Okay - so what's clear is that you got into an Octavia 'rut' pretty early on - possibly because you're overly preoccupied with being 'good' in Photoshop, as opposed to having lots and lots and lots of ideas about all these improbably cities. I suspect you're unsure as to the value of producing thumbnails in this way (there are other ways to get ideas out of course), but I wonder if these doubts are encouraging a level of conservatism and resistance re. the creative process itself - just a thought.
So, Octavia it is, thought I will be very honest and say that I'm unconvinced by the whole 'crystal' thing, because I can't actually find any evidence for them in Calvino's text - or rather a production design justification; they feel like an add-on to me, and also that they're substituting the things Calvino does describe - that extraordinary casacade of smaller objects hanging below the city. What happened to them? Isn't Octavia a bit more like this according to Calvino's vision?
Hanging below the city is this 'other city' - a city of things; I don't think Octavia as a solid base of crystals: isn't the whole place a bit more fragile than that? More vulnerable?
Alexander Calder: http://uploads4.wikiart.org/images/alexander-calder/blue-feather-1948.jpg http://artobserved.com/artimages/2009/11/472f84d5.jpg http://theteachersvanity.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/calder-s-shapedvine.jpg
My broad point is that you've sort of got stuck drawing a 'lump' hanging between two mountains, as opposed to exploring the possibilities of a city that, in line with Calvino's description is more complex, more fragile, more precarious, more fascinating! My suggestion would be to return to all those smaller descriptions and really work into the idea of the city looking more like a chandelier in terms of its structure (or mobile), with all those components hanging down from it. Remember - this is an entire city suspended between these mountains - not a solid object, but rather a layering and scaffolding of much smaller structures. I reckon you could afford to be much more fantastical, more detailed and think more 'lightly' about his space.
In line with other OGR advice, in terms of 'designing' your city, I think you need to think about real world cities and extend the logic accordingly; transport systems, rain collecting technologies (lots and lots and lots and lots of buckets?), power sources, temples, cathedrals, factories, theatres... the list is long, but as soon as you start asking questions like 'from where does the electricity for the city come?' you might be inspired to look at lightning conductors. Try and think of it like this: you're not drawing a city - you're designing one, in all its complexity. Likewise, when you think about the interior scene, thinking more 'logically' about your city as an actual place with actual functionality, will give you choices/ideas as to which component of the city you'll be putting us in - not just 'any' space, but an important one that tells us more about your city...
I think what I'm saying finally is explore Octavia again - and be even more curious about this crazy, precarious metropolis!
Looks like you have got everything covered Vlad :) Phil will have a good look and get back to you with feedback...
ReplyDeleteThank you Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI know it's a bit early but I want to get it out of the way and focus on photoshop a bit more :)
OGR 10/10/2014
ReplyDeleteHey Vlad,
Okay - so what's clear is that you got into an Octavia 'rut' pretty early on - possibly because you're overly preoccupied with being 'good' in Photoshop, as opposed to having lots and lots and lots of ideas about all these improbably cities. I suspect you're unsure as to the value of producing thumbnails in this way (there are other ways to get ideas out of course), but I wonder if these doubts are encouraging a level of conservatism and resistance re. the creative process itself - just a thought.
So, Octavia it is, thought I will be very honest and say that I'm unconvinced by the whole 'crystal' thing, because I can't actually find any evidence for them in Calvino's text - or rather a production design justification; they feel like an add-on to me, and also that they're substituting the things Calvino does describe - that extraordinary casacade of smaller objects hanging below the city. What happened to them? Isn't Octavia a bit more like this according to Calvino's vision?
http://www.whorange.net/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/stuart_haygarth_tide_chandelier_2.jpg
http://www.empressofdirt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EMgarIMG_8956.jpg
http://www.skeletonleaf.co.uk/Mobile%20Pics/large/M411-600.jpg
http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/05/rogan-mobile-6.jpg
Hanging below the city is this 'other city' - a city of things; I don't think Octavia as a solid base of crystals: isn't the whole place a bit more fragile than that? More vulnerable?
Some other vis ref for you:
Cornelia Parker:
http://media.timeout.com/images/resizeBestFit/100701499/660/370/image.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAxjAbU3938/TVNpopVg_HI/AAAAAAAAACI/N_3iVmJpJ1g/s1600/cornelia+parker+30+pieces+of+silver.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nzXuWnSsI9U/UWVkOs6SOZI/AAAAAAAABPQ/uokyvUk71uI/s1600/cparker.jpg
Alexander Calder:
http://uploads4.wikiart.org/images/alexander-calder/blue-feather-1948.jpg
http://artobserved.com/artimages/2009/11/472f84d5.jpg
http://theteachersvanity.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/calder-s-shapedvine.jpg
My broad point is that you've sort of got stuck drawing a 'lump' hanging between two mountains, as opposed to exploring the possibilities of a city that, in line with Calvino's description is more complex, more fragile, more precarious, more fascinating! My suggestion would be to return to all those smaller descriptions and really work into the idea of the city looking more like a chandelier in terms of its structure (or mobile), with all those components hanging down from it. Remember - this is an entire city suspended between these mountains - not a solid object, but rather a layering and scaffolding of much smaller structures. I reckon you could afford to be much more fantastical, more detailed and think more 'lightly' about his space.
In line with other OGR advice, in terms of 'designing' your city, I think you need to think about real world cities and extend the logic accordingly; transport systems, rain collecting technologies (lots and lots and lots and lots of buckets?), power sources, temples, cathedrals, factories, theatres... the list is long, but as soon as you start asking questions like 'from where does the electricity for the city come?' you might be inspired to look at lightning conductors. Try and think of it like this: you're not drawing a city - you're designing one, in all its complexity. Likewise, when you think about the interior scene, thinking more 'logically' about your city as an actual place with actual functionality, will give you choices/ideas as to which component of the city you'll be putting us in - not just 'any' space, but an important one that tells us more about your city...
I think what I'm saying finally is explore Octavia again - and be even more curious about this crazy, precarious metropolis!