In order to pass this module, we were encouraged to visit at least one animation-related festival. Although I went separate from everyone else in the class and on a Sunday, not the Saturday that others went on, and for only a few small hours to have a browse around, I still attended the festival albeit only minimally.
I first attended Thought Bubble in 2012, which was a fantastic event and drew me in to go again eventually. I thought it would only be appropriate to visit again and for PPP to look at it from a different viewpoint - a professional one. I thought about maybe setting up a stall for illustrations and designs in the future, however after talking to a few artists there, I soon discovered that they can be expensive especially if you don't sell much of your work. I talked about maybe writing and illustrating a series of children's books for the purpose of selling them at Though Bubble or other national festivals, and got some good responses from a couple of the artists (I cannot remember their names as I was in a hurry to see everything in such little time so whizzed around them all frantically!) as they thought it was important to have something unique to sell as single, printed illustrations are quite common on stalls whereas products such as stickers, books, and accessories seem to be a big hit especially with a teen audience.
I do wish I had captured some photographs of the event as proof of mine and my partner's attendance however we were sadly in a bit of a rush as I had to attend to other pressing matters and I do strongly believe in living an event through your eyes and not a camera lens. One thing I noticed immediately was that Sundays do not compare with Saturdays as it was so much more busy the last time I went which was on a Saturday!
If I remember rightly, Natasha Allegri was there, (the writer and illustrator of the Adventure Time comics - she has also worked on the TV series too), Keith Burns, (illustrator who worked on some fantastic aircraft and military pieces), and Adam Hughes (Star Wars and other comic/film franchise illustrator) to name a few. I really enjoy Natasha's work not simply because it's for Adventure Time, but for it's cute appeal (which it has in common with my own style) and the use of colour. She uses incredibly vivid colours along with subtle pastels and mutes tones to make certain features of her characters stand out amongst more plain ones. She has very confident lines and gives off a feeling of smoothness and comfort. You really just want to grab and cuddle her work!
Natasha Allegri's Concept Art for Adventure Time
One thing I really loved about Though Bubble was that I could discover new artists and illustration styles that in turn would inspire me to create more work in the future taking into account all these new techniques and methods I had seen being used. It gave me the opportunity to talk first hand to artists about their work, about how they got fame, fortune (or possibly not!), and how they plan to take their work further. I had the opportunity to get feedback on my current work (even though I was too shy to and backed out in the end) which I will hopefully take full advantage of next year.
Adam Hughes' style was incredibly appealing to me as it lends itself to a slightly more photo-realistic type of graphic novel art and is incredibly sensual to look at. He emphasises his work with so much emotion and passion and you are able to connect with it on a more personal level and feel empathy with his characters rather than just staring at a pretty picture. I love his use of grey tones giving off a more vintage/traditional vibe.
I'm currently in the process of thinking about doing some material play with different fabrics for a future module so that I can demonstrate cloth-making skills in maybe a stop-motion animation. Thought Bubble allowed me to talk to some cosplayers about how they made their costumes, what materials they used, and how denim is an absolute pain to work with! Meeting costume makers inspired me even more to give it a go.
Adam hughes' Comic Art
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