Overall evaluation

My evaluation

Overall, I've enjoyed working on this project. I chose to work on the travelling man brief because I've never created anything for a zine before and I've actually always wanted to give it a try so this has given me a great opportunity. 

I've gained a lot of experience on independent publishing and zine making. At times, I had difficulty thinking of ideas for the content of my zine as I didn't want it to be too short. 

Drawing the zine illustrations digitally has made the creating process for it a lot quicker but I'm still quite slow when I draw and colour. I've noticed how slow my drawing process is during this brief and I've decided that I need to work on creating illustrations faster in order to reach deadlines on time. 

Putting the zine together wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, I was worried that my digital illustrations would be washed out when they were printed out on standard white copier paper but I'm very happy with how it's turned out. 

Another thing I need to work on for future preference is to increase the amount of written work in my blog post. I've always found written work difficult but I'm going to try my hardest in the future to push myself to write more and include more field research in my written work.

In conclusion, I'm very happy with my project's outcome and although I would have liked to have included more written work and field research in my blog posts for this project, I've gained a lot of experience in creating illustrations for self published work.

The Peacock Ghost concept sketches, text page and main illustration

The peacock ghost concept sketches, text page and main illustration

The last ghost entry in my zine is The Peacock Ghost, the ghost of a man from the georgian era who also resembles a peacock. 

I already had a vivid idea of how I wanted him to look. I wanted him to have blue and green feathers around his eyes, resembling a masquerade mask made out of peacock feathers. His hands are also clawed and bird-like. His hair's also long and floaty like the frozen rosie ghost to give him a ghostly sense of movement.

I created a colour palette of blue/green peacock colours with a deep blue background to make the peacock green colours stand out.

I've chosen to draw the image of the peacock ghost in a large picture frame, since he was originally from a wealthy family when he was alive. I've also covered most of his clothes, like his jacket and tie, in green and blue feathers to make him look more bird like.

I've also tried to manipulate the shading on and around the picture frame to make it look like it was made of polished metal.

The miners parade text pages and main illustration

The miner's parade text pages and main illustration

The story I've created for 'The Miner's Parade' is that during the anniversary of a mine collapse in the 1960's, the group of miners that were killed in the cave in walk through the town during the day and leave in the late afternoon. This is referred to by the Hackerby villagers as 'The Miner's Parade'.

I've tried to emulate the appearance of a charcoal drawing by downloading a charcoal texture brush pack and using the brushes to line and shade the main illustration of the miners.

I've also drawn over a scanned piece of textured paper like the stain man and thinking cloak illustrations before so it looks like an old field drawing.

I've also had to expand the pages of informative text to two since the information I wrote for the miner's parade was so long.

Letter ghost concept sketches and main illustration

Letter ghost concept sketches and main illustration


I've decided to use a different colour palette for the main illustration of the 'Letter Ghost'.

Instead of cold blues, which I've used before to colour two of the previous illustrations of the tailor shop ghost and frozen rosie, I've used a dull, earthy brown palette. 

The story of the letter ghost is that she was very bitter and angry but plain and reserved while she was alive so I've tried to show that through the dull browns I've used.

In the main illustration, I've included different paper textures to represent the hateful letters the ghost sent while she was alive.

Tailor shop ghost concept sketches and main illustration

The Tailor shop ghost concept sketches and main illustration

I had trouble coming up with an overall design for this ghost because I couldn't decide on a design I was happy with. 

I originally thought of drawing him wearing a baggy fabric mask made from scraps of old material and buttons, like he was made from items in the old tailor's shop which he haunts. I came up with a backstory that made me change his appearance to a pale, eyeless boy who spits up buttons and other sewing materials after he was murdered via asphyxiation.

I used different murky textures for the background in the main illustration to give it a sewn together, patchwork feel. I also used cold blues and greys for the colour palette like in the Frozen Rosie illustration. I wanted to have the same icy feel as the previous Frozen Rosie picture with only the buttons falling from his mouth that are coloured slightly brighter than the rest of the picture.

The Stain Man

The Stain Man main illustration

I've reused one of the first conceptual ideas of 'the stain man', although I've changed it's size from simply just a regular human sized burn mark on a wall to a huge, black stain that almost covers the whole front of a building.

I've used a photo of an abandoned cinema as a reference for the building that the stain man covers.

I've also drawn the main illustration over a textured paper background in the style of a field drawing, like the thinking cloak illustration before.

Frozen Rosie ghost

Frozen Rosie ghost sketches, illustration and text page

The second ghost concept I've created is one named 'Frozen Rosie', who is the ghost of a young girl who drowned in a lake.

Her design is very floaty and flowing to give the impression of being submerged in deep water.

I've used dark blues and icy blues in the main illustration to give the feel of being in deep, freezing water. I've also drawn Rosie from a low angle to give the impression of her sinking deep down into the lake she drowned in.

First ghost illustration, concept sketches and text page

First ghost illustration, concept sketches and text page

The first entry subject in my zine I've created is called 'The Thinking Cloak'.

The story I've created for The Thinking Cloak is that is a long, hooded cloak that was used in ancient times as a tool to communicate with the dead. 

I've drawn the cloak with eyes on top of it's hood and teeth fixed into the top and bottom edges of it's hood to make anyone who wears it look like an unnerving monster.

Below is the final illustration for the thinking cloak:

I've drawn and coloured it completely in rough pencil based digital brushes to make it look like a quick field sketch a researcher or journalist would draw.

I've also written up a descriptive text page describing the history of the thinking cloak and where it can be found in Hackerby. 

Introduction page

Introduction page

I've written up a short introduction page to explain the fictional background of my zine, informing the reader of the village of Hackerby and how exploitive it is of it's ghostly residents.

I've digitally created a simple blue/grey dappled pattern background, which keeps with my zine's gloomy but light hearted colour scheme.

The introduction text is supposed to sound like it was written by Hackerby's village council and explains why you should visit Hackerby and what exciting thing you can see when you stop by.

It also explains that a lot of accidental deaths and murders happen in the village, which is one of the main reasons why the small town is so haunted.

Zine cover

Zine cover

The cover I've created for my zine is simple in design like the vintage guide book covers I was inspired by but I've used very dark and gloomy colours to fit the ghostly theme of my zine.

I've created a background pattern of thin, warped trees to give the feeling of a mysterious, spooky forest. I also kept the line work thin to make the trees look extra spindly.

I've used gothic black lace to decorate the left and right edges of the cover so it doesn't look too plain.

For the zine's title, I've gone with 'A spotters guide to ghostly apparitions and local oddities (in the village of Hackerby)'. I thought it sounded very formal and straight forward, similar to a title you would find on an old guide book or instructional manual.

I've drawn up a light lavender frame and dark background to make the title text eye catching and also so it doesn't blend in with the grey tree background.

My zine concept: a ghost guide book

My zine concept: a ghost guide book

After thinking it over, I've decide to make a zine that is a fictional guide to 'spotting ghosts'. It'll be like a bird watching guide, with an illustrated picture of a ghost on one page and a detailed description of them and where to find them on the opposite page.

I've drawn some concepts sketches of ghosts that could appear in my zine. I also want to base my zine in a fictional town so the zine can tell the reader about odd landmarks and buildings that tourists can visit. 

The sketch I've drawn on the left is a concept drawing for 'The Stain Man', which isn't actually a ghost but a burn mark on the side of building in the fictional town that resembles a human being. 

The sketch on the left is a colour/digital painting practice. I want the illustrations in my zine to be gloomy but light hearted. 

I've also decided that the fictional village will be called 'Hackerby' and will be a quiet, rural working class town that uses it's grim and ghostly reputation as a marketing gimmick to attract curious tourists, paranormal researchers and ghost hunting enthusiasts.

My zine concept

My zine concept and theme

The theme for my zine is 'guide books'. I thought that maybe creating something informative that is also entirely made up would be interesting. 

Themes I've thought of so far are:

- A guide to a fictional town

- A recipe book that instructs the reader on making poisonous sweets and desserts

- Something based around paranormal creatures/ghosts(?)

- A self help guide for depressed vampires

Zines

Zines

Zines are self-published magazines (or 'fan-zines') that deal with different themes, topics and creative styles. Zines can be created traditionally or digitally and can be bought and are usually bought and sold either at stores that sell comic books or online.

Some zines are made to spread awareness of certain issues like racism, sexism or homophobia and sometimes deal with controversial topics that mainstream media magazines don't usually cover. Some zines are made to showcase an artist's own artwork and some art zines follow a certain theme or to promote the artist's own work. Some zines are created to be like mini comic books and will sometimes be made as a prototype for a independent comic book series.

Some websites specialise in finding, reviewing and promoting interesting zines. 

Zine specialist websites include PushpinZines, SpillTheZines and GoodPressGallery.

( http://pushpinzines.co.uk/ )

( http://spillthezines.blogspot.co.uk/ )

( http://goodpressgallery.co.uk/index.php?/shop/zines/ )

Printalloverme store

Printalloverme store

I've recently found a website called printalloverme.com where users can upload their own graphics, illustrations or print designs to the site where it'll be printed onto t-shirts, skirts, bags, silk scarfs, bean bags and more.

I've made an account on the site and I've uploaded quite a few of my own prints designs and pictures.

http://printallover.me/collections/twistylemons

Here are a few examples from my store:

Guide books

Guide Books

I'm going to base my zine on a sight seeing guide book based in a fictional haunted town of my own creation.

For inspiration, I've looked at illustrated instructional books, unusual guide books and short pamphlets from different eras.

Recipe books, textile craft and tourist's guides to different countries are the most popular subjects of instructional books.

I've been inspired by old guide books (particularly ones from the 1950s-60s) and the minimalistic colours that would often be used for their covers. Guide book covers, usually American made books, were often coloured with a limited colour palette and kept very simplistic design-wise.

For the front cover of my zine, I'll be using the same limited colour palette with simplistic lining and block shapes that are used in most vintage guide books. To fit with the zine's dark themes, I'll be using less bright, bold colours and more dark, gothic colours.

10/11/2014 new commercial image creation brief

Commercial image creation

For this term's project, I've decided to choose the Traveling Man zine brief.

Commercial Brief

Travelling Man

Create a Comic or Zine suitable for Travelling Man Newcastle Deadline TBC by Travelling Man* “We feel passionate about comic books, board games and RPGs and we want you to feel the same. Our goal is to get everyone in the world to love at least one comic or game. We want to let the uneducated know that they're not just for kids. Comics can be about love, hate, sex, politics, religion, life, death, anything. Sometimes stereotypical and sometimes the most amazing out-there pieces of literature you will every read. We want to bring comics from subculture to mainstream because we love 'em. We are a small independent business run by some of the friendliest people you will ever meet! We have four shops located in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and York.” You are to create a small circulation self published zine or comic. This can be any subject base. Content, production, name, subject and price must all be finalised by hand in. You have complete creative freedom on the subject and content, but proposed idea must be discussed with your tutor. The concept must be well researched and developed taking in to consideration historical and contemporary zines and comics. The message your publication is projecting, as well as the format and technique in which it is produced must be distinctive to your desired market. If your publication is at a high enough standard it will be presented to the buyer at travelling man for consideration to be stocked in their store. It will also be critically assessed.  .

I've chosen this brief because I've never created a zine before and I think that designing and making one would be a great challenge for me.