmates and I marvelled at their skills and ideas and I think I will be using animation more in my future studies.

[robinleeli]

Through a lens

Screening & Communication

We were guided by the tutor to write an overview about the animation, we uploaded the animation and the brief to Moodle and then took part in a screening in Lecture Theater B.

Everyone's work was shown and we saw how much work everyone had done during the month. At the same time I realised the importance of the synopsis so that the audience could judge the content of the animation in advance so that they could watch and react to it better. It is also important that the Trigger Warning is included. From my own point of view, my animation contains some stimulating images, so in order to prepare the viewer mentally, a warning needs to be written in the introduction.

We wrote our emails and names on a small slip of paper and then before the screening started, each person drew a classmate's information from the box and we had to watch the film carefully, look for the drawn classmate's film and send feedback by email. I thought this was a great way to help us find the merits of other people's work and at the same time each person outputting feedback could also get feedback.